JULIE ANDREWS: THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television Christmas concert special, filmed in Salzburg, features Julie Andrews and special guests John Denver and Placido Domingo. The program begins with Andrews singing "The Sound of Christmas" on a hilltop in tribute to the opening scene of her famous film, "The Sound of Music" (1965). She then sings a snippet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as she explores the town and discusses her memories of filming there, in the birthplace of Mozart. She is soon surprised to come across Amadeus himself, who is impatient that she is late for rehearsal, and she quickly joins The King's Singers in performing "A Christmas Fantasy," a medley of surprisingly modern seasonal songs arranged by Mozart. She then travels to the Collegiate Church of Mondsee, where Domingo is rehearsing "O Holy Night." After the song, she greets him and they joke about her fictional "marriage" in the church, referring to the wedding in "The Sound of Music," and they discuss their love of the city. They then sing a duet of "Something New in My Life."
Andrews, Denver and Domingo then sing "Night Waltz I/The Sun Won't Set" from "A Little Night Music" while imagining a roomful of ballroom dancers, and Andrews ponders going "through the looking-glass" and remembering the city's history. She and the other two appear in fancy costumes and dance together to music "By Strauss," and Andrews and Domingo share a "romantic" moment as Denver borrows from "Gigi" and notes that "She's Not Thinking of Me." The trio and the ballroom dancers then perform "The Christmas Waltz" before returning to the chilly reality "In the Bleak Midwinter." Denver performs some impressive downhill skiing stunts and sings "Dancing With the Mountains," while Andrews mingles with the locals in a ski lodge. A number of men, played by the King's Singers, serenade her with a German version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which becomes overwhelming when they ply her with the many snacks and drinks mentioned in the song. Andrews and Denver chat, and Denver plays the guitar as they sing a harmony of "Edelweiss" from her famous movie. The townsfolk gather at the church for the concert and sing "O Come All Ye Faithful," led by Andrews, after which the three singers take the stage and sing "The Wexford Carol," followed by "What Child is This?" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem," aided by a harmonizing choir. This is followed by "Ave Maria" and a reprise of "Faithful" with the choir. Andrews then closes the program by reflecting on her fond memories of Salzburg and bidding the audience good night. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 16, 1987 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:12370
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Music; Christmas
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1987
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
- TV - Commercials - British Caledonian airlines
- TV - Commercials - Hotel Österreichischer Hof
- TV - Commercials - JCPenney stores
- TV - Commercials - Shaklee vitamins
- TV - Promos - "Dolly" Christmas special
- TV - Promos - "Full House"
- TV - Promos - "The Three Kings" motion picture
CREDITS
- Nick Vanoff … Producer
- Rene Lagler … Associate Producer
- Martin Baker … Associate Producer
- Buz Kohan … Writer
- Dwight Hemion … Director
- Felisa Vanoff … Choreographer
- Julie Andrews … Performer
- John Denver … Performer
- Placido Domingo … Performer
- The King's Singers … Performer
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart