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NBC Will Follow ‘Sound of Music’ With Another Live Musical — and That’s Just the Beginning

Dec 10, 2013  •  Post A Comment

NBC will stage another live musical, after the network was bolstered by the ratings success of last week’s “The Sound of Music Live!,” reports Bill Carter in The New York Times.

NBC Entertainment chief Robert Greenblatt told the publication that next live production, scheduled for the 2014 holiday season, would be led once again by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, who were the executive producers behind “Sound of Music."

The production, which starred Carrie Underwood, drew 18.6 million viewers — three times what Greenwood, Zadan and Meron had predicted, the story adds.

“All weekend, people have been calling us and emailing us,” Greenblatt told the newspaper. “Rights holders of musicals have said, ‘Please do one of our shows.’ We’re excited to try it again.”

Without specifying, Greenblatt said the three men are looking at a “couple of titles” that would fit their requirements: a Broadway show with familiar songs that’s appropriate for all age levels.

NBC could make live musicals an annual holiday event, he added.

“There’s enough to do a handful of these over the next years, if we keep increasing the learning curve,” he said. “There may be a little bit of a phenomenon to the first one of these. Who knows what happens Year 2, 3 or 4. But you’ve got to have events. I think we could do this again — and again and again.”

Even though Underwood was dinged in social media for her “thin acting resume,” she played a crucial role in drawing fans to the show, Meron told the newspaper.

To read TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross’ insightul perspective of NBC’s presentation of "The Sound of Music" — entitled, "If Only NBC Had the Guts Carrie Underwood Has," please click here.  

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