| ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong | |
| Posted by: | MockingbirdGirl 05:39 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| URL: | ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong |
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| "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director | |
| Posted by: | mendacity 06:30 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong - MockingbirdGirl 05:39 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| This interview perfectly backs up my feelings on the production — that it was blocked, not directed, by a technician ("11 seasons of 'Saturday Night Live' - ?!?) unskilled in developing nuanced performances and theatrical magic. It LOOKED like 'Saturday Night Live' — and while the stage vets were able to get by on their intrinsic live theater chops, the greener leads were left to flounder with no directorial guidance. ("I feel like [Carrie Underwood] created a little character for herself." WTF? Developing character depth is part of a DIRECTOR's job. Underwood was a first-time actress with a decade of performing experience who clearly received no real direction other than which way to walk.) McCarthy-Miller spends the entire interview discussing technical feats — her "favorite moment" was a scene transition that was "really cool"? THAT's what "Went Wrong." | |
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| re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:32 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director - mendacity 06:30 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| But didn't Rob Ashford share the directorial credit with her? I presume that he was hired to direct the actors as well as to stage and choreograph. I don't think anyone expected that this woman was going to really be directing the actors. | |
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| re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director | |
| Posted by: | Ann 10:31 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director - AlanScott 06:32 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I think Ashford was listed as Theatrical Director. | |
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| re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 06:38 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director - AlanScott 06:32 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| It was camera blocking. A very different skill, one added after hours and days in the rehearsal rooms. | |
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| re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 07:00 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: "What Went Wrong" is that they hired the wrong director - Delvino 06:38 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| That's what I thought. | |
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| re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 06:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong - MockingbirdGirl 05:39 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| The TV critic of the Times said that Underwood seemed to be "sleepwalking." That is ridiculous. If she wasn't a great actress, she certainly appeared to be giving her all. | |
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| re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong | |
| Posted by: | bicoastal 06:24 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong - lowwriter 06:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| "giving her all" and giving a good performance that is vital and energetic are apparently two very different things. I found myself constantly rerunning Underwood's terrible line readings. And while she has a perfectly good voice, if one cannot create a character, one cannot deliver a theatrical song with much more than surface depth. That, for me, was the core problem. I'm not out to be a hater, but I feel Underwood failed to deliver on any level other than "yeah, she can sing". Compare that to every line that Laura Benanti sang. I loved how, during "How Can Love Survive" she looked at the handkerchief in Max's pocket and considered it for the briefest of moments and then pulled it out and used it for emphasis. That one moment has more true acting and thought in it than anything that Underwood did in three hours. That is what someone delivers when they know their craft. | |
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| re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong | |
| Posted by: | Delvino 06:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong - lowwriter 06:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| Agreed. I've seen a number of comments that tried to nail her performance issue. It wasn't energy, or investment, or anything close to being too little. She is simply inexperienced, and has no technique as an actor; she didn't know how to create a character(ization). It was all about the dialog -- line readings -- rather than shaping the through-line. She could get by with parts of individual scenes, yet didn't seem to know how to build, and to pick up the next scene in a new place. She tended to start every scene with the same open smile and enthusiastic embrace of the particular circumstance, not tracking emotionally. It made Marie's stakes seem oddly lower. But it had zero to do with Underwood "sleepwalking." | |
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| But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 10:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
| In reply to: | re: ‘Sound of Music’ Director on What Went Right — and Wrong - Delvino 06:22 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| She has been performing for years… and she has had WEEKS of rehearsal time, and plenty of time on her own with the script and songs assuming she took it. I think if after all that she still delivers the majority of her lines as if her one goal was to memorize them and know her cues, then she probably just does not have any actual acting talent. | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 03:57 pm EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - Chazwaza 10:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| "I think if after all that she still delivers the majority of her lines as if her one goal was to memorize them and know her cues." I didn't think she was wonderful, but I don't agree that that was how she said the majority of her lines. I thought she clearly had been coached to play actions and speak on the breath and do all the things that good actors generally do. And she was doing those things as best she could (once over her initial nervousness). What she mostly was not able to do was make it really her own so that she seemed to be working off of her impulses and having a deep connection with the actions that she was clearly playing (or at least indicating). In some scenes she got closer than in others. Some inexperienced people have the instincts and can do these things with little or no training. Some never can do it. And some can develop over time and with more experience. It might have helped her to have a more giving and honest scene partner as the Captain. | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | Sullivan 01:11 pm EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - Chazwaza 10:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I have to agree with you, Chazwaza. Someone should have taken her privately and developed her line readings over and over until she could recite them backwards. She had no problem with singing. Another problem I had with the show, I saw the original and dozens of other SOM productions...the stopping for commercials (which I know were necessary) interrupted the flow of the scenes...it took a few minutes to get back in the groove again. I loved what Derek McLane did with the sets but the hollowness and stomping on the stone terrace with groups annoyed me! I really hope they continue this format but try to improve more on making it flow better. One suggestion would be to announce at the very beginning that there will be several minutes of commercials beforehand so that the musical can establish a better sense of flow without too many commercial interruptions. I also thought that there could have been a better casting of the Captain. I was not impressed with him. I have to also agree with what a was said about Audra (whom I really liked) about the strong possibility of her being arrested by the Nazis during their takeover. If, perhaps, the writers could have inserted one line or two for the Rev. Mother admitting this to a group or the sisters, perhaps, or even Maria, it would have shown the audience of her own personal desperations and given more substance to her character. Just a few minor thoughts. But my hat is off to NBC for producing a LIVE show. I'd love to see CAROUSEL with Hugh J. done on a grand scale next! Bob | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | mikem 10:23 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - Chazwaza 10:02 pm EST 12/06/13 |
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| I think that is overly harsh. At the beginning, she seemed incredibly nervous (understandable, given the situation). Not an excuse, but to say she has NO talent as an actor based on a performance that took place under kind of weird circumstances is too strong IMO. And there are plenty of examples where actors have given many "meh" performances before surprising us all (Charlize Theron and Bradley Cooper come to mind quickly; also Will Forte just won Best Supporting Actor from the National Board of Review, which I find astonishing considering he was nothing but "meh" for years on Saturday Night Live. He would have been way, way down on my list of potential acting award winners.) | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | Chazwaza 10:32 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - mikem 10:23 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| First of all, there is a big difference between a "meh" performance in a meh role, which is really what you're talking about.. when good actors don't have a chance to really show what they can do early in their careers (like Cooper and Theron), but they still give competent and natural performances. Underwood, like I said, acted like her goal was to be off-book… and anyone with acting talent, given that material and that much time to learn and rehearse, should have been able to perform the dialogue better. Second of all, we clearly have different opinions because I loved Will Forte on SNL and am not surprised at all by his ability as shown in Nebraska. | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | mikem 11:06 am EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - Chazwaza 10:32 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| I think Will Forte was funny on SNL, but I don't think he or most people on SNL showed much true acting ability, partially because they are given little rehearsal time and are playing one-note characters. I remember when Paul Giamatti was the guest host and he was actually playing 3-dimensional people, and I was totally thrown off. The weird circumstances of this SOM makes me give Underwood a bit of slack, which she will show us whether or not she deserves. And all the rehearsal time in the world isn't necessarily going to help if you don't have a good director. While McDonald and Benanti were great, I think Moyer and Borle could have been better with a different director. Another example: I thought Frances McDormand was HORRIBLE in The Country Girl, and I would have thought she was incapable of acting on stage if that was the only performance of hers I had ever seen. But she was fantastic in Good People. | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | lowwriter 12:26 pm EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - mikem 11:06 am EST 12/07/13 |
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| Underwood was being coached at the same time to get rid of her twang and not perform in her usual style as a country singer. I have to give some slack. Maybe if she had known two years ago she was going to be expecting to act, too, she would have taken some workshops. She may not have the talent to do more musical theater. But she was much better than I expected during the songs so maybe she could try again, though not in a three hour TV show. | |
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| re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... | |
| Posted by: | mikem 12:52 pm EST 12/07/13 |
| In reply to: | re: But she is missing an INNATE talent as an actor... - lowwriter 12:26 pm EST 12/07/13 |
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| I think that this was the first time I have ever seen a musical wishing that it was sung-through! | |
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