Odds & Ends: Julie Andrews Will Receive Venice Film Festival Career Achievement Award & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed today.

Julie Andrews Will Receive Venice Film Festival Career Achievement Award
Hats off to Tony-nominated stage star and Oscar-winning screen icon Julie Andrews, who has been named the recipient of the 2019 Golden Lion Award for Career Achievement from the Venice Film Festival, according to Deadline. "At a very young age, Ms. Andrews made a name for herself in the music halls of London and, later, on Broadway thanks to her remarkable singing and acting talent," said Venice chief Alberto Barbera. "Her first Hollywood movie, Mary Poppins, gave her top-tier star status, which was later confirmed in another treasured film, The Sound of Music. Those two roles projected her into the Olympus of international stardom, making her an iconic figure adored by several generations of moviegoers." On Broadway, Andrews earned a Theatre World Award for her main-stem debut in The Boy Friend, later earning Tony nominations for My Fair Lady, Camelot and Victor/Victoria.

Jennifer Hudson-Led Aretha Franklin Biopic Sets Release Date
MGM has scheduled an August 14, 2020 release date for the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, according to Deadline. Tony nominee Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) will direct the previously announced film, which will star Oscar winner and Broadway alum Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls, The Color Purple) as the "Queen of Soul," who passed away in 2018. Additional casting for Respect will be announced soon.

Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop Announces Casting at Playwrights Horizons
Casting is set for A Strange Loop, the highly anticipated world premiere musical featuring a book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson Award winner Michael R. Jackson. The previously announced production, directed by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill) and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly, will run at off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons from May 24 through July 7. The cast will include Larry Owens (Gigantic), Antwayn Hopper (Hair), James Jackson Jr. (The Black-Ups), L. Morgan Lee (Jesus Christ Superstar), John-Michael Lyles (This Ain't No Disco), John-Andrew Morrison (The Tooth of Crime) and Jason Veasey (The Lion King). A Strange Loop explores the thoughts of Usher (Owens), a black, queer writer working a job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, queer writer, working a job he hates while writing his original musical.

Dancers of Aladdin, Hamilton & Frozen Honor International Women's Day
A talented group of creatives and stars have come together to celebrate International Women's Day as only Broadway's best can, with a performance piece celebrating the talented females on the Great White Way. Josh Drake (Aladdin) and Kellen Stancil (The Lion King) have created and produced this special dance concept video to the song "Power," featuring Heather Makalani (Aladdin), Amanda Braun (Hamilton), Khadija Tariyan (King Kong), Jacob Dickey (Aladdin), Donald Jones Jr. (Frozen), Michael Graceffa (The Cher Show) and many more performers from Broadway and beyond. "This public holiday and topic means a great deal to us mainly because women are incredibly prominent in our industry of the arts, at all levels," said Drake. "We use our art to empower women to enable their voices and control their own lives, and the future of our world." Watch the music video below and toast the incredible women in your life today and every day.