The Sound of Music Live! (2013 TV Special) User Reviews

Based on the PLAY, not the movie

[ghvz1 · 6/10 · 13 December 2013]

This production is based on the original play with Mary Martin, not the popular 1965 movie with Julie Andrews. As a result, some scenes and songs seem out of order when they are actually in the correct order based on the original play. Plus, some characters are not developed as much as in the 1965 movie while others are more developed. This review is a comparison of this production to the Julie Andrews movie, since that is what most people have seen.

I found the singing by Audra McDonald as the Mother Abbess in this production to be far better than that of Peggy Wood in the 1965 movie. I always dreaded the singing by Peggy Wood. Though good, she was too high-brow for me. Audra's singing is fun, more energetic, and most of all, understandable. In fact Audra's portrayal of the Mother Abbess is more "real". I also found the Baroness to be more likable in this version than the 1965 movie. In fact I found myself hoping the Captain would marry the Baroness! Only later do her political sympathies develop and so you realize the Captain could never marry the Baroness. Unlike the 1965 movie, she doesn't seem at all interested in shipping the Von Trapp children off to boarding school. Speaking of the children, you don't see them as much in this production, so you don't really appreciate their characters. Liesl and Rolf are still an item but Rolf does the right thing in the end this time. But their frolic in the garden seems stiff. Max is Max but a bit more selfish and conniving; but in the end, you see he comes around. The Nazi's are more threatening in this version, and I suspect they were more sanitized for the 1965 movie. The Captain is more stern which makes his quick decision to marry Maria seem less like love, more rash and less "natural". I don't think I would've picked Carrie Underwood for Maria. There's really no passion between her and the Captain. Maybe I missed it but I didn't really see them "falling" in love - it just suddenly happened and Maria is running off to the convent. The development of their love just didn't happen. Finally, the Sisters are also not as developed in this version as they are in the 1965 movie and as a result, there's no creative thwarting of the Nazi's.

So why only a "6" rating. Simply put, the audio was AWFUL! I would probably purchase this to go with my 1965 version but only if the audio is corrected. Plus, Carrie Underwood didn't seem quite right for the role of Maria. And there were a few bloopers, like when the Baroness was trying to approach the Captain but someone was standing on her dress and when the Admiral either forgot his lines or missed his cue. But bloopers just remind the audience this was live.

NBC's The Sound of Music a Solid Adaptation

[sgp-12345 · 7/10 · 5 December 2013]

On Thursday night, NBC attempted to do a challenging task by putting one of the most beloved musicals of all time and adapting it into a stage production. For the most part, NBC did it well and it turned into a very entertaining adaptation of the classic Rodger's and Hammerstein's musical, The Sound of Music.

The production, done completely like a Broadway play with stage sets, worked well, keeping the mood of the scenes just good enough and displaying the settings nicely. The songs: Yeah, they were all there, and a few others that were not in the classic Julie Andrews movie, but rather are in the original Broadway production. Those songs would be "How Can Love Survive" and "No Way To Stop It", and they were a welcome addition indeed.

Besides putting on a Broadway television type show, NBC also decided to take another chance by giving the lead role of the musical of Maria to none other than country superstar Carrie Underwood. Underwood, who won American Idol many years ago has made herself into a big name and had a chance to do something that she rarely has ever done, and that's act. Did it work? Well... a little bit. Her singing was solid. I was wondering if her country sound might come into her voice, and it didn't. Her acting though, was just average. Now, we knew coming into watching this that she would not be a great actress. After all, as I said, she did not have much experience, but for that I do appreciate her stepping into a different medium. As a singer though, she did a good enough job, and for a musical, what else do you really want?

The other lead of the movie, Captain Von Trapp, was played by Stephen Moyer. Moyer, like Underwood was solid in the role, but did not impress me the way I had hoped with his singing. What did impress me however was the supporting cast of this adaptation. The Von Trapp children all were good and as sweet as ever. The Baroness, played by Laura Benanti and Max Detweiler, played by Christian Borle were both excellent and had wonderful chemistry together whenever they were put on stage at the same time. And the Mother Abbess, played by Audra McDonald was tremendous, nailing her big song, Climb Every Mountain with every note and was a performance that would have brought a house to his feet.

Now, was it as good as the original movie? No. But, all in all, despite its flaws and perhaps somewhat poor casting choices, this NBC adaptation was a good watch, and I applaud NBC for putting it on for all of us to see for an evening. It was interesting to not only see some of the differences from the movie that I had grown up watching, but to also see a Broadway stage production of a musical that I rarely see period.

Rating: 7/10

Carrie Underwoood is no Julie Andrews

[tonyc-726-128749 · 5/10 · 5 December 2013]

Carrie Underwood's singing style is not well suited to the Sound of Music score, and her acting skills are weak. The rest of the cast members were adequate. The choreography and dancing are far inferior to the 1965 movie. The best musical performances come from the nuns at the beginning and end of the movie. The sets and costumes are well done. This version is apparently closer to the Broadway versions of the story, and includes some songs that were omitted from the movie, but they are weak. The play also has a harder edge, especially with the handling of the military commission orders from the German navy. Many of the songs occur in different scenes or settings than in the movie. In the movie, I believed in and cared about the characters - that was not the case here. The overall result for me was far less entertaining than the movie.

Stage to Screen to TV

[skippyd89 · 6 December 2013]

I have been reading the other postings with great interest and what I have taken from the collective comments is the lack of understanding that this admirable (Yes, Ms. Underwood needs more acting lessons, though her singing was a pure enjoyable Broadway belt) television broadcast is closely based on the original 1959 stage version written by Lindsey and Crouse (book) and Rodgers and Hammerstein (score) for Mary Martin, with Theodore Bikel co-starring as the Captain, a fact that all of the publicity for this TV version has stated.

One poster on this thread stated he was sorry the TV got the scenes out of order; I beg to differ. The film got the scenes out of order. It was the film version that substituted "My Favorite Things" for "The Lonely Goatherd" in the storm scene, regulating the latter song to some strange interpolated puppet sequence and depriving the Mother Abbess of her part in a duet with Maria.

This version didn't add the two songs for the Elsa and Max. It was the film version that deleted them from the score while adding "Confidence in Me", a 'travelling' song that was justified in a cinematic sense but not needed in the stage version, as the TV broadcast clearly vindicated.

In fact, speaking of the songs, I was sorry to see that one mediocre song ("Something Good") was substituted for another mediocre song ("An Ordinary Couple"). At least that deleted song had a lyric by Hammerstein; Rodgers himself wrote the lyric to "Something Good".

"The Sound of Music" isn't a great show, but it is an audience favorite. It shared the Tony Award for Best Musical with "Fiorello!" and Ms. Martin beat out the likes of Ethel Merman for Best Actress in a Musical. The TV version was an honorable attempt (and broadcast live was a great idea--anyone else notice how the train in the Baroness's dress was stepped on by another actor?). I hope network television experiments further with this idea (though keeping the commercials down might be a good idea--a bunch at the beginning, a clump in the middle, and another cluster at the end would keep the audiences involved.). So, congrats to all involved. Keep singing.

Well done! Congrats to the cast and crew!

[BlackRoseShelli · 7/10 · 6 December 2013]

Yes, I'm a "Sound of Music" geek. I absolutely love this musical, and I'm so glad I caught the live version on NBC. The actors did a fantastic job with their performances. There were no major mistakes, and only one very tiny mistake with Carrie Underwood who slipped a little with her footing in the first scene.

The only real flaw with this was the arrangement of the scenes. It varied from the movie a great deal sometimes, which was disappointing. I can normally recite this musical almost word for word, so not being able to follow its normal flow had me a bit frustrated. I felt that certain scenes were crucial to the original story, and shouldn't be changed.

Overall, I rate this one a 7/10 stars. Very well done!

Mediocre live performance of one of the best musicals ever

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 17 December 2014]

To me, this production did have serious problems other than any mistakes that can happen live or on opening nights, things small or major always happen in live performance and opening nights and as a singer and performer I took that into account. This production did have a big task to do, take on a well-known musical that is one of the best ever written and not an easy one to take on either and do it live, while I didn't care for it the effort is commendable.

Why see it in the first place? My love for The Sound of Music(stage musical and the timeless 1965 film) is the biggest reason but also it was to see whether it was the performance-with-no-redeeming-qualities that it was described as by viewers of this year's Peter Pan Live. Is a performance with no redeeming qualities? Not to this viewer. The songs are of course amazing, one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best scores and the orchestra play it most beautifully and with stylish energy, something that you wish was matched by what was happening on stage. The costumes are nice on the eye, accurate to period and like you would expect costumes for a production of The Sound of Music to look. And there are a few good performances here, two of them great even. Those two performances belonged to Laura Benanti and especially Audra McDonald. Benanti could easily have made Elsa one-dimensional but she actually does a lot with the character and makes her interesting and likable. McDonald's Mother Abbess is quite easily the best performance of the production, dramatically she gives a very strong and warm-hearted performance and the best voice of the cast by far belongs to her. Her Climb Every Mountain was the only real time here that made me really sit up or gave any emotional impact, it is magnificently sung and a huge improvement on the rendition given in the 1965 film. Christian Borle is good too, playing Max very charmingly indeed.

Sadly most of the performances don't work. The children are not as prominent here and don't always look very involved, the singing is okay but there was clearly not as much detail to the acting as to the music and the children aren't exceptions, Sophia Ann Caruso was pretty good actually as Brigitta but for examples Ariane Rinehart is rather stiff as Liesel(particularly in Sixteen Going On Seventeen, Michael Campayno matches her as an even stiffer and a too-old Rolf) and Peyton Ella is not quite cute enough for Gretl. A lot of the supporting roles are very amateurishly played, let down by the lack of stage direction. But it's the two leads that disappoint the most. Stephen Moyer's singing is pretty much tuneless and devoid of passion or nuance- while Christopher Plummer in the film didn't have the most exceptional of voices either there was an intimacy to his singing that Moyer's lacked- and unfortunately his acting is just as bad, the captain is literally remote and without feeling here(like when the Captain has a change of heart there wasn't that huge amount of difference seemingly).

As much as this is going to sound like "bandwagon jumping", I am in agreement with those who found that Carrie Underwood didn't work as Maria, though she does deserve a lot of credit for trying. There is no denying Underwood can sing, there is evidence of beautiful tone here and she has the notes and such right but there is a tendency for a belting quality to come through that can sound harsh and it just doesn't sound right for the role(this is meant as judging her on her own merits and with no vocal stereotyping) and there definitely could have been more dynamic range. Her acting is where she largely fails, she is very wooden in the early half of the production and never did come over naturally in personal opinion throughout the production, singing and saying her lines with not a huge amount of emotion or understanding what she's singing about(strange because she brings those qualities singing country, put it down to inexperience maybe). She and Moyer's chemistry never shows much spark, even in their lovely but staid duet together, but the stage direction doesn't give them any favours.

The staging, with the exception of Climb Every Mountain, very rarely comes alive, the only convincing chemistry is between Elsa and Max and there are numerous times where the actors don't look sure what to do or how to deliver a line, which means we never get to know or care for the characters even when knowing the music and story inside out. The production also makes the mistake of down-playing the Nazi's role in the story, which dilutes the tension present in the second half of the story. So when the staging doesn't come alive, despite being more laudably faithful structurally and in song-placement to the stage musical than the film, neither does the story. Visually, the production is not a very appealing one outside of the costumes and the camera work was alright(better than in Peter Pan Live) if never exceptional. The sets really could have done with more scope and colour, instead looking very plain and sound-stage-like, while the lighting also could have been bolder. The lack of a live audience hurt the production somewhat, it would have made the performance more exciting maybe and somehow it didn't feel like a live production. Lastly, the audio is not very good, at some points in the production it is close to awful, it often favours the orchestra to the extent that you can't hear much else and some of the singing due to the lack of balance sounded a touch distant.

Overall, not as bad as reputed to be because it does have some bright spots(particularly McDonald) but considering the source material this was disappointingly mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox

"The Sound of Music Live" was a good enough production in its own right

[tavm · 7/10 · 6 December 2013]

I watched this with my mom last night with the stereo on and I believe we both enjoyed it with Mom making some bemused comments on the differences between the film version and this one. I felt the acting was more natural in the film version but then I knew this was a TV version performed live with commercial spots so obviously, they had to rush some lines and scenes to fit the time slot. I knew some of those differences-like "My Favorite Things" being a duet between Maria and Mother Abbess, Rolf NOT betraying the Von Trapp family, Max and the Baroness singing a couple of numbers-were coming. I didn't know about Brigitta being the one revealing to Maria the Captain's feelings about her (instead of the Baroness) or about Maria actually calling him by his real name after they were married (I don't remember Julie Andrews doing the same in the movie). Overall, though, we both really enjoyed this and Carrie Underwood did well enough in the leading role. So, yeah, me and Mom did enjoy "The Sound of Music Live".

The Sound of Music DEAD (ON ARRIVAL)!

[j-a-lind · 1/10 · 10 May 2014]

This should NEVER have been done! It's nowhere near the original stage musical and same applies to the original film either. Some of the acting/singing is overdone and with others it's stiff and wooden. Doing it live was admirable, but it introduced issues with having lines rushed to get to commercial breaks which are notoriously ruthless in their timing, the result being pacing disruption and less than desirable acting performances adjusting timing. Just as bad is the casting which was UN-BE-LIEVABLE. You want me to swallow that in mid-1930's Austria, in midst of it being taken over by Nazis from Germany via an assassination of their Prime Minister, an influx of German SA Brownshirt thugs (SA = Sturmabteilung), plus a society with a significant number of anti-semitic and racially bigoted people, that there would be a black mother superior in a convent there? And you would want me to believe the captain would have an Hispanic child, in what was very much then and is still pretty much an ethnically and culturally monolithic country? GET REAL! Worst yet, it downplays what the Nazis actually did to Austria, from within and without, in the Anschluss. In the effort to make beautiful music, which it does not do very well, it loses the entire underlying theme that was captured by the stage and film musicals . . . one courageous man's . . . an Austrian Navy Captain of wealth, and his family's stand against the Anschluss, and their willingness to give up everything rather than be a part of it.

This abysmal TV "remake" wasn't Live! it was DEAD! ON ARRIVAL! When will the cable and broadcast TV networks ever learn NOT to attempt remakes of audience revered and critically acclaimed films? Inevitably they're an Epic FAIL and this one was no different. Why must they plagiarize something already done, and worse yet, something that was done exceptionally well? Can they NOT come up with something creatively original? Is their IQ that low? Do they have that much arrogance, disdain and disrespect for TV viewing audiences to think our IQ that low -- that we're brain dead and will accept drivel?

How do you compare live performance to a movie?

[oooec · 8/10 · 6 December 2013]

I've read most of the reviews coming out and am surprised: why, and how, do you compare a live performance on television to a carefully filmed and edited movie? I don't think you can, nor do I think it's fair. Be closer to compare this to the live Broadway production of The Sound of Music with Mary Martin, but that ran for many performances, allowing ample time to work out the rough edges.

I thought it was fantastic. I haven't seen a live production on TV like this in decades. Kudos to everyone who produced it, I thought Carrie Underwood was fantastic, if slightly out of breath early in the movie from the hectic costume changes and dance/singing routines. Mother Superior was fabulous in both acting and singing. I love the sets. I'd like to see a WHOLE lot more TV like this.

Hard not to compare to the original

[hjlindsay3 · 6/10 · 5 December 2013]

It is hard not to compare but there is no comparison between the original movie and this. A decent job by all considering it is a live performance but that is as far as it goes. My biggest worry was, would anyone be able to do justice to "Climb every mountain". Audra McDonald did a fantastic job. A big song and a big voice. It was so far, the only really great moment of the show. There were a lot of awkward moments in the show but the singing has been for the most part good. It is almost impossible to remake a classic. Especially one as beloved as the Sound of Music. As much as I love Carrie, no one will ever have the presence of Julie Andrews. Talk about a tough act to follow.

Black Nazis and Asian Von Trapps???

[steven-222 · 1/10 · 8 December 2013]

What might have worked as a Branson stage show for the elderly "wholesome" crowd...or a cruise ship entertainment...just doesn't cut it as a network TV broadcast. It's definitely amateur night at NBC, with an American Idol winner belting and yodeling her little old heart out, and some of the clumsiest camera work and ugliest sets we've seen in a long time. But it's good to know that in 1930s Austria, a hotbed of racial tolerance, a black nun could be mother superior. (If this a color-blind cast, why not some black Nazis, too, and some Asian kids in the Von Trapp family? Nobody at NBC seemed to be able to think their way through anything having to do with this unfortunate production.)

Let's hear it for Carrie

[miller-90 · 9/10 · 6 December 2013]

Many posters here have done an adequate job of reviewing all the facets of NBC's ambitious December 5th production of "The Sound of Music;" I'd like therefore to focus on only one. Several trade and daily newspapers have pointed out the deficiencies of Miss Underwood's acting. I cannot quibble with the fact that it was not great, but I thought her performance was magnificent for a first effort, and her pipes were perfectly up to the task.

I enjoyed this musical very much, and even found myself shedding a few tears here and there. What I think we have to understand is that it's quite likely that it could not have been staged at all without Carrie Underwood's participation. It takes that much star power to get the backing for a venture of this magnitude. If not she, then who?

So I'd beg others to give her well-earned plaudits for putting herself on the line in a LIVE performance like this. It must have been terrifying for someone who'd never done it before in her life. It would also be wise to remember that if this were a production prepared for the NY stage, it would have opened in Hartford or somewhere like that to get the kinks worked out before the curtain ever went up on Broadway. In this instance, though, there was NO way to polish it further -- i.e., THIS was opening night, and as such, I think it was a magnificent effort. For anyone who'd care to compare this to the movie version, just try to imagine how much better each and every scene could be with the benefit of the ten or twenty takes and months of editing that the Robert Wise/Julie Andrews version received.

Rather than decry Carrie Underwood's efforts, I'd like to propose that we may have been privileged to see a new stage-musical star being born. I simply cannot give her enough credit for her monumental first effort in this medium. She'll get better, and she may become great.

You GO, Carrie Underwood!

Spirit of Maria lives!

[sq8188-162-458059 · 7/10 · 26 December 2015]

Maria captured my attention the moment she arrives in the atrium and holds it for the entire movie. She was perfect on the first dance with the Captain, she was rightly guarded after hearing the Captain was falling for her (and she for him), and she was sublime when she tells the Captain "your decision is my decision" regarding escape from Nazis. She would have to be some professional stage actress from UK with a slight Bristish account, and what a pleasant surprise, Carrie Underwood ! All the mean-spirit critics who gave less than scintillating respone to Underwood, have we watched the same movie?

Now the rest of the movie was not perfect. The scene of Listl and Rauf I remember took place under moon light in a green house, floated softly like a dream scape in the original movie. In this movie they used the same mountain background, no green house. What a disappointment! The Captain needed more girth. When he first appears I thought he was the butler. Rauf, the budding nazi boy should have short blond hair but in this version he has greased black hair. The children however were flawless, each one has own personality. The other high point of the movie in the Abby where the Rev mother councils Maria to go find her life could have been more astounding. The song "Climb Every Mountain" wasn't sung as well as it should have been.

Overall this is great family entertainment for a Christmas weekend and guys Carrie Underwood was great!

Do Re Boring

[pensman · 4/10 · 6 December 2013]

Well Carrie Underwood can sing if you like your "Edelweiss" with a touch of drawl but her acting makes the wooden puppets of the lonely goatherd look like Oscar contenders. And you can't place someone like Audra McDonald in the cast and then decide Underwood will be able to climb the mountain to be her equal. Wasn't going to happen and it didn't. Hopefully NBC will shelve this product and if they feel the need to reintroduce the world to the Sound of Music they will think, let's show the original film with Julie Andrews. The rest of the cast was adequate but if anyone is thinking Emmy, they should be thinking Razzie.

Delightful performance

[tenderlovingtony · 6 December 2013]

So viewers are aware, this is not a remake of the 1965 movie. This is a television production of the Broadway show.

This was old-fashioned TV. In the 1950s, much television was broadcast live, and performances of musicals were frequent. This was essentially a televised stage performance, with simple sets and no special effects. The company performed the 1959 Broadway version of "The Sound of Music," with one exception: the song "An Ordinary Couple" from the original production was removed and replaced with "Something Good," which was written for the 1965 film version.

Viewers unfamiliar with the stage version might not recognize two other songs from the Broadway show not included in the 1965 film (but included in this production), "No Way to Stop It" and "How Can Love Survive." The latter song is one of the most well-crafted lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II.

The cast did a very good job, but there is no question that it could have been better with a prerecorded format instead of performing live for the sake of novelty.

If television broadcast more musicals in this format, it would be most welcome.

kudos for going live

[david-569 · 6/10 · 22 December 2013]

First, kudos for creating a live television presentation.

Please please please... more. I and I know many would flock to this kind of live performance.

Next, too easy to do the comparison thing. But unavoidable... so must qualify this by declaring the obvious intimacy of film versus the live TV/stage adaptation. And there it is... intimacy of film. One is hard pressed to not draw those comparisons in spite of this.

So let's... first Ms Underwood. Most excellent to give this a go. She is also not an actress. It was obvious. There is no substitute for having worked on stage, as an actress. There was a distinct lack of depth to the character. And the vocal performance that is markedly different from people with great voices as Ms Underwood has, and seasoned stage actors and actresses as for instance Ms MacDonald has. Ms Underwood hit her marks. And her voice is superb. But the performance lacked that *it* thing. If she would commit to doing more stage work, her depth would grow. As it was, it was a thin performance.

All the other performances were serviceable, and some good. Or as in Ms Audra McDonald, she was superb. Ms McDonald of course is a trained stage actress, and it screams so.

The production quality not the least of which was the musical production was top shelf. And choreography. Well done here.

There was one huge mistake that overtook the entire production however. It must be pointed out. The lack of a live audience was a huge misstep. The 1965 version had the huge advantage of the intimacy of film. In choosing to do a live TV version, what would have bridged that difference would have been to honor what live stage productions have... and that is a living breathing audience. The energy, the ambiance, everything would have been greatly influenced by this. Not having it in my opinion crippled the experience. If there is a future attempt at a live TV production of anything.... do not make this same mistake. You must must must have the energy that a live audience brings to a production. This would have without question made a significant difference in this current production. Am not sure why there was a choice NOT to have a live audience....

Still, that this happened at all is big. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze take on another one, and another one. As the ratings would show, this art, this craft, is alive and quite well. I give mega props for taking this on and hopefully the learning experience will go into future productions...

Virtually no redeeming qualities

[jim-863-268794 · 1/10 · 5 December 2013]

This production missed the mark on every level. The sound was atrocious (the singers sounded like they were singing through tin cans, while the orchestra was at full volume - criminal for a musical). The story changes were gratuitous, and removed much of the drama. The smallest girl couldn't finish a line of singing (kept fading out). Rolf was laughably old (looked 40, not 17). They changed the order of some of the songs, which caused them to not make story sense. Captain Von Trapp's voice was thoroughly average (Edelweiss sounded like an afterthought).

Given the hype, Carrie Underwood was the biggest disappointment - while she has a good voice, it doesn't have the pure, clear quality that makes you believe Maria's innocence, and she simply is incapable of acting (it sounded like she was reading her spoken lines off cue cards, and she was often looking in the wrong direction). My wife and I were very disappointed.

A very nice rendition

[tall-blond-and-very-hot · 7/10 · 15 December 2013]

Carrie Underwood does a very credible job as Maria, and the kids are all pretty good. Stephen Moyer is also pretty good as the captain.

Keeping in mind this was a live production and will be released on DVD/Bluray, I think all the cast members are to be commended. All in all, this version is well worth your time (and money, if you buy a disk.)

The story was true to the movie, and the sets were very nicely built and displayed. This was quite a production- hard to believe the studio would take a risk like this, but it really paid off. We will have a Bluray as soon as they are available.

The only down side to the TSOM 2013 is the complete lack of class shown by some of the 1965 version cast members. Their tweets and comments about Underwood after the live telecast were out of line and unnecessary, and demonstrated a marked lack of class. That is surprising coming from people of their age, and for me, they taint my happy memories of each. As a result, I will archive the 1965 version and watch Carrie Underwood instead- TSOM 2013 will be the version seen by my children. It is a worthy successor.

Should never have been done!

[blane82496 · 1/10 · 5 December 2013]

This remake was so awful!! With all due respect to Miss Underwood, she cannot even come close to the charisma and charm that Julie Andrews gave that role. Someone forgot to tell the director of this abortion that it is supposed to be set during World War 2 and I don't think there was a black mother superior. I also doubt that the youngest child was Hispanic....unless the Captain was on shore leave in Cabo! Political correctness crept in and ruined yet another movie! Not a single shred of anything worthy of the title exists in this movie! Avoid this complete waste of misguided efforts to bring holiday cheer to anyone!

Better Than Expected!

[hanna_house · 8/10 · 6 December 2013]

I have to be honest here, I originally had no intention of watching this special, but when I found out it would be performed live, as they used to do in decades past, it piqued my curiosity. I also happened to turn on the TV just about the time it started, so decided to check it out.

In no way was I expecting it to compare to the 1965 film. This was obviously supposed to be more akin to the stage production. Having said that, I was far more impressed than I anticipated. The music was fantastic and I loved the live acting quality to it. I only have a couple criticisms.

I understand that Carrie Underwood was probably selected because they wanted to get a name to draw in viewers. Her singing was actually quite good, but her acting was sub-par, especially to the rest of the cast. I understand she is not an actress, so I give her kudos for putting herself on the line.

As for the rest of the cast, I was happy that they decided to use mostly unknown actors, who appeared to be trained for stage productions. It definitely added to the credibility of the show. I thought the kids were all great, except Gretel, who was definitely a star in the film version. This one did not seem especially gifted in acting or singing and even lacked charisma. I wondered if she might be the daughter of a producer or something. That was a shame because its another stand out role that suffered.

I was pretty pleased with everything else. The sets were gorgeous! The transitions were seamless. The music overall was very fun and enjoyable, hearing those great Rogers & Hammerstein songs never gets old! Was also nice that they included some songs that were not in the film version. I definitely don't feel I wasted my evening when there is so much other rubbish on TV. I hope people were open-minded and supportive, so perhaps we'll see another live musical special next year!

Poor Carrie

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 23 January 2015]

I thought this was pretty darned good. My son was an assistant director for this play at his high school, so the differences between the stage play and the movie production were obvious to me. To criticize this because of changes from the Julie Andrews version is unfair. The very task of putting a live performance on television has been debated so much and I feel that to never try anything new is preposterous. While there were a few flubs and trips, this whole thing came off remarkably well. Carrie Undrwood is one of the most talented pop singers of our time (or any, for that matter) and delivers well. The supporting cast is quite wonderful, filled with Broadway heavyweights. Underwood's acting is a bit stiff, but for the most part it is adequate. I can't think of a song that wasn't delivered by the cast in any but a highly professional way. Remember, when the movie came out, there were die-hard Mary Martin fans who were surprised by the additionally songs and the deleting of some of their favorites. I don't know if we need live television with all the advances in video performance, but I would not hesitate to watch this. One hope is that on the DVD version, they are able to remove that overriding hum.

NBC should have saved the money

[IamMultipurpose · 1/10 · 6 December 2013]

If I could have gotten over the fact that Carrie Underwood looked like the Milk Maid from the hot cocoa packages with a baby bump (3 sizes too big), they may have been able to squeak by. Why put a child in to do a woman's job? You can't expect someone who has never acted before to go up against Julie Andrews. The head bobbing thing and cheesy smiles from the Von Trapp family kids was annoying and distracting. It reminded me of those kids' videos from the 1980's with a purple dinosaur dancing around. The fact that the Captain and Carrie had absolutely no chemistry whatsoever was downright scary. I was actually hoping he would run off with the Baroness(either that or that the Nazis would show up.) I will give them the Mother Superior's touching version of "Climb Every Mountain" but her approach to Maria with her preachy demeanor and "in your face" eye glares was distracting. The nun costumes looked like a ridiculous attempt to copy the Flying Nun. I'm still going with a perfect waste of 2 hours.

A different kind of remake

[rheijoelmd · 10/10 · 14 December 2013]

As far as I know this is a live television adaptation of the original stage musical and NOT the film version. I know a lot would not agree with how the show was made but who's to blame? The magnificent voices of the cast brings back memories on how the Von Trapp family became a sensation. Carrie may not have had the best of acting abilities but when she starts to sing the chemistry that defines her as Maria starts to appear. I don't think it would be fair to compare her with Julie Andrews but I do believe that she did better than any other Broadway actresses who played Maria on-stage.

I can only say to myself that they did cast the right people for a television show. To play on-stage would be a different thing.

Kudos to Carrie Underwood.

d'oh, oh dear, this was painful.

[d-j-dekok · 2/10 · 5 December 2013]

I'll spare you the details of the plot, since most people living in Western culture have heard of, seen, or been in a production of "The Sound of Music" at some level at some point in their lives. That being said, here are the top eight reasons this was a mistake of Matterhornian proportions:8) How do you solve a problem like Maria? MARRY HER OFF TO A RICH GUY! (facepalm) 7) No doubt that Audra McDonald has a powerful voice. She proved it in her leading role singing not one but two eleven o'clock numbers--oh, I forgot--Mother Abbess is a supporting role, and while "Climb Every Mountain" is certainly dramatic, it didn't need to be Wagnerian. 6)Recorded accompaniment. What would Petrillo say? I'd say they set the volume control once and forgot to check it. 5)The kids were cute, but--and this is no fault of theirs--they sounded like they all went to the same voice coach, who taught them to: 4)(With apologies to Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor)(Tune of "Make'em Laugh")OVERSING! OVERSING! Make it all loud and brash, that's the thing! My fellow musicians who coach singers were all reaching for their Ricola drops. 3)That goes for Ms. Underwood, too. She sounds too old and looks too old to play a timid twenty-something novice. 2)The young lad Rolph (Rolf?)--over-sung, over-acted. At least the Rolph in the movie knew how to use his voice properly, even if his acting was stiff. 1)Note to the kids, and to Ms. Underwood: I'm serious about the singing--you're going to hurt yourself singing that way and do serious damage to your vocal chords--just ask Julie Andrews.

My one question about the show itself, not having anything to do with the current production: Is it just me or is the plot eerily similar to "The King and I", i.e., quiet woman takes over household, wins over domineering man with lots of kids? Is there a theme that runs thru R and H musicals of forbidden (or at least unconventional)love?

In summary, I really wanted this to be better than it was. Sorry.

PS: I must say to those Catholics posing as historians who have their knickers in a bunch about a black nun in 1930's Austria: First, there's a rather famous sister who was born in Albania, trained in Ireland, and served in India--remember Mother Theresa? Religious orders have a thing about moving people all around where their gifts can best be used. Priests at our parish served in LA, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and even little ol' Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Second, multi-racial casting has been in existence for a while. Get over it. There are shows from the Golden Age of Broadway that would benefit from such moves, most notably "Oklahoma". At the time the show was set (1910) there was still a significant Black, Native American, and Mexican presence, and truthfully, the show touches on timeless themes of how simple and complicated love, family, and life can be.

Fantastic production and I just loved it!!

[international367 · 6 December 2013]

As a 40-something would-be tough guy, I like to think I'm Han Solo stuck in the 21st century so I sure as hell ain't gonna watch a girly show like The Sound of Music. After avoiding this program all these years I finally sat down and watched Carrie Underwood's version on Thursday night after seeing it advertised on my local NBC news. I figured I should make an effort to get in touch with the world of performing arts.

This presentation of The Sound of Music was wonderful. Now, I didn't know the storyline nor the original music, so for me, this was a blessing. Great singing, sets, costumes; just a fantastic production all around. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Carrie Underwood is really pretty, too.