Poppin’ Off

It was great to see Julie Andrews as the subject of a cover article in Calendar (“Mary Poppins Gets Gnarly,” March 14). I was amused, however, that even now, Rodgers & Hammerstein is viewed as her forte, while the Darker Side of Sondheim is considered a surprising stretch in a new direction.

Twenty-five years ago Julie followed up her hugely successful romp in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” with a dazzling exercise in versatility: Robert Wise’s “Star!” When American Movie Classics recently unearthed “Star!,” your own Kevin Thomas called it “stylish, sharp-edged and underrated.” This buried treasure is solid evidence that Andrews has always been capable of far more diversity than is usually attributed to her.

T. J. EDWARDS

Hollywood