The Sound Of Music as a play has been done to death, surely no one can breathe new life into the character of nun gone wild Maria. Well, NBC think they’ve found someone capable of it; none other than American Idol alumni and bona fide country music smash hit Carrie Underwood!

The Daily Mail reports that the network will be putting out the live special of The Sound Of Music that’ll air around the holiday period of next year. Underwood will be playing the role first made famous by the great Julie Andrews and it will provide a significant step up in her acting profile. The star’s past experience is relatively limited, having had a small part in the 2011 film The Soul Surfer. She’s also co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards for five years, though we’re not sure if that’s going provide her with any help for the forthcoming role. Her singing certainly will though, and it’ll be a treat to hear her belt out the many classics from The Sound Of Music.

Although Julie Andrews might be the name forever synonymous with the role of Maria Von Trappe, the play actually debuted six years before the 1965 film, playing on Broadway in 1959.