Posted: 12/21/15 at 5:22pm
I have been watching this for the last hour or so. It is enthralling. I enjoyed a lot of the NBC production (with the exception of some bad acting), this however is more than enjoyable, it is at times breathtaking in its beautiful simplicity.
Posted: 12/21/15 at 6:27pm
Really beautiful production. The kids were pretty dull and overall everything seemed pretty mellow - but it was a lovely production nonetheless. I couldn't believe it was live. It had the depth and weight that the NBC broadcast was missing.
Posted: 12/21/15 at 8:09pm
I loved it, mostly.
I was wrong to think Mel Giedroyc as Frau Schmidt might break character, obviously that was never going to happen. I know and love her from the Great British Baking Show (or Bake Off), so it was weird to see her so sombre (and older looking)! Her sister Coky was the director, fact-fans, so I guess that's how she got the part.
The rest of the cast were great too, though Kara Tointon's "posh" accent slipped occasionally, not that it matters.
I was thinking "wow, what an inspiration story about the onset of WW2..." and then realized that not a single character is Jewish or even mentioned it. Very strange.
How so? The Nazis were all round pure evil on so many levels.
Updated On: 12/21/15 at 08:09 PM
Posted: 12/21/15 at 8:14pm
I thought it was everything that the NBC production should have been. But that's not surprising. Zadan and Meron are lousy producers and should be banned from doing another musical.
Posted: 12/21/15 at 8:27pm
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxScB_rIyvKtV3VhMlYzQ1N6cnc/view?usp=sharing
for those who wish to watch it.
(for those who want to just stream it, y'all have to wait a bit for Google Drive to process it. you can still download it using the same link if you wish
Updated On: 12/21/15 at 08:27 PM
Posted: 12/21/15 at 9:26pm
Theater_Nerd, I'm surprised you want to watch it because you were the main one talking about how much you hated the musical.
Anyway, I just finished and it was a lovely production! My only complaint is that some lyrics and dialogue were cut for time, but I guess you still get the main points. It was a very British production, if that makes sense? It wasn't flashy, but intimate and subdued. It felt like I was watching a period piece. I also enjoyed that the Nazi angle was prominent, especially with the newsreels. As for the performances, they were mostly good. The actress that played Maria was lovely, but sometimes I got a Cinderella/Eliza Doolittle vibe from her. Instead of going from immature postulant to wife/mother, her transition was more commoner/peasant girl to baroness/noblewoman. As for Julian, I think he was probably the most human Captain I've seen. He seemed to resemble what the real Georg von Trapp was like, based on what I've read about him.
Posted: 12/21/15 at 11:15pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVetT6QaMZA
The full show can be watched here.
Posted: 12/22/15 at 7:17am
There was also a lovely half hour making of programme. Very interesting, a real look at all the sets and just how beautifully made they are, all the plants and grass in the garden and on the mountain for instance were real. They had 13 days on the set to rehearse after leaving their church space, which explains why it worked so well. I felt for poor Kara, having 2 mic pacs hidden in her wig, and quick changes aside, they were running across a car park with umbrellas between sets. Coky's big rule was that it all had to be real and natural and I think that showed. For me it was head and shoulders above the NBC production and I hope it's something ITV continue with after such a success.
Posted: 12/22/15 at 7:23am
I loved it!
It was classy and well acted and sung. I also loved the lighting and sets.
Much better than the NBC version
Posted: 12/22/15 at 10:14am
@degrassifan: I am more than willing to give something a second shot and while doing my research on this particular production I was quite intrigued in reading on how they were planning to execute it.
Well, I've just finished watching it and I have to agree that for the most part this particular live production of "The Sound of Music" was miles ahead of the Carrie Underwood starrer that aired on NBC.
"Maria" and the children did not come off overtly saccharine and "cutesy". "Maria" wasn't this naive, head-in-the-clouds novitiate who looked like she stepped out of a package of Swiss Miss hot chocolate.
This "Maria" was more scrappy and down-to-earth and dare I say I really loved this interpretation of the character and of the material.
"The Sound of Music" isn't at the top of the list in terms of my personal favorite shows, although I will admit that a great rendition of "Edelweiss" will almost always move me to tears, but I was really impressed with this particular version.
A job very well done!
Updated On: 12/22/15 at 10:14 AM
Posted: 12/22/15 at 5:45pm
Glad you gave it another shot, Theater_Nerd! :)
Posted: 12/22/15 at 11:10pm
I just finished watching. I really really loved this.
I feel like we've been schooled on how to do the Live musicals on tv thing here.
There ar only one or two moments that had me feeling our was stronger.
I adored so much of it though. Some beautiful choices and an inspired and artistic take which brought out new elements. It felt organic and lovely as opposed to the slick polish of the US productions thus far
Posted: 12/23/15 at 9:15am
I thought this production was beautifully executed!
I like the realistic approach they took, but I must say that I also really liked the more theatrical look of the NBC production, it felt more like a live theatrical event. The ITV production although it was live I felt like I was just watch a made for tv movie and not a live event. If I wanted to see a realistic authentic take on the show then I can just watch the original movie. Keep in mind I am basing this on the physical production, not the camera work. (The camera work was definitely better on the ITV production)
For those of you saying that the NBC production looked to polished and should been more like the ITV production, keep in mind that the NBC producers were paying homage to live broadcast from back in the day, so they wanted it to look and feel like live theatre verses a more realistic approach like ITV production.
Posted: 12/23/15 at 10:26am
too bad Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer didn't live up to the polished expectations..
Updated On: 12/23/15 at 10:26 AM
Posted: 12/23/15 at 11:49am
fantastic production and cast. love their more gritty take on maria and the show as a whole
julie andrews will also hold a special place for me, but this was superbly done.
Posted: 12/23/15 at 12:20pm
Amazing, the British taught NBC how to do a musical live on television. I can't imagine NBC's productions getting any better as long as Zadan and Meron are producing. They really are horrible.
Posted: 12/23/15 at 11:42pm
This was far superior to the NBC s, production, but the blame and credit for both go to the two directors. NBC's Ashford is a first class hack. Why he works is a puzzlement. He ruins everything he puts his stamp on.
Posted: 12/24/15 at 12:05pm
just went through a second watch
this was stunningly done, absolutely beautiful...
and is now my very favorite version of this musical (sorry Julie)
I am so excited to see more of the same from ITV
Posted: 12/24/15 at 1:01pm
Thanks to those who made this available. It was charming and managed to erase the last memories of the far inferior NBC production.
I just thought about this earlier today! I was thinking "wow, what an inspiration story about the onset of WW2..." and then realized that not a single character is Jewish or even mentioned it. Very strange.
Okay, if you thought WWII purely centered around the Jews then you had some pretty awful history teachers.
Posted: 12/24/15 at 2:47pm
Hest882 said: "Okay, if you thought WWII purely centered around the Jews then you had some pretty awful history teachers."
Oh I guess the Holocaust centered around some other people that I wasn't aware of?
Posted: 12/25/15 at 1:57pm
Again, you might want to do some studying. The Holocaust, albeit a significant part of WWII, was by no means the totality of the war and if we lived in an alternative world without any Jewish people the Axis powers would still have been fighting against the Allies. You must find "South Pacific" equally confusing.
