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NBC scored big with the ambitious live production of The Sound of Music on Thursday evening, drawing 18.5 million viewers to the three-hour extravaganza.
Country star Carrie Underwood led the cast as Maria von Trapp opposite True Blood‘s Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp, as well as seasoned theater vets Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christian Borle. The prerecorded soundtrack is available for purchase on iTunes, with a DVD hitting shelves Dec. 17.
STORY: ‘Sound of Music Live’: 5 Standout Moments
The Hollywood Reporter highlights the top five TiVo moments from the live production:
1. 8:38 p.m. — Maria and the von Trapp children sing “Do-Re-Mi.”
Maria teaches the von Trapp children to sing for the very first time following the death of their mother, doing so through the classic “Do-Re-Mi.”
STORY: NBC’s ‘Sound of Music’ Producers on Live Show Fears and Big Expectations
2. 8:54 p.m. — Maria sings “The Lonely Goatherd” to calm the children down during the storm.
Here Underwood showcases her yodeling, bringing together the von Trapp children during a stormy evening in an effort to comfort them. The song focuses on a goatherd whose yodeling is heard from far away until he falls in love with a girl.
3. 8:05 p.m. — Carrie Underwood as Maria makes her first appearance on screen, singing the title song.
The country singer’s introduction as Maria was one of the most TiVo’ed moments of the telecast. It was the first time viewers got a chance to see Underwood in action as the main protagonist.
4. 9:16 p.m. — Captain von Trapp joins in singing “The Sound of Music” with the children while they are serenading Elsa Schrader
Moyer, better known as “Vampire Bill” Compton on HBO’s True Blood, displays his vocal abilities during a rendition of the title track. The song comes at a pivotal moment in the musical, revealing a softer side of Captain von Trapp, who had never let his children have fun prior to Maria’s arrival.
5. 10:58 p.m. — As the nuns sing “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” Maria and the von Trapp family flee over the Alps to escape the Nazis
Nearing the end of the three-hour production, the abbey’s nuns — led by Mother Abbess — belt out “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” as the von Trapps distance themselves from the Nazi threat.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
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