Carrie Underwood tried her best to fit into Julie Andrews’s iconic wimple last night during NBC’s The Sound of Music Live, but Twitter was not trying to have any of it. While others — namely five-time Tony Award winner (and don’t you dare forget it) Audra McDonald — fared better, poor Carrie got drenched in the pig’s blood of Twitter’s wrath. But, what do you expect? When you mess with a beloved holiday classic, Twitter is going to go in — and go in hard.
Here, we’ve assembled some of the funniest — and shadiest — tweets from NBC’s Sound of Music Live:
#TheSoundOfMusicLive pic.twitter.com/TY5R58cmvO
— Tony Cronin (@da_buzz) December 6, 2013
This is Julie Andrews watching tonight’s performance of #TheSoundOfMusicLive #SoundofMusic #CarrieUnderwood pic.twitter.com/lkKRfRLsor
— madeline clawson (@MadelineClawson) December 6, 2013
Carrie Underwood is out of breath. OMG SOMEONE HELP HER. #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Alec Mapa (@AlecMapa) December 6, 2013
There’s a church attached to the house? Is this being filmed AT Carrie Underwood’s? #TheSoundofMusicLive
— Rakesh Satyal (@rakeshsatyal) December 6, 2013
Did no one just see Carrie trip down the hill? Those hills really are alive – watch out Carrie! #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Mallory L (@malhope) December 6, 2013
So is Stephen Moyer contractually bound to perform alongside terrible actresses? #sorryboutitAnnaPaquin #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Johnny Lopez (@TheJohnnyLopez) December 6, 2013
Gave #TheSoundOfMusicLive 5 more minutes. The kids are fine, but Carrie is just awful. Stephen Moyer should drop fang & end this.
— Kimberley (@STLDogLover) December 6, 2013
Did someone tell Stephen Moyer that acting is all in duck face and a raised eyebrow? #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Dila Velazquez (@DilaDeyanira) December 6, 2013
Stephen Moyer knows he’s not doing a live performance of “Dark Shadows”, right? #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) December 6, 2013
Please tell me this transitions into Sister Act II: Back in the Habit… #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— ModernKrampus (@ModernSauce) December 6, 2013
Also, Audra is SNATCHING ALL YOUR HABITS TONIGHT.
— Marcus Michalik (@MarcusMichalik) December 6, 2013
Someone give Audra a back massage. It must be sore after carrying that whole show. #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Taylor Lynn (@taylorwetnight) December 6, 2013
Audra’s vocals about to make Hitler rethink his life’s decisions. #TheSoundOfMusicLive
— Daria Morgendorffer (@_Sofonias_) December 6, 2013
Jesus Christ Audra McDonald is just mopping the floor with that poor white girl #TheSoundofMusicLive
— Max Berlinger (@Berlinger) December 6, 2013
But really, though, Audra Fucking McDonald:
avesraggiana
Audra McDonald. Wow. Just, wow.
Rad
As I said elsewhere; Walmart underwrote the show and Carrie Underwood is their shill, so as always with Walmart – You get what you pay for. I really wish Kristen Chenoweth would have been cast.
I was lulled into a false sense of ability by that smiling face of Carrie beaming out from every promo poster, only to realize that photo still was the ONLY time she was able to show emotion. I was, indeed, hoping that Moyer would have dropped fang… at least refer to “Maria” as “Sookie”.
But yes, Audra McDonald just wiped up the place with that poor, white girl. LOVED HER.
Though if I here one more reprise of “My favorite things” I think I am going to hurt something.
Question to this board: I have never seen the stage version; was this true to that? There was the one song between Steven, Max and the Countess that I don’t recall from the movie.
Ottoman
I’m glad I hate musicals. Didn’t even know this was on until facebook started blowing up with news of the train wreck.
Vatican Lokey
Yes, Audra, the fantastic Laura Beninati as Elsa, Christian Borle as Max, and all the legitimate Broadway performers that surrounded Miss Underwood were fantastic. But everyone out there has either forgotten (or more likely never knew) that the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music was written specifically for the legendary Mary Martin, who earned international acclaim for the role of Maria and won the Tony award over Ethel Merman in the original Gypsy. Neither do most of those folks complaining on Twitter and Facebook know or remember that when the film was first announced starring Julie Andrews, the reactions from those who knew the Mary Martin performance were somewhat similar (albeit less vitriolic,) to the reactions about Miss Underwood.
But then again, most of those complaining the loudest think “Wicked” is the best musical ever written. Inherently uninformed.
Frankly, Miss Underwood was very, very brave to undertake such an iconic role without any legitimate stage experience. And the show earned NBC its highest ratings in four years, which should go a long way towards more live musical theatre broadcasts in the future. And that’s a wonderful result!
RomanHans
@Vatican Lokey: Did you not notice that this was pretty much a heter-family-fest? Aside from the plot of “TSOM,” the whole thing was sponsored by Walmart, every commercial seemed to celebrate hetero families, and Ms. Underwood later thanked God for making the show a success. I’m hopeful the pro-God, pro-family theme of the evening doesn’t mean it was anti-gay, since at least one openly-gay performer took part.
Larry
Yeah I almost turned the channel when I saw Walmart but I had to see it. There is nothing like live TV.
Mark Jenkins
@Rad: yes there are about 2 or 3 songs in the stage show that don’t appear in the movie version. “How can Love Survive?”, “No Way To Stop It” and “An Ordinary Couple”. “Ordinary Couple” was replaced in the movie by the much better (in my opinion)”Something Good”. Also written for the movie by composer Richard Rodgers was “Confidence”, sung as Maria travels to the Von Trapp estate. “How Can Love Survive” and “No Way To Stop It” were cut for time, I think. Or it could be that Richard Hadyn (Max) wasn’t much of a singer. Never heard him singing other than as the Caterpillar in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (A,E,I,O,U).
mz.sam
OMG! My jaws dropped watching it…not from the production but when Michael Campayno (Rolf) shook his tight lederhosen in front of the TV!
jmmartin
The best “Sound of Music” I ever heard was on one of the vinyl albums of the Brit group, Bonzo Dog Doodah Band. They butchered the song — intentionally.
hotshot70
To me, Julie Andrews is the ONLY Maria for Sound of Music. Anything else is a pale comparison. I kept bracing for Carrie’s southern drawl to slip out. “The hills are alive, y’all!”
hotshot70
BTW: I always watch the TRUE version this time of year.
QuintoLover
I loved the singing, Carrie Underwood OWNED the music. I’ll admit the acting wasn’t anything incredible but it was still good imo and I enjoyed the show very much.
middleagespread
It was like watching a theater performance, but with the 2nd understudy playing in the lead role. This goes for both Carrie, and Stephen. I give Carrie a lot of credit for attempting this. She went for it. Stephen as well. God knows no one would want to hear me try to sing, nor act.
Kenny1948
@Rad: Yes the songs in this broadcast were almost the same as the Broadway original. The only difference was the song sung together by Maria and the Captain, “something good” was from the movie. It was not in the Broadway version. Instead a song called “An Ordinary Couple” was sung by Maria and the captain.
Kenny1948
@hotshot70: @hotshot70: This musical was written for Mary Martin! Julie Andrews only sang in the movie version, which differed drastically from the stage play.
Kenny1948
I enjoyed it for what it was, a made for TV version of the original play. It had most of the original songs although I think they shortened ” No way to stop it” or my attention just wasn’t that focused. I only wish they had used the original song “An Ordinary Couple” instead of the movie’s replacement “something good”. But then I also prefer Mary Martin over Carrie Underwood or Julie Andrews, in my opinion Andrews is simply too syrupy! Although I love Audras voice, I found it just a bit weird to cast her as a 1930’s Austrian Abbess. I understand this is the 21st Century, but this is a 1950’s story. The actual Maria von Trapp and the Captain were married in 1927 before Hitler ever came into power.
Kenny1948
@Kenny1948: I forgot to add. Also all the voices in the movie except Julie Andrews, were dubbed by professional singers.
Kenny1948
@RomanHans: Well, the Trapps were a very hetero family after all. They didn’t write this with US in mind.
Kenny1948
@hotshot70: I wish there was a way to simply edit comments here. I hate having to add more and more comments.
I suggest you get yourself a copy of the ORIGINAL soundtrack ( not the movie ) and listen to all the songs. Then compare to the movie soundtrack. It was all sweetened up for the movie.
Hawaiiguy
What a debacle! Poor acting, lackluster singing, prop failures, shadows on everyone at every turn. Think about how an American nun arrives in pre-WWII Austria or a how a African American becomes mother Abess as head of the convent in Austria….REALLY???
This one almost makes you wish the Nazi’s had won the war.
Camsean01
@Rad: they were there. The Countess had her eyes set on the Baron, but the kids hated her.
stranded
Yeah, no bueno. I tried watching it but underwood was so fucking stiff. I was hoping she’d be good, but if they went this far with Underwood, then they just casted her for her name than her talent. Moyer was meh, i thought he’d be better. Zero chemistry between Underwood and Moyer. The remaining cast wasn’t so bad. OMG that guy who played Rolf, the nazi delivery boy. For a family show, they made a “huge” effort in displaying that guy’s apparently massive junk. Ok and even though those commercials were cute, wtf do i care about some random family that doesn’t practice birth control.
stranded
@Hawaiiguy:
I agree with most of your criticism except the casting of McDonald as mother Abbess. I don’t know, i see what you’re saying but that kind of thinking doesn’t allow minority actors to even be considered for a lot of parts. Stephen Moyer is English playing an Austrian and you didn’t have a problem with that or any of the Von Trapp children playing Austrian even though they’re American. Why should it be such a big deal if an African-American woman plays Mother Abbess? I’d love to see minority actors and actresses play parts that don’t explicitly call for minority. A Latina Lady Macbeth, a Laotian Juliet, a Filipino Willy Loman. If they got the acting chops, why not
jwrappaport
I can’t believe I am saying this, but can’t we just enjoy it for what it is? No, it’s clearly not a genre-defining masterpiece like the original, but frankly I was just happy to see Sound of Music on prime time television instead of the usual junk. Also, Audra MdDonald – what a stunning, show-stopping performance. A victory for the classically trained, I may add.
@Vatican Lokey: A thousand times, hear hear. I will never in my life understand people’s obsession with Wicked. “Defying Gravity” is perhaps the most overrated number in the history of Broadway.
Merv
While I’m glad they cast McDonald, just because of her singing talent, she was distracting in the role. Black people were subject to persecution by the Nazis, and it just doesn’t make sense story-wise for her race to be ignored.
krystalkleer
sorta reminiscent of Geraldo open’n Copone’s vault back in the day!
http://getoffmydress.blogspot.com/2013/12/as-eyelash-curls.html
Vatican Lokey
@RomanHans: No, I didn’t notice the commercials because I didn’t watch the commercials. And I didn’t divide things into hetero or homo, either. I’ve been in theatre for over 40 years, its one of the great classical American musicals, and I adore it. If I spent all my time worrying about whether the show was gay or straight I’d never see anything. And I have no problem with Miss Underwood thanking her God. That’s her right as an American to express her opinion.
jckfmsincty
@Merv: The theater (including filmed theater) is restricted to a stage. Inherently, it requires a suspension of reality. Performance talent should be the focus. This tired, old show was only saved by the incredibly gifted Audra McDonald.
inbama
@Vatican Lokey: Huh?
I sure never heard this resentment that Andrews was chosen for the part. She was at that time an established Broadway star with a national following thanks to many TV appearances including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s televised “Cinderella” and “Julie and Carol At Carnegie Hall.” Who in their right mind would have expected fifty year old Mary Martin to star as a mountain-climbing novitiate?
If anything, her casting was viewed as especially deserved after “Fair Lady” went to Hepburn.
In her prime, Andrews would’ve wiped the stage with the modestly talented Underwood.
AxelDC
When you remake a classic, you are inviting comparisons. Unless you do an amazing job, you will always be judged harshly.
You cannot step into the role that defined Julie Andrews’ career and not expect to be compared to her. Carrie Underwood, among her many other deficiencies, doesn’t seem bright enough to have realized that.
Maybe she’ll remember this experience when they ask her to remake Casablanca or the Color Purple.
Kenny1948
@AxelDC: You make the same mistake as everyone else. They were not “remaking” the movie! This was a theatrical performance. They have been doing the play for years all over the world. This is not something “new” trying to replace a damned movie! It is a live performance! and for what it’s worth, I actually thought she was better than her co-star, who did not seem like he was interested in the part at all.
FLOGGERDADNYC
well, c’mon now..Audra? against Carrie? That is like “Gladiator Night at All Saint’s”! Ms. Mcnanald had her lioness going on in that area!