From Universal Studios Home Entertainment: The Sound of Music Live! Six-Time Grammy® Winner Carrie Underwood Joins A Cast Of Broadway Superstars In NBC's All-New Production Of The World's Most Beloved Musical

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Dec. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An inspiring and emotional all-new version of one of the most cherished musicals of all time, The Sound of Music Live! comes to DVD on December 17, 2013 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. A special live performance originally broadcast on NBC of the timeless Broadway sensation introduces a new generation to the von Trapp family. The DVD also includes the NBC special The Making of The Sound of Music Live!, giving fans an inside look at the creation of an instant classic sure to be embraced by the entire family. Filmed in New York City with a cast that includes Broadway royalty, the joyous and faithful adaptation of the original stage production brings all of the excitement of the theater home, allowing fans to fall in love with Maria and her adorable charges all over again.

Six-time Grammy^® winning recording artist Carrie Underwood stars as Maria, the vibrant young governess who brings the joy of music back into the household of the straitlaced, but dashing, Captain von Trapp and his seven lively children. The Sound of Music Live! also stars Stephen Moyer ("True Blood," The Starter Wife), five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald ("Porgy and Bess," "A Raisin in the Sun") and Tony Award^® winners Laura Benanti ("Gypsy," "Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown") and Christian Borle ("Smash,"  "Monty Python's Spamalot") as well as newcomers Ariane Rinehart, Michael Campayno, Sophia Anne Caruso, Peyton Ella, Michael Nigro, Grace Rundhaug, Ella Watts-Gorman and Joe West.

With music and lyrics by the legendary team of Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers (Oklahoma, South Pacific, The King and I), The Sound of Music has been called the jewel in the crown of the American theater's most esteemed musical team. The original stage play earned four Tony Awards^®, including Best Musical, and inspired the unforgettable Academy Award^® winning film of the same name. The iconic score contains some of the most treasured songs ever written for the stage, including "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Edelweiss."  The companion CD from Sony Masterworks, "The Sound of Music" – Music from the NBC Television Event, is now on sale online and in-stores.

Thursday's live telecast of The Sound of Music Live! delivered hit ratings, averaging a 4.6 rating, 13 share in adults 18-49 and 18.6 million viewers overall to dominate the night for NBC.  It was the network's best Thursday average in total viewers, excluding sports, since the night of the "Frasier" finale in 2004, and NBC's best 18-49 Thursday average, excluding sports, since the night of the "ER" finale in 2009.  It was also the most watched non-sports Thursday for any network since Fox aired a Thursday "American Idol" in 2011.

Bonus Features

• The Making of THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! — An exclusive backstage look at the creation of an all-new production of the classic Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, from rehearsals through performance.

SYNOPSIS

The hills are alive with music again—and just in time for the holidays! The Sound of Music, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, is performed live as a joyous television event originally broadcast on NBC. Grammy^® award winning performer Carrie Underwood stars as Maria, the vivacious young governess who falls in love with the straitlaced Captain von Trapp (Steven Moyer) and his seven children, and teaches them all to embrace the joy of music and sing-along. Filmed and broadcast live from New York City, this astounding and faithful adaptation of the original Broadway musical features some of the most famous songs ever written for the stage, including "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." A breathtaking musical production, this all-new family classic is sure to have the whole family humming along to The Sound of Music Live!

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Carrie Underwood, Stephen Moyer, Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, Christian Borle, Ariane Rinehart, Michael Campayno, Sophia Anne Caruso, Peyton Ella, Michael Nigro, Grace Rundhaug, Ella Watts-Gorman and Joe West
Directed by: Beth McCarthy-Miller and Rob Ashford
Music by: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by: Oscar Hammerstein II
Book of Stage Play by: Russell Crouse, Howard Lindsay
Producers: Neil Meron, Craig Zadan

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD
Street Date: December 17, 2013 (US)/ January 7, 2014 (Canada)
Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 61124984
Running Time: Approx. 135 Mins
Layers: Dual
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Rating: Not Rated
Technical Info: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: N/A

The movie's official website is http://www.nbc.com/sound-of-music/

About Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

CONTACT: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Cecilia Sandoval
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SOURCE Universal Studios Home Entertainment