Those who are eagerly anticipating next week’s live broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC might want to tune into the Peacock tonight, as the network is set to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the production, which stars Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer as Maria and Captain von Trapp respectively. NBC’s already given us numerous looks at the rehearsals for the production, including the one above, which plays special emphasis on the music.
Carrie Underwood can sing. We’ve known that since she climbed to the top of her season of American Idol, but since True Blood doesn’t often include musical numbers, our awareness of Stephen Moyer’s musical abilities may not be as vast, but that’s about to change. The above promo for The Sound of Music Live! shows Moyer singing as Captain von Trapp. From the snippets we hear of him singing “Edelweiss,” it seems like we’re in for a real treat, as Moyer’s seriously holding his own next to Underwood. So Moyer can sing, but can Underwood pull off the acting side of her role?
Given that this is a live broadcast of the original musical, I think it’s fair to look at The Sound of Music Live as a theatrical production more than it is a remake of feature adaptation of the original stage musical. With that in mind, Moyer and Audra McDonald seem particularly well cast for their roles, considering they both have backgrounds in theater. Underwood, however, is a singer. A pretty extraordinary singer with a massive fan base to be sure, but a singer nonetheless with very limited acting experience, which is why I’m skeptical about this broadcast, given how much the production will likely hinge on Underwood’s performance. In terms of the music, I’m anticipating greatness, but in terms of the story and the chemistry between Underwood and Moyer, I’m wary for now.
But I want to give Underwood the benefit of the doubt. And I certainly wouldn’t go sending her “hate tweets” ahead of the broadcast, which is what some people have apparently been doing. People quotes Underwood as admitting that people have tweeted her things like “You’re not Julie Andrews!” She appears to be aware of that fact, and I’m willing to bet she knows she has some high standards to meet with this role. It’s with that in mind that I’m hopeful she’ll exceed expectations with her performance. And it’d be great if The Sound of Music Live is a hit, especially if it means NBC will be producing more of these live musical productions around the holiday season in years to come.
The Sound of Music Live airs Thursday, December 5 on NBC. And tune in tonight (Wednesday, November 27) for The Making of the Sound of Music Live at 8:00 p.m. on NBC!
