INTERVIEW: Julie Andrews’ life comes into focus in ‘Julie Madly Deeply’
Photo: From left, Michael Roulston and Sarah-Louise Young star in Julie Madly Deeply at Brits Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Karen Greco PR with permission.
Julie Madly Deeply is a new cabaret show that has been imported from London’s West End for the Brits Off-Broadway festival at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. The one-woman show centers on the life and work of Julie Andrews, admiringly played by writer Sarah-Louise Young.
Audience members can expect to hear some of Andrews’ timeless classics from such movies and musicals as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. Throughout the production, which comes to New York courtesy of Julie Clare Productions and New Diorama Theatre, Young offers some of her own super-fan memories of Andrews’ influence.
Recently Young exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When did you first fall in love with cabaret?
My dear friend and fellow performer, Paul L. Martin, played me a Fascinating Aïda record when we were 13 years old, and I was hooked. Along with Victoria Wood and Tom Lehrer, their songs turned me on to comedy song-writing. Paul and I used to perform together in variety shows as teenagers, and later, after college we ran cabaret nights in London. It was a very young scene then, and we had a lot of artistic freedom to play and be creative. It’s also where I met my [musical director] Michael Roulston who would later become my writing partner (www.roulstonandyoung.co.uk) Although I trained in musical theatre I really cut my teeth in cabaret. There is nowhere to hide, and each show invites you to connect with an audience anew and build something together. I love the mixture of jeopardy and love in the room in a cabaret show.
When did you first fall in love with Julie Andrews?
Like many British children I first fell for her in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, which are a staple of any English Christmas. But it was her first appearance with the Muppets which made me see her as the true comedienne that she is. Years later Victor Victoria and Star! became my favourite films. They connect back to her vaudeville roots and show her voice off beautifully.
What can audiences expect at Julie Madly Deeply?
An original and entertaining night of cabaret weaving together stories and songs from Julie’s amazing life and career.
There will be lots of numbers most people will recognise plus a few they might not. It’s a biographical show which invites the audience to share their stories, too. It’s funny, entertaining and touching. The music is provided by the wonderful Michael Roulston on piano who also guests a few ghostly voices from the past like Richard Burton and Blake Edwards. And finally, of course, there is a singalong for those who want to join in … we find that most people do!
Was is it difficult to settle on which songs from her career would work for the show?
Oh goodness, yes! We could easily have made an eight-hour show. She was involved in so many incredible musicals with composers such as [Richard] Rodgers and [Oscar] Hammerstein, [Alan Jay] Lerner and [Frederick] Loewe and my favourites, Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse.
The show originally started life as a 65-minute version, but when we were invited to play the West End in London, we had the opportunity to extend it into a two-act version. This allowed us to include more songs such as ‘Could I Leave You?’ from [Stephen] Sondheim’s Putting It Together and ‘I’ll Give You Three Guesses’ from Darling Lili.
Michael has also skilfully included many songs as underscore to the dialogue and some delightful medleys. If you listen closely you may catch a few surprises. Ultimately the priority was to tell a good story, which our marvelous director, Russell Lucas, was at the helm of. Without him the show would be much more conventional. He really encouraged me to be imaginative and find new ways to deliver a story. There will always be songs I wish we could have included such as her duets with Carol Burnett, but people have homes to go to. So we had to stop somewhere!
What would you do if Julie Andrews was in the audience?
I would be absolutely thrilled. When we were making the show our mantra was always to create something which she would approve of. It would be an honour to have her see the piece, of course, but she might have to come in disguise as I’m not sure whether the audience could cope!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Julie Madly Deeply, written by and starring Sarah-Louise Young, plays through June 30 at 59E59 Theaters in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
