Country superstar Carrie Underwood is already getting criticism as she prepares for a live, three-hour television version of the iconic 1965 film “The Sound of Music.”
Underwood will reprise the beloved role of Maria, which was made famous by legendary screen and stage star Julie Andrews. The telecast will take place Dec. 5.
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"I know I'm not Julie,"
Underwood, 30, told Entertainment Weekly, according to E! Online. "Nobody is and I would never pretend that I was. ... I know my place."
Underwood said she has gotten some negative reaction on social media.
"I get hate tweets and stuff like, 'You're not Julie Andrews.”
But Andrews is a fan of Underwood and has no harsh words about the role.
"Fifty years later,
it's time somebody had another crack at it,” Andrews told Zap2it. “I had the best time of my life doing it, and it did wonderful things for me. I think it's great that it's being done again, but doing it live must be so daunting for Carrie."
Noting that the new TV version will be based on the stage musical and not the movie, Andrews said she was not sure how viewers would react. But she hopes they support Underwood.
"It's a lovely piece, and I do hope it works for Carrie, because she's lovely and I'm a fan. I wish her well."
Reaction to an
Entertainment Weekly article about Underwood’s upcoming performance generated a varied response.
“Carrie isn't trying to out-do Julie,” wrote one poster. “Each time a Broadway show is re-staged the performers make the character their own, which is a good thing.
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