Tonight all eyes will be on country superstar Carrie Underwood. NBC will air its hotly-anticipated live version of The Sound of Music starring Ms. Underwood as Fräulein Maria this evening and we couldn’t be more excited. Does the country crooner have what it takes? We’ll see.
The whole thing has made us think about other musicals we’d love to see broadcast on live television, and who we might like to star in them.
Scroll down to see our top five picks.
Evita starring Lady Gaga
How about we take this to the next level?
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For as long as she lives, Lady Gaga will forever be compared to Madonna. So why not put those comparisons to the test? We love, love, loved the Material Girl in the movie version of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Evita. To this day, we still hold a grudge against the Academy for not giving her a Best Actress nod for her work in the film. But that’s another story.
Now that Gaga’s entered the arena, we wouldn’t mind seeing her take a stab at playing Maria Eva Duarte de Peron. She certainly has the looks and the pipes, but does she have the ability to make us cry for her, Argentina? We’d love to see.
Sunset Boulevard starring Madonna
While we’re on the subject of both Andrew Lloyd Weber and Madonna, we’d kill to watch the Queen of Pop portray the deranged Norma Desmond in Weber’s musical remake of the classic 1950 drama. The trick, of course, would be getting Madge to agree to play a psychotic aging silent movie star on the brink of a nervous breakdown. She could easily play off her public persona, as she did in Evita. The score would have to be modified, of course.
Sadly, we don’t think this will ever happen. But it’s fun to think about.
Grease starring Zac Efron
Any excuse to watch Zac Efron is fine with us. Watching him shake his hips in tight-fitting jeans and a leather jacket on live television would be a summer night to remember. Efron is no stranger to singing and dancing on screen. He got his start in Disney’s High School Musical, after all, and later appeared opposite the original Grease star John Travolta in the musical remake of Hairspray. To help prepare for the part, Efron could take a few tips on performing the, ahem, Hand Jive from Mr. Travolta, who we’re sure would be more than happy to assist.
The King and I starring Mario Lopez
The King and I is probably one of our favorite musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The song “Getting to Know You” is a classic, and we love all the costumes, especially the fabulous dresses Anna gets to wear. But perhaps our favorite thing about The King and I is that the King of Siam spends the entire show shirtless. Which is why we’d like to nominate Mario Lopez for the role. He may not be known for his singing chops, but that’s beside the point. He’s got the rock hard six pack and the bulging biceps, and that’s what matters most.
Wicked starring Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie
After nearly a decade, the world is still waiting to see Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie face off. What better opportunity for the women to confront their longstanding rivalry than by starring opposite one another in a live televised production of the hit Broadway musical Wicked? Jen could play blonde, bubbly Glinda, Good Witch of the North, and Angelina could be green-skinned, misunderstood Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, and the world could finally watch the two beauties battle it out once and for all.
Somebody call the wizard. Let’s make this happen.
Rad
While watching “The Train Wreck of Music” last night, I realized things were missing; prefixing the show with “Live, from the Melonville War Memorial Auditorium” would have helped. Ms. Underwood certainly has a future in community theatre, perhaps as supporting cast. I never knew what the saying “Her acting emotions ran from A to B” until I watched Carries annoyingly flat delivery of queue card script (I was watching her eyes read off stage). I think the only emotion she was able to deliver was captured on camera for the photo still used in the publicity poster.
There were so many other able actors who would have been great in that role; Kristin Chenoweth for one. But Walmart needed a new shill, so Carrie was it. Oh well; with Walmart, you get what you pay for.
In fair tradition, Christopher Plummer could not sing, and neither could Stephen Moyer. I think I watched him closely to see if fangs would pop out of if he’s slip up and call “Maria” “Sookie” by accident. And the children… well… again, plucked from the obscurity of community theatre.
The ONE saving grace in the production was Audra McDonald as Mother Abbess. Her singing sent shivers down my spine in a good way.
SarcasaticMisanthrope
Yes, that show last night on NBC was a travesty. She kept running out of breath when she sang and ran around. Plus the above poster is correct, her emotions ran the gamut of A to B. Carrie Underwood looked bored as did the kids playing the children.
Did you notice in the opening number Carrie Underwood slipped and almost fell? LOL! You could see the terror in her eyes.
JeffG
“He may not be known for his singing chops, but that’s beside the point. He’s got the rock hard six pack and the bulging biceps, and that’s what matters most.” No, Queerty doofii, it’s not.