The three-hour live production of “The Sound of Music”, based on the popular Broadway classic by Rodgers and Hammerstein, premiered Thursday, December 5th, on NBC WNYT. The limited one-night-only performance was broadcast from Stage 3 in Bethpage, Long Island’s Grumman Studios.
The owner of Grumman Studios, Parviz Farahzad, thanked the executives at NBCUniversal, and the directors, producers, cast and crew for their vision. “It was a pleasure to host ‘The Sound of Music Live!’ Carrie, Stephen, Audra, Christian, Laura, and the rest of the cast were brilliant. The crew was invested in every aspect of the performance, and it showed on Thursday. We look forward to having NBCUniversal back at Grumman Studios soon.”

Grumman Studios, a 400,000 square foot facility in Long Island, has been home to productions such as Salt, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Dictator, The Winter’s Tale, and several TV pilots and commercials. As a qualified New York State production facility, projects shot at Grumman Studios are eligible for a 30% tax credit from New York State.

Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer starred in the performance of “The Sound of Music” as Maria and Captain von Trapp. The beloved story of a young novice who falls in love with the Captain and his seven children, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria, can now add its name to the growing list of productions choosing New York to film in, specifically, Grumman Studios in Long Island.

“To have a production of that size, and a project with that kind of history choose Grumman Studios as the place to actualize it, is very special,” said Mr. Farahzad. The last time a network broadcast a live musical was “Cinderella” in 1957.