Country musics favorite songstress, Carrie Underwood is taking on her first big acting role as the singing nun turned nanny, Maria Von Trapp, in a TV version of “The Sound of Music.” No, this isn’t a Country Western remake of the iconic 1965 Austria based film, but it’s a live musical performance adaption based on the Broadway musical version.
NBC is planning a three-hour special live performance to air during this holiday season. Neil Meron and Craig Zagan of NBC’s Smash and the 2013 Academy Awards producers, are at the helm of this epic holiday special.
When I first read that Underwood would be playing THE Maria Von Trapp I checked my calendar to see if it was April 1st. It had to be a prank that a country singer dare take on the timeless role of Maria made famous by Julie Andrews. I initially thought Underwood would be committing career suicide if she went anywhere near that (I considered it almost as absurd as the fiery ginger, Lindsay Lohan, playing iconic Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime biopic, but that’s a whole different story), but then I stepped back and thought about Maria more as a character.
In short, Maria is an incredibly talented, lovable, innocent, and down to earth young woman, easily adored by ages. That bio can word for word be applied to Underwood as well, so after some thought maybe this casting choice isn’t that off the wall. You can’t help but smile when Underwood and her bubbly goodness appear on stage or on screen, a quality absolutely necessary for someone portraying Maria. I’ll definitely be tuning in to this holiday special, whenever it may air, because I cant resist seeing Maria Von Trapp OR Carrie Underwood on stage in any capacity, especially when they’re one in the same. It will be no doubt fascinating to see how the country crooner does with this iconic role.
