Theater News

Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, and Christian Borle Join NBC’s Carrie Underwood-Led Presentation of The Sound of Music

NBC’s live broadcast of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will host a roster of Tony-winning Broadway stars.

(© NBC Universal Media, LLC)

More casting has been announced for NBC’s upcoming live production of The Sound of Music, headlined by the previously announced Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood as Maria Rainer and True Blood star Stephen Moyer as Captain Georg von Trapp.

The production has recruited the soprano services of five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess), who has signed on to sing the legendary “Climb Every Mountain” as The Mother Abbess. Tony winner Laura Benanti (Gypsy) has been cast in the role of Elsa Schraeder, Captain von Trapp’s wealthy fiancée, and Tony winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher) will take on the role of the mooching Max Detweiler.

Based on the original 1959 Broadway production, featuring classic tunes by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the production is scheduled to air on NBC on December 5.