VIDEO: Meet NBC's Winning SOUND OF MUSIC Family!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After reviewing a host of submissions, this morning NBC's TODAY show revealed the winning SOUND OF MUSIC family, The Willis family from Ashland City, TN. The clan will now perform live on The Today Show plaza this Friday! The appearance is in anticipation of NBC airing a special live version of "The Sound of Music" on Dec. 5.

In order to be considered, families had to perform a variety of styles of songs and arrangements, and contain some members who were younger than 18. Two videos and an essay had to be submitted. In the first video, contestants explained why they love "The Sound of Music" and talked about their singing background. In the second video, families sent an audition of them singing.

On December 5th, NBC will air a three-hour live production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, starring six-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood as Maria von Trapp. The cast features Audra McDonald ("Private Practice"), who has won five Tony Awards and two Grammys, as Mother Abbess; Stephen Moyer ("True Blood"), who will play Capt. Georg von Trapp; Tony Award winner Christian Borle ("Smash"), who will portray von Trapp family friend Max Detweiler; and Tony winner Laura Benanti ("Go On"), who will portray Elsa Schrader, the captain's one-time fiancee.

"The Sound of Music," music from the NBC Television event, will include studio recordings for all of the musical numbers that are performed by the cast members in the live broadcast, including Rodgers and Hammerstein favorites "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," among others.

Executive producers for the telecast are Neil Meron and Craig Zadan ("Smash," "The Academy Awards"). Directors are Rob Ashford ("Evita") and Beth McCarthy-Miller ("30 Rock"). David Chase ("Cinderella") serves as musical director.The soundtrack is licensed through the NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group.

To post a comment, you must register and login.