Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – JULIE MADLY DEEPLY, a loving tribute to Dame Julie Andrews from a super fangirl

• By drediman
• June 21, 2019
• No Comments

Michael Roulston and Sarah­-Louise Young in “Julie Madly Deeply” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

This week, I paid my final visit to 59E59 Theaters’ 2019 edition of its wonderful Brits Off Broadway series to catch Sarah-Louise Young’s Julie Madly Deeply. In essence, the work is a well-informed love letter to one of entertainment’s biggest icons, Dame Julie Andrews. Ms. Young pays particular tribute to Ms. Andrews’ singing voice, one of the most well regarded and distinctive instruments to grace stage and screen.

The show smartly takes the form of a cabaret act, which creates an intimate experience that personalizes the loving tribute. Using a knowledgably curated song list, Julie Madly Deeply efficiently touches most of the bases of Ms. Andrews’ wide-reaching body of work, from the star’s splashy early appearance in The Boy Friend, to her later triumph in Victor/Victoria (and all of the legendary stuff in between!). The award-winning singing actress’s storied career wasn’t all a spoonful of sugar – it turned wildly uneven in its latter half (including a deeply unfortunate throat surgery that nearly ended her career) – and Ms. Young doesn’t shy away from the less happy bits. However, Ms. Young, as a true super fangirl, loves all of Ms. Andrews.

Ms. Young is a lovely presence, and she possesses a pleasant, bright soprano voice (happily, she opts not to totally replicate Ms. Andrews singing style; who would even want to try?), which she skillfully wields throughout the evening. Even if the show, tidily directed by Russell Lucas, perhaps doesn’t dig as deep as it should, Ms. Young’s genuine love and benign obsession over Ms. Andrews – which her lovely musical accompanist Michael Roulston shares – is infectious, handily winning over the audience.

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JULIE MADLY DEEPLY
Off-Broadway, Musical/Cabaret
Brits Off Broadway / 59E59 Theaters
1 hour, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Through June 30