‘Smash” wasn’t, but “The Sound of Music” sure was.
More than 18 million people watched Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical performed live on NBC Thursday night, which exceeded even the producers’ expectations.
The producers — Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, along with NBC’s Bob Greenblatt — were also behind “Smash,” which started with a bang but ended with a fizzle after two seasons, cutting short my burgeoning acting career.
(I played myself on the show, and had it lasted a third season, I do believe I would have won an Emmy.)
But that’s showbiz. One day it’s pretzels and beer, the next day it’s Champagne and caviar.
Zadan, Meron and Greenblatt are enjoying the bubbly this week, though I’ve never seen any of them imbibe anything but sparkling water. Every writer, agent, lawyer or heir who has anything to do with a classic musical is begging them to do theirs next.
“I’m swamped with calls from clients,” says a theater executive who handles some valuable estates.
“People thought Greenblatt was crazy to do this,” says another influential executive. “A lot of directors turned him down. Now everybody wants to do the next one.”
NBC announced earlier this week that there will, in fact, be another live broadcast of a great old show sometime next year.
What are the likely candidates?
From what I hear, “Grease,” “Oliver!” and “Fiddler on the Roof” are on the list.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization is plumping for another one of its titles. “The King and I” appears to be the favorite.
Of the four shows, the least interesting (to me, at least) is “Grease.” NBC came a cropper a few years ago with a loathsome reality show — “You’re the One That I Want” — about casting the Broadway revival of the musical. And if you saw that revival, you know that “Grease,” the movie, is vastly superior to “Grease,” the stage musical.
“Fiddler” is always a treat, though I hear a couple of Broadway producers have the rights and are trying to put together a revival with a major star in a couple of years.
“The King and I” is a lovely show, but my vote goes to “Oliver!”
It hasn’t been done to death (the last major New York revival was in 1984), it’s got plenty of kids (important for the family audience) and the score’s as tuneful as ever.
It’s clear viewers like to see an “American Idol” winner in a Broadway musical, and any one of them could play Nancy. Carrie Underwood’s Maria was a key reason “The Sound of Music” did so well, even though a couple of bitchy types at my viewing party insisted on calling her Carrie Underwooden.
You could round out the “Oliver!” cast with some star character actors — Philip Seymour Hoffman as Bill Sikes? Stephen Colbert as Fagin?
My only hesitation is that there isn’t a part in it for me. Zadan said they came very close to casting me as Rolf in “The Sound of Music.”
I’m sure he was serious. But the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization probably nixed me. They would have had to change the lyrics to “I am 17 going on 47.”