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.
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.