Audra McDonald News

The complete cast for the hotly anticipated upcoming NBC live TV presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic family-friendly musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC has now been officially announced.

NBC has just released the full cast list and you can check it out below:

'The Making of The Sound of Music Live!' premieres on NBC Wednesday, November 27 at 8pm. The special, produced by NBC News' Peacock Productions, provides an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the three month countdown to 'The Sound of Music Live!,' a three-hour live event, premiering on Thursday, December 5 at 8/7C.

NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE!, starring Carrie Underwood as Maria and Stephen Moyer as Capt. Georg von Trapp, is set to air on Thursday, Dec. 5 (8 PM ET) on NBC. Also in the cast are Audra McDonald ('Private Practice'), who has won fiveTony Awards and two Grammys, as Mother Abbess; Tony Award winner Christian Borle ('Smash'), who will portray von Trapp family friend Max Detweiler; and Tony winner Laura Benanti ('Go On'), who will portray Elsa Schrader, the captain's one-time fiancee.$ Below, BroadwayWorld brings you the Times Square billboard for the upcoming special!

NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE!, starring Carrie Underwood as Maria and Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp, will be released on DVD on December 17, 2013, according to a listing on Amazon.

Today we are talking to a terrifically talented and versatile stage and screen performer who has excelled in many arenas throughout her compellingly varied career - comedy, drama, stand-up, cabaret, jazz and beyond - the fiercely, fabulously idiosyncratic and ebulliently engaging Lea DeLaria. Espousing upon a wide range of topics and tracing her unique professional trajectory thus far, DeLaria sheds some light on a few of her most fondly remembered stage roles - revivals of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and ON THE TOWN on Broadway, as well as Off-Broadway turns in LITTLE FISH and PROMETHEUS BOUND included - as well as recounts her experiences participating in a handful of feature films, new and old, as well - including the recent Hallmark original movie musical DEAR DUMB DIARY. Most importantly, DeLaria recounts her experiences starring on the Netflix mega-hit series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK and offers a glimpse of the major impact that the pop culture lynchpin has had on her own life since its 2013 debut - while also preliminarily previewing what we can expect from Season Two, too. Plus, DeLaria reflects on her recording legacy, detailing the conception and production of some choice cuts from her many arresting albums - such as 'Broadway Baby', 'The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd', 'Puff' and 'Sleigh Ride' - as well as shares first news on her new album project, highlighting the music and lyrics of David Bowie. Additionally, DeLaria teases her upcoming scandalously titled series of holiday-themed shows at NYC cabaret hotspot 54 Below occurring in late December while also offering her candid perspective on favorite Christmas tunes and the season itself. All of that, FURTHER TALES OF THE CITY memories and much more in this engaging conversation with a true Broadway and Hollywood original.

NBC spoke with the leads of the highly anticipated live presentation of 'The Sound of Music Live!', set to air on Thursday, Dec. 5 (8 PM ET). Click below for one-on-one interviews with Carrie Underwood, Christian Borle, Audra McDonald and more!

A uniquely arresting new music video has been created in promotion of the upcoming NBC live TV presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's cherished musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC showcasing a highlight from the celebrated score re-imagined for a 2013 audience.

A new hour-long special tracing the casting, rehearsals, soundtrack recording and overall production of NBC's upcoming live telecast of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic family-friendly musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC is now set to air a week before the live telecast itself.

Laughing Dog Media has announced Broadway star and vocal powerhouse JAMES BARBOUR'S Special Guest Artists at his Sixth Annual Holiday Concert. STEPHEN WALLEM will join Mr. Barbour on stage Saturday, December 7. MARY TESTA will join Mr. Barbour on stage Thursday, December 12.

NBC's hotly anticipated live TV presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic family-friendly musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC is only two weeks away and today BroadwayWorld has the exclusive world premiere clip of a cherished musical moment as realized in the new version of the timeless tuner, 'The Lonely Goatherd' as performed by Carrie Underwood and the cast of children comprising the Von Trapp family clan!

The Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) team invites Playhouse enthusiasts to join them for a one-time exclusive musical Farewell Revue and Reception celebrating the dramatic impact of Producing Director Jed Bernstein on the Bucks County Playhouse!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Holiday perennials 'The Christmas Schooner,' 'Winter Pageant,' 'Christmas In Chicago' and more, plus 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,' 'Carrie' casting, Griffin's 'Bee,' two from Disney and NBC's 'The Sound Of Music!'

Five-time Tony Award-winning theatre superstar Audra McDonald will make an appearance on long-running PBS children's mainstay SESAME STREET this week and a first glimpse of the accomplished actress onset with some famous furry friends is now available to view.

In this new promo for NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! Carrie Underwood and the cast offer an in-depth first look at the exciting special broadcast, airing Thursday, December 5 at 8/7c. Check it out below!

ETOnline has shared an exclusive new promo for NBC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC, airing live on December 5th. In the clip, Carrie Underwood and other members of the cast share their own family Sound of Music traditions. Check it out below!

BroadwayWorld's chief theatre critic Michael Dale was there for the New York City premiere last night as a guest interviewer, and you can check out interviews with the evening's guests, including Laura Osnes, Jeremy Jordan, Darren Criss and more. Plus check out a special sneak peek from the film!

Directed by Tony Award-winner and frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, SIX BY SONDHEIM is a highly personal profile of a great American artist as revealed through the creation and performance of six of his iconic songs. Told primarily in Sondheim's own words, this feature documentary weaves together dozens of interviews with the composer, rarely seen archival material spanning more than half a century (including newly discoveRed Footage of Ethel Merman performing 'Gypsy') and re-stagings of three songs produced especially for the film. Executive produced by James Lapine and Frank Rich, the exclusive HBO presentation debuts MONDAY, DEC. 9 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT). BroadwayWorld was there for the New York City premiere last night and you can check out photos from the star-studded red carpet below!