Diane Sawyer and Julie Andrews travel to Salzburg to explore the family and the story behind the beloved, Oscar-winning musical The Sound of Music.
ABC’s 20/20 will present a special hour celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music on Wednesday March 18, at 10pm ET/PT.
Diane Sawyer travels to Austria with the film’s star Dame Julie Andrews to explore the real story behind the beloved, Oscar-winning Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and retrace the steps of the real-life von Trapp family, including the house where Maria von Trapp lived and the train station where the family made its final escape from the Nazis. Mother Abbess of the Nonnberg Abbey and Christopher Plummer also weigh in on their feelings about the film and Plummer discusses his and Andrews’ close bond.
When the film premiered in 1965, its tale of family unity and hope in the face of extreme adversity resonated with an American population in turmoil over the realities of the Vietnam War and the bloodshed in Selma, Ala. Sawyer and Andrews delve into this historical context and its lasting impact on the cultural spectrum — as evidenced by the love Lady Gaga gave Andrews and the film at the 2015 Oscars.
Throughout the hour, Andrews shares stories about her real life and what it was like to live in the skin of the beloved Maria, and talks about her favorite and least favorite songs from the film.
The special also takes viewers on a memorable visit to such Sounds of Music landmarks including the meadow, fountain, gazebo, Mirabell Gardens and St. Michael’s Church, and Sawyer combs through photographs and video from the set and of the real von Trapps.
20/20: “The Untold Story of ‘The Sound of Music’” premieres Wednesday, March 18 at 10pm ET on ABC.
Images/video: ABC