Carrie Underwood to Star in NBC's Live Broadcast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC- Page 24

[BwayTday]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:11pm

You're allowed to have your opinion of course, and I will agree with you on acting (but what novice wouldn't look completely over their head next to the likes of Audra McDonald and Laura Benanti).

But how was the score "beyond her capacities as a singer"? Sure she belted it all, but to me that's a stylistic quibble. She didn't even use a twangy pop-belt, she used a pretty open sound. She could certainly sing it.

I may be misinterpreting your comment and if so forgive me.

Updated On: 12/6/13 at 03:11 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:18pm

Hearing Carrie Underwood singing the title song just after Audra sang the opening made it glaringly obvious that this score was beyond Underwood's capabilities. She's got a fine voice for the music she makes, but there was nothing pretty about her voice in the show. Plus any time she had to move and sing it sounded like Maria had asthma.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:29pm

I thought Audra's take on "Dixit Dominus" was horrendous. She was belting it out like she was doing GYPSY. It's a figgin' chant. Then all that great harmony when the nun's join was ruined by her (or the sound technician's) inability to blend. She also shouted her lines, along with most everyone else (Max and Elsa, excepted). Like no one told them they were on TV. It had expert technical direction, but the dramatic direction was abysmal. The art of the build is a lost art. Everyone comes out, annoyingly, at full-force. "The Sound of Music" isn't mean to be belted. "My Favorite Things" should gradually build to the two of them being loud on the last couple lines, and so forth. Not just this, everything is like that now. I remember being appalled at the choreography of the most recent revival of HOW TO SUCCEED... Every number started at fever pitch. It was way over-choreographed. Like directors don't understand musical theater. The character speaks lines, then gradually goes into a song and or a dance. Not line said, let's put on a show!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:33pm

Carrie didn't shout, either. She was practically a zombie half the time.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 4:46pm

Just in cast no one saw this in the other thread,

Rolling Stone makes an interesting and very true point here:

"The Broadway Veterans Ruled
It happened to Julie Andrews herself back in 1964: The accomplished stage actress is thrown over for the leading role in the film version of My Fair Lady (which she created on Broadway) in favor of Hollywood royalty Audrey Hepburn. Star power sells, and that's why Carrie Underwood was cast as Maria while seasoned Broadway pros (and Tony Award winners) Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christian Borle were relegated to supporting roles."

Clint Eastwood and other people decided not to take that route with the 'Jersey Boys' film, which will be refreshing. Rob Marshall and other people also made great casting choices for 'Into the Woods', especially with James Corden, Lila Crawford, Billy Magnusen, and Daniel Huttlestone.




The Best and Worst Moments of the New 'Sound of Music' Updated On: 12/6/13 at 04:46 PM

[suestorm]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 5:21pm

Phyllis rogers Stone, maybe you missed this in the other thread...

Whats the easiest way to tell the diff between a successful Broadway performer and a nitpicky Broadway wannabe?
Easy, how they support and show love for their art.

Exhibits (TwiTTer) A-G...

Steve Kazee ?@SteveKazee 14m
Honestly don’t understand why theatre people have the reputation for being catty, petty, judgmental, bitter, and jaded. I just don’t see it

Andy Mientus ?@andymientus 13h
Gosh, it must suck to work really hard on a TV show and have the theater community tweet snarky things about it.

Megan Hilty ?@meganhilty 9h
Congratulations to everyone in #SoundOfMusicLive! What an incredible production! May this be the start of a long tradition! @nbc

Anna Kendrick ?@AnnaKendrick47 11h
Yes girl, bust out that belt again! @carrieunderwood #SoundOfMusic


Laura Osnes ?@LauraOsnes 12h
So magical watching @SoundofMusic live! The @CinderellaBway cast was glued to it backstage!! Congrats, friends! pic.twitter.com/i2AGALIeLs


Laura Benanti ?@LauraBenanti 20h
PLEASE watch the show tonight with an open heart and mind. We are performing for you with love. We adore our leading lady. Suck it haters.

Santino Fontana ?@SantinoFontana 14h
http://instagram.com/p/hj_b9ek5ow/ from one R&H classic watching another! @LauraOsnes

Updated On: 12/6/13 at 05:21 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 6:35pm

I didn't see it because I have you on ignore, so it's easy to ignore your posts when they are in the middle of a thread, less so when they are at the end of one. I do love the notion that one can't have a non-positive opinion without being a wannabee. I'll really never be able to understand the lack of brain power it takes to make claims that having a negative opinion means the person holding the opinion is just jealous. It's kind of sad, too, because I like a lot of those people whose tweets you posted, but there seems to be a decided lack of critical thought within some of them.

At any rate, I guess Benanti straddles space and time to be both a successful Broadway performer and a nitpicky Broadway wannabe?



I mean, she retweeted this before she'd even seen Carrie in the role. At least I have based my opinion on the finished product.





Updated On: 12/6/13 at 06:35 PM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 6:37pm

best12bars wrote: The role of the Baroness was vastly improved for the film by Ernest Lehman's screenplay. They took away her songs, but gave her Brigitta's scene were she confirms that the Captain is in love with Maria. It made more sense coming from the Baroness. And Eleanor Parker's Baroness was a stronger, more defined character with less to do than her stage counterpart. I thought Laura was terrific, but I just don't think the role is that solid as written in the play

In Maria's book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, she mentions that it was the fiancee (a princess named Yvonne) who took her aside and alerted her that the Captain was falling for her. In the 1956 German film, Die Trapp Familie, Princess Yvonne offers to help Maria change during a party and passive-aggressively tells her about the Captain's love for her. I don't know why it was changed for the stage show, but I'm glad the film restored this interaction. The Baroness works best as an antagonist and a foil for Maria. Otherwise, she's just there, and her songs don't add anything to the general story.

Updated On: 12/6/13 at 06:37 PM

[suestorm]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 6:44pm

There is a big diff between non positive and unfair.

Seems to me you answered your question about Laura. Once she saw her in it she was won over.

Updated On: 12/6/13 at 06:44 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 6:46pm

Even you can't believe the nonsense you write.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 10:17am

Suestorm..that photo of Liesl and "Rolf" in page 23 of this thread is just hysterical. I just noticed it. Thanks for sharing. I can't stop giggling.

[BobNC]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:39am

So sad that the the owners of the rights allowed this travesty to happen. What little town is that American Idol amateur from? Well, whichever town, I'd say it would have been a success on that level of small town community production. Underwood was so wooden. Moyer also as dead as the vampire he plays on that other horror production. I kept waiting for him to sprout fangs. Maybe that would have kept the millions who were hyped into watching from falling asleep. If the producers wanted a lead to appeal to the Glee crowd, why not a non-actress type who could at least sing theatrical songs.

I've seen every major musical production on Broadway (and film) in the last 40 years--this was the worst.

[cyberwarriorpt]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:46am

You bet you've seen this?
http://adf.ly/aQF8u

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:01pm

Carrie fights back and plays the Jesus card: MEAN PEOPLE NEED JESUS
Carrie Underwood Responds to Her SOUND OF MUSIC Critics: 'Mean People Need Jesus'

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:08pm

She sounds like a real deep and introspective thinker to be all able to dismiss all criticisms as coming from mean people who need Jesus. Hopefully no Jews or Muslims were among her criticizers! Also, that quote says she thinks people who are criticizing her an envious and/or slandering her, so perhaps homegirl needs a shrink. And that's the first negative thing I've said about her specifically, and not about her perforamnce, so there.

At least she has that insane Pat Cerasaro review to keep her comfort.

Updated On: 12/7/13 at 06:08 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:17pm

Has she no handlers to advise her against responding? I wish she hadn't. She delivered a ratings bonanza. She ought to have kept quiet.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:21pm

I think America voted for her to send that tweet.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:27pm

"The art of the build is a lost art. Everyone comes out, annoyingly, at full-force. "The Sound of Music" isn't mean to be belted."

JohnBoy2, you make a very good point. Several years ago I said the same thing. Broadway had a production of "State Fair" and there was Andrea McArdle dreadfully belting "It Might As Well Be Spring." Gone was all the nuance of the song.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:27pm

Although I personally have no problem with performers defending themselves, I do agree with you Namo. I would have thought a better response might be just tweeting out the massive ratings in response to criticism. Not suggesting those ratings mean some of this criticism isn't deserved, but it's a smarter choice. Just let the numbers do the talking for you. Not Jesus.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:28pm

It's also just a little possible that at least 100 of the 18 million people who watched it were watching it because they wanted to see Sound of Music and not specifically for Carrie Underwood, right?

[suestorm]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:35pm

Thanks Kathynyc! Ime too.

Oh boy. Poor Carrie. She doesn't realize that saying the J Word (Jesus) has just made her public enemy #1 to so many on BWW. Good thing she waited til after the show to invoke Our Lord.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:36pm

Absolutely, PRS. But I think we could all safely assume that the larger percentage of those 18+ million viewers are because of Carrie. Somewhat relevant to my point:

"The top local market in metered market households came in Carrie Underwood's home state, with Oklahoma City giving the three-hour special a 20.7/28." That's...huge.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:43pm

Well, yeah, but that's her home state. That follows. I just keep thinking about comments from various people across the threads about how this was Carrie's benevolent gift to us and how without her young gays in Nebraska would never discover theatre. It just seems a little myopic to discount that the Sound of Music itself must have brought a good handful of people on its name alone.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:48pm

Again, I agree with you to an extent.

The point I have been trying to hammer home is that this broadcast would never happen without a superstar like Carrie Underwood. That was plainly spelled out by Zadan & Meron in their interview. I'm more responding to those who keep suggesting that any one other than an A-list superstar could have done the role and still brought in those kinds of numbers. And yes, there are those naive enough on this board to actually believe that.

[Akitarent]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 9:29pm

Since there are a billion pages I was wondering if someone could answer a question or two for me about the live production:

1. Were Carrie's songs sung in the original key?

2. for tech people: Were they using boom mics to pick up the actors singing, body mics or both? I saw most of the actors had wires on their neck snaking up to their hair but I wasn't able to see where their mics were. Unless it was some sort of speaker piece for playback?

3. Was there a reason why the "mountains" weren't done in blue screen? Was it to make everything look more like an old-school musical? I figured they could have used the backdrop to create more of a environment.

4. Since the orchestra was pre-recorded and played back, how did the actors hear the music during the live production (I am thinking about balance and making sure they would be on key)

thanks!