How NBC Brought Live Musicals Back to Television

In 2011, NBC was in a rough shape. The network had struggled in the waning years under General Electric’s ownership. In January 2011, Comcast became the majority shareholder, and with it came a new leadership regime for NBC Entertainment, led by industry veteran Bob Greenblatt.

One of Greenblatt’s big ideas to liven up NBC’s schedule was to lean in to the network’s roots as the home of great entertainment specials and spectacles. NBC carried what was a landmark moment for Broadway on TV in March 1955 with its live telecast of Mary Martin performing her signature role in the beloved Comden and Green tuner. It was a smash in the Trendex ratings of the day.

Greenblatt’s experience as a Broadway producer gave him the confidence to take on “The Sound of Music Live” with the help of veteran producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Carrie Underwood was cast as Maria, Stephen Moyer was tapped as Capt. Von Trapp. The “Sound of Music” team spent money and time setting up an elaborate made-for-live-TV production that would be beamed live from a Grumman Studios soundstage on Long Island.

Nobody — not even Greenblatt, Zadan or Meron — quite knew what NBC had until the opening moments of the production on Dec. 5, 2013. Within minutes, fans ranging from Tina Fey to Cameron Diaz to everyday people who love tuners were chiming in on Twitter with posts noting the joy of singing along with the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein standard.

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Greenblatt credits the late producer Zadan and his longtime partner Meron for picking “Sound of Music” as the one to roll the dice on.

“They thought it could bring in a huge audience since it’s beloved by adults and children and is constantly being produced all over the world,” Greenblatt says. “We had no idea how to even produce a live musical or how we could market it since it there hadn’t been anything like it in decades. But everyone at the network got excited about it and came together to turn it into a powerhouse.”

“Sound of Music Live” delivered an astounding 18 million-plus viewers — well past the hope internally that it would reach at least 10 million. It became a milestone in NBC’s revival, and it revved up the strategy to emphasize crowd-pleasing live events to reinforce the network’s prominence as a platform that reaches every corner of the U.S.

The success of “Sound of Music” allowed NBC to produce four more live tuners during Greenblatt’s time at the helm of the network. (There was one that got away — a planned production of “Bye Bye Birdie” toplined by Jennifer Lopez never came to fruition in 2017.)

“Peter Pan Live,” starring Allison Williams and Christopher Walken. Airdate: Dec. 2, 2014

“The Wiz Live,” starring Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and ingenue Shanice Williams. Airdate: Dec. 3, 2015

“Hairspray Live,” starring Marissa Jaret Winokur and Derek Hough. Airdate: Dec. 7, 2016

“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles. Airdate: April 1, 2018

Here’s a look at Variety’s coverage, starting with a ratings report for the original 1955 “Peter Pan” presentation with Mary Martin. This clip — which notes that NBC’s “two-hour colorcast” walloped the competition, sending CBS’ “I Love Lucy” to an all-time low rating — ran on March 9, 1955, two days after NBC’s triumph.

“The Sound of Music Live!” caught the TV industry by surprise, as noted in this report from Dec. 13, 2013. The program earned six Emmy nominations (and one win) as the it pushed the envelope on live music production, as covered in this story from Aug. 12, 2014.

“The Sound of Music Live” nabbed six Emmy nominations and one win. The artistry of the presentation was examined in this story that ran Aug. 12, 2014.

The following year, there was much more buildup to the production of “Peter Pan Live,” including a Variety set visit preview story that ran Nov. 25, 2014.

Variety also was there the following year for the final dress rehearsal of “The Wiz,” as covered in this report published on the morning of the live telecast in 2015.

“Hairspray Live” may have been set in Baltimore but it was produced out of the Universal lot in North Hollywood. Once again, Variety was there for this curtain-raiser story published on Dec. 7, 2016.

“Jesus Christ Superstar Live” marked a moment of triumph for the aptly-named John Legend, who gave his all in the lead role to entertain and inspire America on Easter Sunday 2018. The technical feats of the production were chronicled in this Variety Artisans preview report from March 25, 2018.

The chance to bring a bit of Broadway-style razzle-dazzle to the airwaves was extremely gratifying to Greenblatt, who produced the Broadway tuner “9 to 5: The Musical” with Dolly Parton in 2009 and has been involved with many other shows. The buzz NBC generated with its adventurous live productions inspired other networks embrace the form — the sincerest form of flattery in TV. Fox staged live renditions of “Grease” in 2016 and “Rent” in 2019.

“I was gratified that our big risk paid off, and I think the live musicals have become part of NBC’s [modern] legacy alongside Must-See TV, Dick Wolf dramas and the Olympics,” Greenblatt says. “The other networks jumped on board too, which was the best sign of success.”

Greenblatt’s time at NBC ended in the fall of 2018. The five live musical productions that the network delivered on his watch are among his proudest accomplishments. And he’s not done yet.

“At this very moment, I’m talking to NBC and ABC about producing a brand new live musical,” Greenblatt says. “Long may they live!”