For the cultured Gay

Julie Andrews in a generated publicity photo for the Broadway musical adaptation of Victor/Victoria. Based on the beloved 1982 film created by Blake Edwards, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, the musical opened at the Marquis Theatre on October 25, 1995. Directed by Edwards and choreographed by Rob Marshall, the production starred Andrews as Victoria Grant, a struggling singer who finds fame masquerading as a man impersonating a woman. “Le Jazz Hot” became the evening’s signature spectacle, with Andrews dazzling audiences in glittering fringe amid one of Broadway’s most exhilarating production numbers. The show ran for 734 performances, earning Andrews some of the finest reviews of her stage career and cementing Victor/Victoria as one of Broadway’s major musical events of the 1990s.

Julie Andrews performs the reprise of “Living in the Shadows” as Victoria Grant in the original Broadway production of Victor/Victoria. Opening at the Marquis Theatre on October 25, 1995, the musical reunited Andrews with husband, director Blake Edwards and introduced Frank Wildhorn’s soaring ballad, which became the emotional centerpiece of the stage adaptation. Andrews earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance, though her celebrated Broadway return was tragically cut short by the vocal difficulties that followed the production.

Behind the impeccable manners was a consummate theatre professional who knew when something wasn't working, yet continued to support both the show and the man she loved. Read today alongside Philip Weiss's Return of the Punk Panther and Jonathan Van Meter's Victor/Victorious, the image becomes more than a portrait—it becomes a portrait of devotion, resilience, and one of the most fascinating creative partnerships in American entertainment.

Photographed by Annie Leibovitz for the October 1995 issue of Vanity Fair, this portrait of Julie Andrews celebrated her return to Broadway in Victor/Victoria, the stage adaptation of her acclaimed 1982 film. The musical featured a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini (completed after his death with additional material by Frank Wildhorn), and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Directed by Edwards and choreographed by Rob Marshall, the production opened at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre on October 25, 1995, and ran for 734 performances and 25 previews before closing in July 1997. Critics praised Andrews’ star performance, Rob Marshall’s energetic staging, and showstoppers such as “Le Jazz Hot!”, though some reviewers found the score and book less consistently successful than the original film. The production became especially famous when Andrews declined its sole Tony Award nomination, arguing that the rest of the company had been unfairly overlooked—a gesture that generated national headlines and helped boost ticket sales.