"The Sound Of Music" Is Discordant

The new UK revival of "The Sound Of Music" has been a fount of controversy from the beginning. The new Maria was selected via a reality TV show led by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is overseeing the revival. Trevor Nunn backed out of the project when he realized the lead would be chosen this way. Then people accused the show of being rigged -- Lloyd Webber succesfully sued the media outlets that made that accusation. The show has sold $12 million in advance ticket sales (a strong beginning), but more controversy arose when it was revealed that the new star would be doing only six shows a week and not the matinees. (That's hardly unusual practice though rarely made clear early on -- certainly many people who bought tickets presumably want to see the gal they voted for on the telly.) When the girl pluckily said she wanted to perform every show, her backup left. Then Lloyd Webber insisted he was just trying to protect her and that he didn't want to see her oversing and suffer the same fate as Julie Andrews. Of course, Andrews did sing beautifully her entire career until a botched surgery a few years ago, so I don't know what he's talking about. And now Captain Von Trapp has been fired/chosen to leave. His friends say it was mutual; Lloyd Webber's friends say Webber does what has to be done. By the way, I'll happily defend the movie as terrific from any naysayers.