I did watch "The Sound of Music" last night.
It was the first time I've seen it "near" its original theatrical form, although why they didn't stick to the original and drop the maudlin "Something Good" (Nothing comes from nothing...nothing ever could!!!!!) amazes me.
I felt the actor who seemed the least comfortable was Stephen Moyer. It may be physiological discomfort as he looked a bit pinched and thin.
Carrie Underwood, IMO, was a visual/vocal delight. One of the twitter snarks about her was that her accent was too southern and she would not have had it in Nazi Austria. Mary Martin did not affect a German/Austrian accent, nor did Julie Andrews (why do Americans presume that the British accent is the natural "generic" substitute for all foreign accents?).
Can she act? It's too soon to tell. She was not uncomfortable and she was not embarrassed. Most of her scenes were songs, but the ones that weren't were all "the same" in presentation. Not bothersome to me, but I'd be interested to see what she might do with more experience. Her accent was not southern enough for it to be noticeable to me.
Seriously, everyone has seen fit to comment that Underwood can't act. Since she's had no experience, heretofore, the jury is still out on whether she can act. I think the salient point is that she is enormously popular and she's a physical match for Maria Rainer. And, in some strange way I can't quite put my finger on, I think her being cast had an awful lot to do with the production having been realized. I loved the fleshed out characters for the Baroness and Max, and I thought both actors did a splendid job with their roles. Audra was a fierce Mother Abbess.
I found it a mostly enjoyable experience, and the set design/execution was wonderful for a controlled environment.
All of that said, I have to say I found the children a bit cloying. In the background piece that aired on NBC last week, the search for the right children was predicated upon finding natural actors who would not seem like theater brats.
Perhaps it's just the way the Von Trapp children were written, but there was enough mugging going on and cutesy-poo stuff to make me want to fwow up.
When they sang, however, they shone like the noon sun!
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Topic: I DID NOT SEE THE LIVE BROADCAST OF THE SOUND OF MUSIC OR THE FACEBOOK SOUND AND (Read 30293 times)