'The Sound of Music Live!': Take a peek at dress rehearsal -- PHOTOS

The nation is gearing up for perhaps the most important cultural event of our time: NBC’s live broadcast of The Sound of Music, starring Carrie Underwood as musical theater’s favorite governess (a title that is perhaps more competitive than you’d think).

The must-watch event hits your TV on Thursday at 8 pm ET, and surely you’ve already programmed your DVR accordingly. If you haven’t been voraciously listening to the album on Spotify (and cried copious nun-related tears thanks to Audra McDonald’s “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”), EW’s got another exciting exclusive to appease your Austro-Hungarian appetite.

Check out these great exclusive photos from Tuesday’s dress rehearsal, which is the closest thing you’ll get to the real deal until Thursday night’s extravaganza. Feast your eyes on McDonald and the nuns singing “Maria”, Underwood getting cozy with Stephen Moyer’s Captain Von Trapp, and the Von Trapp children singing “So Long Farewell,” arguably one of Broadway’s best child-based bedtime numbers.

Come Thursday night, prepare your jam and bread — and other Sound of Music viewing party essentials — and join some of EW.com’s staff for a live-blog event!