Julie Andrews to Return to London Stage for An Evening in May 2010

By Mark Shenton
25 Nov 2009

Julie Andrews is to return to the London stage for the first time in 30 years, presenting a special performance, An Evening with Julie Andrews, on May 8, 2010, at the O2 Arena.

In the performance, for which she will be accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Ian Fraser and joined by an ensemble of five West End and Broadway performers, she will take the audience on a nostalgic journey through her life and career, including music from some of her greatest stage and screen performances, as well as offering the live narration to "Simeon's Gift," the best selling children's book written by Julie and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.

Andrews famously created made her Broadway debut in 1954, starring as Polly in the Broadway transfer of the West End production of The Boy Friend. She subsequently created the roles of Eliza Doolittle in the original 1956 Broadway production of My Fair Lady and Guenevere in the original 1960 Broadway production of Camelot; she was last seen on Broadway recreating the role of Victoria Grant that she had originally played on film in the musical version of Victor/Victoria. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her appearances in My Fair Lady, Camelot and Victor/Victoria, but did not win. She was also seen off-Broadway in 1993 when she starred in Putting it Together at Manhattan Theatre Club.

She is also well-known for her appearances in such films as "Mary Poppins," "The Sound of Music", "The Princess Diaries," the "Shrek" films and "Eloise at the Plaza."

In a press statement, she commented, "To perform once again in my homeland on the London stage will be a wonderful moment — it is where it all began for me, and I am so excited to be able to share a brand new work with audiences."

Tickets, which go on sale Nov. 26 at 9 AM U.K time, are available from the box office on 0844 856 0202, or by visiting www.the02.co.uk