As I sat at my television, hands covering my eyes, I have to admit I was terrified. When I heard that Lady Gaga was performing at all, I was generally concerned but to hear that she would be honoring a classic had me preparing for the worst.

I’m not saying that Lady Gaga is a terrible performer—quite the opposite—but you have to admit, some of her performances have been theatrical to the point of being frightening. From gaudy outfits to taboo backup dancers, Gaga has done it all and shocked the world every single time. To my surprise, she shocked the world again; not from her stage show but from her voice alone.

Honoring the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of the film (March 2, to be exact), Gaga performed a medley to The Sound of Music.

The iconic musical has seen itself transform from book to Broadway to silver screen and everything in between. Most recently, The Sound of Music was brought to television for a live performance in 2013 staring Carrie Underwood as Maria, starting a series of live Broadway broadcasts, like Peter Pan, and talks of future productions as well.

Songs in the medley included “The Hills are Alive,” “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”

The set up was simple and elegant, with fog and trees creating a mysterious atmosphere. Gaga then appeared out of the fog in an elegant white dress that was absolutely breathtaking, much more appealing than the stiff glittered frock she wore down the red carpet. Her voice was pure and theatrical in all the right ways, like she was born to perform on the Great White Way. It was so refreshing to see her showcase just her voice. The whole performance was muted, but in the best way. I felt like I could close my eyes and see the movie playing out in front of me.

As much as I’ve loved the crazy, over-the-top Gaga for the past couple of years, seeing her perform like this and with Tony Bennett, just seeing her calm down, has made me appreciate her even more.

I really hope that this is a direction that she’s planning on following for a while. It would be nice to see her settle down and show the world that she’s more than just the crazy act she puts on. She’s an amazing singer and truly a brilliant artist.