Unless you have been living under a rock with terrible wi-fi connection, you have heard about the new remake for “The Sound of Music” premiering on NBC tonight. This news, which if it were any other lesser known musical would have been relegated to musical theater geeks and Broadway buffs, has sparked a major conversation about remakes and the classic movies they inspire.
With “Sound of Music,” which premiered on Broadway in 1959 with Mary Martin as the lead, it wasn’t until 1965 when Julie Andrews pranced through the Austrian hills that the world fell in love with Rodger and Hammerstein’s final musical about singing nuns and lederhosen. The movie became an instant hit, garnering five Oscars (including Best Picture of the Year), and solid proof of Julie Andrew’s perfection. After more than four decades, “The Sound of Music” has grown from a classic movie to a cultural monument.
Emily Rems, BUST’s managing editor and all around cultural expert, stopped by NPR’s The Takeaway to discuss the new “Sound of Music” starring Carrie Underwood as the musical nun-turned-nanny, Maria. She states our love for this musical stems more from our love of Julie Andrews. Her roles in “Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins” have cemented her place in our childhood nostalgia as the perfect nanny. Can a new remake beat such strong and multi-generational nostalgia?
What are your thoughts? Are remakes of classic movies necessary or do they add cultural relevance?
Image via NBC/via Facebook
