[2] Carr was studying speech therapy and philosophy at San Fernando Valley State College[5] when a friend arranged for her to audition for a role in The Sound of Music.

In a newspaper article published November 9, 1964, Carr related the story behind the tryout as follows: I was going to college and getting extra spending money by modeling in fashion shows in one of the stores.

One of the girls who modeled with me knew that Robert Wise, producer-director of The Sound of Music had been conducting a four-month search for someone to play the part of 16-year-old Liesl.

[6] She won the role of Liesl over Geraldine Chaplin, Kim Darby, Patty Duke, Shelley Fabares, Teri Garr, Mia Farrow, and Lesley Ann Warren.

[2] She then appeared in Evening Primrose, a one-hour musical written by Stephen Sondheim which aired on ABC Stage 67 in 1966.