| Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| All these well, she wasn't very good but let's applaud her for trying posts remind me of the well, it's not very good but it's got a lot of heart posts. Who cares? She was out of her depth and it showed. It was an ok production of an American masterpiece. Everything works in SOM, including the book. It deserves a better lead and the list of actresses who could do it is a mile long. I'm sure Underwood's name brought in some viewers but had they promoted it as hard with another name it could have done just as well. Of course the accountants who make these determinations are cowards and lazy and are relying, I might add, on support for "attempting". God forbid the gazillions people who saw it last night and get little if any theater should be given a great performance. I'll save my applause for someone who tries and succeeds, thank you. Ask for a little and that's exactly what you'll get. And what you'll deserve. | |
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| Amen! | |
| Posted by: | keikekaze 08:46 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Ask for a little and that's exactly what you'll get. And what you'll deserve. Couldn't agree more, and it's such a pleasure to read that sentiment on this board in a post that wasn't written by me! Nothing gets better in popular culture--and especially not in corporate "popular" culture--until, and unless, audiences demand that it get better. I would argue with you about characterizing The Sound of Music as "an American masterpiece," or any other kind of "masterpiece," but since plenty of people below are doing that, I'll leave it alone! | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 07:21 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| It was an ok production of an American masterpiece. It was an ok production of the stage version of the property that has become an international popular hit movie. I would not call it an "American masterpiece." I would be willing to put the other most famous R&H shows (Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King And I) in a "masterpiece" status - we can argue the merits of one over another if we wish - but I honestly don't think that, on the whole, The Sound Of Music is quite in the same league. I'm not saying it's a bad show - there's actaully quite a lot I love about the show. I'm just saying that I don't think it's quite as good, altogether, as their other landmark shows. We have to separate "beloved" from "masterpiece." I do think there's a huge difference. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 12:21 pm EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Chromolume 07:21 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I don't think many people think SOM is a masterpiece, compared to Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I and South Pacific. The score and lyrics are much weaker. And despite the love for the film over the years, it isn't necessarily considered a great film by a lot of film lovers. The movie was made fun of by film critics when it was released and Julie Andrews was mocked for being too saccharine. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 07:55 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Chromolume 07:21 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Point well taken, and one few would argue with. The show's reputation is based on its profile and global status as a treasured family film. The stage musical was never considered top shelf R&H, its subject matter and execution too sentimentalized to earn the same admiration as the other shows (duly noted by many in the last revival with Rebecca Luker and Patti Cohenour, which tried hard to interpolate filmic elements). What many reviews of last night's presentation note is the value/impact of the original film star, Andrews, and the exquisite location filming. The film is beloved in part because it captures a time, and beautiful place. And made Julie Andrews iconic. Stripped of those elements, the show on which its based seems smaller, perhaps less embraceable, despite may wonderful components. For many, it's impossible to watch the material, no matter how well reconceived, without triggering personal memories of the film. Comparisons are odious, but it's hard to imagine "Sound of Music" ever fully escaping the movie's impact. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 12:40 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Delvino 07:55 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| >> The show's reputation is based on its profile and global status as a treasured family film I am not in any way confusing the stage version with the film. I wrote that I consider SOM a masterpiece because that is exactly what I feel. One of my greatest pleasures in - well, to be honest in all of theater, hell in life probably- are the lyrics of hammerstein and these rank with the very best of his work. They are an astonishing accomplishment, to me fully deserving of the term "masterpiece". They are part of a whole, they exist in conjunction with other things contributing to and, again to me, helping elevate this work to the level accurately described by the term. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | mermaniac 01:18 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 12:40 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| Honey, that book is NO MASTERPIECE !!! "Gypsy" is a masterpiece !!! | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:23 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - mermaniac 01:18 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| I know it doesn't rank with GYPSY - but that's not fair, not much does. On the other hand ain't MEMPHIS or KINKY BOOTS either. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:30 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 01:23 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| Ha! Granted GYPSY to KB is an astonishingly wide range. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | LegitOnce 01:27 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 01:23 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| If your standard for "masterpiece" is "not Kinky Boots," that's what I call grade inflation. | |
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| orig. stage production of SOM [NY & London] | |
| Posted by: | StageDoorJohnny 10:55 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Delvino 07:55 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| top shelf or not it's NY run made it the 4th longest running Broadway musical when it closed [a longer run that King and I and almost twice as long as Carousel] and the 2nd longest running West End Musical [after Oliver] in it's original London run. The London run, by the way wasn't matched by anything in NY until Hello, Dolly! and was six months longer than the orig, NY Oklahoma! That 'classic movie' everyone keeps bringing up wouldn't have happened with out the original show's phenomenal (for the time) success. and for many of us brought on the original, the movie lacks a lot if Julie and the scenery are removed. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:05 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I saw Debbie Boone do The Sound of Music at New York City Center many years ago and she never had much acting experience yet she was an engaging Maria. Granted she had an audience to play to, which I think would have helped everyone last night. I can you do a stage show to thin air. It helps to get the energy of the audience. If anyone remembers TV's Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and The Music Man, they had seasoned performers and had a lot of deadly moments. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 05:43 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I'm sure Underwood's name brought in some viewers but had they promoted it as hard with another name it could have done just as well. I don't actually think that's true. I think Underwood's name brought in a LOT of viewers who would otherwise have given it a miss... and I'm not sure it would have happened at all without the American Idol name attached. Frankly, I feel a bit lucky that we got as many 'legit' stage stars as we did. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - MockingbirdGirl 05:43 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| "I think Underwood's name brought in a LOT of viewers who would otherwise have given it a miss." I know this is the perceived wisdom, but I don't fully understand it, because THE SOUND OF MUSIC is not the type of material that Underwood is famous for performing and that her fans would presumably want to see and hear her perform. Would the network expect huge numbers of people to tune in if a huge pop star headlined a country music special? I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain to me why it was felt that Carrie Underwood would be an especially strong drawing card in a TV version of a Broadway musical. At any rate, of course, there's no way we'll ever know how the ratings would have been if Laura Benanti had been cast as Maria. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | harx1 09:36 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I don't have the numbers in front of me, but Oklahoma City (Carrie Underwood's home-base) was the #1 market for this telecast. To me (and I could be wrong), this indicates that it was Underwood's presence that drew a sizable number viewers. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Ann 10:50 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Fans would want to see her in anything she does. They want to see her, hear her sing. No matter what the genre. Same, though on a different level, as theatre fans tuning in to TV shows or seeing movies in which actors they've admired on stage appear. It happens. As I think I said earlier somewhere, this is a family event on TV that Underwood/country music fans can watch with their kids; it crosses several generations. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 07:39 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| What is it about The Sound of Music that you think wouldn't be appealing to Carrie Underwood fans? | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | mikem 06:47 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Underwood in a musical would be a much bigger draw for a TV audience than Benanti in a musical. The network TV audience, of all of the popular arts media, is the largest and broadest, and that means hiring broadly popular names. It's rare to have a one-off special on network television without some kind of name attached, especially nowadays. Also, there was the curiosity factor with Underwood performing here -- I'm not a particular fan, but I was curious how she would do. She is very broadly popular -- not just a big seller (her debut album is the biggest-selling country album of the last 10 years, and she has had 16 consecutive #1 or #2 hits on country radio), but she also has a very likable persona. And she had had some live experience, having hosted one of the country awards shows for several years now, where she did well enough and was popular enough to keep getting asked back. And although it may not be true for all of us individually, American popular entertainment is celebrity-driven. Just look at the box office struggles for The Winslow Boy. If Al Pacino or Daniel Craig had been in that production, it would have sold premium tickets like crazy. | |
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| WINSLOW IS kinda like SCENT OF A WOMAN , now that you mention Al! | |
| Posted by: | thtrgoer 10:22 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - mikem 06:47 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Honest boy (almost)/expelled from school unjustly, defended by a somewhat flamboyant middle aged man. A small stretch. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 06:32 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| >> I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain to me why it was felt that Carrie Underwood would be an especially strong drawing card in a TV version of a Broadway musical the drawing card is the name "carrie underwood" not "tv version" not "broadway musical." the ones that tuned in for her name would have tuned in if she'd been doing an entirely new musical of rudolph the red nosed rain deer. it's SOM piggybacking on underwood not the other way around. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | chatter 07:03 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 06:32 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Would she have been better in 'Annie Get Your Gun'? It would seem to be a better fit for her background and fan base. I bet she'd be terrific. Her 'out of my element' look would be appropriate for her early scenes. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 06:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| THE SOUND OF MUSIC is not the type of material that Underwood is famous for performing and that her fans would presumably want to see and hear her perform. Perhaps, but the 99,000 views and 2,300 replies in the Sound of Music thread on one of her fan forums would seem to suggest otherwise, eh? Think we'll get 2,300 posts on the broadcast in this forum? I daresay even some Chatterati would tune in if the situation were reversed and, say, Audra McDonald sang at the CMAs. Because that's what being a "fan" means. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | keikekaze 08:51 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - MockingbirdGirl 06:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Think we'll get 2,300 posts on the broadcast in this forum? Surely, we passed that some time ago! : ) | |
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| "Annie Get Your Gun" with Tim McGraw would've worked. | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 06:16 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I've said it since the promotion, but after Reba McIntyre proved that "Annie..." is a lovely fit for the right C&W-tinged performer, that show seemed ideal for Underwood. Perhaps it doesn't have the same appeal as SOM; yet its film version is far from legendary (beyond these circles) and an Annie Oakley opposite, say Tim McGraw would've been a realistic first leap for Underwood. I would imagine that "I Got Lost in His Arms" and even "Sun in the Morning" would be wonderful with Carrie. Think of the 11 o'clock spot, "Old Fashioned Wedding." She could let it rip, and not be held back by pretending to be... sorry...an Austrian nun. There's just no other way to say it: she's not one. A better fit would've made a huge difference. I feel the singer could make a nice move into musical comedy, but only if she's in a part that lets her be herself. She worked tirelessly last night, and in the weeks and months before. But this wasn't her show. Or..."Unsinkable Molly Brown"? | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:06 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - MockingbirdGirl 05:43 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Underwood has fame way beyond Idol. She is a mega country super star and has won Grammys for her singing, not just CMA Awards. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | bradmurf 09:15 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - lowwriter 06:06 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| "Underwood has fame way beyond Idol. She is a mega country super star and has won Grammys for her singing, not just CMA Awards." The Grammys (and all of their bastard children music award shows) are a joke and have been for years. Doesn't Justin Bieber have a Grammy? And don't forget "Boogie Oogie Oogie"! Its "performers" won Best New Artist. I forget their name. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:52 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - MockingbirdGirl 05:43 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| i'm not saying cast a young broadway actress no one outside nyc has ever heard of. (well, if had the money to do it myself, thats what i'd say but thats never going to happen) if you want to attach a name, fine. just make sure it is a name who can pull it off. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 08:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:52 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I'm sure Laura Osnes has been discussed in this context here at some point - she might have been a very good choice - AND, let's not forget that she was "discovered" in the televised Grease competition thing. But maybe they figured no one would remember that? | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Ann 10:52 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Chromolume 08:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I don't think her recording accomplishments (and thus her fan base) are not on par with Underwood. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 05:53 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:52 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| ...if you want to attach a name, fine. just make sure it is a name who can pull it off. I'm sure the network suits are looking at the ratings and congratulating themselves for having done just that. ;-) | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:54 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - MockingbirdGirl 05:53 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| i don't doubt that. i also don't care. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | skier74 12:37 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:54 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Are we supposed to care that you don't care? | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 12:52 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - skier74 12:37 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| >> Are we supposed to care that you don't care my response (and level of interest) to that relies heavily on who exactly your "we" includes. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Ann 05:29 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I think you're under-estimating the size of her fan base. She's a many-times Platinum recording artist. She is very, very well known. I would guess it was many of her fans who stuck through the whole three hours. Just for her. Country music fandom often is a family thing, and I'm guessing this musical was quite attractive to many of those families. Even with less than 100% effective leads, I think watching it would lead to being interested in more musicals. I found her acting and his singing at times wince-worthy. But there were other good points (and I don't understand the complaints about the scenery - except the mountain set, I thought the others were quite good, and there were enough of them for such a telecast), and off-key or not, I choked up during "Edelweiss." When something is marketed to a mainstream audience, I think theatregoers either have to accept some unfortunate aspects (or get pissed off and rant, as many are - which is fine, but not as healthy). I'm fine with this one, and enjoyed it over all. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:09 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Ann 05:29 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I'll be quite honest. I am not an Underwood fan and when she was competing on American Idol I voted against her. Precisely because I found her so wooden. But last night for some strange reason I was rooting for her to succeed all night. And since I really don't care for her, it says something that I watched the whole thing! | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:42 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Ann 05:29 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| i agree with you. no doubt there are many Underwood fans who watched it specifically because she was in it. i don't doubt that. i just wish the suits making these decisions had to think twice about casting someone not up to par. they don't. they know they can get away with it. i'd like for there to be more of a pushback against these decisions. something like, well, she'll being in the numbers but we'll get such a critical drubbing maybe we should look for someone else who is more of a compromise. maybe a few less numbers but with the kind of chops the people won't revolt. they know the people won't revolt because they'll take whatever crap is handed to them. some will, anyway. i'm ok with folks who think she was fine. i disagree but thats a different argument. its the she was lousy but i don't care folks who drive me up the wall. whats getting lost is i don't think she was lousy. i do think she was out of her depth. she doesn't have the training and she doesn't have the natural skills that could be molded easily even for a specific part. i suspect we saw as good as she could do at this stage of her development. the other thing thats getting lost is - i really didn't hate this production. i didn't love it. but i didn't hate it. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Ann 05:44 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:42 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Maybe they did think twice - maybe they original thought of someone worse. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 06:07 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Ann 05:44 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| you know, it didn't help that i saw fantasia in AFTER MIDNIGHT last night. now if she is to be believed (and i don't have any reason not to) she first went to b'way with almost no training. she got a good reception in COLOR PURPLE and i don't doubt it after what i saw last night. i know it is a cliche and i know i wrote it in another thread but i am being as accurate as i can when i say she had that theater in the palm of her hand and in a way i've seldom experienced from performers with more experience and much, much more training. throwing a performer (especially one untrained) out of their depth is almost always a bad idea. but when it's not, it's a beautiful thing to experience. oddly enough i saw two american idol contestants last night both playing in the big league. and i do understand that its apples and oranges - it all had to be new and unnerving and disconcerting for underwood. but it doesn't change the fact that one shined, one didn't. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 05:54 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Ann 05:44 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| then they should have thought twice again. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Ann 06:00 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:54 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Three times' the charm. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Deirdre 05:28 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| And while I thought she was lacking, I don't understand why she's getting hammered and Stephen Moyer is not getting it as much. He's the reason we turned it off. I found him painful to watch (and I enjoy him on "True Blood.") | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 08:51 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Deirdre 05:28 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I'm with you. Whatever her problems, she was at least clearly and visibly attempting to connect with the character's goals and with the other performers? I realize that the Captain is an underwritten role and a character who generally keeps some distance from other people, but he was simply awful, giving a totally phony, seemingly unfelt surface performance that didn't even present a polished surface. Underwood seemed like Kim Stanley in the acting department by comparison. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:00 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - AlanScott 08:51 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| >> I realize that the Captain is an underwritten role and a character who generally keeps some distance from other people, but he was simply awful, giving a totally phony, seemingly unfelt surface performance that didn't even present a polished surface He had all the depth of the cardboard soldier in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 06:17 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Deirdre 05:28 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| 100% agreed; what's his excuse? A trained stage actor. He was at sea with the role and the production, and played one note the entire evening. It was startlingly monotonous. | |
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| Agreed! So damn annoying... | |
| Posted by: | DistantDrumming 05:18 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| ... we live in the age of Little League teams getting trophies every time they play. You do not have to be a seasoned theatre goer, a professional critic or "in the biz" to recognize Underwood's complete lack of talent. | |
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| It was "The Sound of Music" the current America deserves. | |
| Posted by: | bradmurf 09:18 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Agreed! So damn annoying... - DistantDrumming 05:18 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Plastic, cynically cast, and with two exceptions (Audra and Laura), insulting. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Zelgo 05:17 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | Underwood and "Attempting" - enoch10 05:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| We have a stark choice to make: Do we want more TV productions of Bway musicals to expose Americans to the artform or not? If we do, we will have to accept big-name stars in the major roles. Otherwise, no TV channel will risk millions of dollars to present these shows. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | FriendofDorothy 06:04 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Zelgo 05:17 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Yes, this is totally true. Had a Broadwayite been cast in the role, perfect though she might have been, we here at ATC would have been everyone that tuned in. Carrie Underwood gave the producers and NBC 18.5M reasons to do this again. | |
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| re: how much would you want to bet | |
| Posted by: | SQ 06:11 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - FriendofDorothy 06:04 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| That even if every role in last night's production was cast with Broadway people, one would still find just as many negative posts today finding fault with this and that. The ATC crowd is pretty predictable. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Michael_Portantiere 05:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Zelgo 05:17 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| But, for the umpteenth time, there are SOME big-name stars who could cut the mustard in a TV version of a Broadway musical, with Anne Hathaway and Lady Gaga as only two examples. Although of course I have no way of knowing for sure, I suspect that both of those women might jump at the chance to star in such a show. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | FriendofDorothy 06:19 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 05:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| If Lady Gaga were cast in anything, I think I would need to switch from being a theatre queen to being into something else. Hathaway would be awesome in the right role (although, it should be noted, she would not be ideal casting for Maria). I think the idea of casting a pop music person is that they will A) bring a lot of viewers who otherwise wouldn't tune in and B) sell some albums! I still don't know who they could have cast as Maria that would have been better and as big a draw as Carrie was. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:12 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 05:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Do you think Lady Gaga could have played Maria? And how do we know she can act? I read somewhere online that Hathaway was the requested actress by the Von Trapp family to play Maria. I don't know if there's any truth to that. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 06:16 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - lowwriter 06:12 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Do you think Lady Gaga could have played Maria? And how do we know she can act? She can't. -MBG, who actually saw Machete Kills :-o | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | LegitOnce 05:48 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - Michael_Portantiere 05:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Another thing you have no way of knowing for sure is whether Hathaway or Gaga could "cut the mustard" in the unique challenge of singing, dancing and acting a stage musical on live TV. Neither one has ever tried. It's fair to say that these two would seem to show great promise for such a project, but the point is that right now you are comparing an idealized imaginary experience to a real one, and naturally reality suffers in comparison to your fantasy. People are being extremely rough on Underwood, mostly because she was (I think) essentially miscast in a part that needs a high level of charm and star quality to paper over what is otherwise a not very interesting character dramatically. But she didn't cast herself: she was offered the job by people who are experts in the field of musical comedy. Why should she doubt their expertise, after all: that's their job, and she really knows very little about the subject. From my point of view, her acting was passable in the lighter scenes, her singing was solid if not particularly idiomatic, and she danced gracefully. She clearly needed more direction, but again, that's not her problem: she wasn't the director. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - LegitOnce 05:48 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| In the case of Hathaway, she has a lot of stage experience and I was impressed how she was able to do Shakespeare a few summers ago in New York. And having seen her in Carnival! at City Center I think she knows how to act and sing. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | mikem 06:25 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - lowwriter 06:13 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Despite the whole "Carrie Underwood was our first choice," if Anne Hathaway had wanted to do it, we would have seen her last night. I'm sure she got some kind of informal feeler. Maybe from a career trajectory perspective, doing TV right after winning the Oscar didn't seem like the right choice for her. Or a million other potential reasons. But if Hathaway had wanted the role, she would have gotten it. I have no doubt about that. As for Lady Gaga, I'm not sure she would have been any better than Underwood. Lady Gaga would have been much more inherently miscast than Underwood. A naive girl studying to be a nun doesn't exactly conjure up images of Lady Gaga. When she wore a nun's headgear on tour, that outfit also had bandages in an X over her nipples because the dress was see-through plastic. And despite Underwood's underwhelming acting, I don't think she was miscast. As with Fantasia in The Color Purple, Underwood COULD have given an amazing performance despite little experience. It was a gamble that only semi-paid-off, but I don't blame the producers for making that gamble. | |
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| re: Underwood and "Attempting" | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 08:24 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: Underwood and "Attempting" - mikem 06:25 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| A naive girl studying to be a nun doesn't exactly conjure up images of Lady Gaga. Besides, somehow, hearing "...and starring Lady Gaga as Maria" just doesn't sound right, lol. (Would she have reverted back to calling herself Stefani Germanotta, to sound more proper in this context, lol?) | |
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