VON TRAPP CHILDREN CAST FOR NBC'S TELECAST OF "THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE!"

Seven Talented Young Actors Win Coveted Spots Opposite Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Nov 1, 2013 - After an exhaustive nationwide search, seven talented young actors have won the coveted roles of the von Trapp children in NBC's musical production of "The Sound of Music Live!"

The three-hour telecast airs Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

"The Sound of Music Live!" stars six-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood as Maria and "True Blood" star Stephen Moyer as Capt. Georg von Trapp. Moyer recently headlined in the stage version of the musical "Chicago" at the Hollywood Bowl.

Also co-starring are Tony Award winners Audra McDonald (Mother Abbess), Laura Benanti (Elsa Schrader) and Christian Borle (Max Dettweiler).

The young cast set to play the von Trapp children are Ariane Rinehart (Liesl), Michael Nigro (Fredrich), Ella Watts-Gorman (Louisa), Joe West (Kurt), Sophia Caruso (Brigitta), Grace Rundhaug (Marta) and Peyton Ella as young Gretl.

The live holiday spectacular is based on the original 1959 Broadway production of "The Sound of Music," starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The iconic story centers on a young woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the seven children of a naval officer widower.

"The Sound of Music Live!" is executive produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan. Beth McCarthy-Miller and Rob Ashford serve as co-directors. "The Sound of Music Live!" is produced by Universal Television.