NewsAfter Sound of Music Ratings Success, NBC Commits to 2014 Live Musical TelecastFollowing high ratings for the Dec. 5 telecast of The Sound of Music Live!, NBC has committed to airing another family-friendly musical during the 2014 holiday season, according to the New York Times.
By
Adam Hetrick
December 10, 2013
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron previously told Playbill.com that they if ratings were strong, they expected to return with additional live musical projects each holiday season. "It's one big experiment," Zadan said. "We're very aware of the fact that if it succeeds, it will prompt the network to ask us about doing it again. It could be the beginning of something new in terms of bringing theatre to America on TV. Once we see the ratings, our wish list will come out of our pockets."
While that wish list hasn't been made public, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt has tapped producers Meron and Zadan to return with another musical title next year. The Sound of Music Live! was viewed by 18.6 million viewers last week. Read about it here.
Greenblatt said that several rights holders have contacted NBC and are eager for NBC to adapt one of their titles for live television. Greenblatt, Zadan and Meron are eyeing several potential musical candidates, all of which are classic, family-friendly musicals with familiar scores.
With a broad selection of classic musicals to chose from, Greenblatt suggested that a live musical telecast on NBC will likely be an annual holiday event for the next several years.
The production will include Bernstein’s incidental music for Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of The Lark, and Menotti’s The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and The Manticore.