Julie Andrews: The Gift Of Music

 

The lights dim and on the screen of the Hollywood Bowl we see pictures of Julie Andrews at different stages of her life: her childhood home in England, her first appearance in America at the ripe age of 19, her appearances in the stage versions of My Fair Lady and Camelot, and the finally her iconic performance in the movie of The Sound Of Music, ending with that incredible long shot on the mountain meadow which ends on a close up of her lovely face as she sings" The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music" as the audience joins in singing.

So begins a memorable evening at the Bowl entitled “Julie Andrews:The Gift Of Music” with Julie Andrews as our host. She had brought a conductor/composer Ian Fraser and five friends from the Broadway Stage, singers Stephen R. Buntrock (Martin Guerre and Phantom Of The Opera), Christine Noll (Jekyll and Hyde), Kevin Oderkirk (Les Miserables) and Jubilant Sykes (Metropolitan Opera).

The first half of the concert is dedicated to Rodgers and Hammerstein. The first number is “Getting to Know You” from The King And I by the full company including Julie herself. She had neck surgery 12 years ago but she can still sing, albeit at a lower pitch and narrower range. She later sang “My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers and Hart on her own to the great pleasure of all listening. Other highlights were Jubilant Sykes singing “If I Loved You” from Carousel, Anne Runolfson’s “. Nobody Told Me ” from No Strings. Christiane Noll singing In My Own Little Corner from Cinderella, and a gorgeous group rendition of “The Sweetest Sounds I‘ve Ever Heard” from No Strings.

The second half of the program was musicalization of “Simeon’s Gift”,based on a popular children’s book written by Julie and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. The music was written by the conductor Ian Fraser, performed by the guests, and narrated by Julie. The music was humable and I really liked “Blue Blue Eyes” sung by Ms. Noll. Only one criticism and that is perhaps the Rodgers and Hammerstein should have come second because it’s hard to compete with the memory of those songs. We were treated to projections of the exquisite illustrations by Gennady Spirin. The story is about a minstrel who learns, through encounters with a bird, a faun, and a fish, that his “Gift” is just being himself and letting the music pour forth from his heart and soul. The piece combines Julie Andrews’s twin passions for music and her advocacy for children’s literature.
The concert was performed on July 18th and 19th at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Bowl’s summer season.