The hills were alive with the sound of Carrie Underwood, as she took on the prestigious role of Sister Maria Rainer in “The Sound of Music” Live on NBC Thursday night, but the show left many, including myself, wanting more.
The production was definitely a gutsy move by NBC– recreating a classic enjoyed by several generations is not an easy feat. And while the process to chose who would play Maria was probably extremely long and involved, I felt myself wanting to pop in the original and watch Julie Andrews show Underwood how it’s done.
After several numbers, I began to notice how impressive the background actors and actresses were, and how difficult it would be to perform a well-known musical, live, for millions of people (such as myself) to criticize.
The talent, overall, was not lost on me, but I still couldn’t help shaking my head as Underwood used a country vibrato to belt the title number while standing in a forest (the trees are alive?). The different accents between the members of the family also were frustratingly inconsistent.
This isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the recreation at all — it’s always fun to hear the classics, such as “My Favorite Things” and “Maria.” I’ve always been a fan of the musical and have fond memories of watching it with family and when I was home sick, so the songs still bring up happy feelings for me.
Also, for a television special, the sets were very elaborate and impressive. The show as a whole, however, couldn’t compare to the original.
The live element made several interactions between characters awkward-sounding and the acting seemed forced and as if characters were on the brink of forgetting lines. Several songs and lines were lost to the orchestra playing loudly or microphones going in and out.
I can’t help but think that between the attempts to live up to the 1965 version, and the ads for Walmart after every few songs, some of the magic and innocence (however cheesy it may be) of the original was lost.
The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the singing of songs out of order. If you’re going to attempt a remake of a classic, why change the order of events that people know and love?
Overall, while NBC put in a valiant effort, it all comes down to the fact that nobody can beat the original.
Anonymous • Dec 9, 2013 at 2:46 pm
The songs weren’t out of order. This was a live broadcast of the theatre production of The Sound of Music- not a remake of the movie. When the Julie Andrews movie was made (over 5 years after the musical opened), they changed the order of some songs, along with other changes, for the film. Though I was not a fan of this performance, it did stick to the script of the musical.
Big Fan of Yours • Dec 8, 2013 at 4:59 pm
I haven’t watched it myself, but I’m sure that your analysis was SPOT ON. I think that the fact that NBC cast a country star for it was for the ratings…. we do like in AMERICA, home of country of course…. but regardless. Good review!