NBC's Live Staging of The Sound of Music Aiming for Christmas 2013 Air Date

Smash producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are hard at work on their forthcoming live telecast of The Sound of Music, and are hoping the TV special will air in time for Christmas 2013. 

“I think we are close to finding our Maria and as soon as we have that in place we will announce it with great fanfare,” NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt told Deadline.com. 

Featuring music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a libretto by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse, The Sound of Music tells the story of the musical von Trapp family and the nun who becomes their nanny and eventual step-mother. Set in Austria on the eve of World War II, the score includes favorites such as the title song, “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” “Edelweiss” and “Climb Ev'ry Mountain.”

The show's original Broadway mounting won the Best Musical Tony Award, and the musical's popular film adaptation won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.