Carrie Underwood to tackle live Sound of Music on TV
Country star, former Idol winner cast as Maria von Trapp for NBC special
Country music star Carrie Underwood will step into big shoes in 2013 after being cast as Maria von Trapp for a live TV broadcast of The Sound of Music.
Slated to air sometime during the 2013 holiday season, the upcoming NBC production will be based on the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which has been revived in London, Toronto and other cities worldwide in recent years.
The role marks Grammy-winner and American Idol alumnus Underwood's most prominent acting gig yet. She previously played a small role in 2011's Soul Surfer and has co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards for five years.
The live Sound of Music broadcast, which NBC announced Friday, will be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the creative leaders behind TV's Broadway musical drama Smash as well as the upcoming Academy Awards telecast.
The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway in 1959 with film and theatre star Mary Martin as the convent novitiate-turned-governess Maria.
In 1965, a film adaptation saw Julie Andrews take on the role. It won best picture at the Academy Awards and has become one of her best-known performances.