Nine years in the making, this new six-part series was created by filmmaker Michael Kantor, hosted and narrated by PBS' unofficial "ambassador for the American musical," Julie Andrews, and overseen by executive producers David Horn and Jac Venza.
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's 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 for her unforgettable portrayal of Maria von Trapp in THE SOUND OF MUSIC. She received her third Academy Award® nomination and won a third Golden Globe for her "dual" role in VICTOR/VICTORIA.
Today's film audiences most recently saw Andrews as a queen trying to train her teenaged granddaughter to be a princess in THE PRINCESS DIARIES. She reprised her role for the sequel, THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT. Andrews is also the voice of Queen Lillian in SHREK 2, the sequel to the Oscar-winning animated blockbuster SHREK. Her earlier motion picture credits include THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY, HAWAII, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, STAR!, DARLING LILI, and 10, to name only a few.
Julie Andrews 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 crossed the Atlantic 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."
Andrews 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 earned additional nominations for JULIE AND CAROL AT LINCOLN CENTER with her close friend Carol Burnett, her appearance on THE ANDY WILLIAMS SHOW, and her performance in the special THE SOUND OF JULIE ANDREWS. Her more recent television work includes ELOISE AT THE PLAZA and ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME, and she also starred opposite Christopher Plummer in the CBS live production of ON GOLDEN POND.
Having been featured in several GREAT PERFORMANCES programs -- including CELEBRATING OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II, JULIE ANDREWS BACK ON BROADWAY, and two MY FAVORITE BROADWAY concerts -- she is known as public television's unofficial "ambassador for the American musical." She returns to PBS as host and narrator of BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL, the most comprehensive exploration of musical theater ever presented on television, and later in the season will host the first-ever encore of RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S "Cinderella" for GREAT PERFORMANCES.
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