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The hills are alive again — live on NBC Maria, Underwood recalls thinking, "This would be awesome. Then, did that just really happen? And, "The Sound of Music what did I get myself Live!" is just that. into?" It's decidedly not a As daunting as remake of the 1965 movie. performing live is, just Carrie Underwood is not trying to be Julie Andrews, making the commitment to doing it was what first nor is Stephen Moyer dogged Moyer. trying to be Christopher "Whatever happens Plummer. — if I go reeling down the No one is making that stairs, or I gash my head mistake. open, it doesn't matter," Rather, NBC's threeMoyer says. "I said yes, hour production on and that's the beauty of it." Thursday, Dec. 5, is Between "American intended as an event, Idol" and years of the sort for which people concerts, Underwood is once gathered around experienced at singing a television instead of live, but she's done little catching up with on their acting, and this is her first phones. lead. A great short-term Underwood, like most memory, which made folks, grew up watching cramming for tests easy, the movie. helps in learning lines, "I don't think I could she says. remember the first time "I have been finding a I saw it," she says on a lot of similarities between break from rehearsals. Tucked away in a ballet myself and Maria," she studio in lower Manhattan, says. "Her love of grass and trees and space. the cast worked for four That's where she can be weeks before heading herself, in nature. I was a out to a Long Island set farm girl and singing, and to rehearse another two I was always outside." weeks until the big day. "Maria is not a refined Wearing hot pink leggings, a gray sweatshirt girl," David Chase, the show's musical director, and green sneakers, but says. "She is a rural girl. in full makeup because "The power of the story of a morning talk show is how the sound of music appearance, Underwood changes people and smiles as she says, "This opens the heart." was one of my mom This live version is and dad's first dates. My based on the 1959 mom is coming up in a Broadway musical, few weeks, and she is which starred Mary incredibly excited." "It's been lovely, treating Martin. Initially, Martin had asked Rodgers and this like a proper show," Hammerstein to write Moyer says, sprawling on a song. They signed on a club chair. It's been 18 years since because they were so taken with the true story he did a musical. Though of the novice nun who "a massive Christopher Plummer fan," Moyer says, became nanny to the motherless von Trapp "I will try to make myself different. I don't think he's children, then wife to the captain. (Captain von Trapp) very Chase opens a binder likable in the beginning. I with the show's sheet want him to be cold and music and turns to the broken. He's retreated most famous song. Here, into being an officer and Maria sings, "My day in a captain of the fleet. the hill has come to an His way of controlling end, I know. A star has everything is to have it come out to tell me it is be neat and tidy, and everything is until this little time to go. But deep in the dark green shadow, there firebrand arrives." are voices that urge me to When executive stay. So I pause and I wait producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and I listen, for one more approached her to play sound, for one more lovely By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it 2 Stephen Moyer stars in "The Sound of Music Live!" Thursday on NBC. set, and it is there that Borle, who won a Tony thing that the hills might "There is an immediacy and has spent a lot of say." Liesl (Ariane Rinehart) to the live shows," Zadan time on stage and on TV Then Underwood will sing "Sixteen Going says. with "Smash," says this launches into "The hills on Seventeen." The Live shows such as production is a wonderful are alive with the sound Barnard College junior the Oscars, which they mix of the two. of music." had played two of the produced, attract the "This has never been The two songs most younger von Trapps in St. largest audience. really done, not in this different from the movie Louis productions. day and age," Borle says. version are "My Favorite "We know it is an "I really feel like I have "It is a hybrid." Things" and "The Lonely ambitious endeavor," grown up with the kids," "It has its own strange Goatherd." That last Zadan says. "If somebody she says. quality to it," he says. one, not surprisingly, is And most people feel hits a bad note, you "I find it fascinating Underwood's favorite. they have grown up with are going to hear it. performing a musical "I have been yodeling "The Sound of Music." If somebody forgets with no proscenium. With my whole life," she says. Now if Zadan and the lyrics, they forget this we are going to have "The structure is Meron can capture cameras all over the different," says Christian the lyrics. If someone the magic of a live place, trying to capture Borle, who plays Max. trips and falls, they the proper style. You have performance for TV, "People who grew up trip and fall. There is a a new generation will to act and suddenly sing knowing the movie will tremendous amount of have the experience, and keep it really for be very surprised by the drama behind knowing and Underwood predicts television." song order, and I found copycats will try other live what you are seeing is A mountain with grass the whole thing to be very was being built for the versions. moving." what is happening." The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • December 2-8, 2013

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