Broadway World's Boards Make The Post! (

[latitudex1]

Posted: 12/4/13 at 11:52pm

http://nypost.com/2013/12/04/sorry-theater-snobs-underwoods-casting-smart-for-sound-of-music/

dreaming, in particular gets "called out."

My favorite quote?

And guess what, theater “experts”? Ted Chapin, president of Rodgers and Hammerstein — who administers the copyrights for R&H productions from “high schools to colleges to dinner theaters to Broadway to West End to China to Moscow” — signed off on Underwood when producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they wanted to cast her as Maria.

The same man that signed off on that The King & I animated debacle? I like the man, but no one is infallible.

--

The same man that signed off on that The King & I animated debacle? I like the man, but no one is infallible.

From my perspective, dreaming's comments were likely made before before any other thing about the production was announced. We had no idea where they were going to take this project. And, bless her heart, but Carrie has little professional acting experience and no musical theater experience. There was no problem in any supposing that this was a merely a huge stunt that was going to go down in flames at that time.

And I hold a similar sentiment about the All That Chat quote he pulled. He was critiquing and commenting on what there was to go on. And the only thing there was to go on was a weak performance of the title song in a non theatrical venue.

I don't think anyone here is being bitchy or particular because we think the Sound of Music "belongs" to the theater. We're particular because we love musical theater and want the medium to always have its best foot forward. Updated On: 12/5/13 at 11:52 PM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 2:12am

This is the complete article. I don't think I've ever heard of "dreaming." I think I'll dvr the show. I half disagree with the article. The author of this article calls Underwood's critics...theatre snobs. Just because a good deal of people criticized the casting doesn't mean that they're snobs, just knowledgeable about all things theatre. I'm familiar with her name, but not her music. I don't have a preference, one way or another, about her. With regards to her performance, we shall see. from the NY Post:


New York’s theater snobs erupted in fit of pique at the announcement that Carrie Underwood — the “American Idol” winner who went on to sell 45 million records and have an amazing career for any singer in any category — was going to play Maria von Trapp.
Just get a load of the snotty comments. Writes someone named “dreaming” on Broadwayworld.com: “This is going to be a disaster. A country singer as Maria von Trapp??? What next, Ozzy Osbourne as the Captain?!”
Others, on talkingbroadway.com/alllivechat, pick apart Underwood’s pronunciation of vowels in an early promotional clip:
“Oh boy, that recording of Carrie Underwood singing the title song . . . is scary. Her phrasing is completely clueless; she stumbles over the lyrics, and instead of singing ‘from the lake to the trees,’ she sings ‘thoo the trees’; and the vowel sound she produces on the word ‘laugh’ (in ‘to laugh like a brook’) is painful. Yikes.”
Many “Sound of Music” fans believe Julie Andrews owns the role of Maria von Trapp. And theater folk may think Broadway owns “The Sound of Music.” In reality, the only people who own “The Sound of Music” are the people who handle the Rodgers and Hammerstein estate. And guess what, theater “experts”? Ted Chapin, president of Rodgers and Hammerstein — who administers the copyrights for R&H productions from “high schools to colleges to dinner theaters to Broadway to West End to China to Moscow” — signed off on Underwood when producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they wanted to cast her as Maria.
In an interview with The Post, Chapin said, “Part of my job is to find ways to keep the Rodgers & Hammerstein properties alive for new generations and I’m interested in ideas that will do that. Carrie’s talented and she’s spirited.” Chapin saw the first run-through yesterday at Grumman studios in Bethpage, NY, and says, “She’s just thrown herself into it. Clearly, Carrie Underwood will not be imitating Julie Andrews. It’s a bold move for her.”
Chapin also remembered how New York theater snobs sniffed when Reba McEntire replaced Bernadette Peters in “Annie Get Your Gun.” “People said, ‘What?’ But she was extraordinary,” he says. “These country singers, they know discipline.”
Even Andrews herself has given Underwood her blessing, saying to Zap2it, “Fifty years later, it’s time somebody had another crack at it.”
So what, then, is the problem?
Do any of these grumblers think NBC wasn’t going to put a star in a live, three-hour, multimillion dollar production? Underwood’s fan base was something Zadan and Meron, whose 1997 production of “Cinderella” with Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston drew 60 million viewers, were very interested in. And do these grumblers imagine that the supporting cast — which includes five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, Tony winner Christian Borle, Laura Benanti and other pros — isn’t delighted to be singing before millions of people who might never travel to New York to see a Broadway show?
“The cast all understands that absent someone like Carrie Underwood a project like this would never get on the air,” Chapin says.
A show as timeless as “The Sound of Music” can weather a little experimentation with a big-name star who has the vocal chops to sing a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. And it might be the better for it.
The New York theater snobs, as they peer across the great cultural moat at the rest of us, need to get over themselves.

Updated On: 12/5/13 at 02:12 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 6:37am

dreaming is a regular poster here. I've always enjoyed her posts.

And despite what that one quote makes it seem like, she has never been a "hater" or engaged in random bitchery.

At least not that I've seen.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 8:05am

Even Andrews herself has given Underwood her blessing, saying to Zap2it, “Fifty years later, it’s time somebody had another crack at it.”

That's not exactly a "blessing," is it?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 8:58am

"The New York theater snobs, as they peer across the great cultural moat at the rest of us, need to get over themselves."

Obviously Robert Rorke couldn't get an interview with Carrie or Audra or Christian or Laura. Anybody can walk up to Ted Chapin on the street and start talking to him. He's very engaging. If it weren't for New York theater snobs, Robert Rorke wouldn't have anything to write about.

[suestorm]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 12:36pm

well there is a lot of theater snobbery here, its hard to deny that.
as for Carrie, its not like shes Miley or Britney. The girl has some great pipes on her and has been nothing but a model citizen and role model from day 1 of her fame.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 1:42pm

Articles like these also conveniently gloss over the posts that do applaud and defend her casting. It's the negative that sells papers and provides click-throughs

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 1:56pm

^ Totally agree.

The whole tone of this "article" just screams childish and gossipy.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 2:07pm

From the Post, that's unpossible.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 3:00pm

To Robert Rorke, writer of the New York Post article classily entitled "STFU theatre snobs: Carrie is perfect choice for Maria":

All of us here at BroadwayWorld think Robert Rorke is a jorke.

Sincerely,
BroadwayWorld

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 12/5/13 at 7:16pm

Except that "all of us" at Broadwayworld do not share the same opinion, so you can speak for yourself, but not the entire community.