Posted: 8/22/16 at 12:34pm
ray-andallthatjazz86 said: "Kad said: "Yeah, I think people here really underestimate how much of a pull Underwood was."
I was one of them. Not being too familiar with her, I didn't think she was that much of a draw even though many on the board kept telling me she was (in my defense, people here have argued that Samantha Barks is a huge name, so...) Boy, was I wrong. Those numbers for THE SOUND OF MUSIC were spectacular, and it is clear that she was a huge draw unlike anyone they could get for these other shows. I will not underestimate Underwood's draw any time soon, now her acting...that's a whole other story.
It didn't surprise me when "The Sound of Music: Live" pulled in those numbers. Underwood has a pretty solid fan base - - - and rightfully so, she is very talented. I was underwhelmed by her acting though. That being said the cast of "Hairspray: Live" boasts not one, but several performers with very solid fan bases: Hudson and Grande being two and to a lesser extent Chenoweth and Hough throw in vets like Short and fan favorites Hayes and O'Donnell and you pretty much have the power to pull in a very broad demographic. That could mean big, big numbers for NBC come December.