When Comcast took majority ownership of NBC in January 2011, the broadcast network was navigating a difficult stretch following the end of its era under General Electric. Seeking to revitalize a flagging primetime schedule, newly appointed NBC Entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt turned toward the company's historic past. Looking back to milestones such as the March 1955 live telecast of Mary Martin in "Peter Pan," which famously set Trendex rating records against rival programming, Greenblatt envisioned a modern slate of high-stakes, one-night-only musical events that could gather broad national audiences.
Drawing on his background as a Broadway producer, which included staging "9 to 5: The Musical" with Dolly Parton in 2009, Greenblatt partnered with veteran producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to engineer an audacious revival of the format. The chosen vehicle was Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic "The Sound of Music," mounted with Carrie Underwood in the role of Maria and Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp.
NBC Live Musical Telecasts (2013–2018)
| Production Title | Airdate | Featured Cast |
|---|---|---|
| The Sound of Music Live! | December 5, 2013 | Carrie Underwood, Stephen Moyer |
| Peter Pan Live | December 2, 2014 | Allison Williams, Christopher Walken |
| The Wiz Live | December 3, 2015 | Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, Shanice Williams |
| Hairspray Live | December 7, 2016 | Marissa Jaret Winokur, Derek Hough |
| Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert | April 1, 2018 | John Legend, Sara Bareilles |
The Gamble on 'The Sound of Music Live'
The logistical hurdle of executing a fully live stage production for modern television required significant time and financial investment. Staged and broadcast from a Grumman Studios soundstage on Long Island, "The Sound of Music Live!" premiered on December 5, 2013, amidst uncertainty over whether contemporary viewers would embrace theater on television.
Internal expectations had hoped for an audience of at least 10 million viewers. Instead, the broadcast drew more than 18 million viewers. The event quickly generated substantial online engagement, drawing commentary from public figures such as Tina Fey and Cameron Diaz alongside everyday viewers singing along. The production later secured six Emmy nominations and one Emmy win, validating the format as a viable ratings draw and establishing a new programming pillar for the network.
Expanding the Roster Across Five Live Events
The blockbuster reception of the initial production spurred NBC to greenlight annual live musical presentations throughout Greenblatt's tenure. In December 2014, the network staged "Peter Pan Live," starring Allison Williams in the title role alongside Christopher Walken. A year later, "The Wiz Live" assembled a cast featuring Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, and newcomer Shanice Williams.
NBC continued the tradition in December 2016 with "Hairspray Live," which relocated operations to the Universal lot in North Hollywood and starred Marissa Jaret Winokur and Derek Hough. Although a planned 2017 staging of "Bye Bye Birdie" starring Jennifer Lopez failed to materialize, the network returned on Easter Sunday in April 2018 with "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," led by John Legend and Sara Bareilles.
Industry Flattery and Future Ambitions
The ratings triumphs at NBC quickly reverberated across the television industry, prompting rival networks to explore similar territory. Fox subsequently entered the live arena with its own productions of "Grease" in 2016 and "Rent" in 2019, confirming that live theatrical spectacles had reclaimed a functional role in competitive primetime broadcasting.
Greenblatt, who departed NBC in the fall of 2018, views the five completed productions as cornerstones of the network's contemporary identity alongside long-running hallmarks like the Olympics and Dick Wolf procedural dramas. Looking ahead, Greenblatt revealed that he is currently engaged in discussions with both NBC and ABC to develop an entirely new live musical project for television.
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Source: Variety
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