The Sound of Music Live

The Sound of Music Live! was a live television production of the musical "The Sound of Music". It was telecast on NBC Thursday evening December 5, 2013 between 8 and 11 p.m. ET. 
Characters.
The production starred Carrie Underwood as Maria von Trapp. Others in the cast included Stephen Moyer as Georg von Trapp, Audra McDonald as Mother Abbess, Laura Benanti as Elsa Schrader, and Christian Borle as Max Detweiler.
Background.
The production was based on the original 1959 Broadway musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, rather than the 1965 movie adaptation starring Julie Andrews.
Reviews.
Critics said that Underwood sang well, but she received poor reviews for her acting. The "New York Times" wrote that Underwood's "bloodless performance put a damper on the night" and described her as "sleepwalking". The greatest praise was given to Laura Benanti as Elsa Schrader who was said to have "had all the sparkle and mischief that Ms. Underwood, as Maria, lacked." The "Times" closed their review with, "It was a live performance of a legendary musical that felt muted and a little sad."