So the news came down from on high today that the long-rumored NBC one-night-only live performance of The Sound of Music had signed its Maria: Carrie Underwood.
My friends Rachel and Aimee, who accompanied me on our dorked-out pilgrimage to Salzburg (specifically to do The Sound of Music Tour - we are not ashamed of this) expressed some reserve about that bit of casting news, which I am cool with - I mean, it's a beloved character/role we are protective of and we don't know what her acting abilities are, exactly.
What I am not cool with, however, are people saying it's a "sacrelige" and an "outrage" and generally flipping the f*** out about it in story comments sections and on Twitter. What strikes me as silly at first is that no one seems to be going past the headline on this one: They think they're remaking the movie, which is NOT the case. They're doing a one-night live, staged production of the musical play, much like your local high school or community college does every few years, and Broadway did, oh, several times - BEFORE and AFTER the movie was made. Because you don't have the memorable big-screen aweomeness of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer without Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel originating the roles on stage.
The second most annoying thing about it? People thinking she's just some cookie- cutter country singer who can't climb out of her twangy box from time to time. The irritation with this for me is two-fold: 1) The vitriol being aimed at her is usually reserved for no-talent famewhore hacks and working in celebrity news, I can tell you this seems to hardly be the case - you never hear about this girl doing stuff just to get media attention and she seems pretty low-key outside of her showmanship on stage. She's famous because she won American Idol. Because she has one hell of a voice. She's pretty, yes, but she does not get out there, nor all the recognition she got afterward, without her vocal ability backing her up. 2) She can tone down the country sound in her voice - I've heard it for myself live. And I hardly doubt she's going into this thinking, "How can I make Maria as down-home country as possible? Oh, yes, let's bring in a jug band and washboard for 'The Lonely Goatherd'! Yee f***ing HAW, y'all!"
Also, for the people clinging to the movie as the end-all be-all of how all things Sound of Music should be: You know how Julie Andrews is British? And sang/spoke with her very British accent throughout the movie? Well, Maria Von Trapp was Austrian, folks. And spoke German before she spoke English, so... a crisp British accent isn't really supposed to be a defining part of the character, you know? So keep that in mind.
And just to reiterate: I am saying all this as one of the biggest Sound of Music fans you will ever find. Not just an appreciator, not just an "Oh, it's on ABC Family for the fifth time this year, maybe I'll watch a second or two." No. I posed on the Do-Re-MI steps at Mirabell Gardens doing "With Tea And Jam and Bread" not caring what the lone hot guy on our tour thought. Oh yes.
But you're probably like, "KB, you must be a hardcore Carrie Underwood stalker if you are defending her like this." And to that I say, um, no. She was probably my third-favorite contestant on her season of Idol (check this blog's archives if you don't believe me) and I've never been moved enough to buy any of her stuff on iTunes. But what I do recognize about her? GIRL CAN SING. Because I loved her season of Idol so much, I dragged Erica to see the AI tour that year. And while Carrie's songs ain't my cuppa so to speak, her voice is ridiculous in a live setting. She is not operatically trained like Julie Andrews, so the showtunes may not be quite as crazy big as the big-screen version, but she should be able to tackle a one-night TV production quite well. Don't believe me?
Exhibit A: Maybe the Hardest Christmas Carol to Sing
Exhibit B: An Excellent Take on One of the Belty-est Songs in the American Song Book
Exhibit C: Maybe One of the Hardest Songs to Sing Period
You guys? I think she can handle "My Favorite Things" just fine.