"The Sound of Music" lives on, with a live 2013 version set to air on NBC on Thursday night. Carrie Underwood stars in the iconic musical, but is the network eager to see the program's TV ratings?

According to the Los Angeles Times, the three-hour televised version of the 1959 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about the fictional Von Trapp family will feature the country music megastar in the  role of free-spirited nun-turned-governess Maria.

The musical is known for its beautiful, sweet-sounding songs. And this version is expected to showcase the music, along with showing the characters' precise choreography.

The process to preparing for the musical numbers, and learning the dance steps for the live telecast hasn't come without hard work.

Underwood, along with the cast, has gone through several rehearsals, including perfecting the musical's opening number. The actors and actresses had long days learning camera-blocking, a process involving the cast and crew working out all their on-camera movements.

When the special airs on NBC, there will be no do-overs.

"We told everybody, 'Just keep going, no matter what happens. You can't start over,'" said Craig Zadan, who is producing the show with his creative partner, Neil Meron. 

The network is stepping out on a lim with doing the musical. 

"I think networks are searching more and more for the things that will attract people to watching TV as it happens," said Meron. "We've been looking at the direction of where appointment television was going and from our point of view it seemed the thing that was attracting the most eyeballs was live TV."

NBC first announced "The Sound of Music" remake of the 1965 musical last year. But the cast wasn't going to re-do the movie.

"In the beginning I was like, 'You gotta help me out here!:" said Underwood. "Everyone thinks we're doing the movie and I'm getting hate tweets.' And I would have felt the same way, even if I wouldn't have sent hate mail about it. So that's been a challenge, helping people understand."

"The Sound of Music" airs live on NBC  at 8 p.m. on Thursday. 

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