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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 10:07:24 GMT -5
Pretty OT, slightly mean-spirited rant. Scroll is your friend. But, seeing as we were discussing The Sound of Music and Carrie Underwood (tangentially related to Adam due to Idol, perhaps), I became interested in what the response was from critics, the media and the viewing public. Consensus is, Carrie can't act. Carrie can sing. It was live... what do you expect? Carrie is not Julie Andrews, but who is? Bravo to Carrie for making the attempt. That took guts. I can see the similarity to comments that Adam is not Freddie. Except that Adam COULD sing the hell outa the Queen songs. He could own the stage. He was DIFFERENT from Freddie. Audience members might prefer Freddie's style or mythology to Adam's. But Adam gave an incredible set of performances. On the other hand, Carrie was not exactly credible as a lead actress in an iconic, much loved musical, whether one was comparing her to Ms. Andrews, or to Mary Martin, or to the other two female leads in the production tonight. Her singing, while not cringe-worthy, was not up to the par one hears in professional musical theater. What ticked me off was the "pretty good for a live performance where anything could have gone wrong." Artists on Broadway and on stages across the country perform musicals LIVE eight shows a week. I have never seen a NY critic say, "The acting was poor, some of the singing was disappointing, but, hey, it was live, so you can't expect great acting and singing." Even worse to me were the "Bravo for the attempt" comments. WHAT? It reminded me of the infamous Danny Gokey "Dream On" debacle. Instead of telling Danny that his scream made tooth fillings ache and fall out around the country, the judges praised him for going for it. Why the condescending pat on the head? Why the "free pass" for an inadequate performance? Why do some performers get raked over the coals and lambasted while others get excused and presented with a ribbon for showing up? If we were talking about community theater, well, okay. I get it. These are your friends and neighbors doing their best to entertain and have a fun time. If we were talking about kids in a school play or recital, the fact that they just made it thru a scene or a song deserves an ice cream sundae after the show. If it's the Special Olympics we cheer and cry for the athletes for their extraordinary effort. This is prime-time, national broadcast television. "Good try" doesn't cut it. Carrie, do what you do best: sing country music. If you want to challenge yourself to do something new, something outside of the box, do it privately, or be prepared to have it critiqued honestly and even harshly. Critics, do your job, not based on whether you personally like the performer, whether you think they are sweet or nice or weird or wear too much make-up. Base your comments on the performance and the standards for shows of that caliber. Okay, I am thru with my rant. Maybe I should go back to discussing Adam singing Christmas carols? Did you watch the telecast Cassie? I only ask because I did and I thought it was quite lovely. Carrie did more than "just show up". Is she the best actress, of course since she's not an actress. However, she was genuine and sincere in her performance and truly gave an air of quiet innocence to the role of Maria. As for her voice, it was sublime. Carrie has a magnificent gift and it was on full display during the telecast last night. It's interesting to see you say Carrie should stick to what she does best considering people have said the same thing about Adam when it comes to his role on Glee and/or fronting Queen as well as other outside projects. I'd hate for Adam (or any artist) to give up an opportunity for personal or professional fullfillment/growth simply because it might not be what they are best at. As human beings and as artists people need to be free to explore themselves fully without people trying to force them back into their boxes. Crii |
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Holst
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Post by Holst on Dec 6, 2013 10:17:09 GMT -5
I'm going to watch "The Sound of Music" later. It is posted on NBC's web site along with some individual performances. It is curious to me that Carrie would be hired for that project as an "inexperienced" actor--as far as I can tell. The bio I read said she had a couple little roles on tv. So to base a 3-hour live performance on her abilities is--interesting. It would be different than hiring Adam at this point for a major role in a movie or stage because he has years of stage experience. I'm still looking at his acting skills in Glee in hopes that it will pan out into something even better at some point.
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Post by cassie on Dec 6, 2013 10:22:32 GMT -5
Here we go with the Freddie vs. Adam, who is "better" issue. Sigh. In order to have a valid discussion, we must all agree on what makes a "good", "better" "best" singer, performer, showman. I don't see that happening as long as hell has no snowballs. If you ask a formally trained singer, you may find some general consensus. In terms of what a trained singer strives for, Adam achieves it more completely than Freddie did. If you talk in terms of their ability to sing the repertoire without causing damage to their voices, again Adam prevails. Even if you talk about the skills to perform a wide variety of styles and genres, Adam may have the edge. However, what the majority of the listening public (who do not have training as singers or musicians) prefer or gravitate towards is much more subjective and personal. You like who you like. I am fine with leaving it at that. As to the argument that it is unfair to compare Adam and Freddie because Adam has years of training and Freddie did not, how does fairness factor in? Can I say that I am not as good a violinist as Holst because I don't have as fine a violin as she, and I didn't have the benefit of as many years of training as she? Because I chose a different career path? Bottom line: she is an infinitely better violinist than me. A football player may be more successful in the pros if he attended the University of Alabama than if he attended his local community college. His pass completion, play calling, and scrambling may be superior due to the coaching he received from a top rated college team. It may not be fair that one of these players couldn't afford UA, or didn't get a football scholarship, but I think it is still "fair" to say the UA grad is a "better" quarterback. In any endeavor where people perform a task there will be those who are naturally gifted in a way that predisposes them to excel. But, nature takes one only so far. Research into "talent" has found that it has a great deal to do with excellent training and sustained, focused practice. This holds true for musicians, athletes, mathmeticians, you name it. If interested, check out the book, The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. www.amazon.com/Talent-Code-Greatness-born-grown-ebook/dp/B0026OR1UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386342695&sr=8-1&keywords=the+talent+codeFreddie vs Adam. Isn't it great that we have the privilege to hear and see both in concert thanks to technology. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 10:25:29 GMT -5
I don't know what got my emotions going more, Aleks' pouring her wounded heart out or ladymazerati's desperation to help her. One of the many things Aleks questioned is whether friends she's made on-line and on twitter are truly friends. Admittedly, we know very little about Aleks' real life, yet don't you feel we truly know her?! We certainly don't know details, like what she looks like, who her family is, the troubles she is experiencing, BUT, from how she writes about Adam, we know her heart. It's a strange world we've created but I wonder if these distant relationships aren't just prohibitive, but wittled down to the basics, what's important. What I do know is that she has people from many different continents worried about her and I think that says a lot-about her, and about us. The challenge with these new kind of relationships is that the distance, literally and figuratively, makes it hard to adequately help. I am just going to let her know, through internet and twitter, how valued she is.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 10:29:00 GMT -5
Let me say -- I *do* think it was brave of Carrie to take on The Sound of Music. Should Carrie always have to be a country-pop singer? Perhaps she wants longevity. Perhaps she wants to stretch and build credibility as a singer and actress. She took on one of the most iconic roles in music on live television. Did she nail it? Most are saying no. But to me she was in the arena and that really does count for something. "IMO."  There was a review of the production in the Daily Beast this morning that I thought was really good once you get past a sensationalistic headline: The Harsh Sound of Music. The author fairly critiques Carrie, but what he goes on to discuss about the musical and the production are also very interesting. A couple of excerpts: So, yes, the cast did work exceptionally hard, none more than Underwood, to give her the credit she truly deserves, to sell the material. The material, however, is The Sound of Music. And it's not even The Sound of the Music movie, it's the stage show. And The Sound of Music stage show is a bit whack.
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Worse for fans of the movie who may not have even realized that it was also a stage production, there are loads of differences between the stage show and the film, especially in what are now iconic scenes.
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Though it was performed live, it was shot as if it was a movie, on what must be the biggest soundstage of all time—the set was massive. So you never saw a proscenium, stage curtains, or an audience. Laugh lines didn't receive laughter. Vamping for applause after a song never actually had applause to vamp to. |
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Post by coo.coo.ca.choo on Dec 6, 2013 10:29:58 GMT -5
Just a little concerned re Alex's twitter. Just curious, how does one get rid of a "troll". I'm a little concerned that Alex has given this "troll" so much power over her emotional state. Maybe it just came at a time where she is dealing with other stuff as well. Wish there was a way to send her a message of encouragement.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 10:33:09 GMT -5
Freddie is a legend whose voice inspired/inspires Adam and countless others who make music their lives.
I think Adam would be put off to see his fans claim he's better than Freddie.
There is and will always be only one Freddie Mercury.
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augenpoesie
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Post by augenpoesie on Dec 6, 2013 10:34:57 GMT -5
I don't know what got my emotions going more, Aleks' pouring her wounded heart out or ladymazerati's desperation to help her. One of the many things Aleks questioned is whether friends she's made on-line and on twitter are truly friends. Admittedly, we know very little about Aleks' real life, yet don't you feel we truly know her?! We certainly don't know details, like what she looks like, who her family is, the troubles she is experiencing, BUT, from how she writes about Adam, we know her heart. It's a strange world we've created but I wonder if these distant relationships aren't just prohibitive, but wittled down to the basics, what's important. What I do know is that she has people from many different continents worried about her and I think that says a lot-about her, and about us. The challenge with these new kind of relationships is that the distance, literally and figuratively, makes it hard to adequately help. I am just going to let her know, through internet and twitter, how valued she is. I absolutely agree with your wonderful post kay. I will let Aleks know that I think of her and that I would love to help her - maybe there is a chance, for we aren't that far apart. She shows her love for Adam so often and she is so kind to share her exceptional and wonderful thoughts and writings with us, I really feel like knowing her. I'm sending out lots of love and hugs to Aleks! ![]() |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2013 10:36:29 GMT -5
I don't know what got my emotions going more, Aleks' pouring her wounded heart out or ladymazerati's desperation to help her. One of the many things Aleks questioned is whether friends she's made on-line and on twitter are truly friends. Admittedly, we know very little about Aleks' real life, yet don't you feel we truly know her?! We certainly don't know details, like what she looks like, who her family is, the troubles she is experiencing, BUT, from how she writes about Adam, we know her heart. It's a strange world we've created but I wonder if these distant relationships aren't just prohibitive, but wittled down to the basics, what's important. What I do know is that she has people from many different continents worried about her and I think that says a lot-about her, and about us. The challenge with these new kind of relationships is that the distance, literally and figuratively, makes it hard to adequately help. I am just going to let her know, through internet and twitter, how valued she is. Oh I love this post. Internet relationships are tricky cause you only know the details and personality traits of people that they choose to reveal. Having said that if those are enough to make you enjoy interacting with each other then I think that alone is enough to class you as "friends". I dunno if this a thing she regularly thinks about or if it's just self-doubt brought on by that "hater" and her circumstances. I send her a tweet though and hope she's ok  |
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Post by cassie on Dec 6, 2013 10:38:17 GMT -5
Did you watch the telecast Cassie? I only ask because I did and I thought it was quite lovely. Carrie did more than "just show up". Is she the best actress, of course since she's not an actress. However, she was genuine and sincere in her performance and truly gave an air of quiet innocence to the role of Maria. As for her voice, it was sublime. Carrie has a magnificent gift and it was on full display during the telecast last night. It's interesting to see you say Carrie should stick to what she does best considering people have said the same thing about Adam when it comes to his role on Glee and/or fronting Queen as well as other outside projects. I'd hate for Adam (or any artist) to give up an opportunity for personal or professional fullfillment/growth simply because it might not be what they are best at. As human beings and as artists people need to be free to explore themselves fully without people trying to force them back into their boxes. Crii Yes, I watched the last 2 hours of the program. I am glad that you enjoyed it, and enjoyed Carrie's performance. Great. There are many others who watched and agree with you. Perhaps many more than agree with me. I did not enjoy the performance. You wrote that you do not expect her to be the "best actress since she's not an actress." I have different expectations. If someone takes on a role in a prime-time, nationally televised, huge, multi-million dollar production, I expect that person to be a frickin' awesome actress. To your ear, her voice was "sublime." To my ear, her technique, approach and tone were all wrong for a classic musical like The Sound of Music. The sound of her voice works wonderfully for country. For a live musical, it was out of place. IMO. Based on my experience performing in and watching musical theater since I was five years old. I agree with you that I should not have said Carrie should stick to what she does best. Everyone has the right to try anything they want provided they don't hurt other people doing it. If someone wants to try taking on the lead in a highly visible, highly touted, highly expensive production, and others are willing to support and promote it, I say "go for it." That's what my remote control is for. I kept thinking "I should turn this off. I am not enjoying this." But, I kept watching. My fault. I accept the responsibility. |
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