Julie Andrews stars in and co-created the new Netflix preschool series Julie’s Greenroom which will premiere in early 2017. The series, which comes from The Jim Henson Company, will kick off with a first season consisting of 13 30-minute episodes. Andrews, Lisa Henson, Halle Stanford, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Steve Sauer are executive producing, Bill Sherman is the series’ composer, and Emmy winner Joey Mazzarino is on board as co-producer and director.
Julie’s Greenroom will feature new puppets who will help Andrews teach kids about the performing arts. Guest stars confirmed for the first season include Alec Baldwin, Sara Bareilles, Joshua Bell, Tituss Burgess, Carol Burnett, Chris Colfer, Robert Fairchild, Josh Groban, David Hyde Pierce, Bill Erwin, Ellie Kemper, Idina Menzel, Tiler Peck, and Stomp.
“This project represents the fulfilment of a long held dream to educate children about the wonder of the arts,” stated Andrews. “I am thrilled to be partnering with my daughter and long time coauthor, Emma [Walton Hamilton], to bring this show to life along with our co-creator, Judy Rothman-Rofe. We could not be more honored to be working with the extraordinary Jim Henson Company. We are equally delighted to be premiering as a Netflix original production.”
“It’s been such an incredible treat to work with Julie on this project,” said Andy Yeatman, Director of Global Kids Content at Netflix. “This show is all about awakening children’s interest in the performing arts while introducing a new era of puppets to the viewers.”
“The best of the best have joined together to bring Julie’s Greenroom to Netflix,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “Our award-winning director, Tony-nominated puppeteers, Broadway composer, and accomplished guest artists, led by the incomparable Julie Andrews, together will inspire kids to explore, appreciate and celebrate all forms of performing arts.”
The Julie’s Greenroom Plot: Andrews stars as Ms. Julie – the director of the Wellspring Center for the Performing Arts in which she teaches performing arts workshops in the theatre and its “Greenroom.” Ms. Julie and her devoted assistant Gus (Giullian Yao Gioiello) bring the performing arts to a new generation of kids known as the “Greenies,” played by original puppet characters built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The Greenies are a diverse group of kids who are mesmerized by all that the arts and creativity has to offer. Over the course of the season, with Ms. Julie’s guidance and inspiration from the visiting guest artists, the kids create an entirely original new show, that is a mashup of all the performing arts including mime, music, dance, improv, circus arts, voice and more.
