The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Carrie Underwood climbs ‘Sound of Music’ mountain Posted: 03 Dec 2013 05:29 AM PST Despite just a handful of acting roles to date, country singer and "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood (pic) was the first choice to play the coveted lead role of Maria in a new version of "The Sound of Music" for television. Since winning "Idol" in 2005, Underwood, 30, has taken the country music scene by storm with hits like "Before He Cheats," and "Jesus, Take the Wheel," winning six Grammys and more than 100 other music awards. But the singer will take on more than just singing as she plays the von Trapp's musical governess in the live NBC broadcast on Thursday. "She is the right type, the right age. She has the right vocal quality. She is beautiful and she has massive experience doing live performing. Carrie is the perfect person to play that character," co-producer Craig Zadan told Reuters. Underwood spoke with Reuters ahead of the December 5 broadcast about taking on a challenge like Maria. Q: Have you always been a fan of "The Sound of Music?" Is it something you grew up with? A: Yes! I can't even tell you first time I saw it. I feel like it's been around since birth for me. It was part of my growing up ... anytime it would come on TV, my mom and I would cuddle up in the bed and watch it together, so it has a lot of dear memories for me. Q: After all these years, what do you think is the show's biggest appeal? A: It has everything. (Composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein) knew what they were doing. You have the love story, action, suspense - there is a lot more of that in the stage version than in the movie with all the changes that are happening in Austria. You have these unforgettable songs. That's the thing that sticks with you after you have seen it. Q: Despite everything you have done since first winning "American Idol" in 2005, this must rank as one of the biggest challenges you have faced. Why did you decide to take it on? A: It is so different for me. I have never done anything like this. This is the first time anybody has done a live musical on TV in a long time. People don't take on this kind of project any more, so it's new for all of us. I love the fact that it is live. Even with award shows, it's all smoke and mirrors. This is the opposite of that. Q: How have you coped with the dancing, acting and learning of lines? A: Memorizing things has been easy for me. As soon I started, I had everything ready. I have never had this much to memorize. All the things I've had to sing (in the past) rhyme with each other, so if you get the first line you can remember what the verse is about. This is different. I have never had choreography before. I've never had to worry too much about where I am on stage. I never had to worry about cameras, and where they are. The acting challenge has been that - a challenge - but I am surrounded by talented people and that makes it easier. Q: I heard you are working with a dialect coach. Which accent are you being taught? A: It's not about adopting a new dialect. It's about losing mine. I am from Oklahoma. I live in Tennessee. I sing country music. Sometimes words slip out sounding like where I am from. After this is all over, I will have to go back to my hometown and spend some time with my family and get my accent back ... I am trying to sound as un-twangy as I can sound. Q: Have you been daunted by taking on a role that is so much associated with Julie Andrews in the 1965 movie? A: It has been something that has been on my mind. I don't think people would be upset if they went to a Broadway show of "The Sound of Music" (and it was someone other than Julie Andrews). We are providing a different way to see it and fall in love with it. I hope people cut us some slack. I hope people realize that we are not re-creating the movie. This is not a re-make. I hear that word and it makes me cringe. The movie does not need to be re-made. I can't wait to show my kids the movie. I hope people will gain an appreciation for things that are live, for live singing, for musicals. I would have died to be able to see something like this on my TV growing up because we didn't have any great theatre nearby that I could go and see live productions. So all the little me's out there watching on December 5, it will be great for them. - Reuters, December 3, 2013. |
| Bob Dylan investigated in France for “racist” comments Posted: 02 Dec 2013 05:30 PM PST In the interview, published in the magazine's September 27, 2012 edition, the singer said racism was holding America back. "If you got a slave master or (Ku Klux) Klan in your blood, blacks can sense that," he was quoted as saying. "That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood." The formal investigation followed a legal complaint from the organisation Council of Croats in France (CRICCF), which is based in France, alleging that the comments as carried in the French version of the magazine violated French racial hatred laws. In France, racism complaints automatically trigger formal investigations, irrespective of the merits of the case. Dylan was awarded France's prestigious Legion d'Honneur award last month in Paris. Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti said that, for French people, he embodied a "subversive cultural force that can change people and the world". CRICCF did not return an email seeking comment. Dylan's manager did not immediately respond to a phone call. Rolling Stone said it had no comment. - Reuters, December 3, 2013. |
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