The Silver Screen Oasis

I found myself liking this week's attempt to bring a live version of The Sound of Music to television, despite everything that has already been pointed out by critics. Now, since the ratings were the best that NBC has seen for a decade (for a non-sports show), could this mean that live productions of other (and better) Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart, The Gershwins, Cole Porter, Lerner and Lowe, and Jerome Kern shows might be considered seriously in the future?

Personally, I'd love to see headlines that read "Justin Timberlake IS Pal Joey! Live Tonight!," "Audra MacDonald and Usher in Porgy and Bess! One Night Only!" or "Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris in Kiss Me Cato! A 21st Century Re-Imagining of a Classic on Your Home Screen !"

Okay, the last one might be a wee bit controversial, but some of these people seem to have more talent than they are allowed to exercise within the narrow parameters of pop culture today. Ah, it's only a dream....

Did anyone else see this show? (I recorded it and watched parts of it later).

Typical of my isolated lifestyle, I didn't know about this until it was too late. Like you, I've heard and read some negative comments. But live theatre on TV? More please! Somebody said it might have been better had they done multiple takes. That the live format is subject to chance. Lady, that's the point! That's half the fun.

It can well be argued that this is our great musical. Not necessarily the best. But the most beloved. The one that has touched the most people. The music has been part of the culture as long as I can remember. I knew the songs before I had actually heard of the show! That's true of other musicals. But not to this degree. This one has a special appeal to a lot of people.

I knew it was coming and didn't have any particular desire to see it but I'll give credit to NBC for trying it. I hope also that they will do more of this kind of thing. I remember several years ago ABC did a live broadcast of "Fail Safe." I don't think the ratings were that great but I was hoping it would start a trend. I guess not.

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I watch so much cable that I missed seeing any ads for TSOM, besides the fact that I watch almost nothing on NBC. I'm sorry though, I would have liked to see it.

Moira stated "some of these people seem to have more talent than they are allowed to exercise within the narrow parameters of pop culture today." Carol Burnett was on The View recently and when asked why these young people come and go as they do, she answered "We stayed". This is so true. These kids have one or two hits and "retire", probably thinking the money will last forever and when it doesn't, they don't know how to make a comeback. Yet when the older ones had no movies to do, they did stage work, or summer stock, or tried their hand at recording . . . anything to stay in the mind of the audiences.

I don't know how long this upload will stay up on youtube, but here's the live version. For my money, the beauty of the glorious singing of Audra MacDonald (as an African-American mother superior in 1938 Austria??) made me suspend belief and I wished her time on-screen was longer. No one will forget Mary Martin or Julie Andrews, much less Theodore Bikel or Christopher Plummer after seeing this, but gosh, those songs are etched on memory very deeply.
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In addition to that youtube version of the musical shown above, NBC has announced that they will be re-broadcasting their recent version of The Sound of Music on Saturday, Dec. 14th at 8pm (ET).

That's nice. But it won't be live anymore! That doesn't change the content. It's just not the same!

Now that NBC has already announced a planned live production of Peter Pan (TBD) and Fox is rolling out a live form of Grease (in the Fall?), the peacock network now says it will be airing a live version of The Music Man on Dec. 4th.

I am praying to all the gods of Broadway that this edition of the great Robert Preston triumph will be quite a bit more lively than the unfortunately bland one that aired on ABC in 2003 with Matthew Broderick as Prof. Harold Hill and Kristin Chenoweth as Marian the Librarian. No cast has been announced for the upcoming version just yet.

Do you think that Neil Patrick Harris or Hugh Jackman are busy?

MUSIC MAN is one of the cutest, liveliest little shows I've ever seen. I would think K. Chenoweth would be a quirky little Marian. I didn't see that one. PETER PAN is OK for children. Just insulting to adult sensibilities. I'm glad TV is ressurecting these old soldiers. I'm sure some of the modern musicals are fine. But you can't beat the classics!

In THE APARTMENT, Fred MacMurray is on the phone with his wife. "The branch manager from Kansas City is in town, and I'm taking him to the theater...MUSIC MAN! What else?" The show plays a prominent role in the movie!

RedRiver wrote:MUSIC MAN is one of the cutest, liveliest little shows I've ever seen. I would think K. Chenoweth would be a quirky little Marian.

I agree, but unfortunately, that production did not showcase her talent as well as hoped. Chenoweth would also make a delightful Nellie Forbush in South Pacific (another one they tried to do as a movie for ABC in 2001---the best thing about that was Harry Connick, Jr. as Lt. Cable--he was great).

Here's Hugh Jackman playing 8 parts at once in a take on the opening of The Music Man (he starts to sing about 2:00 min. into this clip):
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A far cry from Wolverine!