Julie Andrews has been a beloved and much-honored star of stage, screen and television for more than half a century.  She was already a Broadway legend when she made her feature film debut in 1964's "Mary Poppins."  Andrews' iconic performance in the title role of the magical nanny brought her an Academy Award^®, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award.  The following year, she earned a second Oscar^® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music."  She received her third Academy Award^® nomination and won another Golden Globe Award for her "dual" role in "Victor/Victoria."

            Today's young film audiences may be more familiar with Andrews as a queen trying to train her teenaged granddaughter to be a princess in the hit films, "The Princess Diaries," and its sequel, "The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement."  Andrews also voiced the character of Queen Lillian in the blockbuster hits "Shrek 2," and "Shrek the Third."  More recently, she voiced the narration of the hugely successful Disney release of "Enchanted." In 2010, Ms. Andrews will add to her multi-generational appeal with the release of films – "The Tooth Fairy," "Shrek Goes Fourth," and "Despicable Me."

Her earlier motion picture credits also include "The Americanization of Emily," "Hawaii," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Star!," "Darling Lili," and "10," to name only a few. Julie was born and raised in England, where she first came to fame as a young musical performer on stage and on radio.  She was still in her teens when she made her way across the Atlantic and to Broadway, where she made her debut in 1953 in the musical "The Boy Friend."  She went on to create the role of Eliza Doolittle in Lerner and Loewe's Broadway musical "My Fair Lady," which became an instant classic and the longest-running musical of its day.  Andrews also won a New York Drama Critics Award and garnered a Tony Award nomination for her performance.  She received another Tony Award nomination in 1961 when she originated the role of Queen Guinevere in the Lerner and Loewe musical "Camelot."  Thirty-five years later, Ms. Andrews returned to Broadway to star in the 1996 stage adaptation of "Victor/Victoria."   Julie's career came full circle in 2005 when she directed a revival of "The Boy Friend" which toured throughout North America.

Julie has also been honored for her work on television, beginning in 1957 with her Emmy-nominated performance in the title role of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "Cinderella."  She later won an Emmy Award for her own musical variety series, "The Julie Andrews Hour," and also earned Emmy nominations for "Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center," with her close friend Carol Burnett, and her performance in the special "Sounds of Christmas."  Andrews'more recent television movies includes "One Special Night" with her friend James Garner, "Eloise at the Plaza," "Eloise at Christmastime" and starred opposite Christopher Plummer in the CBS live production of "On Golden Pond." 

Ms. Andrews, already an accomplished best selling author ("Mandy," [1971],  "The Last of The Really Great Whangdoodles," [1974],  has joined talents with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, to pursue the publishing of books committed to stimulating a sense of wonder in children and young readers.  The Julie Andrews Collection was launched in October 2003 and has released over 24 books to date, including "Little Bo," the "Dumpy The Dump Truck" franchise, "The Great American Mousical,"  "Thanks to You" and "Simeon's Gift" (the adaptation of which is the performance you shall be enjoying in the second half of this evening).  "Home – A Memoir of My Early Years," Ms. Andrews' autobiography was released this past April to rave reviews and immediately climbed to #1 on the New York Times best-seller list as well as several other prestigious lists in the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to her stage and screen work, Julie has dedicated her life to her family and to serving important causes, including Operation USA, an international relief organization with which Julie has traveled to such places as Vietnam and Cambodia.  From 1992 to 2006 she was honored as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which provides financial and technical support for low-income women in developing countries.

Ms. Andrews received her honours as a Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on New Year's Eve 1999.  She was also a 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree.  For more about Ms. Andrews and her collection, please go to www.julieandrewscollection.com.

Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies

Julie and her daughter, Emma, have hand-selected a wonderful mix of their most cherished poems, songs, and lullabies in this rich and diverse poetry collection. Brought to life with James McMullan's stunning watercolor paintings, this volume features nearly 150 treasured works, including beloved classics and modern favorites from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more - twenty-one of which are theatrically and playfully read aloud by Julie and Emma on the accompanying CD. Andrews introduces each of the nine themed sections with intimate stories and family memories, offering readers a glimpse into her world and her personal connection to many of the selections. There are even a number of special poems written by the authors themselves as well as contributions from close family members. This deluxe anthology is bound to inspire an early love of poetry and song and become a classic for families to grow with and treasure throughout the years.

Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies is available to purchase beginning Tuesday, October 6, 2009 for $24.99, plus applicable tax at select locations.

Authors & Artists Biographies

Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews is one of the most recognized figures in the world of entertainment best known for her performances in Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and, more recently, The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2.  Next year, she will appear in 3 family films – "The Tooth Fairy" (January 2010), "Shrek Goes Fourth" (May 2010) and "Despicable Me" (July 2010).  Julie is the author of many beloved children's books, including Mandy and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and her recent bestselling memoir, Home. Visit the Julie Andrews Collection online at www.julieandrewscollection.com.
 

Emma Walton Hamilton
Emma Walton Hamilton is a bestselling children's book author, editor, educator and theater arts professional. She has co-authored and published 16 books for children and young adults, four of which were New York Times bestsellers. Emma is the coauthor of the I Can Read! DUMPY easy readers series with her mother, Julie, and illustrated by her father, Tony Walton.
 

James McMullan
James McMullan is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in a variety of books for adults and young readers. He has been internationally recognized for his seventy posters for Lincoln Center Theater.  McMullan received the New York Times Best Illustrated Book award in 2002 for the picture book I Stink!, and he has also award with the Society of Illustrator's prestigious Hamilton King Award.

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Mary Poppins and Merry Penguins

Created in celebration of the 45^th Anniversary of the beloved Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins, Artist Toby Bluth captures one of Julie's favorite moments in the film, as Mary Poppins enjoys her jolly holiday with the help of some very eager and excited penguins, in his composition of Mary Poppins and Merry Penguins.  

Mary Poppins and Merry Penguins is be available in the following formats:

Hand-Remarked Giclee on Watercolor Paper - Edition Size: 20; Retail $1, 250
Giclee on Archival Watercolor Paper - Edition Size: 95; Retail: $595
Deluxe Lithograph Print with Matte - Edition Size: 1000; Retail: $35

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 Home: A Memoir of My Early Years

For the first time ever, this Hollywood icon relives her early days in an honest, touching and revealing memoir. Beginning in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother, the book takes readers through 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway in Camelot, and cast her as the world's most famous nanny. Filled with numerous personal photos and anecdotes of her time on Broadway, this is exactly the kind of memoir Julie Andrew's audiences have been waiting for.

Home:A Memoir of My Early Years is currently available for $26.95, plus tax.