The Sound of Music Live

Now, I know that this was in fact shown live on NBC bacj in December last year but here in the UK it aired during Easter Sunday and I was bored so I decided to watch it. I know this review is long overdue since Easter was months ago, but I had studying & exams I had to focus on & save this for the summer. Not only that, but after hearing about the pretty mediocre reviews about it & the fact that Carrie Underwood of all people would be playing Maria, I thought I'd give it a chance. So how did it turn out for me? Well...

This small screen version of The Sound of Music follows the format of the Broadway show rather than the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, including the songs either being cut or rearranged to different scenes. I don't really think I need to discuss the plot as pretty much everyone has seen it & there isn't necesarily anything wrong with it, except for the fact it's 3 hours long (not including advert breaks) like a Broadway show except on television & can feel like forever to watch! Now I'll talk about the big elephant in the room when it comes to this Sound of Music adaptation, and it's Carrie Underwood's acting! Here, it's just god awful! I personally didn't think it was right of the casting director to thrust her into such an iconic role, only for her to botch it up! She just had that permanant doe eyed look throughout trying to look emotional, when she really wasn't expressing any emotion whatsoever! Heck, even the real life von Trapp family didn't like her casting choice and would rather have had Anne Hathaway playing Maria (which I agree with by the way!) So how's Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Captain von Trapp if you may ask? Wouldn't you know it, he's also wooden and doesn't put much emotion in! I saw no chemistry between him & Underwood just kept on doing that same face I mentioned before & honestly, I just didn't care about their romance because of it. It doesn't really help his accent is very inconsistent & his singing voice isn't strong enough for the role. Now, what I'm trying to say is the story itself is not bad, but the bland acting just waters it down & makes me feel bored when watching it! Well, at least the kids are pretty good.

 

So after all this negativity, is there actually anything good to say? Well...it looks good! Despite the pretty bland acting, which is a huge flaw in this case, I have to say that the set designs and costumes look pretty good for a television production. The sets all look immaculate from the chapel, to the foyer, and even the mountains at the beginning. Also, the costumes look really detailed & manage to make it feel like a Sound of Music show, but also making it it's own thing & not copying the 1965 film. But there's one costume that bothers me, and it's this number on the Baroness:

Also, I have to say that the acting from the Broadway actors is pretty solid, like Audra McDonald as Mother Abbess (she's probably the best one in the whole special actually), Laura Benanti as Baroness Elsa & even Christian Borle as Max. But despite that, the acting from the main two just drags it all down. Moreover, the fact that it was live can lead to some problems, in particular the sound editing. The main issue is that the orchestra is so loud, you can hardly hear the actors singing & sometimes, there are random sounds in the background which really make the viewing experience distracting.

 

Overall, the only word to describe The Sound of Music Live is pointless. Yes, the production design looks amazing and some of the acting is good, but there's no denying that the 1965 movie is still a beloved classic even to this day! Was there really a big enough crowd asking for this? If anything, it made me appreciate the movie version, and yes, if I had to recommend this, I would say skip this & watch the movie! It's much more heartwarming, the performances from all the actors are very solid & the visuals are gorgeous as well as more innovative. This on the other hand just feels lifeless & hollow, and next time, they should consider getting an actress as Maria with professional Broadway experience instead of getting a pop singer to gain ratings!
Overall: **