I salute the effort, and certainly some of the results. What startled me the most was how long it seemed. I looked at my cable box at 8:47 and thought, "surely this has been on for well over an hour..." That may seem glib or random, but the pacing and monotony were negatives (Maria's costume matched the burnished interior of the Von Trapp home, did anyone notice?)
Everything seemed to go on too long, no matter how it was staged or framed (and sometimes the camera blocking and theatrical were at odds; soap directors generally get that right, but we had pan and scan moments that were bizarre.)
Mostly, I felt Underwood's work started strong enough for a neophyte and then ebbed; at some point, she disappeared when she might've found a focus. She could play the intention of individual moments -- you could hear coaxed and coached line readings -- but they didn't add up to a cohesive take on a characterization. She was putting out fires, dramatically, rather than finding a through-line. She seemed to start every scene with the same smile, the same look of curiosity. Conventional wisdom states: surround her with B'way's best and she will shine. Yet at a certain point, the better actors (Benanti, Borle, Nielson) became yardsticks against which we could measure Underwood's deficiencies. Rather than raise her game, they made hers look minimal. That said, she was generally okay with Audra, however, but then Audra took over. And always, always at her worst with the Captain. About his performance, the less said the better. He was the serious casting error, and he kept the romance, indeed the whole story, from blossoming. His inadequacy was startling. That lack of gravitas, vocal variety, and charm undermined Underwood's chances in the second half.
Finally, I thought: if you cast a star with this skill set, why not choose a vehicle that would serve? Wouldn't ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, opposite, say, Tim McGraw, be a wiser choice? I think Underwood would sing the hell out of all of Annie's songs, and the characterization would fit comfortably on her persona. An Austrian nun is a stretch for many; for this non-actor, an unfair leap. Yes, I know, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is not iconic enough as a "brand." But the iconic nature of SOUND OF MUSIC's film only made last night more challenging.
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