jezebel.com: Thanks to all the people who hate watched NBC's live broadcast of Carrie Underwood screaming at American in a dirndl, NBC is going to go ahead and air a live version of Peter Pan. Excited? You should be — Miley Cyrus is rumored to be in talks for the lead (that's a joke, of course, but still — how far off could that be?).
3 comments:
I find it very interesting that NBC is already jumping into doing another live musical on TV. The Sound Of Music had a ton of potential to be amazing, but because of poor casting (cough Carrie Underwood cough) the production was not what I exactly would call a hit. However, the viewing did receive a ton of viewers, so then maybe it could be considered a hit. Either way, Peter Pan is a hard show to pull off in general. This is not because of the flying, but because the Disney movie has become so iconic. Thus making any interpretations of the story seem foreign. It will be interesting to see how NBC moves forward this project.
Wow, I don't think I have read something so sarcastic before. This was fun to be read but I do agree, the took a classic like Sound of Music and butchered it, why try again with a popular Disney movie? It seems as though they are already expecting failure of this endeavor. I mean it does require a lot of technology to be happening live. Doesn't there have to be multiple people flying at once? I'm not going to keep my fingers crossed that this live performance will go off without a hitch.
I had a good laugh reading this article, and while The Sound of Music may not be considered successful among theatre-folk, I have to disagree with the negative attitude toward live broadcasting of musicals and plays. Yes, NBC casted a "star" as the lead role, and maybe she wasn't what everyone wanted her to be as Maria. However, how far off is this idea of "casting a star" from what is going on in nearly every production on Broadway? Not far at all. Most people I talked to absolutely loved getting to watch a live performance of a musical while sitting in their living rooms on a Thursday night. Of course, as people heavily involved in theatre, we are going to really critique the performance, but most people do not have the same perspectives we have. In reality, The Sound of Music Live attracted an insane amount of viewers, and all of those viewers were exposed to theatre through their living rooms. For people who either physically or financially cannot take themselves or their children to the theatre, this NBC broadcast is a brilliant alternative. Also, by broadcasting live theatre to millions of Americans, NBC is actually promoting our industry, no matter how much Underwood couldn't act or sing or dance. The point is, NBC is acknowledging the difficult task of mounting a theatrical production, and they are embracing it for the whole world to see. Maybe we should embrace it, too.
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