Julie Andrews on her "practically perfect" book podcast
“It’s like a very surreal science fiction movie in a way,” says Dame Julie Andrews of the current pandemic. But this week the actress who has co-authored dozens of children’s books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, debuts a comforting new children’s book podcast, “Julie's Library.” Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Andrews and Hamilton about their series, in which families can hear favorite stories read in a very familiar voice.
Even on the computer at his Long Island home, Julie Andrews can command the screen, making the best of this odd time. It reminds me of this special time, the days of war; I dont know that it does for anyone else, he said.Correspondent Tracy Smith asked Andrews, a young girl in London during World War II, Are there any lessons from this that might apply to this time?
"It's a recognition, actually; it is another kind of war," she replied. "It's something that I've certainly never come across before in my life, and I don't think many of us have. It's like a very surreal science-fiction movie in a way. It's hard to grasp that it's real, and yet you know that it is."
Perhaps it would be fair to say that Andrews has had a real moment of a lifetime: at the age of 13, he sang in a command performance for King George VI. At the age of 20, she won Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady".
And she won an Academy Award for her first film role, as Mary Poppins.
Smith asked Andrews' daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, "Let's start at the very beginning."
"Very good place to start, Tracy!" Hamilton laughed.
"I trained her well, as you can see," Andrews noted.
When "Mary Poppins" was released in the summer of 1964, Emma was barely two and a true Hollywood child. "I went shopping with my grandmother at that time in the children's section of a department store," she remembered. "And Mary Poppins, a cardboard cutout, was a display set of life-size figures of Mary Poppins.
And I remember that he was watching and pointing and saying, 'This is my mother!' And then suddenly find out that some women behind me were saying, 'Isn't it lovely? The little girl thinks her mother is Mary Poppins. 'And I was like,' No, but this is really my mother! '
And now, in a way, Hamilton has become his mother's co-star. Together, they have written more than 30 children's books, and this week they will debut a new podcast, "Julie's Library," where listeners can listen to stories read in a very familiar voice."We Are hoping that these stories will bring families together, bring us all together," Hamilton said.Andrews said, "And encourage reading and literacy and, I mean, all those unconscious things that go along with enjoying a good book."
It all sounds practically perfect, but Andrews transition from songwriter to childrens author, by his own admission, was difficult. In 1997 she lost her four-octave soprano singing voice after vocal cord surgery.Smith asked, When you lost your voice, did you see the blessing in it?
It is most likely honest to say that say Andrews has had a lifetime of surreal moments: At 13, she sang in a command efficiency for King George VI. At 20, she conquered Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in “My Honest Girl.”
"I knew I was going to be crazy until I had done something that felt creative and that I liked. And its timing was perfect, because Emma and I started writing our children's books together Gave. And that became the thing when I hugged. My voice was gone. And Emma said to me one of the sweetest thing one day, which is, 'Mother, you have used a different way of using your voice. Africa is found. ' And I think that's great for me.
And as if writing an entire library of youngsters’s books wasn’t sufficient, Dame Julie has additionally written a few best-selling memoirs.
Smith requested, “You have labored your entire life, because you have been a younger lady. Do you discover consolation in that, in working? Since you’re retaining busy now engaged on a number of issues.”
“Sure. I’ve labored all my life. I do not suppose I do know to do something – I imply, I love kicking again. Consider me, I am fairly a lazy lady loads of the time! However having one thing to do this I really like may be very crucial. And I’m used to being busy. I do not suppose I’d be very joyful if I weren’t.”
“It’s like a very surreal science fiction movie in a way,” says Dame Julie Andrews of the current pandemic. But this week the actress who has co-authored dozens of children’s books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, debuts a comforting new children’s book podcast, “Julie's Library.” Correspondent Tracy Smith talks with Andrews and Hamilton about their series, in which families can hear favorite stories read in a very familiar voice.
Even on the computer at his Long Island home, Julie Andrews can command the screen, making the best of this odd time. It reminds me of this special time, the days of war; I dont know that it does for anyone else, he said.Correspondent Tracy Smith asked Andrews, a young girl in London during World War II, Are there any lessons from this that might apply to this time?
"It's a recognition, actually; it is another kind of war," she replied. "It's something that I've certainly never come across before in my life, and I don't think many of us have. It's like a very surreal science-fiction movie in a way. It's hard to grasp that it's real, and yet you know that it is."
Perhaps it would be fair to say that Andrews has had a real moment of a lifetime: at the age of 13, he sang in a command performance for King George VI. At the age of 20, she won Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady".
And she won an Academy Award for her first film role, as Mary Poppins.
Smith asked Andrews' daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, "Let's start at the very beginning."
"Very good place to start, Tracy!" Hamilton laughed.
"I trained her well, as you can see," Andrews noted.
When "Mary Poppins" was released in the summer of 1964, Emma was barely two and a true Hollywood child. "I went shopping with my grandmother at that time in the children's section of a department store," she remembered. "And Mary Poppins, a cardboard cutout, was a display set of life-size figures of Mary Poppins.
And I remember that he was watching and pointing and saying, 'This is my mother!' And then suddenly find out that some women behind me were saying, 'Isn't it lovely? The little girl thinks her mother is Mary Poppins. 'And I was like,' No, but this is really my mother! '
And now, in a way, Hamilton has become his mother's co-star. Together, they have written more than 30 children's books, and this week they will debut a new podcast, "Julie's Library," where listeners can listen to stories read in a very familiar voice."We Are hoping that these stories will bring families together, bring us all together," Hamilton said.Andrews said, "And encourage reading and literacy and, I mean, all those unconscious things that go along with enjoying a good book."
It all sounds practically perfect, but Andrews transition from songwriter to childrens author, by his own admission, was difficult. In 1997 she lost her four-octave soprano singing voice after vocal cord surgery.Smith asked, When you lost your voice, did you see the blessing in it?
It is most likely honest to say that say Andrews has had a lifetime of surreal moments: At 13, she sang in a command efficiency for King George VI. At 20, she conquered Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in “My Honest Girl.”
"I knew I was going to be crazy until I had done something that felt creative and that I liked. And its timing was perfect, because Emma and I started writing our children's books together Gave. And that became the thing when I hugged. My voice was gone. And Emma said to me one of the sweetest thing one day, which is, 'Mother, you have used a different way of using your voice. Africa is found. ' And I think that's great for me.
And as if writing an entire library of youngsters’s books wasn’t sufficient, Dame Julie has additionally written a few best-selling memoirs.
Smith requested, “You have labored your entire life, because you have been a younger lady. Do you discover consolation in that, in working? Since you’re retaining busy now engaged on a number of issues.”
“Sure. I’ve labored all my life. I do not suppose I do know to do something – I imply, I love kicking again. Consider me, I am fairly a lazy lady loads of the time! However having one thing to do this I really like may be very crucial. And I’m used to being busy. I do not suppose I’d be very joyful if I weren’t.”
