What do e-cigarettes and 'The Sound of Music Live' have in common?
Starring Carrie Underwood, Audra McDonald and Stephen Moyer, NCB’s live “Sound of Music” television special drummed up split reviews and zero indifference. Critics, viewers and even celebrities wanted to chime in on how they thought the remake/homage/re-envisioning held up against the original. When it comes down to it, you simply can’t stack up one of the greatest films and musicals of all time with a TV special.
The “live” rendition faced some harsh critics, like Hank Stuever at The Washington Post. “When Underwood spoke her lines, she was as flat as the label on a Swiss Miss package of cocoa,” he noted. Granted, Underwood is no actor—she’s of course known for her killer vocal cords—but is that more of a casting misstep or is the blame squarely on Underwood herself?
It’s not all crickets
While Stuever has plenty of company, there are also a number of people who loved the show—and Underwood. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Underwood nailed the numbers and the technical side of things went flawlessly.“Twice during the three-hour broadcast, viewers were creatively transported, first from the von Trapp estate to the abbey, and again from the family’s home to the concert hall, draped in banners displaying swastikas,” said the site’s Fred Bronson. “It was a clever and surprising stage move that was much more magical than a simple cut or dissolve.”
Celebrities were glued to their Twitter feeds during the show, like singer/actress Anna Kendrick who tweeted, “Carrie Underwood and Audra McDonald look like they’re about to have a knife fight #PreFightCircling.” Kendrick kept her tweets on the fence.But others like Rob Lowe tweeted, “…I’m glad a network is taking a chance with #TheSoundofMusic.” Then there was Zach Braff’s tweets, which summed up what many of the critics were likely thinking when he wrote, “The Nazis probably would have left them alone if they didn’t yodel,” but followed it up with “No one likes yodeling”— thinking better of that first tweet apparently, lest he turn too many Underwood fans against him, perhaps.
The final curtain SEE RELATED: New York mayor’s withdrawal of display ban a win for electronic cigarettes In the end, this production of the beloved classic probably won’t be making anyone’s annual must-watch holiday list, but it could have been worse. Much like swapping out tobacco for a VapeStick (if you’re in the UK) or a BluCig (if you live in the USA), it works for a lot of people. On the other hand, some folks are stubborn and really just want to stick with what works. Like the Julie Andrews film version of “Sound of Music” from roughly four decades ago, or those original cancer sticks which used to be touted as “healthy” by ads and commercials even as late as the 1950s.Whether there were any improvements over the original products is a moot point. People know what they like, what they’ve enjoyed for years, and they’re not budging for anything, even an American Idol treasure dressed up as Maria. The New York Daily News called the three-hour presentation an overall win, saying that, “Now theater fans have to hope NCB will feel it won the roll of the dice, so NBC on another network will do it again.” Mark Kennedy with ABC News said, “It’s unclear if this is the breakthrough that will start a whole new musical revolution,” but does point out that this was based on the play (not the film), which means that a number of songs which many fans have never heard before were showcased. Love it or leave it, it was a valiant effort and just might have the appeal necessary to have roped some newbie or younger fans into “The Sound of Music” lifelong fan club. Which might also be the strategy behind e-smokes, too, if you think about it.This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.