According to USA TODAY, NBC’S three-hour live broadcast of The Sound of Music reeled in 18.5 million viewers on Thursday night, but it seemed like most people just tuned in to compare Carrie Underwood’s Maria to Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.
Musicals and Carrie Underwood happen to be some of my favorite things, so call me biased all you want (because I totally am), but I think everyone’s forgetting something very important: this live broadcast was an adaptation of the original Broadway musical, NOT the classic film. So to those complaining about missing songs, rearranged order, and where the puppets were in A Lonely Goatherd – you obviously didn’t do your research!
With that being said, still, I’m not an idiot. Actually, I’m quite an expert in the departments of musicals, acting, and all things Carrie Underwood, and I will say that this production needed some help, with the main culprit being Underwood’s acting.
Whenever it was time for a song, she belted out like no other, even shying away some of her country to the best of her ability. However, the emotion needed to play Maria was as nonexistent as her chemistry with Captain von Trapp.
My only question to you all is: what did you expect? Carrie Underwood is an American Idol winner turned country megastar. Her expertise is in singing, country singing to be exact, so why did everyone expect her acting to be as good as Andrews’? Newsflash: she was never going to be as good because nobody will ever be as good!
My point here is that I truly don’t think it would have mattered who played the role of Maria because if it’s not Julie Andrews, everyone’s a critic. We all know Julie Andrews is the best of the best; nobody is arguing that, not even Underwood.
So lighten up! NBC did a bold thing by putting on the first live Broadway musical on TV in over 50 years, and everyone should be applauded for that; everyone including, if not especially, Underwood.
Whether you liked the adaptation or not, I think we can all agree that it was enjoyable to listen to the songs again with a different take on the classic, and you would be lying if you said you haven’t had “Do-Re-Mi” stuck in your head since Thursday…