"My Favorite Things" About The Sound of Music LIVE

The Sound of Music is probably my all-time favorite musical, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to hear about plans for a live TV broadcast this December.  A few weeks have passed since the live performance aired on NBC and there has been a lot of "buzz" (for lack of a better word) about the quality of the production and some of the individual performances. I think this "buzz" has died down a bit, and so this might be a better time to cautiously assert my own opinion regarding the live performance. One of my favorite aspects of live theatre is the ability to see the same story replayed and re-imagined by different actors and actresses, sometimes within the same production (as with an understudy or replacement actor) or in a brand new production, years or generations after the story's inception (as with The Sound of Music Live or any revival). In either situation, I love the variety that live theatre provides. A particular story is never precisely the same from one performance to the next. Some people embrace variety and other people don't. Non-theatre-goers often criticize me for seeing a particular play or musical multiple times. "Why would you want to see Wicked eleven times? Or Memphis and Next to Normal five times?" Why indeed. Because a show is never exactly the same. The story-telling, the energy, the meaning are always a bit different. And I love this.

But I digress. Overall, I felt positively about NBC's production of The Sound of Music. I thought that some very wise casting choices were made, specifically, Christian Borle, Laura Benanti, Audra McDonald, Christiane Noll, and all of the children. And as I stated above, I really enjoyed watching a new interpretation of the musical and its beloved characters. In the spirit of keeping the commentary positive, I've listed some of "my favorite things" (yup, I said it) about The Sound of Music Live below.

1.) Carrie Underwood's singing

She may not be an acclaimed actress, but I enjoyed hearing a unique interpretation of the familiar score. No one can argue that Carrie Underwood is not a talented singer. The style of her singing is vastly different from Julie Andrews, and I enjoyed a more modern and perhaps younger approach to the role in general. With some hard work and acting lessons, she could be a future musical theatre performer. Let's root for her to improve and shine!

2.) The Goatherd song

My true confession. I love the goatherd song. Of all of Maria's songs, I thought this one was performed and staged the best. Who knew Carrie Underwood could yodel?

3.) Broadway actors

I love that NBC cast some real theatre actors in this Broadway musical. In my opinion, it was the talented group of Broadway actors that really shone in this production. Laura Benanti was absolutely fantastic as Elsa; in fact, this was the first version of The Sound of Music in which I didn't hate Elsa because Benanti seemed to tap into her human side. Audra McDonald as the Mother Abbess was perfection.

4.) The Attention

It's not every day that a major TV network airs a live musical. Musical theatre is rarely awarded any attention on network television, with the exception of the annual Tony Awards. Further, not every American is fortunate to live near New York City or another major city where the National Tours of Broadway shows perform. For some Americans, especially children, NBC's production of The Sound of Music may be their first exposure to musical theatre. It essentially allows access to musical theatre for millions of Americans who would otherwise be unexposed. I hope that my fellow theatre-goers understand the value of this. The fact that NBC is planning on airing other live musicals in the future is critical in supporting the arts in this country. And hopefully, the day will come when major television networks don't need to cast celebrities to improve ratings. (I'm not sure if this is realistic, but one can dream…)

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess

Broadway

Richard Rodgers Theatre

Background: Prior to August, 2011, my sole experience of the American folk opera, Porgy and Bess, included a medley of its selections performed by my middle school concert band. At the ripe age of twelve, I would have rather been playing selections from Rent or something less “dated” in my mind, and so the music of Porgy and Bess faded away from my memory until last summer, when it was announced that a new production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess to be directed by Diane Paulus would be playing at the American Repertory Theatre (ART) in Cambridge, MA. Needless to say, I decided it was time for my more cultured adult self to give Porgy and Bess another chance.  I thoroughly enjoyed this cast. Now that they have transferred to Broadway and won a Tony Award for Best Revival, I decided to pay a second visit to Porgy and Bess on the Great White Way.  

Synopsis and History: Porgy and Bess tells the love story of Porgy, a poor, lame, black man living in the destitute community of Catfish Row in Charleston, NC in the 1930’s, and Bess, a flawed and conflicted black woman living in the clutches of her jealous and possessive lover, Crown, and her drug dealer, Sportin’ Life. Despite his physical limitations, Porgy attempts to offer Bess a new life free from Crown and “happy dust”. 

Porgy and Bess is based on the play, Porgy, which is based on DuBose Heyward’s novel of the same name.  After opening at the Colonial Theatre on September 30, 1935, the production transferred to Broadway’s Alvin Theatre on October 10th of the same year, where it ran for 124 performances before beginning a four-city tour.  A talented cast of trained opera singers arrived in Washington DC’s National Theatre only to discover that the theatre did not allow black patrons. The cast refused to perform under such circumstances, which ultimately led to the National Theatre’s desegregation, a milestone at the time. The opera spurred controversy among some African-Americans, who viewed it as a racial stereotype. When the opera opened, many felt that African-Americans were portrayed as violent, uneducated, indigent drug-seekers, which would further validate the stereotype at that time. The Broadway playbill gives a brief, but insightful synopsis of the opera’s history and significance, which I found to be very helpful in understanding the plot.

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess has been revised, cut down from its original four-hour duration, and “modernized” by director Diane Paulus, which has also been controversial to some, most notably, Stephen Sondheim. 

Comments: The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess showcases an extremely talented cast at their best. Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald gives a heart-wrenching performance as Bess. Playing Bess eight times per week must be exhausting, but she does it flawlessly. Norm Lewis gave a Tony-worthy performance as the naive, but beloved Porgy, portraying the character’s journey as a victim protected by his neighbors who evolves into a man of great strength. Norm Lewis was the stand-out performer in Porgy and Bess and one of my biggest reasons for seeing the show twice. David Alan Grier is oddly endearing as Bess’ drug dealer Sportin’ Life.  He’s so bad, but you just can’t hate him- maybe because his character provides moments of comic relief in the midst of turmoil and tragedy. I especially appreciated the funny exchanges between him and matriarch Natasha Yvette Williams (Mariah). Phillip Boykin was terrifying as Crown, as he should be.  Nikki Renee Daniels (Clara) and Joshua Henry (Jake) stood out vocally with their performances of “Summertime” and “A Woman Is A Sometime Thing” respectively.  Bryonha Marie Parham’s performance of “My Man’s Gone Now” is theatre at its finest. 

Many critics have argued that Diane Paulus’ revised version of Porgy and Bess has stripped the opera of its essence. Without having seen other productions, I am not able to comment on this belief. What I can tell you is that The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess offers a powerful score with elements of folk, jazz, spirituals, and blues, enjoyable choreography, and a well-constructed plot, which has been further clarified since ART. In the era of Wicked, Rent, and The Book of Mormon, a four-hour opera with three intermissions may not be appealing to the younger generation of theatre-goers. Diane Paulus’ revisions certainly render the opera more accessible and appealing to that generation, and if this was her goal, then job well done. Regardless of interpretation, Porgy and Bess can forever be appreciated for its preservation of American history and its indelible role in civil rights. 

Tony Awards Highlights- Best Tony Moments 2012

1.) Best surprise win: Michael McGrath, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, for Nice Work If You Can Get It 
While most of the speculation in this category surrounded Michael Cerveris and the Porgy and Bess men, no one expected that the comedic butler/bootlegger from Nice Work If You Can Get It would bring a Tony Award home! With that said, McGrath’s comical performance alone is worth the ticket price and his Tony Award is well-deserved simply for his genius comedic timing. 


 2.) Best presenter(s): Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin 
Who didn’t say, “awwww”, when the former Evita co-stars took the stage to announce in song the best revival of a musical? Charming. 


 3.) Best Dress: Celia Keenan-Bolger 
What I love about Celia’s beautiful, gold Monique Lhuillier dress is that it’s true to the color theme of her show. The set of Peter and the Starcatcher boasts a unique gold proscenium decorated with numerous gold objects such as forks, potato mashers, and garden tools... just to name a few. While her dress luckily didn’t have common household items sewn to it, the colors and embellished gold fabric are reminiscent of the show’s creativity! I don’t know if Celia did this purposely... but I liked it! 

4.) Best Performance: Leap of Faith 
After closing prematurely on May 13th, you have to give the cast of Leap of Faith credit for performing at the Tony Awards and killing it. Led by Raul Esparza, this energetic, upbeat, feel-good show had a lot to offer on Broadway and deserved a longer run. Well, now America can see what they’re missing.... and maybe this performance will pave the way for a tour in the future. 


 5.) Best Tony Speech: Steve Kazee, Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Once 
As Steve tearfully remembered his late mother, there was not a dry eye at any Tony Party. Everything about his speech- from his acknowledgement of his cast-mates and leading lady to his Arthur O’Shaughnessy quote to his remembrance of his mother to his sense of gratitude- was heartfelt and authentic. And it helps that he is SO deserving of this Tony Award. And the perfect end to his speech was Cristin Milioti giving him a standing ovation... 

In a close second is Audra McDonald, who told her daughter that, while tonight is a very special night, the best night of her life would always be the night she was born.