Julie & Tony is a new exhibition that has opened at Sag Harbor Cinema. It’s located on the third floor, weekdays from 5 pm, and weekends from 12 pm.
This exhibition opened at the end of August and is part of a yearlong retrospective called “Worlds of Julie Andrews.” There will be a screening of Mary Poppins as part of the retrospective in Julie’s honor, which will take place this Sunday, October 2nd at 4:00 p.m. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ms. Andrews, moderated by Sag Harbor Cinema’s Founding Artistic Director, Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan.
Giulia spoke about what Mary Poppins means to her and how Sag Harbor Cinema decided on the screening and the Julie & Tony exhibit. She says, “Mary Poppins is a work of genius in so many ways – Disney’s and his animators’, the Sherman Brothers’, Tony Walton’s and of course Julie Andrews’. It is hard to believe that it was her first film. We timed the screening with the show upstairs, which was made possible by the generosity of Ms. Andrews and her family, so that our viewers can get a deeper insight of how effortlessly her brilliant creative process waves through her life. And they can read what Steve Sondheim thought of Disney’s film! This is the first of two exhibits planned during the retrospective.”
The Julie & Tony exhibit features memorabilia and designs from Mary Poppins, as well as the many other collaborations between Julie Andrews and her first husband, Tony Walton. Tony was an Oscar and Tony award winning scenic and costume designer, and some of the art and objects on display in this exhibition include early sketches of costume and set designs of Mary Poppins. Featured will also be letters and other mementos from their personal collections, correspondences, illustrations, and more. There are even items for sale!
Julie and Tony met in 1949 at the ages of 13 and 14. The Waltons were from the same town as the Andrews family—Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England. After meeting her on the train one evening, and then looking up every Andrews family “on the other side of the railroad tracks,” where Julie told him she lived, he went to visit her. Following the visit, Tony wrote a letter to Julie from his boarding school, marking the beginning of their correspondence.
After marrying in 1959, and giving birth to their daughter in 1962, Julie was offered the opportunity to star in her first film, Mary Poppins. Tony was subsequently offered the job of designing the costumes and sets for the films while pursuing his career as a scenic and costume designer. This was the beginning of their first ever professional collaboration.
Julie expressed her admiration for Tony’s designs, saying, “I was awed by my husband’s attention to detail: his choice of materials, colors, and accessories, like Mary’s loosely hand-knitted scarf, or her iconic hat with the sprightly daisy on top. While supervising my fittings, Tony pointed out hidden touches like the primrose or coral linings of Mary’s jackets, or her brightly colored petticoats.”
Julie has a long history with Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, and the Hamptons community. Her daughter, Emma, founded Bay Street Theater with her husband, Stephen. Julie and Tony continued their collaborations at Bay Street, directing and designing. They remained close friends throughout their lives and careers until Tony’s passing in March 2022.
Julie has also authored several books, including the children’s books that she and her daughter, Emma wrote together, which were illustrated by Tony. The Julie & Tony exhibit features memorabilia from their personal collections, as well as that of Emma Walton Hamilton.
Sag Harbor Cinema is a nonprofit, community organization, and they are dedicated to presenting movies from the past and present, as well as looking to the future. The cinema is passionate about engaging audiences and the community. Featuring retrospectives such as this one dedicated to Julie Andrews and Tony Walton is a way for them to continue the dialogue and appreciation of the film experience from every angle.
Founding Artistic Director Giulia says, “I think of the year-round retrospective as a collaborative process with the artists we feature and their closest collaborators. Ideas are born from conversations I have with them. The Hegedus/Pennebaker retrospective we held through 2021 gave us the opportunity to use the Cinema’s third floor to exhibit some of Pennebaker’s legendary cameras. I am very happy that we could use the space again as a natural extension of our 2022 retro, The World of Julie Andrews.”
To learn more about the retrospective and exhibit at Sag Harbor Cinema, as well as to purchase tickets for the Mary Poppins screening, visit https://sagharborcinema.org.
