Over the years Julie Andrews has been much interviewed in the press and on television, but she has never before revealed the true story of her childhood and upbringing. In HOME she vividly recreates the years before the movies.An idyllic early childhood in Surrey was cut short when her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The family moved to London and there are vivid scenes of life during the Blitz. Her mother went into musical theatre with her stepfather, who encouraged Julie to have singing lessons which led to the discovery that her voice had phenomenal range and strength for someone her age. Before long she was appearing on stage with her parents. She soon realised how much she enjoyed looking out into the black auditorium with the spotlights on her. By the time she was a teenager, she was supporting her whole family with her singing.A London Palladium pantomime led to a leading role in The Boyfriend on Broadway at 19. Parts in MY FAIR LADY opposite Rex Harrison and CAMELOT with Richard Burton soon followed and there are wonderful anecdotes about the actors and actresses of her day.But this is far more than a collection of show stories (it's not until the last page of the book that Julie gets the call from Disney for MARY POPPINS), HOME is an honest, touching and revealing memoir of the early life of a true icon.
Over the years Julie Andrews has been much interviewed in the press and on television, but she has never before revealed the true story of her childhood and upbringing. In HOME she vividly recreates the years before the movies.An idyllic early childhood in Surrey was cut short when her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The family moved to London and there are vivid scenes of life during the Blitz. Her mother went into musical theatre with her stepfather, who encouraged Julie to have singing lessons which led to the discovery that her voice had phenomenal range and strength for someone her age. Before long she was appearing on stage with her parents. She soon realised how much she enjoyed looking out into the black auditorium with the spotlights on her. By the time she was a teenager, she was supporting her whole family with her singing.A London Palladium pantomime led to a leading role in The Boyfriend on Broadway at 19. Parts in MY FAIR LADY opposite Rex Harrison and CAMELOT with Richard Burton soon followed and there are wonderful anecdotes about the actors and actresses of her day.But this is far more than a collection of show stories (it's not until the last page of the book that Julie gets the call from Disney for MARY POPPINS), HOME is an honest, touching and revealing memoir of the early life of a true icon.
Front page press coverage on h/b publication in nationals such as The Sunday Times and the Daily Mail focused on the amazing revelations Julie Andrews makes in Home, about the identity of her father among others. 'This memoir of her very English childhood ends in 1963 with her getting on the aeroplane at the age of 28 to make Mary Poppins - Hollywood still a mystery. No nuns, no Nazis, no Christopher Plummer. And yet the book is magic' Sunday Times 'In The Sound Of Music and Mary Poppins, she epitomised innocence. Now,in her startliing new memoirs,Julie Andrews reveals the black childhood that made her so ruthless in real life. But is her greatest secret still hidden?' Daily Mail 'This delightful remembrance of her own childhood and engrossing prelude to her cinematic career... Readers will rejoice, since Andrews is an accomplished writer who holds back nothing while adding a patina of poetry to the antics and anecdotes throughout this memoir of bittersweet backstage encounters and theatrical triumphs' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dame Julie Andrews is an Emmy, Grammy and Academy-Award-winning actress and singer, best-known for her roles in MARY POPPINS and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
Told with candour and poignancy - CANDISrevealing - MAIL ON SUNDAYa modest but candid and frequently amusing self-portrait of the star before fans got to know her - DAILY MAILCandid and perceptive, providing a vivid portrait of her formative years, this memoir will delight her legions of admirers - GOOD BOOK GUIDE
Told with candour and poignancy - CANDISrevealing - MAIL ON SUNDAYa modest but candid and frequently amusing self-portrait of the star before fans got to know her - DAILY MAILCandid and perceptive, providing a vivid portrait of her formative years, this memoir will delight her legions of admirers - GOOD BOOK GUIDE
In recounting her early musical and theatrical training, Andrews discusses the importance that she placed on the care and maintenance of her vocal chords. Listeners of this delightful audio will feel extremely grateful that the show business legend demonstrated such remarkable foresight all those decades ago. Her performance represents a shining achievement in vocal quality. The enhanced first CD includes photos from Andrews's personal collection. Sprinkled through Andrews's narration are a few prized archival snippets of her most memorable early Broadway tunes, and Ian Fraser's gentle piano interludes befit the poignancy of the material. Yet the focal point remains firmly planted on the power of the storytelling itself. Andrews projects the tone of a motherly figure confiding with her dearest friends over a cup of tea, and the 13-hour length truly flies by as if they were mere minutes. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 14). (Apr.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
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