Xanadu-wacked and family friendly for the most part.
Your A Good Man, Charlie Brown, with Sean Hayes as Snoopy.
My Fair Lady would be neat. With Kanye West and Lady Gaga.
J/K about the second sentence.
Street Scene by Kurt Weill and Langston Hughes needs a modern televised production. It’s a brilliant show with a lot of soap opera elements and social commentary in it, and some of the songs are absolutely wonderful. Hell, it’d be worth it just to see a decent performance of “Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed” (it really ought to be Jane Krakowski’s signature number but Mae is supposed to be a teenager - sorry Jane!).
I occasionally hold out hope for seeing a revival of Chess - the songs are phenomenal but the plot is hopeless and depressing (in every version).
And with each passing year distancing us from the Cold War era, the less sense the plot and atmosphere of Chess makes…
If NBC does this again–and given the ratings for “Sound of Music” they’ll do it at least one more time–they’re going to stick to the formula and go with something safe and mostly family-friendly. That, however, rules out not only most recent musicals but many from Broadway’s classic period (i.e., the 1940s through the late 60s).
Unfortunately, unless it’s done as a 1940s period piece, it’s also very dated politically. That was the main problem with the 1968 film version. Also, most people are not familiar with the play so there’s no widespread cultural recognition like there is with “Sound of Music”.
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West Side Story
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People are certainly familiar with this one but the story and ending are too downbeat. Also, because it’s a very dance-heavy musical, it would only multiply exponentially the list of things that could wrong during a live TV production. It’s just too risky.
“Carousel”
Let’s see, there’s domestic abuse, worker exploitation, class warfare, poverty, violent crime, and an anti-heroic protagonist who keeps screwing up his chances for redemption. That sounds like cheery holiday family fun. (Incidentally, the fact a musical adaptation of “Liliom” ended up being done by Rogers and Hammerstein rather than Brecht and Weill is one of the stranger outcomes in show business history.)
“South Pacific”
It wasn’t a live version, but this was done by ABC with Harry Connick Jr. just a few years ago. Too soon. (Likewise, “Bye Bye Birdie” and “The Music Man”).
“Guys and Dolls”
Since it’s about petty criminals in 1940s New York and has some mildly risqué elements, it’s probably not family-friendly enough.
“How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying”
This one might be a candidate but I think the network might be concerned about much of the satiric humor about business (and sexism) in the early 1960s going over the heads of younger viewers (i.e., those born after 1975). Of course, if these same viewers also watch “Mad Men”, they’d probably get the jokes.
“Oklahoma”
This was just done on PBS’ “Great Performances” about a month ago. In any case, while people are familiar with it, there are just too many dark elements in the play (e.g., the sub-plot with Jud) for NBC to put it on.
Anyway, in my view, that leaves two possible safe candidates: “Hello Dolly” and “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Avenue Q done Muppets-style where you don’t see the actors at all.
Probably too racy for Prime Time though.
“Given your last great idea, boss, why not cast Carrie Underwood as Mary Poppins?”
Wait, you rule out Oklahoma as too dark, but Fiddler is OK? Cheery ole anti-Semitisim in Tsarist Russia? 
I also disagree that family-friendly has to mean old. Here’s some modern shows that would fit the bill:
I like the suggestion upthread of The Drowsy Chaperone. I also think that some of the Disney properties like The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast would lend themselves well to this kind of treatment; very family-friendly. In a similar vein, Suessical is great fun, the Shrek musical version was better than you think, as was (don’t laugh) Bring it On, for realz.
Better that than casting her as Maria in “West Side Story” (which I wouldn’t be surprised they suggest first).
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Wait, you rule out Oklahoma as too dark, but Fiddler is OK? Cheery ole anti-Semitisim in Tsarist Russia?
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And “The Sound of Music” has frickin’ Nazis in it. How much darker can you get than that?
What I meant “dark” in the case of “Oklahoma” is that the character of Jud has a distinct rapist vibe to him and NBC might consider that too much for a family-friendly broadcast.
A Chorus Line - the Broadway show was amazing, the movie version sucked turkeys big time!
42nd Street - a big Broadway show with non-stop dancing and singing - get the right people from Broadway and it could be fun.
Funny Girl - what the hell, let Lea Michele (Rachel from Glee) go ahead and do it for real - the entire show. You know she has been itching to play the role forever.
How about “Camelot”, “Grease”, and “Oliver!”
Any Disney properties would probably be prohibitively expensive (for NBC), as would anything that Broadway is still making money on.
Betcha folks would tune in hoping to see Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark go wrong.
You mean like this College Humour ad?
Little Shop of Horrors, absolutely.
Nope. The joy of Avenue Q is watching the actors who voice the puppets. They imitate their faces perfectly. I don’t think it would be the same on tape.
Boy from Oz, and only if Jackman agrees to do it.
First, he ones I’d love to see but that probably aren’t going to happen.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers…………great dancing, all the kidnapping, attempted rape and Stockholm Syndrome themes would get in the way of new-fashioned politically correct family entertainment.
Ditto for Oklahoma , the whole vigilante justice thing would put a damper on the family entertainment evening.
Both would have been way better choices for Carrie Underwood, though.
I think the key to pulling off the soundstage spectacular is “family friendliness, something parents are going to watch with the kids. As much as I would like to see the classics like Carousel, ShowBoat , West Side Story, Camelot, My Fair Lady and ***Guys and Dolls ***there’s nary a kid in sight and I can’t imagine Mom and Dad corralling the kids into a holiday evening in front of the TV watching any of those.
South Pacific is my first runner –up. Patriotism goes over well these days as does the theme of racial tolerance. And if you’re going to feature an American singer with no acting training…….at least the lead female character IS an American girl. The issues are the female lead is a racist American girl ( although she reforms at the end – and the kiddie count is a little low ( usually two ) so there are no musical numbers with rows of dancing children. But you do have the great number with the coconut bra.
And the winner is…………………………………………………………
The King and I
It has it all. It really the Sound of Music all over again. Family friendliness, a classic heartwarming story of a child care worker that makes a difference. Scads and scads of dancing and singing kids, over the top lavish costumes and scenery, non-controversial moral message ( slavery is bad). I look forward to seeing it next year.
I think you’re right. They’ll probably even bring back Carrie Underwood.
Unfortunately, you’re probably right. However, I’d like to see them get the “star power” by casting a big name ( and physically large) rap singer in the Yule Brenner role. I’m old so I don’t have a name to recommend but conceptually it would be seriously cool and might open musical comedy viewership to a whole new audience.
I’d love to see The Drowsy Chaperone. Or Avenue Q, but that wouldn’t be on broadcast TV.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Wicked yet.
In the other thread, I mentioned Guys & Dolls, Little Shop, and the Drowsy Chaperone. I think they’d all work and be appropriately family friendly and accessible for primetime TV. As would, (and I hate to say it) CATS. Maybe “On the Town,” too.
I’d add the Music Man (if it had not just been done a few years ago) or Annie (if the Jay-Z/Will Smith remake wasn’t about to happen).
I’d love to see “Once on this Island” but it would have to be done carefully and no one’s ever heard of it. But I think it would work well in a Live-on-TV format.
I’d have a different list if we were talking about a made for TV Movie musical.