Live Blog The Live Sound Of Music- Page 23

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:52pm

At the end of the day, money and ratings speak. 18+ million viewers is a loud statement.

Then I don't understand why people are taking criticism of Carrie and the show so hard. It was a triumph of capitalism, so congrats! It wins!

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:54pm

I'm sorry, but you can't have chemistry with a steel stick. Even if it was Meryl Streep trying to have chemistry with him, it takes two to tango.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 6:58pm

I think the parts that I was disappointed in are due to poor direction.

I'm glad you mentioned that, Goth, because I've been thinking the same thing.

Clearly Underwood (and some of the rest of the cast) needed more time spent on building relationships and less time spent on hitting marks. I have no quarrel with the criticism of Moyer, but I couldn't help but notice the wide range of changes Georg is required to undertake in II:i. He goes from anger at political appeasement to losing his fiancé to happiness at Maria's return to proposing marriage. That's tough to do when the discarded fiancé has more charisma than her replacement.

PBS aside, whenever one of the commercial nets announces a "live" production, they don't really mean they will use the conventions of live stage productions. Instead they try to give the audience the appearance of a pre-taped show, forcing the actors (and camera personnel, one supposes) to run hectically from place to place for fear the show will "drag".

The end result is often more breathless than moving, IMO.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:04pm

"Uh, no. You are negative. Being sick of the negativity spewing from you is definitely not bad at all."

Okay, Jane. Okay. I'm sorry my negativity has spoiled your golden aura of positivity you spread throughout the boards.

[ModernMillie3]

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

I honestly don’t understand why theater people have the reputation for being catty, petty, judgmental, bitter, and jaded. I just don’t see it.

*sarcasm*
Updated On: 12/7/13 at 07:13 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:14pm

They actually don't have that reputation among normal people. It's just something "theater people" say that we confronted with opinions that go against their own.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:19pm

"Clearly Underwood (and some of the rest of the cast) needed more time spent on building relationships and less time spent on hitting marks."

Not only that, but I think the director should have realized time was short and given Carrie some line readings. There are a couple of times where it's obvious she isn't connecting with the text. The book is from the late 50's and the language has changed since then and I think Carrie needed some help wrapping her tongue around the text. It's the same problem you see with people doing Shakespeare. The director hasn't connected the actor to the text.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:19pm

A stereotype that IS true of theatre people is that they have a weakness for when people pay attention to them.

Hence the articles on this site every time someone famous mentions Broadway in passing.

Or the pontificating blog posts about the such world shaking issues like the merits or demerits of The Sound of Music Live.



I will agree that Underwood was let down by direction (and costume design).

Updated On: 12/7/13 at 07:19 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:25pm

'Okay, Jane. Okay. I'm sorry my negativity has spoiled your golden aura of positivity you spread throughout the boards."

Sorry you feel that way, just put me on ignore then.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:25pm

She had an acting coach for an entire year. Some people just aren't good actors, regardless of training. I admire her for signing on to the project and doing her best, though.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:26pm

Yes. I must say, Ashford has gotten a pass simply because we're all so busy discussing Carrie. Come on, BWW. I expect more hate when it comes to Rob Ashford!!!

[dramamama611]

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

I had just just as many negative Carrie comments come across my feed from my non-theater friends....in fact, I thought they were more harsh than my theatre friends who were more likely to also mention the positive.

Even my classes (theater & non-theatre courses) had the first comment of Carrie's inability to act.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:49pm

^ yeah, that was my first comment on here after watching it for just a few minutes!

[Kad]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:52pm

Clearly, all those people need to find Jesus.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 8:50pm

It lacked heart, imho. It didn't lack talent, but it didn't really seem like anything other than kind of a cynical gamble, not unlike Smash.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 8:59pm

Can a person who can put across a song not act? My first thought was no, a person who can put across a song can act. Then I thought of Madonna.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 9:08pm

Goth, I think a singer/non-actor has to be taught to make the same connection with dialog that she makes with lyrics. For some reason, that didn't happen with CU.

Too bad. Because I really liked the way she sang the score.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 9:17pm

For people saying that it's just bitchy theatre people saying this stuff: I live in "middle America." I have a lot of friends in "middle America." The ones who watched SoM, even the ones who aren't really into theatre, found Carrie Underwood's acting bad.

Updated On: 12/7/13 at 09:17 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 9:55pm

^ Well sure. It WAS bad. I don't think anyone is saying it was good, are they?

[Kad]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:00pm

I suppose it's a matter of whether or not you think that her bad acting hobbled the whole thing, or not. Some are more willing to give it more of a pass than others.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:23pm

I re-watched some parts of the show today and I did not think Carrie's acting was awful. It was just okay at best. But I will say that she was trying way too hard in the scene where she is telling the Captain about each of the children and how he does not pay attention to them.

"What little town is that American Idol amateur from?"

Checotah, Oklahoma.

ETA: I still stand by the fact that Moyer was miscast. I would have liked to have seen someone like Brian d'Arcy James or Rob Lowe instead. Updated On: 12/7/13 at 11:23 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:30pm

And SNL is spoofing it right now.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:45pm

^Edelweiss was hilarious!

Updated On: 12/7/13 at 11:45 PM

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 12/8/13 at 12:01am

I wonder what the salaries for everyone involved were!

[beagle]

Posted: 12/8/13 at 7:47am

Here's a great article from Time Magazine, basically arguing that Underwood was inadvertently set up to fail. I think the writer makes some good points.




In Defense of Carrie Underwood Updated On: 12/8/13 at 07:47 AM