blackcauldron85 wrote:Oh, that is magical!!! I'm so happy you got to see Julie!!!!! And ask her a question- so awesome!!! What else went on at the event? There was the video and Q&A... Did you learn anything new, or feel even more adoration for Julie at a certain part?
The event was called “An Evening of Conversation with Julie Andrews” so from 7:30pm to 10:00 (with a 20 minute intermission between), I was able to just observe her and soak it all in! I’m a super fan so there wasn’t much new to me. One thing— we know she likes peanut butter (especially crunchy); and she still does but she thinks she may like almond butter better! I’ll have to try it!
Another special moment, she spoke-sang the lyrics to “Edelweiss” and “Not Getting Married Today” from Putting it Together, a very challenging song she still remembers the lyrics to almost thirty years later.
https://youtu.be/yAKs326xLz0
I was very curious to see how I’d react in person. I’ve seen Jodi Benson and met Paige O’Hara, which was exciting and I was all smiles but I didn’t become emotional or anything. But this was Julie Andrews— I was afraid I might burst into tears or something when she came out on stage. When her husband passed away almost 10 years ago it weirdly hit me like a ton of bricks, which was especially odd because I wasn’t a Blake Edwards fan and at the time even resented him because I thought he took her career in the wrong direction (I’ve since re-evaluated their collaboration together and regard Edwards pretty highly, except for a lot of unfortunate racism in his movies). But I went into a kind of mourning, not overly dramatic or hysterical, but I was deeply sad for the passing of a person I didn’t even know. The only other time that has happened was when Cory Montieth passed away.
But I’m happy to say I held it together! No heart palpitations or tears, all beaming smiles. It was so difficult to just... be present, y’know? I knew this may be my only chance to see her, so I had to really look at her and listen to her and try to comprehend this moment was real and that I was actually seeing her and sharing this space with a woman who means so much to me but also simultaneously listen to the discussion and try and actually comprehend what Julie was actually saying... Even now, as I sit back home surrounded by my collection of Julie Andrews memorabilia, I look at my poster of “Mary Poppins” and I can’t quite believe I saw her in the flesh— the real woman, the real Julie Andrews, the same person who made that movie 50 years ago— a movie that’s been a cherished and important part of my life for 20 years. I’ve seen her in person. I never really thought that could happen. Would happen.
I think that night I just fell in love again. It was special. So wonderful. Last night I journaled every detail I could recall (surprisingly more than I thought I would!) so that hopefully, even when the memory begins to fade, I can look at my journal and it will all become real again.
I’m still over the moon about it all. I’m sorry to gush, haha.
