''The Sound of Music Live!'' is an American

television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of e ...

that was originally broadcast by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

on December 5, 2013. Produced by

Craig Zadan Craig Zadan (April 15, 1949 – August 20, 2018) was an American producer and writer. Working alone and with Neil Meron, his partner in the production company Storyline Entertainment, he produced such films as ''Footloose'', ''Chicago'' and ...

and

Neil Meron Neil Meron (born October 26, 1955) is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film '' Chicago'' and the 2007 film ''Hairspray''. With partner Craig Zadan he ran the production company Storyline Entertainment until Zadan's death i ...

, the special was an adaptation of

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

's 1959 Broadway musical ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

''. The television special starred

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

singer and ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' winner

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

Maria von Trapp Baroness Maria Augusta von Trapp DHS (; 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987) was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. She wrote ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'', which was published in 1949 and was the inspiratio ...

, and was performed and televised

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

from Grumman Studios in

Bethpage, New York Bethpage (formerly known as Central Park) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 16,429 at the 2010 United States Cens ...

. Spearheaded by NBC chairman

Bob Greenblatt Robert Greenblatt (born 1959/1960) is an American television executive, former Chairman of NBC Entertainment and former Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment. He has since launched his production company, The Green Room Early life and educatio ...

, the network positioned the special as being a live television "event". In preparing for the broadcast, Meron and Zadan emphasized the logistical challenges that they would face due to the live aspects of the special, and the fact that ''The Sound of Music Live!'' was an adaptation based on the musical itself and not the 1965 film version. Meron felt that if the telecast were successful, the concept could become "another kind of entertainment that can exist on TV." By her request, Underwood's casting as Maria was personally endorsed by

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy F ...

, who starred in the 1965 film. The production was met with mixed reviews; much of its criticism was directed towards the casting of Carrie Underwood to play Maria, whom critics (including the real-life

von Trapp family The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''. Nobility directories like the ''Almanach d ...

) believed was not experienced enough in theatre to portray such an iconic role. While her vocal performance was praised, her acting was described by critics as "amateur", "lifeless" and lacking emotion. The production was a ratings success for NBC; with a total of 18.62 million live viewers, ''The Sound of Music Live!'' brought the network its highest Thursday night viewership for an entertainment program since the

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

of ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' in 2004, and prompted NBC to sign Zadan and Meron on to produce more live musicals for the network in the future.

Plot

Maria Rainer, a

postulant A postulant (from la, postulare, to ask) was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a Christian monastery or a religious order for the pe ...

Nonnberg Abbey Nonnberg Abbey (german: Stift Nonnberg) is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria. Founded by Saint Rupert of Salzburg, it is the oldest continuously existing nunnery in the German-speaking world. The monastery complex is today a protected ...

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

, is contemplating the day she has spent in the mountains ("The Sound of Music"). When she returns to the Abbey, she learns from the Mother Abbess that she is to be the new governess for the von Trapp children. Before she leaves the Abbey, Mother Abbess asks her to teach her the song that she's always singing ("My Favorite Things"). When Maria arrives at the von Trapp house, she is greeted coldly by the Captain and introduced to the children, who enter with military precision. Maria finds that the Captain has emotionally closed himself off since the death of his wife and decides to teach his children the basics of singing to gain their trust and acceptance. A month, later the captain returns home with Elsa Schraeder, whom he is courting, and their friend Max Detweiler, who is looking for the perfect local singing group to perform at the annual Kaltzberg Festival. When his children arrive dressed in clothes Maria had made from her old bedroom curtains he is outraged and embarrassed. Maria then confronts him and tells him how he does not know or understand his children and that they need him but this only upsets him more and he orders her to return to Nonnberg Abbey. However, upon hearing his children sing to Schraeder, his eyes are open to the truth Maria had been speaking and he embraces his children and ask Maria to stay on as governess. He then throws a grand party for Schraeder and when the band plays the

Ländler The Ländler () is a folk dance in time which was popular in Austria, Bavaria, German Switzerland, and Slovenia at the end of the 18th century. It is a partner dance which strongly features hopping and stamping. It might be purely instrument ...

, the captain's youngest son asks Maria to teach him the dance and the captain steps in to help. As the two dance an unspoken attraction begins to arise in the two and Maria puts a stop to the dancing. However, this unspoken attraction did not go unnoticed by Brigitta who confronts Maria on this. Though Maria strongly denies it she begins to realize that Brigitta is telling the truth. Then, Schraeder calls the children out to say good night to the guests and Max is instantly smitten with the idea to have the children sing in the festival and during all the hustle and bustle Maria sneaks off unnoticed and returns to the Abbey, where she confides in the Mother Abbess that she has fallen in love with the captain but that she is ready to take the orders of poverty, obedience and chastity. The Mother Abbess denies her this and encourages her to take face her problem head-on and to find the life she was born to live. Maria then returns to the von Trapp home and is warmly greeted by the children, who no longer feel the joys of singing due to her sudden departure. When she finds out that the captain intends to marry Schraeder she decides to see her duties through until arrangements can be made for a new governess. However, the political differences between Schraeder and the captain cause the two to realize that they have no future together and she leaves. Meanwhile, the captain meets up with Maria and the two admit their feelings for each other. The two agree to marry at the Abbey and while the two are on honeymoon, Germany invades Austria. When they return, the captain is ordered to accept a commission in the German Navy and report immediately to

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

. Maria, thinking quickly, hands the Admiral the program for the Kaltzberg Festival showing that the von Trapp Family Singers are scheduled to perform, so the captain couldn’t possibly leave right away. They are granted permission to perform. During the finale, Max announces that a guard of honor is waiting to escort the captain away as soon as the concert is over. Maria leads the family in one more song to which they escape to one by one and flee to the Abbey. The Nazi soldiers search the Abbey for the von Trapps to no avail, as the family decides to flee Austria over the mountains with Maria's help.

Cast and crew

;Main *

(née Rainer) *

Stephen Moyer Stephen Moyer (born Stephen John Emery; 11 October 1969) is an English film and television actor who is best known as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series '' True Blood''. His first television role was in 1993 as Philip Masefield in the TV ...

as Captain Georg von Trapp * Laura Benanti as Elsa Schräder / Fräulein Schweiger *

Christian Borle Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in '' Peter and the Starcatcher'' and as William Shakespeare in ''Something Rotten!''. Borle also ...

as Max Detweiler *

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...

as Mother Abbess ;Supporting * Ariane Rinehart as Liesl von Trapp * Michael Campayno as Rolf *

Sophia Anne Caruso Sophia Anne Caruso (born July 11, 2001) is an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Lydia Deetz in the Broadway musical ''Beetlejuice'', a role for which she won a Theatre World Award. She also portrays Sophie in ''T ...

as Brigitta von Trapp * Peyton Ella as Gretl von Trapp * Michael Nigro as Friedrich von Trapp * Grace Rundhaug as Marta von Trapp * Ella Watts-Gorman as

Louisa von Trapp Maria Agatha Franziska Gobertina von Trapp (28 September 1914 – 18 February 2014) was the second-oldest daughter of Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. She was a member of the Trapp Family, Trapp Family Singers, who ...

* Joe West as Kurt von Trapp *

Jessica Molaskey Jessica Molaskey (born January 9, 1962) is an American professional actor and singer of torch songs and show tunes. She has appeared in a dozen Broadway shows, including ''Sunday in the Park with George'', ''Tommy'', '' Crazy for You'', '' Chess'' ...

as Sister Berthe *

Christiane Noll Christiane Noll (born October 5, 1968) is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', and had roles in '' Urinetown'', ''Rag ...

as Sister Margaretta *

Elena Shaddow Elena Shaddow is an American singer and actress. She is originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio.Kristine Nielsen Kristine E. Nielsen (born May 28, 1955) is an American actress known for her work on Broadway and Off-Broadway. Nielsen was nominated for the 2013 Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her performance as Sonia in ''Vanya and Sonia and Ma ...

as Frau Schmidt * C.J. Wilson as Herr Zeller * Sean Cullen as Franz * John Bolger as Admiral von Scheiber * Michael Park as Baron Elberfeld * Ashley Brown as Ursula Benanti had previously portrayed Maria von Trapp on Broadway in 1998.

and

, who had previously worked with Borle on the NBC musical drama television series '' Smash'', served as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

s. Other credits include

Rob Ashford Rob Ashford (born November 19, 1959) is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner. Early life and education Born in Orlando, Florida and ...

and

Beth McCarthy-Miller Beth McCarthy-Miller (born September 3, 1963, Elizabeth, New Jersey) is an American television director. Shows she has directed include ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''30 Rock''. Early life McCarthy-Miller was born on September 3, 1963, in El ...

directors Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, Ashford also was the

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who c ...

, Priscilla Taussig served as producer, David Chase as

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

and Derek McLane as

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

Catherine Zuber Catherine Zuber is a costume designer for the Broadway theater and opera, among other venues. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and has been referred to as "one of theater's most sought-after costume designers on both coasts."Hefflet, ...

was

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

and Bernie Telsey was the

casting director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, scr ...

. The production is taken from the book by

Howard Lindsay Howard Lindsay, born Herman Nelke, (March 29, 1889 – February 11, 1968) was an American playwright, librettist, director, actor and theatrical producer. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse ...

and

Russel Crouse Russel Crouse (20 February 1893 – 3 April 1966) was an American playwright and librettist, best known for his work in the Broadway writing partnership of Lindsay and Crouse. Life and career Born in Findlay, Ohio, Crouse was the son of Sarah (n� ...

and is based on the

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

, ''

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'' is a 1949 memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was later fictionalized in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical ''The Sound of Music'' in 1959. Background Maria never intended to ...

'' by Maria von Trapp.

Development and promotion

On June 30, 2012, NBC's chairman

announced the network's plans to broadcast a live adaptation of the Broadway musical ''

'' in 2013. On November 30, 2012, the network announced that

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and ''

'' fourth season winner Carrie Underwood would star as Maria von Trapp in the production. In a statement, Greenblatt justified Underwood's involvement, saying that "

aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

was an iconic woman who will now be played by an iconic artist." On September 16, 2013, NBC revealed the full cast of the special, and released a promotional image depicting Underwood as Maria von Trapp, wearing blond braids and a

dirndl A dirndl () is a feminine dress which originated in German-speaking areas of the Alps. It is traditionally worn by women and girls in Bavaria (south-eastern Germany), Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Alpine regions of Italy. A dirndl ...

, referencing one of

' "most iconic moments" from the

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

. Prior to being cast, Underwood personally asked Andrews for her endorsement of the role and the production, explaining that "whenever I do a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

of somebody's song or whatever, I always get permission of the artist first." Produced on a budget of around $9 million, ''The Sound of Music Live!'' was broadcast live from a soundstage built at Grumman Studios in

. NBC, as well as producers

and

, emphasized that the production was not a remake of the film, but an adaptation of the musical itself; Meron iterated that "the audience will discover, within the first few minutes of watching the show, that they are not seeing a TV version of the movie. They'll know right away it's ''The Sound of Music'', but it's a different ''Sound of Music'' than they are accustomed to seeing on film." Meron felt that if successful, the broadcast could "open the door to another kind of entertainment that can exist on TV." He also praised the involvement of Underwood as the star of the production, believing that she was a quick learner, and "has all of the qualities of Maria." Greenblatt was highly supportive of the project, as he was, in the words of Zadan, a "passionate devotee of theater". Zadan considered the production to be "one of the profoundly complicated, amazing experiences we’ve ever had", noting the additional challenges created by the live broadcast. Promoted by NBC as a "three-hour holiday event", ''The Sound of Music Live!'' was aired as part of a push by NBC to air more live entertainment specials. Among its most popular programs in recent years have been those with live components (such as ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'' and ''

Sunday Night Football Sunday Night Football may refer to: * ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games by NBC since 2006 * ''ESPN Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games from 1987 to 2005 by ESPN * ...

''); NBC's Jennifer Salke believed that the increased level of

social network A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods fo ...

interaction possible in a live broadcast, along with the feeling of being part of an "event", would encourage viewers to watch the special live instead of on-demand or from a recording. NBC's previous attempt at event television, '' The Million Second Quiz'', was met with mixed reviews and viewership, but NBC did indicate that

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...

's advertising throughout the series brought a higher level of

awareness Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some in ...

to the brand. The television special was also the first live musical special in almost fifty years on NBC. Retail chain

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

served as the presenting sponsor for ''The Sound of Music Live!''. NBC also produced five themed Walmart commercials to air throughout the special, featuring scenes of a family using products from the store set to songs from ''The Sound of Music''. The five ads were timed to air during the commercial break following the scene where the song was featured; NBC's advertising chief Dan Lovinger considered the ads to be a way to "enhance the excitement" of the presentation for families.

Musical numbers

:''The list of musical numbers is taken from the actual broadcast and are in order as they appear in the broadcast and include the characters' names who perform the song.'' * "Preludium" – Nuns * "

" – Maria * "

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

" – Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia, Sister Margaretta, and the Mother Abbess * " My Favorite Things" – Maria and the Mother Abbess * "My Favorite Things" (reprise 1) – Maria and Sister Margaretta * "

Do-Re-Mi "Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music''. Each syllable of the musical solfège system appears in the song's lyrics, sung on the pitch it names. Rodgers was helped in its creation by long-time ...

" – Maria and the children * "

Sixteen Going on Seventeen "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music''. Background The lyrics of the song state that Liesl is a young girl at the beginning of her womanhood, and that she can depend on R ...

" – Rolf and Liesl * "

The Lonely Goatherd "The Lonely Goatherd" is a popular show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music''. The song is well known for its examples of yodeling, a part of the traditional music of the Austrian Alps, where the musical is s ...

" – Maria and the children * "How Can Love Survive" – Max and Elsa * "The Sound of Music" (reprise) – The children, the captain, and Maria * "The Grand Waltz" (instrumental) * "

" (instrumental) * "So Long, Farewell" – The children & Party Guests * " Climb Ev'ry Mountain" – Mother Abbess * "The Lonely Goatherd" (reprise) – Max and the children * "Do-Re-Mi" (reprise) – The children * "Do-Re-Mi" (reprise 2) – The captain * "The Sound of Music" (reprise 2) – The captain and the children * "My Favorite Things" (reprise) – The children and Maria * "

No Way to Stop It "No Way to Stop It" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music'', but not included in the later film version from 1965. The song features the characters Max Detweiler and Baroness Elsa Schräder, with Capt ...

" – Elsa, Max and the captain. * " Something Good" – Maria and the captain * "Processional" – Nuns * "Maria" (reprise) – Nuns * "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" (reprise) – Maria and Liesl * "Do-Re-Mi" (reprise 3) – Maria, the children, and the captain * "

Edelweiss EDELWEISS (Expérience pour DEtecter Les WIMPs En Site Souterrain) is a dark matter search experiment located at the Modane Underground Laboratory in France. The experiment uses cryogenic detectors, measuring both the phonon and ionization signal ...

" – The captain, Maria, and the children * "So Long, Farewell" (reprise) – Maria, the children, and the captain * "Finale Ultimo: Climb Ev'ry Mountain" - Nuns * "End Credits" (instrumental)

Reception

Critical reception

Prior to the broadcast, members of the real-life von Trapp family were critical of casting Underwood to play Maria, agreeing with the notion that she would be a good singer but a poor actor. They suggested that

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2 ...

, who played

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chi ...

in the 2012 film adaptation of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, would have been a better choice. ''The Sound of Music Live!'' received mixed reviews from entertainment critics, commending the show for its scope and supporting cast while questioning Underwood's acting capabilities. Kevin Fallon of ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' wrote: "Naturally, Underwood sounded astounding, as alive as those damned hills, every time she was asked to stand on top of things and belt. But whether it was because of nerves or lack of experience, her acting was painfully lifeless and amateur throughout the first two thirds of the lengthy ordeal. The singer, it seems, is a proud graduate of the school of 'If I don't blink, they'll think I'm acting!'" Verne Gay of ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and fo ...

'' liked Underwood's performance, commenting that not only could she sing, but "she is a luminous stage presence who had the guts to take on one of the most iconic roles of the stage or screen." Brian Lowry of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' described the production "as lifeless as tsalpine backdrops." Marc Bernardin of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' commended the production's aesthetics but called it a "very expensive karaoke", and he wrote that Underwood "doesn’t acquit herself so well when it comes to the carrying the emotional weight of the production." He also panned Moyer, criticizing his vocal performance and describing "his attempt at conveying an emotional hollowness" as "mildly constipated" and "clenched." However, he lauded Benanti, Borle and McDonald's "strong" performances.

Ratings

18.62 million viewers watched ''The Sound of Music Live!'', making it the most-watched program of the night. It had a 4.6 rating, 13 share in the 18–49 demographic, which led all networks. It attracted NBC's largest non-sports Thursday audience since the

of ''

'' in 2004 (which averaged 22.6 million viewers), and NBC's largest non-sports audience on any night since the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. The special performed the best with women in the 25–54 demographic, reaching a household rating of 7.0 for that demographic during the primetime broadcast. It did particularly well in Oklahoma City, the capital of Underwood's home state, where it was watched by 28% of TV viewers. At least 38.69 million viewers watched a portion of ''The Sound of Music Live!''. Factoring in DVR viewership over the week following the broadcast, the special was viewed by 21.84 million, with 3.1 million within the first three days. Following its original airing, an encore presentation of ''The Sound of Music Live!'' aired on December 14, 2013, attracting 3.1 million viewers. It notably displaced one of NBC's two traditional airings of the film ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loos ...

'' (the other being on Christmas Eve), which was bumped ahead to December 20, 2013. NBC's Bob Greenblatt considered the production to be a success, and signed Meron and Zadan to produce another live musical for the 2014 holiday season. Greenblatt felt that there were enough recognizable, family-friendly musicals to make events such as ''The Sound of Music Live!'' an annual tradition, and he indicated that NBC received e-mails and phone calls from various theatrical rightsholders, expressing interest in having their musicals adapted in a similar fashion, In January 2014, NBC announced that it would broadcast a live version of ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' in December 2014, and at NBC's upfronts in May 2014, Greenblatt announced that NBC had also obtained rights to produce an adaptation of ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

'', although the network did not announce any timeframe for the production. It was later revealed that ''The Music Man'' project was put on hold for a live performance of ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

''. Interest in the concept also spread to competing networks: in April 2014, Fox announced that it would produce a live production of '' Grease'', which aired in January 2016. NBC aired ''

Hairspray Live! ''Hairspray Live!'' is an American television special that aired live on the American television network NBC on December 7, 2016. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and hosted by Darren Criss, it is a performance of a new adaptation of the 2 ...

'' later that year. The special also had an influence on viewership for ABC's annual broadcast of the 1965 film version of ''The Sound of Music''; with 6.5 million viewers and a 1.3 share, it was ABC's highest-rated airing of the film since 2007, although it was beaten by NBC's ''

''.

Accolades

Soundtrack

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

for the broadcast was released on December 3, 2013 and consists of 22 studio recordings.

outlets exclusively released a nine-track instrumental (

sing-along Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritual ...

) bonus CD with the soundtrack. It peaked at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 2 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' Soundtracks chart. The soundtrack had sold 103,000 copies as of January 2, 2014.

Home media release

A DVD of the special was released on December 17, 2013, through

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...

. The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes look, titled "The Making of ''The Sound of Music Live!''" and a preview of the soundtrack. It was released on DVD in Canada on January 7, 2014.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sound of Music Live! 2010s American television specials 2013 television specials American live television shows English-language television shows Musical television films Musical television specials NBC television specials The Sound of Music Television shows based on plays Television shows directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller Television remakes of films Television shows filmed in New York (state) Television shows set in Austria Trapp family Works based on actual events