The Sound of Music Live (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Forget the US version, THIS is SOM: Live!

[potterpanfan · 8/10 · 11 November 2019]

I've loved "The Sound of Music" since I saw the movie when I was nine. Since then, I've seen several stage productions (both good and bad) along with seeing the movie countless times. With NBC's Live version in 2013, I was excited to see the story brought to life again but was left ultimately disappointed and wanting to forget it.

Then, I discovered that ITV had produced their own version and after seeing some clips online, I wanted to see more. In short, this is a wonderful production. The sets are so detailed (especially Maria's mountain and the family's garden) and unlike the NBC version, I never felt like I was watching actors in a studio. Kara Tointon is wonderful as Maria and was just a joy to watch. All of the kids were great too.

Granted, it's not an entirely perfect production (they only had one time to perform this after all), I didn't really care for the "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" scene, the dancing was boring and I thought Rolf was just an okay singer. There are some awkward camera angles and a moment where the camera stays on a Nazi officer who demands that the family sing before abruptly cutting to the festival. But these are all just minor things and didn't take away from my enjoyment of a new production of a familiar story. I loved it so much that I bought the DVD!

Excellent Live Recording of a Classic Musical

[l_rawjalaurence · 8/10 · 18 January 2016]

THE SOUND OF MUSIC - LIVE! is a comparative rarity on television these days - a revival recorded in an East London studio but broadcast as live, as if performed in a theater. It recalled those halcyon days in the Seventies and Eighties when both ITV and the BBC videotaped productions originally designed for the West End, Stratford-on-Avon and the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Coky Giedroyc and Richard Valentine's production was a straightforward one, emphasizing the choreography but using the camera to tell the story, as if it were an actor on the stage. Hence this was not a "flat" filming, with the camera confined by the proscenium, but a three-dimensional filming, making use of plenty of close-ups and panning shots. It used televisual techniques to emphasize the emotion of the piece on several occasions.

Although well-known to most viewers, both in its stage and film versions, THE SOUND OF MUSIC still has the capacity to stir the emotions. This is chiefly due to a strong book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, which does not shy away from the sinister political overtones of the story. The songs might be saccharine in places, but the plot certainly isn't.

Giedroyc and Valentine's production brought out the gradual change of character wrought in Captain Georg von Trapp (Julian Ovenden), as he discovered the effect that Maria had on his children. His pliability contrasted with Maria (Kara Tointon), a strong-willed personality who knew that what she was doing was right, even if Von Trapp disagreed with it. Set against this couple was the oleaginous Max (Alexander Armstrong) a slimy character if ever there was one, who willingly accepted the dictates of Nazism without understanding their basically evil purposes.

The singing was, on the whole, extremely good, while the orchestrations (by Michael England) were both lush yet melodic. Critics described THE SOUND OF MUSIC - LIVE! as an example of "event" television, designed to lure jaded viewers away from online service providers and back to terrestrial channels. If this was the purpose, then I can only say that it was admirably fulfilled. I sincerely hope that ITV repeats the experiment.

So much better than the American TV version!

[scooterberwyn · 8/10 · 16 August 2020]

To compare the ITV British SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! production to the beloved (but still flawed) 1965 film is utter nonsense. It's like comparing apples and oranges, because they are two different media. Resources were available for the film that the stage production couldn't hope to utilize. More to the point, how does it compare to the NBC-TV 2013 Live production that starred Carrie Underwood?

The answer is that it's miles better! The production is excellent, and while I disagree with a few things (such as replacing "An Ordinary Couple" with "Something Good" and abridging a couple of the songs; hence the two stars off a ten-star rating), watching it was generally time very well spent. The cast was youthful and appealing, and - more to the point - everyone could actually act! The sugary sweetness of the show was, by-and-large, swept away.

The music was well-paced, and although I missed the original orchestrations, the ones used did no harm and didn't sound out of place. I have to admit that I hated the American version when it aired. Most fatally, Carrie Underwood, simply couldn't act, and the scenes dragged. No such problem here. I missed this when it was first broadcast by PBS in 2018, so I'm very happy that I happened to catch it last night.

An enthusiastic thumbs-up!.

Absolutely Fabulous

[david_kravitz · 10/10 · 27 December 2015]

This production went out live on a giant stage in London. It was not simply great, it was magnificent. Incredible production values and a wonderful cast. It follows the original stage show (almost) which means that the two deleted numbers from the film version are restored but "something good" written for the film is added. The original sequence of songs and orchestrations are there as well.

I will not single out any of the cast as this would be unfair, they all perform to perfection and never once do you yearn for Julie Andrews or Christopher Plummer. There are no silly English accents with a German/Austrian twang.

The kids are good too, again I single out no one.

I think that an audience might have helped but this would not be possible, technically given the size of the sets. And if you want to see how it was done, there is a documentary "The making of ....".

I presume that this will be available on DVD if you didn't record it live. Go out and buy it - and play it over and over again. Well done ITV.

A million times better than the American version!

[n-freemanhr · 10/10 · 30 May 2016]

'The Sound of Music' is my all time favourite film and I have watched it countless times. In addition, I have seen several theatre productions and this was up there with the best. Those who compare this to the film and contrast actors' choices in portraying their parts are missing the point - this is not intended to be a remake of the film. Of course different actors will bring their own personality to the role - it would be merely a pointless rip-off if they tried to imitate every nuance of the film. Julian Ovenden seems to have been particularly subject to criticism but I think he captures the emptiness that the Captain's life has had since losing his wife, and also his cold and distant nature which warms gradually with Maria's influence. The staging of the Laendler dance between Maria and the Captain was stunning as the background characters slowed down for certain sections. Also, the 2 songs of the stage version sung by Elsa and Max were brilliant comic relief. Overall, I thought this was brilliant all round. I'm so glad that it was different from the film otherwise it would be just a replica which could never live up to the original. Don't try to see it as being a would-be replacement for the film, rather as being an independent version in a different medium that we can treasure alongside the film and other productions. For critics, I suggest you definitely avoid the American version of 'The Sound of Music Live' as that truly had acting that was unconvincing and wooden.

not so fabulous

[mberliner1 · 7/10 · 3 March 2016]

In his "absolutely fabulous" ten-star review, David Kravitz said that "never once" did he yearn for Julie Andrews or Christopher Plummer. I didn't yearn for them once either; I yearned for them (especially Andrews) from beginning to end. Not that this was a bad production— far from it—but it paled before the 1965 film. By coincidence, I had watched the DVD of the film just a few days before seeing the new BBC production, so I had a dramatic contrast of the two productions. Much of the superiority of the film was due to it being a film and being 30 minutes longer. One can't justifiably downgrade the stage play for lacking the magnificent Austrian scenery or the expensive 20th Century Fox sets (e.g., the beautiful ball room), or the wonderful photography, from the jaw-dropping opening sequence to the romantic "Something Good" number and the Vermeer-like quality in "Climb Every Mountain." And in fact this stage production was better than the one I saw years ago in L.A. starring Florence Henderson. But although one can't blame the BBC production for lacking what only a film can provide, those and other factors make the film a much better audience experience than the stage show—better writing, improved sequence of songs, more dramatic scenes and sufficient length to bring the audience into greater identification with the characters, e.g., the romance between Maria and the Captain made more sense in the film than in the stage play, where it sort of came out of the blue, and the "I Have Confidence" number (new for the film) provided much deeper appreciation of Maria's character. Likewise, with the omissions in the film, e.g., the relatively mediocre songs that were cut, the better timing for the first singing of "My Favorite Things" rather than the ludicrous song-and-dance duet with Maria and the Mother Abbess. What made the film so superior was the acting, and this despite the excessive cutesiness of Plummer and the film children. Julie Andrews brought real depth to Maria, whereas Kara Tointon's Maria was relatively workman-like and lacking much emotion (and lacking anything but a run-of-the-mill voice). Julian Ovenden certainly has a better voice than Plummer but lacked the stature of Plummer and came across as rather boring. Likewise, Eleanor Parker and Richard Hayden, because of both a better script and their own acting, made those characters much more than the perfunctory throw-ins in the BBC production. If the BBC production had been my introduction to "The Sound of Music," I'm sure I would have become a fan of the show. But the film was (and still is) transporting.

Best Adapted "Live" TV Version (Better than NBC)

[mike48128 · 10/10 · 10 November 2018]

The book and score are closer to the original R&H version. "I Have Confidence" is missing but the movie song "Something Good" is added. Two minor original songs added and I can see why they were edited out of the movie. They point out how "shallow" the rich Capt. and Countess really were. Very well produced and directed UK "stage" version which was telecast there live in 2015. I do not (personally) like the 2 jarring real newsreel clips, but they are quite short and certainly get the point across that the real thing was no "romp in the park." British accents of course but that can't be helped. Great acting and singing performances from a cast that is (probably) unknown here in "The States". A few slightly off-key notes are expected in a truly live performance but this doesn't spoil a thing. Maria is "cast" a bit older than I expected. It's all 100% first-rate. 10 stars and 2 hankies. Shown on PBS' Great Performances series in November 2018. To those user reviewers that complain at the differences between between this and the popular movie, I suspect that they have not seen (many) live or taped performances of plays or musicals on stage. There is a huge difference between the two as a stage version can have only a few major set changes, and backdrops are usually painted but today may be digital.

Real facts: In truth, they traveled to the border at the end of their property and escaped by train to Italy. Therefore, they did not hike over the Swiss Alps. All the real children's names are different. "Edelweiss" is not an Austrian folk song! The real story only vaguely resembles this story and there are far too many differences to explain here. The "timeline" is totally different. There are several Internet articles that cover this subject. Also, look for "My Story" by Maria Von Trapp, published in 1949, for the true story.

a revival of the stage musical-don't compare it with the movie

[wishbone19 · 7/10 · 14 May 2016]

As a revival of the stage musical, it is not so bad. I like this Maria, young and spirited. Yes, a little tense, as mentioned in the other review, but still in a cute way.

Julian Overden as the captain is a surprise for me. He sings so much better than the captain in the movie. But of course his acting is no match to Christopher Plummer who is a more convincing decorated sea captain of authority. Julian still looks like Charles Blake in Downton Abbey.

What amuses me so much than the rest is one song not included in the movie, How does love survive. The tune is catchy, the lyrics is hilarious, but not in accordance with the rest of songs. No wonder they took it out in the movie.

Good production without being over-egged

[ashley-lg-williams · 8/10 · 21 January 2018]

I enjoyed the solid British style of this production and although I can see why Christopher Plummer's military bearing might not be matched in this version, it isn't a fair comparison to me. I found the sets and the singing, albeit not so polished as on film, far more immediately engaging and the 'live' feel came across really well. A great treat, found by chance on the itv hub from its broadcast in the final days of last year (2017) - a Sunday night jewel.

A worthy try.

[rebekahrox · 7/10 · 13 November 2018]

This was a good try, and I enjoyed it. However, in the long run, it only served to illustrate how brilliant the movie was. My main gripe with this production was how it cut out all of my favorite scenes. Sitting on the Pinecone? Children in the trees? Edelweiss with the Captain and the Children? The Puppet show? The confrontation between the Baroness and Maria? I understand that some things had to be cut due to time, but still it's a shame. Of course they could not do the Do Re Mi travelogue. I don't fault them for that. I appreciate how they included the witty and catchy "How Can Love Survive", but was sad to lose "I Have Confidence." The mother Superior's rendition of "Climb every Mountain" was weak. Peggy Wood's was so incredibly moving. Yes, I know it was dubbed by someone else. I kept listening and looking for the lines, the expressions, the little touches that I remember with such fondness. All gone. I thought the casting was fine. Both leads had great voices, and the acting was good, although it was missing a lot of the humor that made the movie so charming. Two changes I did like, was that Rolf did not blow his whistle and let the Von Trapps escape when he saw Liesl. Another change was that Max was arrested at the end. The supreme irony considering his go along to get along attitude throughout.

Not a bad stage production

[kelseylaura-47162 · 7/10 · 3 September 2023]

I don't think it is right to compare this to the movie so I will review it as the stage show that it was originally intended to be. This was not an attempt to recreate the movie but the stage version.

I thought the casting was fine and the singing for the most part was good but not fantastic. The actor who played Captain Georg Von Trapp was very good. I thought that the children were well cast and looked close to the ages of the characters. One of my main objections was the costuming. The real Von Trapp children wore sailor suits not the ugly blue and gray outfits the children wore in this show. High button shoes were not in style during this time. Certainly the captain could afford new shoes for his children especially for the ball and his wedding. Otherwise it was a fine production, but really no better than a high school or college musical.

Nice try, but why watch this when you can watch the film

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 27 April 2016]

While I appreciate the creative decision behind the BBC's idea to show a live musical for Christmas 2015, my main problem is with the musical of choice. THE SOUND OF MUSIC film, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, is one of the heavyweights of the genre, a much-loved classic. How could this production, no matter how slick, ever hope to reach the same heights?

The answer is that it doesn't, of course. This TV version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is acceptable, but hardly of the same quality as the movie. The set-bound locales, for instance, just don't offer the same kind of spectacle as the Alps. The acting is also of a different, much lower calibre. I like Kara Tointon and her fresh-faced beauty; I have done ever since EASTENDERS. But her singing voice is acceptable rather than beautiful, and her acting leaves much to be desired. She's the kind of actress better in support than in a demanding leading role like the one here.

Still, there are high points, not least a nice supporting role for Alexander Armstrong, a guy who most definitely CAN sing. David Bamber (TV's ROME) is always a pleasure too, as is Katherine Kelly. But the inclusion of the awful Mel Giedroyc smacks of nepotism (her sister directed the thing), and Julian Ovenden has no charisma whatsoever. The live angle means that there are a few bloopers here, which I found made the thing more interesting, but even so, this version is a one-off curiosity piece rather than something to come back to.

Surprised as to how much I enjoyed it

[Janet1612 · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

I'm a huge fan of the film and know all the songs, and was really surprised as to how much I enjoyed this version.

To be honest I hadn't realised this was not the film - watched it a friend's house and wasn't taking too much notice (as I'd seen the film many, many times). I was still waiting for the camera from above to zoom into Julie Andrews twirling on the mountain. Of course then the penny dropped.

Of course it's different from the film - but this is beautifully acted and sang. I much prefer the children in this version to the awful American accents in the film. The setting/staging is dramatic, the costumes normal - no silly Hollywood glossing over here.

The songs were great and I loved the captain, so much more depth than the actor in the film version (as much as I admire Mr Plummer).

The only gripes I have are - the update to date language. When will the captain be back - 'who knows' says the housekeeper.

Not really a fan of the woman playing Maria - of course it must have been hard for her as her performance would always be compared to Ms Andrews, but her flat (Essex/cockney?) accent didn't make me warm to her as it did with the Maria in the film.

Someone else states in their review that the BBC version is more superior. That's their opinion, in my opinion the BBC version is very poor with some clunky acting and awful singing. This is great, it's not the film, it's a just an excellent performance of a great story.

Surprisingly Watchable

[zimny-lexie9 · 8/10 · 17 July 2020]

Like many other reviewers, I had seen the American live telecast that had come out around the same time first, and thought this one to be far better in many ways.

I wasn't sure what to expect but as a recent fan of Julian Ovenden and a lifelong fan of the Sound of Music, I wanted to give this a try regardless of my wariness about the format. It was indeed a pleasant surprise; the performances both in acting and what I assumed was live singing, were excellent across the board and there were also quite a few moments that really captured the magic of the original movie and stage show. My favorite moment has always been when the Captain joins in singing the Sound of Music with the children and they executed that scene here brilliantly. Even the cinematography is something to take note of in this production, for despite very limited sets, they managed to make the most of them and bring out some rather visually engaging shots.

Admittedly, if you're averse to remakes or have too fond of memories about the original, this will not be the TV movie for you. I think that besides the obvious and more warranted comparison to its contemporary, the American live movie from circa 2015, a fan should give this one a fair shot as its own production and allow the performances to speak for themselves.

To be fair as well, the pacing is probably the weakest point with some scenes and scene changes feeling awkward by at times either stalling or moving almost too quickly making the experience jarring. All in all, it probably makes for a great soundtrack if it exists and bonus: Leisl actually looks 16.

Loved it

[robarlmar · 10/10 · 9 May 2021]

The Sound of Music is one best stories/musicals of all time. Actually, timeless is a word that comes to mind. I've seen the 1965 movie version (on DVD only) and I just so enjoy the story, singing and songwriting, choreography, scenery, direction and chemistry particularly between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer (RIP).

I became aware of this production quite by accident. I set my DVD (yep, I'm showing my age -67) months ago to record PBS's Great Performances and last night I saw this was recorded. So being a SOM fan, I immediately began watching and I was incredibly impressed in every single way - maybe in this one sense even more than the film because this was in fact a live performance - one and done; no retakes.

I was immediately wowed by Kara Tointon's stunningly beautiful voice and looks; simply a joy to watch as Maria. Julian Ovenden performed well as the Captain. Their shared dance was outstanding and you can sense that chemistry developing. All -every single member of the cast, performed wonderfully, kids, Max, the Baroness and good ol' Mother Abess......

I think this can and does stand up on its own. Comparing two different media - film vs live performance can be tough, maybe even unfair as they are well, different media. I enjoyed them both equally as well.

Doing a remake of such a heartwarming, award winning classic is a daunting task. I am in no way a person with the critical ability to discern if a note was missed or a dance step out of synch - at least I was not aware of any in the adaptation. But I know when a concert/play/movie/song moves me, whether by a deep smile or a tear in the eyes and this production sure did.

Surprisingly excellent!

[cineamo · 10/10 · 8 May 2022]

This version is so good - much MUCH better than most all the other stage versions I've had the opportunity to see. It captures the feeling of the movie version but also keeps most of the elements of the 1959 original Broadway version (with the exception of replacing "Something Good" for "An Ordinary Couple").

The sets also contribute to the brighter feel of this version. The sense of expansion evolves this musical by removing the stereotypical restrictions of the stage, while maintaining the musical play's structure.

Is this version perfect? No, but the cast and singing are. Kara Tointon, Julian Ovenden, the Von Trapp children, Maria Friedman, Katherine Kelly and Alexander Armstrong all do a wonderful job.

Did anyone else notice that Mel from "The Great British Baking Show" plays the housekeeper and the guy in full Nazi regalia is Mr. Collins from the "Pride and Prejudice" miniseries?

WELL DONE and BRAVO!

Simply a joke

[magdalena-biela · 1/10 · 28 December 2015]

I tried (fighting my tears) to watch this "vaudeville" until the end, only to be able to write this comment. An awful attempt to prove that "we can do better"...In my humble opinion I say: when one achieved perfection, why try again? Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer are Maria and Captain von Trapp forever in our hearts and cinema. Anything else becomes a sad pale parody. In this third millennium we cannot do better than the 1965 "Sound of Music" and we should not even try. I am curious: would some foul try a remake of "Gone with the wind" or "My fair lady"? Instead of trying to prove better than "the classics", why don't you try something new, people? Why Kara Tointon accepted to humiliate herself being compared against Julie Andrews? Kara's Maria is angry, nervous, frowning, artificial, as if she forgot the words she must sing...The Captain of 2015 version is a caricature, a joke. I am sorry but truth must be told: let the classics BE and go forward, explore your own paths! Otherwise you are just phonies...

Despicable!

[sobesinger · 1/10 · 16 September 2019]

Why in the hell was this ever made? The sets are shotty, Maria is disgusting- Why spend the money on a production that is so subpar to anything else we can see in the movie or a stage production?

The Sound of Music Live

[studioAT · 5/10 · 9 January 2022]

I'm not someone who beleive that the Julia Andrews version should be the 'definitive' one. It's good that people are exploring the musical and trying to do something different with it.

There was a lot that was good about this. I thought Kara Tointon was good as Maria and there were some lovely moments. It did feel like it was a filmed stage production, without this being intrusive.

Some of the choreography wasn't great, and I didn't really care for Alexander Armstrong as Max, but on the whole this was a good effort.

The 'live' element of course doesn't mean a thing when you watch it on DVD years later though.

I don't think ITV ever repeated the trick and did another of this style, so perhaps they felt it was a failed experiment.

To be fair...

[StoryLover10 · 5/10 · 2 August 2020]

Everyone knows the definitive version, so it is only fitting to be try to be as objective as possible. Comparing is inevitable, but I'll try to be fair.

I appreciated most of the production's truncation decisions. "Favorite Things" in the Abbey worked well for me as did "Lonely Goatherd" in the rain scene. Pleasantly, some of the supporting cast can sing, particularly Alexander Armstrong,Jon Tarcy, Katherine Kelly. That was a pleasant surprise. Many demonstrated their seasoned acting chops as well, alongside David Bamber and others that carried the production.

One of the iconic turning points in the story is Laendler dance, when the Captain steps in and takes Maria's arm from Kurt. In the story's plot, this is part 2 (following "Edelweiss") when the Captain's attention turns toward Maria. However, in this production, the scene fell short, in pace and efficacy. As such, it was difficult not to compare to the movie. The direction of this production would have benefited were it staged closer to the film. Ovenden's Captain steps in to the dance too soon, and the love story is not believable. Additionally, the scene does not spotlight the couple dancing (the background ensemble distracts) and that they are supposed to be falling in love; the romance has no chemistry. "Something Good" helps repair the romance and allowed me to forget this earlier failure.

Julian Ovenden has a decent singing voice and potential as a stage actor. However, I believe this project did him little justice. I liked some of the understated acting choices of Kara Tointon's Maria. Her singing voice was decent, but didn't blow me away. I didn't expect the double high C in the solfeggio song. but some of the money notes just weren't there in most of the numbers.

Some of the other musical numbers were a delight. Again, I was familiar with some of Katherine Kelly's series work, but truly enjoyed her numbers with Alexander Armstrong. Cutting the family's version (earlier in the film production) of "Edelweiss" for "No Way to Stop It" was a fine decision, IMHO. These three singing talents deserved to have their time to shine. Young Peter Vollebreght certainly had an impressive moment as well.

Inserting the newsreel clips worked for me, younger audiences should benefit from the less glossed-over versions of fascism in the 1960's Hollywood film.

Worse than the Carrie Underwood version.

[CriticsVoiceVideo · 1/10 · 17 March 2021]

And that's bad. No singing ability from the female lead and some really bad casting choices. Let's leave it at that.