What does Julie Andrews think of NBC's upcoming Sound of Music telecast, and will she be in it? These seem to be the big questions on fans’ minds since the announcement of the live event. Well, the film’s original Maria von Trapp broke her silence in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal in which she answered all these questions and more.
“Listen, how long ago was it out? Fifty something years ago? Forty-eight years, probably time that a remake is allowed,” Andrews said when asked if she gives the production her seal of approval. “Why not? Cinderella has been done, Mary Poppins has been put on stage in the theater. It’s all part of the process of those wonderful properties going out and reaching another audience.” (Dame Julie expressed a similar sentiment about her work's longevity to Stephen Colbert.)
Can fans expect Andrews to appear in the made-for-TV movie? “No, I won’t be in it," the Oscar winner simply said, "but I do endorse everything. I mean why not?”
In addition to looking forward to the final product, Andrews also expressed her interest in meeting country superstar Carrie Underwood, who will take on the nun-turned-nanny in the musical. “I don’t know her, and I would love to know her,” Andrews said of the Grammy winner. “And maybe I will.”
The Sound of Music premiered on Broadway in 1959 and became a success, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1965 film version, starring Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won the Oscar for Best Picture.