Julie Andrews to Grace the London Stage After 30 Years

Everybody's favorite nanny is back with a bang! Actress Julie Andrews, who had won an Oscar for her scintillating performance in Mary Poppins in 1964, is gearing up to set the stage of her homeland on fire again. Expected to be a magniloquent event, "An Evening With Julie Andrews" will not only mark Julie's return to the British stage after 30 years but also her first major concert after her surgery in New York's Mount Sinai Hospital in 1997, which had majorly affected her soprano voice. The surgery was undertaken in order to remove non-malignant nodules from her vocal cords.

Andrews had subsequently sued the surgeons in 2000 for damaging what the songstress described as "a wonderful, deep, bass voice of about five notes and that's about it", and received a one million dollar compensation in an out-of-court settlement. The singer had performed for a short duration at a concert in New York last year.

This musical one-off extravaganza, to be held at London's O2 Arena on 8th of May next year, will see the 74-year-old performing hits from her yesteryear blockbusters like The Sound Of Music, The King And I, South Pacific, Carousel and the best from her latest, The Princess' Diaries and Shrek projects. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany the singer along with a star-studded ensemble of five performers from the West End and Broadway. Besides this, the evening will also see a live narration of Andrews' children's book "Simeon's Gift" which she had co-authored with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. Stunningly illustrated by Gennady Spirin, the book weaves the tale of a musician, Simeon, yearning for the love of beautiful Sorrel and the events that follow.

As per her manager Steve Sauer, "Julie cannot sing as she once did. Fortunately she has subsequently been able to regain some of the notes she was once well-known for. The show will be a beautifully woven blend of her singing along with her guest stars."

Talking about the concert herself on Wednesday, the actress said that she was overjoyed. "To perform once again in my homeland on the London stage will be a wonderful moment - it is where it all began for me, and I am so excited to be able to share a brand new work with audiences," she exclaimed. Tickets for the show will be available from today.