Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring

One Step Into Spring title card.

Hat Shop skit.

Julie and Kermit.

Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring is a Julie Andrews TV special featuring the Muppets which first aired on March 9, 1978 on CBS. The special also featured guests Leslie Uggams, Leo Sayer and Alan King. The broadcast was sponsored by Sears and produced via London Weekend Television.

At the end of Julie's opening number, "One Step," Gonzo appears from a trap door in the floor, dressed in a nightgown and cap, and tells her to keep it quiet. Instead, she does an encore over the opening titles.

Julie proceeds to introduce the Muppets, but Kermit comes on stage and tells her that they're aggravated that they didn't get to be in the opening number. He gets even more worried when Julie reluctantly tells him that the "hat sketch" had to be cut as well. Thus Kermit leaves it up to Julie to go backstage to tell the others, and exchange haughty banter with Miss Piggy. After the others leave to see if Leo Sayer needs them, Rowlf plays the piano as Julie sings "I'm Old Fashioned." Rowlf comments, "It's nice to know there's someone squarer than me."

Later on, after some snazzy numbers, Julie appears in a garden with some Muppet flowers, singing "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here" as the flowers engulf her.

Kermit tells the flowers to disperse, then laments that he won't get to be in the Easter parade due to the lack of a bonnet. Julie then offers to take Kermit with her, and sings "Easter Parade," which leads into a sequence at the parade itself, with everyone attending, including cameos from Dr. Teeth, Fozzie, Thog, Sweetums, Timmy Monster and Big Mama. Kermit looks humiliated in his babyish outfit; Julie and Miss Piggy exchange looks of contempt; and Gonzo takes a group picture, which Kermit enters just a few seconds too late.

Alone, Julie sings "Too Shy to Say," and places a white top hat on the microphone as she exits.

A DVD release of the special by Legend Group Studios was initially scheduled for April 23, 2013, but it was subsequently withdrawn. Entries for the DVD are found on sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but it is not available for purchase.

One Step - Julie Andrews and company

I'm Old-Fashioned - Julie and Rowlf

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer

When I Need You - Leo and Julie

The Greatest Love Of All - Leslie Uggams

At the Ballet - Julie

Jazz Medley - Leslie, Julie and Alan King

(All That Jazz, Blues in the Night, Why Don't You Do Right, Fever, My Heart Belongs to Daddy, Some of These Days, I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good, Ain't Misbehavin, It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, All That Jazz)

The Spingtime Cometh / Hurry It's Lovely Up Here - Julie and Flowers

Easter Parade - Julie and Kermit

Easter Parade - Orchestral

Too Shy to Say - Julie Andrews

Gallery

Gonzo with Julie

Julie and Rowlf sing
"I'm Old Fashioned"

"Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here"

Julie with Kermit

Fozzie Bear arm goof

"Easter Parade"

Promotional photo

Julie and Miss Piggy

Leslie Uggams, Miss Piggy and Julie

Notes

• The German dub of this special, Ich war frei, ich war glücklich ("I was free, I was happy" - although the English title appears onscreen), was slightly edited in some parts, and extended in others by addition of several segments from Die Muppet Show (namely "All of Me," the subsequent backstage scene, Rowlf's poem "Silence", the "Java" skit, and Irving Bizarre's introduction). It aired on May 15, 1980 on ZDF. While most of the deletions are just transitions between numbers, the closing number "Too Shy to Say" is missing entirely, and 3.5 minutes of Leslie Uggams' segment is removed. This occurs after Julie sings "At The Ballet," and includes some chat with Leslie (about men) before Leslie sings "All That Jazz," and the two get on top of the piano in glittery dresses to sing "Blues In the Night," "Why Don't You Do Right," and "Fever." Alan King turning to camera is missing as well.

Credits

Jim Henson performing Kermit on set.

Muppet cast

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Floyd, Scooter, Rowlf

Non-speaking characters

Dr. Teeth, Fozzie Bear, Thog, Sweetums, Timmy Monster, Big Mama

Performers

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold and Jim Henson

Writer: Kenny Solms

Musical Directior: Ian Frazer

Director: Jeff Margolis

Special Music Material: Larry Grossman

Producer: Bob Banner Associates, Artista, A.G.

Video releases

DVDEarly solicitation cover

DVD2014
Legendary Entertainment Alliance
(Originally slated for April 23, 2013)

See also

• The Julie Andrews Hour (1973)
• Julie on Sesame Street (1973)
• Julie: My Favorite Things (1975)
• Julie Andrews: One to One (1975)
• Put Some Zing In Your Spring