Executive-produced by and , The Sound of Music Live! premiered on NBC Dec. 5, 2013. The broadcast was a ratings blockbuster and was viewed by over 18 million people.
The Sound of Music Live! was co-directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and . The telecast of the and musical is based on the original 1959 Broadway production of The Sound of Music, starring and , with a book by and .
Grammy winner Underwood played Maria opposite 鈥淭rue Blood鈥� star Stephen Moyer as Capt. Georg von Trapp with Tony Award winners McDonald (Ragtime, Master Class) as Mother Abbess, Benanti (Gypsy, Women on the Verge) as Elsa Schrader and Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher, "Smash") as Max Dettweiler.
The cast also features Tony nominee as Sister Margaretta, as Sister Berthe and as Sister Sophia. Tony nominee plays Frau Schmidt, with as Franz, Michael Campayno as Rolf, CJ Wilson as Herr Zeller, as Frau Zeller, as Baron Elberfeld, Chase as Baroness Elberfeld, Brown as Ursula and John Bolger as Admiral Von Schrieber.
Cast as nuns are , , , , , , , , , , , , Adrienne Danrich, , Catherine Brunell, , , Nikki Renee Daniels, and Stowe Brown.
Playing the von Trapp children are Ariane Rinehart (Liesl), Michael Nigro (Fredrich), Ella Watts-Gorman (Louisa), (Kurt), Sophia Anne Caruso (Brigitta), Grace Rundhaug (Marta) and Peyton Ella as young Gretl.
Also featured are , , , , , Ward Billisen, , , , , Brandon Henschal, , and .
The creative team included production designer , art director Kevin Rupnik and assistant art director Aimee Dombo.
The Sound of Music Live! was produced by Universal Television.
In response to the success of the special event, NBC returned this year with Peter Pan Live!
