SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS: DAY 21 - Dame Julie Andrews & Friends

As a super-special Spring extension of BroadwayWorld's SOUND OFF column, every day until the Tony Awards on June 12 we will be presenting a spectacular new entry in the SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS series featuring a particularly entertaining, interesting, relevant and exciting Tony Awards-related clip from the last sixty-three pyears of the ceremonies and subsequent seasons on Broadway with a rundown and commentary on the sights, sounds and showmanship on display in each carefully chosen selection - all, of course, coming in anticipation of Broadway's biggest night, which will be broadcast on CBS this year, as always. Once again this year, BroadwayWorld is the official home of the 2011 Tony Awards and we will also be featuring exclusive interviews, articles, photos, video content, interactive features and more in the coming days and weeks leading up to the event so be sure to check back daily for your theatre fix!

One name that can strike joy, fond remembrances and warm memories perhaps above all others is also one of the very finest stage actresses of this or any age: Dame Julie Andrews. Having appeared on Broadway in MY FAIR LADY, CAMELOT and VICTOR/VICTORIA, in addition to a number of solo shows and concert events, it is her hosting duties on a number of Tony Award shows during the Alexander Cohen era that is perhaps her most beloved moments to many who were not lucky enough to catch her onstage in the thirty-odd intervening years between CAMELOT and VICTOR/VICTORIA where she focused on her film career - which was to be expected considering she won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress for her film debut in MARY POPPINS, which was incidentally released the same year as the film version of her Broadway Lerner & Loewe hit MY FAIR LADY, starring Audrey Hepburn, who was nominated alongside Dame Julie. Sugar trumps salt every time!

Send In The Class

The Tony Awards are undoubtedly the most prestigious of all award shows - yes, the Oscars may mean more to the entertainment industry at large, but everyone knows that the theatre is where the real actors, writers and directors worth watching are found - and, over the years, there have been any number of elegant, graceful, classy hosts. Angela Lansbury comes to mind. As does Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards. Lauren Bacall. In the modern age, Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris - the latter being the host of this year's show and who talked about it in an exclusive interview in Day 1 of this SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS 31 Day countdown, in addition to his extensive InDepth InterView. In that class of the classiest comes Dame Julie.

Singing a Stephen Sondheim song with a lilting sweetness - and, in this case, a serious solemnity - as only she can, witness Dame Julie Andrews sing "Send In The Clowns" from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the 1984 Tony Awards.

Continuing on the Sondheim/Andrews theme, here are Carol Burnett and Dame Julie presenting at the 1999 Tony Awards, singing a little bit of a bunch of Sondheim gems: "Old Friends", "Together Wherever We Go", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Broadway Baby", "Lovely", "Comedy Tonight" and "Putting It Together" - and, of course, displaying their famously genial and hilarious stage rapport.

Now, here we have Dame Julie at the 2006 Tony Awards presenting the biggest award of the evening, Best Musical, and telling a highly amusing story about the creation of MY FAIR LADY.

Lastly, check out three-time Tony nominee Dame Julie in 1991 actually performing a medley of songs from MY FAIR LADY and CAMELOT by Lerner & Loewe.

https://www.youtube.com/embed?v=5glBob5P1F8&feature=player_detailpage

As a super special bonus, check out Michael Crawford and Julie Andrews performing "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" and the Finale from MY FAIR LADY at the gala concert event MY FAVORITE BROADWAY: THE LOVE SONGS.

What a elegant spoon full of sugar and spice our Dame is!

That's all for today. Be sure to stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for all things Tony Awards and subscribe to this column to be the very first to check out the clips, commentary and take part in the conversation in our deluxe toast to the one and only Antoinette Perry every day until June 12 - and, especially, on that day! Until then…