It has been confirmed President Barack Obama will visit Walt Disney World during a planned trip to Orlando on Thursday, according to a White House aide. There, he will “unveil a strategy that will significantly help boost tourism and travel,” the aide added.

Obama’s speech is said to take place inside the Magic Kingdom between noon and 2 p.m., using Cinderella Castle and Main Street USA as a backdrop.

For more details see below.

• President Obama confirmed to visit Walt Disney World on Thursday to discuss economy, tourism – Inside the magic

So what does that mean for you? Unless you are really into the President I would probably avoid the Magic Kingdom on Thursday. Not to mention all the extra security at the gate will really slow down getting in the park considerably.

Related articles

• Disney Hollywood Studios gets Fireworks and Obama visits Magic Kingdom (chipandco.com)

Johnny Depp and Rob Marshall

Rob Marshall is set to direct a film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical “Into the Woods,” featuring Stephen Sondheim’s original music, for The Walt Disney Studios, to be produced by Marshall and John DeLuca through their production company LUCAMAR Productions. James Lapine, who wrote the stage musical with Stephen Sondheim, will adapt for the screen.

The project is in development under a new multi-year producing deal between Disney and LUCAMAR.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine on this extraordinary and inspiring work,” said Rob Marshall and John DeLuca. “We are greatly looking forward to continuing our creative and rewarding relationship with Rich Ross, Sean Bailey and the ever supportive team at Disney.”

“Rob Marshall brought his signature flair to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ with tremendous results and he is the perfect person to bring ‘Into the Woods’ to the screen,” Studio Chairman Rich Ross and President of Production Sean Bailey said in a statement. “We’ve loved working with Rob, and this is a great start to our collaboration with LUCAMAR.”

Rob Marshall most recently directed Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which earned over $1 billion at the global box office and is the #8 highest grossing film of all time, the #3 film of 2011, and Disney’s biggest overseas release ever. It was the first “Pirates” film to be shot in 3D and the first major production at any studio to be shot in 3D on location. Marshall’s critically acclaimed stage musical adaptation “Chicago” (2002) grossed over $300 million worldwide and was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning six including best picture, with Marshall earning a nomination for best director. It also won the Golden Globe for best comedy/musical. His other feature films include “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005), winner of three Academy Awards, and “Nine” (2009), which was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes. Marshall is a four-time Emmy Award winner and a six-time Tony Award nominee, including choreographing and co-directing the 1998 Broadway revival of “Cabaret.”

“Into the Woods” weaves together the story of several of the most beloved fairytales (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel) into the original story of a Baker and his wife who try to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests and their desire for “happily ever after.” With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book and direction by James Lapine, “Into the Woods” earned 10 nominations at the 1988 Tony Awards, winning three including best score and best book of a musical. The 2002 Broadway revival won a Tony for best revival of a musical.

Sondheim and Lapine’s other collaborations include 1984’s Tony-winning “Sunday in the Park With George,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and 1994’s “Passion,” winner of four Tonys including best musical. Sondheim has won eight Tony Awards, more than any other composer, as well as several Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, while Lapine has earned seven Tony nominations for direction and is a three-time winner (out of four nominations) for best book of a musical.

LUCAMAR most recently produced the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Nine,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard, which was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes. LUCAMAR also produced the star-studded, NBC television event “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” which won seven Emmy Awards, the most of any nominated show that season. The company is headed by co-presidents Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, with Michael Zimmer serving as director of development.

Related articles

• Rob Marshall and Disney to Bring Into the Woods to the Big Screen (chipandco.com)

Disney Publishing Worldwide recently announced that two more storybook app titles based on the original Marvel Origins series will join “The Amazing Spider-Man: An Origin Story” app, which launched last month. The new titles, both narrated by comic book legend Stan Lee, include “Avengers Origins: Hulk” and “Avengers Origins: Assemble!” which will be available for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch in February 2012.

The “Avengers Origins: Hulk” action-packed app tells the story of how Dr. Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk and the pursuit of the U.S. armed forces against Banner/Hulk. Through thrilling tap-and-play animation and interactive games, readers are able to experience Banner’s transformation first-hand. The “Avengers Origins: Assemble!” app brings to life the team of Super Heroes we’ve all come to know and love with Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp, Thor, and Captain America. In both apps, Lee lends his iconic voice in “Read to Me” mode, which is one of four reading modes that cater to a variety of reading levels. The two new interactive storybook apps narrated by comic book legend Stan Lee join “The Amazing Spider-Man: An Origin Story” app, which was rated one of the “10 Favorite Apps of 2011” by Entertainment Weekly.

“Avengers Origins: Hulk” and “Avengers Origins: Assemble!” will launch in February 2012 in the App Store on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

For more information, visit http://disneybookapps.com and www.facebook.com/DisneyReads, or follow @DisneyReads on Twitter.

Related articles

• Stan Lee Narrates New Spider-Man Storybook App from Disney Publishing’s Marvel Origins Series (chipandco.com)
• Disney Announces First Printing of Rick Riordan’s ‘The Serpent’s Shadow’ (chipandco.com)

The internet is buzzing yet again regarding George Lucas’ Star Wars television project. Prequels producer Rick McCallum, called the live-action series “Star Wars: Underworld” in a recent interview with IGN. This project has been in the pre-production phase now for several years and is said to take place during the time spanning “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” (while Luke and Leia are growing up).

McCallum and Lucas have gone on record as saying that Lucasfilm would like to finance the project themselves instead of networks holding interest of the project. They are also developing new technologies in terms of productions to keep to a television budget.

Lucas and company are currently working on the highly successful “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” animated series for Cartoon Network and will be releasing his long awaited “Red Tails” World War II drama January 20th. Also in development is “Star Wars: Detours” a project being developed with Seth Green (Robot Chicken). “Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D” will hit theaters on February 10, 2012.

Lucy Hale (“Pretty Little Liars”) and Megan Park (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) star in the television world premiere of “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song.” The two-hour movie premieres on ABC Family January 22, 2012 at 8pm ET/PT. “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song” marks the third installment of the successful franchise. The second movie, “Another Cinderella Story” is ABC Family’s No. 2 original movie of all time.

It’s a modern and enchanting twist on an enduring classic. Katie (Lucy Hale of “Pretty Little Liars”) dreams of being a recording artist, but is continually thwarted by her cruel stepmother (Missi Pyle) and stepsister (Megan Park of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”). When Katie falls hard for Luke (Freddie Stroma), the new boy at her Performing Arts school, she tries to get his attention with her singing. But when her stepsister takes credit for Katie’s amazing voice and Luke falls for the wrong girl, Katie must learn to stand up for her dreams before her stepmother forces Katie to sing Luke into the arms of her wicked stepsister.

The movie is directed by Damon Santostefano and is written by Erik Patterson and Jessica Scott. It was executive produced by Dylan Sellers, Ilyssa Goodman, Michelle Johnston and Clifford Werber.

“A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song” is available on DVD. The film can also be purchased for permanent download or rented on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles.

I recently had an opportunity to chat with Andie MacDowell, star of the new ABC Family original series Jane By Design airing Tuesdays, at 9/8c. I had been a big fan of her work in films like Groundhog Day and Green Card and by the looks of things viewers will be in for a treat seeing her at work in Jane By Design.

Andie MacDowell has established herself as an accomplished actress with worldwide recognition. She was recently seen on the big screen in the heartbreaking true story of the Abbate family, The 5th Quarter, Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez and Leighton Meester, and the highly anticipated reboot of Footloose. She has also completed production on the indie feature Mighty Fine with Chazz Palminteri and her own daughter Rainey Qualley. On TV, MacDowell previously starred in back-to-back telefilms, At Risk and The Front, both based on Patricia Cornwell crime novels. She earned praise for her performance in the Emmy-nominated, HBO original film, Dinner with Friends. Additionally she co-starred with Rosie O’Donnell in the CBS telefilm Riding the Bus with My Sister, directed by Anjelica Huston.

Other dramatic feature performances include The End of Violence, directed by Wim Wenders, which was selected to screen at the opening of the 50th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival; Robert Altman’s The Player and Short Cuts, for which the cast earned a special Golden Globe Award for Best Ensemble; Unstrung Heroes, directed by Diane Keaton and the ever-popular St. Elmo’s Fire.

MacDowell earned the worldwide title of #1 female box-office draw with her performances in the smash hit romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, and the western Bad Girls with Drew Barrymore. She also starred in the holiday classic Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. In other comedies MacDowell continued to partner with top leading men including Gerard Depardieu in Green Card, for which she again earned a Golden Globe nomination, Michael Keaton in Multiplicity, and John Travolta in Michael.

She first received critical acclaim and accolades for her performance as a repressed young wife in Steven Soderbergh’s sex, lies and videotape. The film won the Palme d’or at Cannes and garnered MacDowell the Independent Spirit Award and the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actress as well as her first Golden Globe nomination. Additionally, she has been presented with the coveted Cesar D’Honneur for her body of work, the Golden Kamera Award from Germany’s Horzu Publications and the Taormina Arte Award for Cinematic Excellence.

For her philanthropic work, MacDowell was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Lander University and received an Honor of the Arts from Winthrop College. This year also marks the 25th Anniversary of MacDowell’s relationship with L’Oreal Paris, for which she serves as international spokesperson.

Aljon Go: In your own career, what have you learned after working with people like your character Gray Chandler?

Andie MacDowell: The thing of it is that I think if Gray were a man people probably wouldn’t judge her so harshly. They were used to having men being this powerful and this strong. You might think he was a jerk too though. That’s true.

But I have learned from working with a lot of women that have to fight for their position. I think a lot of times she’s justified in her behavior, and then a lot of times she crosses over a little bit.

I’ve met some pretty wild people in my life. I started in the fashion business, and I’ve been working in an industry where you meet all kinds of people. So I have a lot of resources I would say from my historical time in life.

Aljon Go: Based on what you’ve seen as an actress, at a high level, what do you think it takes to be a good executive assistant?

Andie MacDowell: Well I think what you expect, a lot of times, is for them to be able to think for themselves, to read your mind almost, to know you well enough to make the decisions that you would make. You expect a lot. I mean really obviously you can’t expect anybody to read your mind, but that’s sort of almost what people start to want. After a certain amount of time, you want someone that knows how you think and knows what you want; you don’t have to tell them.

Aljon Go: What was it about this particular role that made you decide to come to television?

Andie MacDowell: Well honestly I think television is just a great place to be. I think there used to be this sort of idea that film was the most prestigious thing to do. I believe that that has shifted a lot, and there’s great work to be found on TV.

I just feel really fortunate that I’ve found a place that I feel like I have something to offer. That’s important to me, to feel like I may have something unique to offer to a character that hopefully would have some kind of longevity and you could bring something to the table.

The writing is really good. That’s fun. You can’t do good work without great writing. You can’t make a bad script a good script. It’s impossible. So the writing is just fantastic, and I think the idea is a really good idea. It’s a very appealing idea.

Aljon Go: When you began working with the cast, did you find there was chemistry right away or did you guys have to spend some time gelling with each other?

Andie MacDowell: For me, it felt like I was walking into a place where each one of these kids, they know how lucky they are. You know the environment’s harder now. The world’s a difficult place right now, and finding work—when you find a job and you find a job that’s good, you’re ready to work. And that’s really the feeling I got from all of these kids. There’s nothing—they’re just very ambitious, hard working, focused, and really gifted and talented. So that’s the kind of energy I felt when I walked in.

And they were already just sort of just in the groove I would say. Here I am the seasoned actor. I’m supposed to know everything, and it was a little bit intimidating, I have to say, because they were all so good. But on the other hand, when you work with people that are really good, it makes you good. So I feel like I’m in great company.

Aljon Go: Did you look into anything or anyone in particular for inspiration for the character of Gray?

Aljon Go: I started off in the fashion business, and I worked with a lot of really great fashion editors. She’s not a fashion editor, but she is within that sort of same realm of industry. I worked with some really incredible, very powerful, very strong fashion editors. There was one in particular that sort of discovered me in way, whose name was Polly Mellen. So Polly was part of my inspiration, and then I worked a lot with Grace who is very quiet. She wouldn’t be acting like Gray, but I’m hoping there are elements, because there is something very female and lovely about her.

So I would hope that I could have some of those elements at some time, because I think anytime a character is just one—you can’t be just hard. You have to be soft and tender too somewhere because that’s only real and I don’t think anybody is all hard. And then a bunch of other people that I know that are just really strong women.

Aljon Go: How do you feel about comparisons made between a show like “Jane by Design,” and The Devil Wears Prada, for example?

Andie MacDowell: I just think that’s an easy comparison. So if you want to tell somebody what it’s like—because I’ve even used it, to tell you the truth. If you want to explain it to somebody in a nutshell kind of what the show is, you can say, “It’s not really this, but it’s kind of like that.” And that’s the truth. It’s not really that. It’s only kind of like it.

So it’s not exactly that story by any means. There’s much more to it because she has the whole high school life going on, and that is really an important part of the story. That’s one of the most powerful things of the story is being able to see the difference between these two worlds, and that wasn’t at all in The Devil Wears Prada.

So you can compare it to it because it is about an assistant and a boss and it is the fashion world. So those are really the main similarities.

Aljon Go: Would you say that you became a part of this project in part because of the message it has for young women?

Andie MacDowell: I would like to think that that’s why I did it. I have to be honest, when I saw what the message was I was already attached, but I was like, “Yes, this is good. I’m really glad that that’s what they’re saying,” because I have daughters.

Actually, I have a daughter that is modeling and going to high school, which is so funny because it’s a lot like Jane. She’s a kid and I want her to be a kid and I want her to treasure her years in high school. So I’m having to reiterate that to her all the time. And then here paralleled, at the same time, I’m working on a show that is exactly that same story, which I find fascinating that that happened. That life is like that.

Aljon Go: What is a typical day like on the set of “Jane by Design?”

Andie MacDowell: Fast. It’s very fast. We work really hard. The writers and the producers don’t have a life. They were there all the time. The kids are just great. They’re gifted and talented and smart and funny and they gave me such amazing energy. Watching Erica work was really—I can’t tell you how good she is. The kid’s great. And they all know how lucky they are. You can just see it. Rowly was really wonderful and even helpful to me. They were just sweet.

We’d hang out in tiny little trailers. Eat—they have nice food but we don’t have very long to eat. We’re changing hair really fast. We’re getting dressed really fast and we’re running back into the set. Working late at night sometimes, which is really hard when you’re my age. Having to remember your lines at midnight. But it was all fun. It was a lot of fun.

Aljon Go: What does Gray see in Jane? What is the special thing that not only makes her hire Jane but to connect and keep her around?

Andie MacDowell: I think she sees that she’s got great style, and maybe she sees a little bit of herself when she was younger, the capacity to think quick, and then something in her that is trustworthy.

Aljon Go: Are you planning on doing any more films with your daughter?

Andie MacDowell: I hope so, but we’ll just have to wait and see. At this moment, we don’t have any plans. I hope her career takes off on her own. That’s what I really hope.

Aljon Go: Did you film a lot or do you have any projects coming up when it’s done filming?

Andie MacDowell: I’m getting ready to work on something. I’m not going to talk about it yet, but I’m getting ready to work on something. We’re looking for other good things, but it’s hard. I don’t want to do just anything so I’m being patient.

Aljon Go: It’s always been a pleasure to see anything that you’ve been in.

Andie MacDowell: Thank you. It’s not always easy when you get older. You have to be patient, I think. There’s loads of work. There’s a lot more work because it’s a very youth oriented business and so I can’t take it too personal.

Be sure to see Andie MacDowell and the rest of the cast of ABC Family’s Jane By Design on Tuesdays, 9/8c on ABC Family!

Official site: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/jane-by-design

ABOUT “JANE BY DESIGN”
Jane By Design is a light-hearted drama about Jane, a teenager who lands a job at Donovan Decker, a hip fashion house, when they mistake her for an adult. Jane soon finds herself juggling life both as a regular high school student and as an assistant to a high powered executive in the cutthroat world of fashion… all while trying to keep her true identity a secret.

Jane By Design stars Erica Dasher (The Lake) as Jane Quimby; Nick Roux (Lemonade Mouth) as Billy Nutter, Rowly Dennis (Desperate Housewives) as Jeremy Jones, India De Beaufort (One Tree Hill) as India Jourdain, Meagan Tandy (10 Things I Hate About You) as Lulu Pope, Matthew Atkinson (CSI) as Nick Fadden. And featuring Andie MacDowell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) who stars as Gray Chandler Murray – Jane’s steely boss whose constant demands keep her on her toes.

*This interview was made in partnership with Sorcerer Radio and Chip and Company.

Related articles

• Official ABC Family’s Jane by Design Opening (chipandco.com)
• WDW Tiki Room Interviews Charisma Carpenter of “The Lying Game” (chipandco.com)

I recently had a chance to talk to Charisma Carpenter, star of ABC Family’s hit show “The Lying Game” which had its winter debut on January 2nd, 2012. Here’s an excerpt of our interview that will be airing on Sorcerer Radio’s “WDW Tiki Room” show 8 a.m./eastern, Friday January 6th, 2012.

Born in and raised in Las Vegas, Charisma Carpenter lived there until the age of fifteen, when her family moved to Mexico and later to San Diego. In San Diego, she attended the School of Creative and Performing Arts and was a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers. In 1992, Carpenter moved to Los Angeles. After being discovered by a commercial agent, and appearing in more than 20 commercials, her career in front of the camera began. After just two years in LA, Carpenter made her television debut in an episode of “Baywatch”, which caught the attention of “Malibu Shores” creator Aaron Spelling. Carpenter was cast as series regular, Ashley Green, in “Malibu Shores”. Though, the series ran for only one season, Carpenter caught the attention of both viewers and series creators. Subsequently, she was cast in a number of series through the late 90s and into the mid 2000s including: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel” and “Veronica Mars”. It is through Carpenter’s portrayal of the character, Cordelia Chase, for seven years on the WB’s hit show “Angel,” which she is most famously recognized. Carpenter originated the role of Cordelia Chase in Joss Whedon’s popular show “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” and when the spin off “Angel” occurred in 1999, Carpenter’s character moved to the new show. In addition to Carpenter’s vast television series work, she has also starred in a number of television movies for ABC Family, Lifetime and Syfy. Most recently Carpenter can be seen starring in feature film, The Expendables, directed by Sylvester Stallone and starring in television films: Deadly Sibling Rivalry, House of Bones on Syfy, and Obsession on Lifetime.

Aljon Go: What is it about the role that really drew you to wanting to be a part of it? Were you looking at working on  a series again?

Charisma Carpenter: I am definitely interested in finding a home, for sure. And it was not introduced to me that way. It was a recurring opportunity to be on a show and if more comes of it, it would be a welcome surprise but not my intention.

I was drawn to the complexity of a character that is not all that she seems which I’m a little bit familiar with; but not too much because Cordelia, really, from Buffy and Angel, if I were to compare the two characters, was way more up front. She was like a soothsayer. She just said what was on her mind. You always knew where you stood with things. She’ll give you advice when you don’t even want to hear it.

I think this character, Annie Rebecca Sewell, is not so forthcoming with what she’s really thinking, but you know that there are wheels spinning behind her eyes. I’m thinking this but I’m really not going to say it. And I think that also happens with age. You filter a little better.

Rebecca definitely has her filters and her radar highly tuned. She’s smarter, wiser, sophisticated. Apparently, she’s a little moneyed up. She’s lived and survived a lot, especially socially. The way she was treated when she was younger affected her in a way that either you sink or swim, and apparently she swam.

And now she’s back to these choppy waters to sort of navigate them and see what she can make out of it. I mean, I feel like her intentions are to set things right for herself mainly, but not in a vindictive, revenge way because then that gets into a whole other show altogether. I think what her intention is really is like one of her lines recently to Kristin was, “Between you and me, it is really fun to be back and turning heads.” She never turned heads in the past and she was really mistreated by her peers. So, it’s nice to come back on top. It feels good and I don’t think she’s really going to be willing to let that go anytime soon.

Aljon Go: I see you like to Tweet. What’s it like being part of the Twitter-verse getting all that immediate fan feedback?

Charisma Carpenter: You know, it’s a double-edged sword, the social media, because I’ve gotten in trouble for either announcing too soon something that the network or the studio wanted to do and it takes away from. So it is something like it’s okay to tease but I’m sort of like well, oh goodness, I said too much and I’m so sorry and I’ve had to apologize and like say, “Oops, I didn’t mean to do that.” Or what is that expression where you just, you steal some of the thunder, so to speak. You don’t mean to do that.

But, it’s hard because it’s like these are my fans and I want to give my fans what they want to hear and that is I’m on television and I’m going to be back on the show and I really want you to watch and you’re going to have fun doing it and you’re going to see more a grownup, sophisticated version of Cordelia, who you are familiar with. I think you’ll see a lot of similarities between the two, but they’re not, by any means, the same character.

Aljon Go: Did you know how popular The Lying Game was when you signed on?

Charisma Carpenter: Not at all; not at all. In fact, I had no idea what The Lying Game meant and I’m still missing the last five episodes of the first ten. So, obviously, I’ve got the first five and then I’ve got episodes ten through sixteen down, but I’m missing five there. I was given the link but I can’t get the link to work on my Mac, so I’m a little bit challenged in that regard.

I’m not that familiar with it; what it means. I’ve been exposed to it a little bit, but I don’t know in what sense it’s a game. Like why is it a game? I don’t know. I understand Sutton introduced it.

Aljon Go: How is the chemistry on the set of The Lying Game?

Charisma Carpenter: It’s one of the best sets I’ve been on. It’s probably on par with my experience on Veronica Mars. A lot of young kids with a great deal of pressure and responsibility just killing it every day. They get it. They’re appreciative. There is no diva. There is no attitude. There are no hang ups. Everybody, everybody, I mean everybody, has a fantastic outlook.

I think too, it helps like in this economy, everybody is really appreciative to be working. It’s not lost on them. It’s really a wonderful thing to see such young people taking on such huge responsibilities and jobs and hours and just do it with such grace. I really have been impressed a great deal. And Alexandra Chando without exception. She’s mid-20s and she’s not one character, two characters.

It’s a fantastic environment. The chemistry is great. The crew is great. I love working with Adrian. He’s crackly. He’s incensed; like he’s on fire. He’s like going to ignite at any moment. One little bit of accelerant and he’s just going to blow up. He’s so alive and his energy is just—it’s impossible to ignore.

Every time he’ll give you a line and you might have in your mind a way that the scene would be going or the way he would say something, but no. And then you’ll do the same thing again and it won’t be the same way either. And that, for me, just brings my level of acting up. I think for sure when you see the season, you will see it. You will see what I’m talking about. It’s an amazing work experience for me.

Aljon Go: You’ve mentioned that that Cordelia shares some similarities with your character in The Lying Game.  Could you expand on that a little bit?

Charisma Carpenter: I think they’re very spoiled in a way.  I don’t think she was always spoiled, Rebecca, I think she has sort of come into money and money changes you.  It’s sort of like a—you can feel when people, I don’t know, there’s like an arrogance that comes with it, almost.  And I think that that sort of is similar to Cordelia.  There’s this sense of entitlement.  I’ve found myself.  I’ve made myself successful and get out of my way.  And I think everything that she approaches is with intention.

I think Cordelia was very specific and very intentioned in her behavior and protective of those people in her vicinity that she grew to love and trust, but she’s a hard nut to crack, Rebecca.  We don’t really know who she has an affinity for, if anyone.  I think she will tell you the truth.  She’ll say enough to make a person uncomfortable which is very Cordelia, but she’s not as blatant as Cordelia.  I think she just says enough.

She’s like a garnish on a plate.  Cordelia with just a little bit of Cordelia in it, but she’s not Cordelia.  She’s grown and she’s sophisticated and she uses respects and she uses her resources in a way that maybe Cordelia didn’t always know to use yet.

Aljon Go: Have you had interesting stories about run-ins with your fans? 

Charisma Carpenter: Yes, I have.  I have had some fan encounters that were interesting, but most encounters are actually quite pleasant and endearing.  But it was a little unsettling when a very sweet young girl actually did pee her pants.  That was a little odd.  You hear about that happening with people like the Beatles or Michael Jackson or something like that, so it’s a little unsettling to know that that level of excitement or emotional intensity is being caused by you.

It’s a little unsettling; I mean, it’s flattering but unsettling at the same time.  I don’t know how to put it.  It’s like, “It’s just me.  It’s just me.  I’m just a person.”  It’s a little odd.  I don’t know how Justin Bieber deals.

Aljon Go: Can you tell us what it was like to work with James Marsters again on Supernatural?

Charisma Carpenter: Oh, it was a lot of fun.  What was so great about it is we didn’t spend time together at all unless he really—I never really had scenes with him, not that much and we’ve sort of been orbiting the same areas and various conventions, but when we’re acting, we don’t get to socialize.  So when we’re on set, I really feel like I got back story and I know what’s going on in his life.

I know he has a kid.  I know they love music.  I know they play together.  I know he’s involved.  I really feel like I got to connect with him and kind of talk about the old days and what was your experience and oh, this was my schedule, what was your experience and kind of share and reconnect in a trusted way.  It was really special to me.

Aljon Go: If you could go back and have this Twitter technology for just one year, or one T.V. season, from Buffy or Angel, what year or show season would you have picked?

Charisma Carpenter: Probably the third season of Buffy; my last season on Buffy.  Graduation day, I think that probably would have been a good year to be on Twitter, because we were getting ready to exit.  There would have been a lot of news to share, if I was allowed to share it is another story.  But there would have been a lot going on.  The rebar scene, some of the kooky stuff we wore, it was exciting for me.  A lot of stuff happened to me.  I knew I was jumping ship, so a lot of my character was getting some resolution with relationships in that season.

I finally got to vanquish a vampire after being a damsel in distress for three years.  So that would have been fun to tweet.  Pictures on the set with all the demons running around would have been fun.  We were on a very specific lot which we called Weeden World.  So it wasn’t on Fox or Paramount or any of that.  We had our own sort of world going on.  So that would have been interesting.

We were around on set, like we had outdoor sets, the graveyards and stuff.  I think there just would have been a lot of fun stuff to tweet from that.  On Angel we had a lot of indoor sets and things.  Angel would have been fun too, especially when Andy Hallett was around it was always fun.  It was a lot of fun too, but I just think if I had to pick one year, that would have been it.

Aljon Go: What are your favorite Christmas and holiday traditions? 

Charisma Carpenter: Well, one of my favorite traditions, which is just to my family alone, we have what’s called “ Faux Christmas” the week before Christmas with my dad and my stepmom.  Because when you have a large family like I do and we’re all married and all around the country, it’s impossible because you’re married and it’s my spouse’s family’s house this weekend or it’s this holiday or Thanksgiving. What we try to do is we, no matter what, do faux Christmas which is the week before so we can all get together either at my house or my brother’s house or my dad’s house and his wife’s house.

And then on the actual holiday, then we can go to the appropriate house for that winter.  Because we all love each other so much and we want to be together but we know that we have to split our time, so to keep together every single year we celebrate Christmas one week before.  And then we go to Australia to visit a family there.  And then my brother’s wife’s family is in Tucson, so she’ll get to stay with her mom and nobody’s left out.

Aljon Go: Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? 

Charisma Carpenter:      I do.  Some more personal than others, but I really want to practice not cussing; cursing at all.  Definitely with this job, if we get picked up and I have to stay working in Austin, to try to make a bigger effort to be more consistent with my training, working out. I have a lot of New Year’s resolutions.  More saving, make better choices in that regard.  Travel, but making  more time for the family.  More timeouts, just re-appropriate my spending.  Whatever I do, maybe whatever was important to me in my 20s, like I want to have three Fendi bags, or I want a Chloe bag, or whatever the in thing was.  Okay, let’s not buy three Fendi bags at $2200 a pop.  Let’s instead like sock that away, save it, and then oh, we have a little extra money.  Why don’t we go up to Whistler and have a family ski trip?

I want to go to Montana.  I want to spend time in Montana.  I got plans.  I want to brand out; brand out like sell out.  Who says that?  So bad.  But I want to sell out.  I want my own perfume line.  I have some ideas about beauty regimen and care and that sort of thing.  Those are the things that I think a book should be written about.  I have some stuff to say.  I got some stuff on my mind.  I would like to get started on those things.

Aljon Go: In addition to Lying Game, are there any other upcoming projects in the works for you that you can give us any clues about?

Charisma Carpenter: Yes, there is something, but I’m not allowed to say and I won’t get in trouble. I can’t get in trouble. It will be announced very soon. Let’s just say that.

Be sure to tune-in to ABC Family’s The Lying Game on Mondays, at 9/8c!

The Lying Game Official Site: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/lying-game

Hear highlights of this interview and more on Sorcerer Radio’s weekly wrap up podcast Weekend Expedition on iTunes!

*This interview is made in partnership with Sorcerer Radio, Chip and Company and ABC Family.

Related articles

• Sorcerer Radio Preview – DJ Sorcey’s NYE, Charisma Carpenter on Tiki, SR is #1 (chipandco.com)
• Sorcerer Radio Update – Happy New Year, Charisma Carpenter on WDWTR and more! (jedimouseketeer.blogspot.com)

Happy new year to you, our loyal Sorcerer Radio listeners!
2011 was a huge year for the station with new programs, air talent, partnerships, celebrity guests and events. This year Sorcerer Radio celebrated 10 years of serving the Disney fan community and we look forward to providing you with the best programming found anywhere on the web. We will also continue our innovations in terms of how you can access SR on the web so you will have many more ways to enjoy listening to us. So please continue to listen, provide feedback and request your favorite songs.

On a personal note I would like to extend a heart-felt thanks to the entire SR staff for their hard work in continually raising the bar enriches the lives of the entire Disney fan community. I look forward to this new year and as the station continues to grow I look forward toward facing the challenge as we have in the past, a family.

To our valuable sponsors and partners, thank you. With your ongoing help we are able to keep the station on the air. We look forward to working with you in the new year along with our partners at the Disney company to provide our listeners with the best possible coverage of news and events.

On behalf of Sorcerer and the entire SR staff we wish you a safe and happy new year! Thank you for your continued support. Here’s to 2012! May all your wishes come true!

Cheers!

Aljon Go
Station Manager/air-staff, Sorcerer Radio

Sorcerer Radio Maintains #1 Status

Thanks to you Sorcerer Radio is at the top of the charts again for the month of December as the most listened to fan-run Disney station on the world wide web! Be sure to check out SRSounds.com‘s App page HERE for the many ways you can listen! Spread the magic and tell your friends about Sorcerer Radio!

DJ Sorcey Rocks New Year’s Eve Disney Style

Tune in on New Year’s Eve night @ 9 PM (et) we turn up the energy on Sorcerer Radio. We’re pumping out HyperDis and the Sorcey DJ sets to get you into the New Year!
Schedule (all times eastern):
9:00 pm – HyperDis
10:00 pm – DJ Sorcey Disney Set
11:00 pm – DJ Sorcey New Year’s Party Set
12:00 am – DJ Sorcey Disney Set
1:00 am – DJ Sorcey New Year’s Party Set

Charisma Carpenter Joins the Tiki Room Nation Friday!

This Friday on WDW Tiki Room, hosts Kristen and Aljon welcome Charisma Carpenter (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel” and “Veronica Mars”) to chat about her role in the hit ABC Family show The Lying Game. Of course we will talk about her love of Disney and science fiction so tune in this Friday 1/6/12 at 8 a.m. eastern to hear all about it!

Be sure to tune-in to the Winter Premiere of ABC Family’s The Lying Game on Monday, Jan. 2 at 9/8c on ABC Family!

You can also read the interview coming soon to Chip and Company as well as hear highlights on Sorcerer Radio’s weekly wrap up podcast Weekend Expedition on iTunes!

The Lying Game Official Site: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/lying-game

For the latest news and updates from the Sorcerer Radio staff be sure to visit our NEW website SRSounds.com. There you can interact with the DJs, fellow Disney fans, request songs, shop for SR swag and stream Sorcerer Radio for FREE!

I recently had an opportunity to chat with Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc of ABC Family’s hit show “Switched at Birth” at Birth” for Sorcerer Radio’s WDW Tiki Room show. We spoke about the winter premiere that airs January 3 on ABC Family as well as the holidays. They were a blast to talk to and really have a genuine fondness for each other, their fans and their fellow cast and crew.

Aljon Go: What’s in store for your characters in the second half of season one?

Vanessa Marano: All right, I will. What’s in store for Bay Kennish in the second half of season one is she kind of is making a decision whether or not to give up street art. There is a situation that she runs into where it almost costs her something pretty major in her life and that makes her start thinking about well, is it really worth the risk of illegal activity? And decides something that—it’s an interesting thing for her because it’s a big part of her that she has only shared with the two men of her lifetime and it’s a big part of her identity that she must be losing.

Katie Leclerc: For Daphne there’s a lot of rebuilding for her and Angelo to do, or building to start. It’s not even rebuilding. She needs to get over a lot of things in regards to him and she really starts to figure out what it is she really cares about and what it is she really is going to go after.

She’s a very competitive person and I’ve also gotten to play a lot of basketball so far this season. So, that’s been a lot of fun. That comes with new friends and new lessons to learn.

Aljon Go: How your life has changed since Switched at Birth became this big phenomenon the last couple of months.

Vanessa Marano: I honestly wouldn’t say my life has changed that much, other than the fact that I have a job, which is awesome. It’s a job with fantastic, talented, wonderful people and I’m so pleased that I’m part of something that really has hit home with both the hearing community and the deaf community. So, if anything, I think my life has changed in that aspect is that I feel like I’m a part of something that people genuinely love and are genuinely caring about.

Katie Leclerc: For me, it seems quite a bit. I was working as a receptionist before this job and I was able to, literally, have my dreams come true. I was able to quit. I became successful in something that I had worked for ten years to achieve. I’ve made incredible new friends. I’ve gotten to go places and experience things that I never would have otherwise. Every day is a new lesson in gratitude.

Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc at the 2011 American Music Awards

Aljon Go: What was it like for the two of you to present at the AMAs?

Katie Leclerc: It was awesome. It was the best night ever. It was really, really fun and to get to do it with my good friend, Vanessa, was that much more special. It was super cool.

Vanessa Marano: We had the best time. We had so much fun. It was great; weirdly, because neither one of us is involved in the music industry so it was kind of almost—I feel like we were giddy to be there because it was something that we weren’t involved in, yet we were involved in because we were presenting.

Katie Leclerc: Totally giddy to be there. Totally giddy.

Aljon Go: Was it nerve wracking?

Katie Leclerc: No, it wasn’t nerve wracking. It was just exciting, I think, more than—there’s just a good energy and LMFAO was the best performance of the night, hands down. It was so much fun, so much fun.

Vanessa Marano: It was so great. We had the best time. We were not nervous, but I think at one point after we presented, totally got stuck on stage and didn’t know where to go. Like totally, like oh, okay, done with our little lines now and they’re performing and we’re still standing here.

Katie Leclerc: Yes, the poor stage manager had to like come out from behind the curtain and like wave us over to her like, come here you guys. So much fun.

Aljon Go: I see you are active on Twitter. How do you like connecting with your fans in this direct fashion?

Katie Leclerc: Sure, yes. I have to tell you, I Tweet and I love Twitter. It’s just the immediate response that is so readily accessible. I love going on and we’ll get comments from fans that are small mementos like, ‘I learned how to be patient with my deaf cousin because of Switched at Birth’, or big mementos like, ‘I understand the importance of and the need for interpreters so I changed my major to ASL because of Switched at Birth’. I mean, it’s a very broad spectrum, but I think the response has just been overwhelmingly positive and I understand why. When we working on it, I think all of us felt like we were doing something that was special and important. Now that those fans have kind of responded similarly, I’m just proud to be a part of it and thankful to have been along for the ride.

Vanessa Marano: Katie and I both did a signing at Planet Hollywood in New York and it was amazing to see the hearing fans and the deaf fans; how many of them there were and to see them together and to see each community that there is not necessarily a divide between, but both joining a program for different reasons and similar reasons. I think that that’s been the most amazing thing is that we have such a colorful group of fans because they’re hearing, they’re deaf, they’re teenage, they’re mothers, they’re male – a lot of them which is surprising. And I think that that’s great.

Aljon Go: Why do you think the show connects with so many different people?

Vanessa Marano: I think it’s because it’s so relatable. There’s a character for everybody to relate to. You’re a Daphne, you’re a Bay, you’re a Kathryn, you’re a Regina, you’re a John, you’re a Toby, and you’re an Emmett. I think that what really resonates with people is that there are so many story lines and to top it off, you’re learning about culture and community that a lot of people weren’t introduced to beforehand.

Aljon Go: What was it like to be with the entire ABC Family show casts for the Winter Wonderland  photo shoot?

Katie Leclerc: I was telling Jen, the publicist, earlier since I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to go to Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas and ice skate underneath the tree and that, in itself, was a great experience. We got to see Blair Redford, who is on The Lying Game. I love Blair and it was nice to see him. It was nice to see them again and New York in the wintertime is just a sight to see all by itself. It was a great weekend. It was a quick trip, but a great weekend.

Vanessa Marano: It was beautiful. I was so excited that none of us fell, with the exception of Constance Marie, when ice skating. I was proud of the whole ABC Family for that.

Aljon Go: Do you both have any other projects you’re working on you can mention?

Vanessa Marano: I’m kind of working in a Switched at Birth bubble right now. We’ve got 22 episodes that are coming up that we’re airing in January and 10 are airing in the summer. So, we have been working nonstop on Switched at Birth. I can plug more Switched at Birth, which I’m totally cool with doing.

Katie Leclerc: In fact, I might mention while we’re talking about plugging more Switched at Birth, our DVDs come out on the 13th of December so fans can catch up before the January 3rd premier. But, I too, am just fully dedicated to Daphne at this moment.

Vanessa Marano: And what a great Christmas gift, the Switched at Birth DVD just in time for the premiering season, right?

Aljon Go: Do you have particular routines, rituals, or things you go through, especially during the holidays, that you’d like to share?

Vanessa Marano: Okay, for the holiday season, every Christmas Eve my sister and my mom and I—they cook Christmas cookies and just bake. My mom bakes fudge and my dad actually makes like a seafood feast; like shrimp and calamari. That’s kind of our holiday tradition is Christmas Eve is cookie and seafood night. Yummy.

Katie Leclerc: My family, I think the biggest one is we’ll open Christmas presents on Christmas morning listening to the Nat King Cole album, the Christmas album. I don’t know; it’s just like a staple in our family every year.

We will do that and feast. My family loves food. We’re big eaters. So we’ll just prepare a feast and every year there’s something different. Like we’re going to try something new, but we always have cream corn as a staple, which is kind of weird because most families don’t like it, but we make a delicious one.

And then for this year, I’m super, super excited. I get to go home to San Antonio where they are now and then when we’re done doing that, Vanessa and I get to go to New York City to do New Year’s Eve on MTV Live. This year, our tradition might be a little bit untraditional. I’m really excited. Katie and Vanessa take New York, New Year’s Eve.

Vanessa Marano: Check it out. MTV.

Aljon Go: Do you both cook? Are you a budding chef in your part-time in your spare time?

Katie Leclerc: You could say that. Sure, yes. I love to cook. We, actually Vanessa and I have this great thing where she’ll come over to my apartment and I’ll cook dinner and her and my boyfriend will watch awesome reality television together. We all get to hang out and spend time together and I get to cook and that’s what I want to do so I’m perfectly happy with it.

Aljon Go: You cook and then after that you fist pump, is that what you’re telling me?

Katie Leclerc: Exactly. How’d you know?

Vanessa Marano: I cook a little bit; not by any means the amount that Katie does. I grew up in a house where my dad cooked and my mom burned things. So, I’m kind of split in the middle there.

Aljon Go: You all sound like you guys have way too much fun together and it would be great to have some viral footage out there of a Vanessa/Katie dance party/mix and mingle.

Katie Leclerc: Oh, my goodness. This sounds like it has to happen.

Aljon Go: How is your own sign vocabulary coming?

Vanessa Marano: Okay, so let’s talk really quickly about how in this upcoming season the person who does the most sign language on the show is not Constance Marie or Katie Leclerc, who’s fluent in sign language, or Sean Berdy, who is also fluent in sign language. It’s me because Bay has started to sign more with Daphne now and she signs with Emmett and, in a teaser sort of way, she’s signing a lot with Melody, Emmett’s mother as well.

So, I am doing the most sign language on the show. I don’t know how that happened, but somehow it did. That being said, Bay’s sign language is excellent. Vanessa’s sign language is getting there. I hope to be as fluent as Bay in a little bit, but as of right now, Bay is way better at sign language than I am.

Katie Leclerc: That being said, Katie and Vanessa had a private conversation in sign language unbeknownst to everyone around them the other day. That was pretty fun. We’re telling secrets, everybody.

Vanessa Marano: That might be like my driving force to really learning sign language. Not communication, secret communication.

Katie Leclerc: Right, right. That was a triumph for me; a personal goal.

Aljon Go: You guys both clearly love your characters and love working on the show. What was it about each of your characters that made you want to play them?

Katie Leclerc: I had never seen anything like what we were doing on the pages of Switched at Birth. It really resonated with me to be true and honest. Even in the pilot we talked about issues related to deaf cultures; the cochlear implants and the uphill battle and the humor that can go along with it too. Because deaf people are some of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. It just shined a light on a culture that I loved and was familiar with and wanted to share with everyone else.

Vanessa Marano: For me, the moment I truly fell in love with the script for Switched at Birth because when I read it, it was different and I’ve been doing this for a long time but whenever you’re doing a pilot you’re very skeptical. But the minute that we did the table read for the show and the words on the page that Lizzy wrote were brought to life, because she truly wrote for them to be said.

The table read flowed and was beautiful and seeing the actors sign and seeing the actors act and bring these beautiful words that were so different and were about something so unique to life was the moment that I was like, wow, this could work. This is actually going to work. And it did and people I think really responded to that, to these words that were meant to be said and were meant to be signed and to see it together is such a unique, fascinating different combination that you can’t see anywhere else.

Aljon Go: Who has made the biggest impact on you since you started working with them, either personally or professionally?

Vanessa Marano: That’s hard. That’s really hard. I don’t think I could pick one. I think our entire cast influences each other in different ways. Lea Thompson is so funny and so giving and D.W. knows so much and is so much fun to be around. Constance, too, is just so knowledgeable and giving. All three of them; so knowledgeable and so giving and so funny and just delights and professional people and absolute gems to work with.

And then on the younger spectrum, Sean is fantastic. I adore Lucas. I think he is a blast to work with, also very giving. I can’t even go into words about Katie because then I’m just going to sound like I’m obsessed with her, which I maybe kind of am. But that’s the thing I think that’s so great about our show and that people really feel about our show is that we all enjoy working together and it is a group of such talented people who have been doing this for a very long time.

I don’t think we have a newbie in the bunch. Everybody’s been doing it for over five years. Like way over five years, too, by the way. To see that, to see a group of people who know what they’re doing and love what they’re doing and really enjoy working with each other, I couldn’t be happier and I’m so fortunate to be on this set and I would not trade it for anything in the world.

Katie Leclerc: I just want to add to that by saying I think it shows on the screen. I think it shows. I think you can tell when cast members dislike each other and I think you can tell when cast members have a ball. And we, I’ve got to tell you, have so much fun every single day. I just thank my lucky stars that I get to work with the cast members that we do. And the crew members that we do as well. I mean, our show looks beautiful and it’s thanks to our lighting group guys and our GP. We’ve gotten to work with incredibly talented directors along the way.

I mean, I think we all balance each other out in a way that we all challenge each other. If you are in a scene with any one of our actors and you are phoning them in or not bringing your ‘A’ game, you look like crap because every one is so much better. I think that everybody shows up with all the skill in a bag in every department and it’s really a joy to work with everyone.

Vanessa Marano: That’s true. And I think that that’s something that the audience doesn’t really realize is how important the crew is and we were fortunate that we got a lot of our crew members back from the first ten to come back on this next twenty-two. There’s such a good rapport with everyone and such a great vibe with everyone’s talent in every single department. I think an audience doesn’t really realize that when you’re watching, there’s a whole picture there.

There is a set design. There are props. There is sound happening. The camera, making things look great. The lighting, making things look really great. It’s just so many different pieces of a puzzle, PAs queuing extras, that make a show beautiful and make a show what it is. I think every piece to our puzzle sits perfectly.

Katie Leclerc: It’s really true. I mean, we have—it’s one thing to see the names at the end of the show. It’s another thing to see the bodies that it takes and the amount of just mass that it takes. The cool thing about our crew, like Vanessa said, we got a lot of them back from the last ten episodes and a lot of them are learning sign language at the same time as working on the show. It just really creates this commonality and like a bond with everybody. Everybody is learning something new every single day. It’s so much fun.

Vanessa Marano: I’m so—and I can speak for Katie too. We are so appreciative of everyone on this show in every single department. I don’t think it would be the same show without them.

Don’t forget to tune Vanessa Marano and Katie Leclerc of ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth” for its winter premiere debuting January 3 on ABC Family.

Join hosts Kristen Hoetzel and Aljon Go on WDW Tiki Room as they discuss the series and ALL THINGS DISNEY, Fridays 8:00 a.m./eastern on Sorcerer Radio - www.SRSounds.com.

Hear Aljon’s interview with Katie and Vanessa on the Weekend Expedition Podcast, the Sorcerer Radio weekly highlight show HERE. Subscribe today on iTunes and hear more celebrity interviews, travel deals, Disney news and more HERE.

*This interview is made in partnership with Sorcerer Radio, Chip and Company and ABC Family.

Official Site: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/switched-at-birth

About Vanessa Marano (Bay Kennish):
Vanessa Marano started acting in the theater when she was seven years old, performing in numerous plays at A.C.T. in Agoura Hills, California. She began her professional career with several national commercials.

Vanessa is most recognized for her roles as April, the daughter of Luke in the highly popular show, Gilmore Girls and for the role of Francesca, the daughter of the Emmy® Award-winning Lisa Kudrow, in the HBO Original series The Comeback. Recently, she starred in Scoundrels playing the scheming, school-skipping daughter of Virginia Madsen. She has had recurring roles in shows including Dexter, Without a Trace, Trust Me and The Young and The Restless. Her guest-starring credits include Parenthood, Medium, Love Bites, Ghost Whisperer, Past Lives, Six Feet Under, Malcolm in the Middle and Grounded for Life.

Vanessa starred as a young girl who becomes a quadriplegic in the critically acclaimed television movie The Brooke Ellison Story directed by Christopher Reeve. Vanessa is working with Lucy Liu on a miniseries playing the troubled foster teenager, Immy, in Marry Me.

Her first film was the animated hit, Finding Nemo, followed by the independent films, Easy, The Clique, Stopping Power, Dear Lemon Lima and most recently The Secret Lives of Dorks.

Vanessa speaks Italian and is enrolled in her sophomore year in college

About Katie Leclerc (Daphne Vasquez):
Katie Leclerc grew up in Lakewood, Colorado, the youngest of three siblings in a close-knit family. In grade school, Katie’s spunky personality and megawatt smile won her the lead role in a production of Annie. It was in this play that Katie discovered her passion for acting, while juggling other after-school activities such as basketball, choir and dance. When her family moved to San Diego, Katie continued to pursue theatre at Valley Center High. She started booking commercials: Pepsi, Cingular, Comcast, GE. Then she got her first big break — a role on the cult favorite TV show, Veronica Mars, starring Kristen Bell.

Katie has continued to work in television. Her TV credits include The Riches, The Ex-List, and The Hard Times of RJ Berger. She starred in the feature film The Inner Circle and was also in the feature Flying By with Billy Ray Cyrus. At home, Katie loves to cook, and she’s quite excellent at it. You can often find her hiking away the calories from her sinfully delicious concoctions on one of L.A.’s hidden trails.

Katie Leclerc has Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo and tinnitus and degenerative hearing loss. Leclerc is fluent in American Sign Language.

About Switched At Birth:
Switched at Birth tells the story of two teen girls who discover that they were accidentally switched at birth. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing as a child due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a poor neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.

About WDW Tiki Room:
WDW Tiki Room, the show about all things Disney, is hosted by the husband and wife team of Aljon Go and Kristen Hoetzel. Every week they discuss Disney in pop-culture, theme parks, Disney news, celebrity interviews, Disney fan events and play the best mix of Disney artists and Disney attraction audio. The show airs every Friday morning at 8:00/eastern on Sorcerer Radio – www.SRSounds.com. For more information on Kristen and Aljon as well as on-demand playback of archived shows please visit this LINK.

About Sorcerer Radio:
If you are looking to virtually relive your recent Disney trip or dream of your next one, then Sorcerer Radio is the place for you. Sorcerer Radio is a fan-run, award-winning internet radio station that has been entertaining Disney fans for a decade! With many weeks worth of Walt Disney World park music and attraction audio, as well as Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line you can easily be transported to your favorite vacation destination anytime, while at home or at work. Sorcerer Radio stands out from the pack in our innovative programming and personalities, providing fans with DJ hosted shows every weekday morning providing a balance of Disney discussion and music. Sorcerer Radio plays a wide variety audio from the Disney universe. We also have FREE APPS for your iPhone, iPad and Droid so you can listen just about anywhere! Check out the award winning Editor’s Pick on Live365, Sorcerer Radio at SRsounds.com, All Disney music, all day long!

OneRepublic has re-created their hit music video “Good Life” and it’s a performance you won’t want to miss. The artists are making memories around some of your favorite Disney attractions at Walt Disney World Resort and they’re joined by several familiar faces, including Donald Duck on drums.

Related articles

• A ‘Towering’ New Race Through the Night at Walt Disney World Resort (chipandco.com)
• Take a Peek Inside Disney Story Rooms at Walt Disney World Resort (chipandco.com)

Continuing a tradition started by Walt Disney in 1959, this year’s Rose Bowl teams – Big Ten Conference champion Wisconsin Badgers and Pac-12 Conference champion Oregon Ducks – kicked off tournament week at Disneyland park today.

During a ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema, Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly and members of both teams were recognized by Disneyland Resort Vice President Jon Storbeck and Mickey Mouse.

While at Disneyland park, the teams also took time to have fun – enjoying Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Mad Tea Party!

Related articles

• Disney’s 2012 Promotion – One more Disney Day (chipandco.com)
• Disneyland Celebrates Three Kings Day, Jan. 6-8, 2012 (chipandco.com)

Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson and Disney Friends Share Holiday Joy December 25 on ABC-TV

Deck the castles with boughs of holly and tune in as Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida present the 28^th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” TV special that will air December 25 on ABC-TV. Hosts of the telecast are Nick Cannon and Mario Lopez, with co-host Maria Menounos.  Stars will shine and sparkle, as the Christmas Day parade telecast features four-time GRAMMY® award winning singer Christina Aguilera and headliner, teen sensation Justin Bieber.  The star-studded spectacular spreads good tidings with bicoastal performances from Academy® Award-winning actress and multi-platinum singer Jennifer Hudson, singer/songwriter and producer Cee Lo Green, platinum-record rockers OneRepublic, “American Idol” Season 10 winner and country crooner Scotty McCreery, and the McClain Sisters, featuring “A.N.T. Farm” star China Ann McClain, among others.

Guests can visit disney.com/christmasparade to learn about the special telecast, including local broadcast times and talent updates.

Celeb-rate the Holidays with Today’s Brightest Stars

(*talent subject to change)

The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade features exciting appearances from soundsational stars and many favorite characters, bringing tidings of holly jolly joy to viewers.

• “The Voice” judge and award-winning singer Christina Aguilera performs “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort.
• International singing sensation Justin Bieber leaves fans grinning ear to ear with a medley of performances from his new Christmas album.  The medley includes “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and the album’s title-track, “Mistletoe,” and is performed on the Cinderella Castle stage at Magic Kingdom Park.
• Soulful singer/songwriter Cee Lo Green takes the stage to perform a holiday favorite, “This Christmas.”
• Pop-rock hitmaking group OneRepublic performs on the Sleeping Beauty Castle stage at Disneyland Park, reminding guests to make the most of each memorable moment with the hit single “Good Life.”
• American Idol” Season 10 Winner Scotty McCreery brings some country flavor to the show with his rendition of the classic tune, “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
• Disney Pearl Series recording artists Nathan Pacheco and Katherine Jenkins serenade the crowd with an awe-inspiring version of “O Holy Night,” joined by Academy® Award winner Marlee Matlin and ABC Family’s Katie Leclerc and Sean Berdy.
• Everyone’s favorite balcony-sitting curmudgeons, Statler and Waldorf, from The Muppets will make a special appearance at the Magic Kingdom and offer their unique brand of commentary while perched high above Main Street, U.S.A.  Kermit the Frog and Gonzo also will bring more Muppetational fun with a special appearance from Walt Disney World Resort.
• The McClain Sisters, featuring “A.N.T. Farm” star China Anne McClain make it a family affair at Disneyland Resort, collaborating on “Jingle Bell Rock.”
• The Never Land Pirate Band will be joined by characters from the Disney Junior hit show, Jake and the Never Land Pirates. The buccaneer band makes its parade debut with an original, pirate-themed holiday tune.
• Zendaya and Bella Thorne of the Disney Channel hit show, “Shake it Up,” show fans how to jingle bell rock with a special high-energy dance performance down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom.
• Direct from Broadway, Mary Poppins and Bert will make a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious holiday appearance during the telecast. The smash musical “Mary Poppins” just celebrated five years on Broadway and has enchanted more than 3 million guests at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.  The hit musical also is making its way across North America.
• Backed by a choir, Academy® Award- and GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Jennifer Hudson brings the show to a celebratory close with a very merry holiday medley of “Joy to the World,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”  It is a homecoming of sorts for Hudson, as her own dreams of stardom began when she was a Disney performer aboard Disney Cruise Line in 2003.  In January 2011 she was named the Honorary Fairy Godmother of the most recent Disney Cruise Line ship to set sail, the Disney Dream.

Dazzling Hosts from Coast-to-Coast

Television, radio and film personality Nick Cannon will host from Disneyland Resort in California, while actor, best-selling author and entertainment journalist Mario Lopez will host from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.  Television personality, journalist and best-selling author Maria Menounos will co-host from Walt Disney World.  Travel expert and television personality Samantha Brown checks in as the show’s travel correspondent, offering viewers a sleigh-full of Disney fun around the globe.  Brown will provide a look at the new Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawai’i, Adventures by Disney vacations, what’s new (and what’s next!) at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and a preview of the newest Disney Cruise Line ship (currently under construction), the Disney Fantasy.

Disney Favorites Join the Festivities

(*characters/floats subject to change)

What better time of year to reunite with old pals than Christmas? Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy are decked out in their holiday best, savoring the season with their Disney Parks family. Thanks to a dash of pixie dust, Santa and his reindeer also appear on Main Street U.S.A. – and in living rooms across the county – during a special visit from the North Pole.  The parade will showcase the Disney cast of characters from both Disneyland Park in California and the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.

Disney XD stars and theme park favorites Phineas and Ferb get in the groove with a whimsical version of their hit show’s theme song, “Gitchee Gitchee Goo.”  Also making an appearance, the show’s famed crime-fighter, Agent P.

• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse bring joy to guests as they pass by on an iconic Christmas tree float.
• Disney Princesses Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine spread good cheer as they parade down Main Street, U.S.A. accompanied by their handsome beaus.
• Buzz Lightyear soars to infinity and beyond with his “Toy Story” cohorts Woody and Jessie. Also revving up the holiday fun: Disney-Pixar pals Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater from the blockbuster films “Cars” and “Cars 2.”
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs add a little sparkle to the celebration with a glimmering gemstone float topped with a diamond-encrusted Christmas tree.
• Three of the “pup-ular” canine stars of the upcoming Disney Blu-ray™ & DVD film “Treasure Buddies” make a special appearance, riding with adventurers and explorers aboard their very own treasure chest parade float.
• The famous Disney Parks Toy Soldiers take their traditional jubilant march down the parade route with the jolly Gingerbread Men following close behind.
• It’s a very merry moment when the one and only Santa Claus glides down Main Street, U.S.A. with his trusted reindeer leading the way.

What Time Does it Air?

The 28^th Annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airs Christmas Day on ABC-TV at the following scheduled times.

• New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, and Raleigh: 10 a.m. – Noon
• Eastern Time Zone: Noon – 2 p.m.
• Central Time Zone: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Mountain Time Zone: 10 a.m. – Noon
• Pacific Time Zone: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Hawaii Time: 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.

*Airtime varies per city/time zone – please check local listings  

A Worldwide Celebration! Holiday Greetings in Canada & Around the Globe on AFN

The telecast will air in Canada on the CBC network, and in 177 countries worldwide on the American Forces Network (AFN).

Updates and More on Twitter and Facebook

Viewers are advised to reference local listings for viewing times and also visit disney.com/christmasparade

for updates.  Fans can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #disneyholidays, on the official Walt Disney World (facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld) and Disneyland (facebook.com/Disneyland) Facebook pages, and by reading the official Disney Parks Blog (DisneyParks.com/Blog)

Mobile Interactive Fun with the Popular Smartphone App, “Shazam”

For the first time, viewers can unlock the magic of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade broadcast with Shazam®, the world’s leading mobile discovery provider. Throughout the telecast, viewers can look for the Shazam logo to appear on-screen as a signal to activate the Shazam mobile app and access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive Disney fun and magical holiday surprises.  Viewers also can enter for a chance to win a Disney Parks dream vacation from Shazam.  Guests can go to disney.com/christmasparade for more details. The Shazam smartphone app is available for free download from the iTunes App Store and Android Market.

DreamWorks Pictures announced today that the premiere of its latest film “War Horse,” directed by Steven Spielberg, on Sunday, January 8, 2012, at the Odeon Leicester Square, London, will benefit the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be in attendance.

The Duke and Duchess will greet members of the cast and Director Steven Spielberg before watching the film. Six hundred serving and ex-serving military personnel and their families have been invited to the Premiere, alongside beneficiaries of military charities, which the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry helps to support. The servicemen and women have been invited from The Duke of Cambridge’s regiments, including RAF Search and Rescue, Household Cavalry, Irish Guards, Royal Air Force Coningsby, Scotland Royal Naval Command and Submarines Royal Naval Command.

“War Horse,” which opens in theatres in the U.S. on December 25th, is the epic tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. Based on the best-selling book by Michael Morpurgo and the Tony Award®–winning stage play by Nick Stafford, “War Horse” is one of the great stories of bravery and friendship, brought to the screen by one of the greatest directors in film history.

The story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Pictures’ “War Horse” stars Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch and Toby Kebbell. It is produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, and executive producers are Frank Marshall and Revel Guest. The screenplay was written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis and is based on the book by Michael Morpurgo and the international hit stage play by Nick Stafford, originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain and directed by Tom Morris and Marianne Elliot.

“Like” War Horse on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WarHorseMovie

Related articles

• “War Horse” London Premier to Benefit Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry (jedimouseketeer.blogspot.com)

OneRepublic has re-created their hit music video “Good Life” and it’s a performance you won’t want to miss. The artists are making memories around some of your favorite Disney attractions at Walt Disney World Resort and they’re joined by several familiar faces, including Donald Duck on drums.

Check out the blog: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/disneyparks
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disneyparksblog
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=disneyparks
Find more videos: http://www.youtube.com/disneyparks

Related articles

• Disney Donates Playgrounds To Encourage Creativity & Fun (chipandco.com)
• Take a Peek Inside Disney Story Rooms at Walt Disney World Resort (chipandco.com)

According to Thomas Smith of Disney Parks, dates have been confirmed for Star Wars Weekends 2012 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

2012 Star Wars Weekend Dates

• May 18-20
• May 25-27
• June 1-3
• June 8-10

No word on the Star Wars guests who will be attending as of yet but expect to hear something around April of next year.

Have you attended a Star Wars Weekend? I love the event and hope to see you there in 2012!

WHAT IS STAR WARS WEEKENDS?
Star Wars Weekends is an annual special event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park that celebrates the legendary Star Wars Saga and the animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each weekend, you can join celebrities and characters for special shows, panels, presentations and more!

Remember that Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park admission is required. Availability is limited for some events, which may be cancelled at any time.

The Return of Star Tours
Blast into the universe of Star Wars like never before—in 3-D! Star Tours—The Adventures Continue takes Jedi from Tatooine to Coruscant and beyond. With several possible missions, you never know where the Force may take you.

Celebrity Autographs
Have a memento signed by Star Wars celebrities attending the event! One autograph per Guest. A Disney’s FASTPASS ensures your place in line at the celebrity autograph kiosk outside the Front Gate entrance. Grab a FASTPASS before the park opens, as quantities are extremely limited and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Once FASTPASS tickets have been distributed, stand-by tickets may be issued, although stand-by tickets do not guarantee an autograph.

Please note that each Guest must be present to receive a FASTPASS. Guests may not get a FASTPASS for other members of their party, nor may Guests save a place in any FASTPASS line for other party members.

Train, You Must
Kids under 12 can hone their lightsaber skills and prepare to do battle with Darth Vader himself at the Jedi Training Academy. And in the Padawan Mind Challenge, they can test their wits before the Jedi Council.

Hyperspace Hoopla!
At the end of each day, let loose with music, comedy and dancing at the Hyperspace Hoopla! With so many Ewoks, Wookiees, Stormtroopers, Jawas and otherworldly creatures, young Jedi and their parents would be wise to have their cameras ready.

I recently had an opportunity to chat with actress Amy Smart who stars in the new ABC Family Original Movie 12 Dates of Christmas along side co-star Mark-Paul Gosselaar. The interview was originally slated to be a solo call for Amy, however during the interview she was “punked” by Gosselaar. The interview originally aired on Sorcerer Radio’s “WDW Tiki room” show December 9, 2011 and will soon be available for download on the Sorcerer Radio Network’s “Weekend Expedition” Podcast (SRSounds.com).

Amy Smart best known for her role in the film The Butterfly Effect opposite Ashton Kutcher started gaining attention in the late 1990′s in Starship Troopers and hit teen films Varsity Blues and Outside Providence. Smart also appeared in the series Felicity, as a girlfriend of Scott Foley’s character. More recently she co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy film Just Friends, the sitcom Scrubs, Crank, and Crank: High Voltage. She also voices characters in the animated series Robot Chicken.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar is perhaps best known for his roles as Zack Morris in NBC’s Saved by the Bell. He is also known for his dramatic portrayal of Detective John Clark in NYPD Blue, Jerry Kellerman in TNT’s Raising the Bar, and more recently Peter Bash in TNT’s Franklin & Bash.

Here’s an excerpt of my interview with Amy and Mark-Paul for Sorcerer Radio and Chip and Company.

Aljon Go: What’s the story about?

Amy Smart: It’s about this journey of Kate Stanton who is really set in her ways and trying to make her life right and get her ex-boyfriend back. She journeys and figures out that the way her Type A personality is not actually helping her get what she truly needs in her life. Through the journey she takes, it allows her to see other people’s perspective and a window into how other people really are. It’s incredibly humbling and enlightening and fun, and a journey everyone takes where you think you know what you want and then something in your life makes you fall on your … and you can see clearer about what life is really about and what really matters.

Aljon Go: What was it about the character of Kate that kind of endeared you to the project?

Amy Smart: I really liked Kate because first of all, she has such a three-dimensional character. She’s still hopelessly in love with her ex-boyfriend and wants him back so badly. She’s stubborn. She’s work-driven and stubborn. She just wants what she wants. She kind of has that tunnel vision and doesn’t see past that.

What I liked about this project is that I liked that Kate has to go through this transformational journey where she is pushed to her limits and has to keep reliving Christmas Eve over and over and over again until she can start to expand her horizons and see that maybe what she thinks she needs is not really what she’s going after. She’s given this chance to explore other possibilities that are better for her and her life that open her up and humble her.

Aljon Go: Do you have a favorite scene in the film?

Amy Smart: I had such a great time working with Mark-Paul. He’s a wonderful actor and we had fun ice skating and being freezing at night walking down the street, and decorating Christmas trees, and picking them out. It’s hard to say because I really liked so many different scenes. I thought it was also fun when my character kept running into her ex-boyfriend and trying to fix—in order to fix her relationship with him so she can win him over and get him in the next night.

Aljon Go: What’s one of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Amy Smart: I love baking little Mexican wedding ball cookies. I love cooking during Christmas, all smells like the hot apple cider, the hot spiced wine.

Aljon Go: In the movie, your character relives Christmas Eve until she gets it right. If you could do over any one day in your life, which day would you choose?

Amy Smart: Wow. That’s a good question. It’s funny, because in hindsight, we have so much fear and anxiety about our future, the next day, or what’s happening in our lives. When you have that 20/20 hindsight that everything was going to be fine, you’re going to be okay, I don’t know of one specific day, but just trusting more in life and your journey.

I know that sounds airy-fairy, but really just knowing if I could go back and know everything was going to be okay in certain circumstances; not to stress out about it. I think if anything, the best gift we can have is living in the present moment and really enjoying it for what it is; and, not being in our heads and getting sidetracked.

Aljon Go: The movie is great fun.

Amy Smart: Thank you. It was the first film that I’ve ever done where I was in every single scene. I really poured my heart and soul into this film. Honestly, I loved the script. I thought all the characters were so three dimensional and they all have their own voice. I like any story that starts one place and really takes a huge journey to a whole new place; that people in their life want to take that journey. They want to be able to find things in their life that aren’t working and work through them to a new place of change.

Aljon Go: How much of your own personality is reflected in your character of Kate?

Amy Smart: I think as an actor, you naturally bring a lot of yourself, as much of yourself as you can in different circumstances. So, I focus more on what the differences are because I’ll inherently bring what I can relate to more so. I feel like there are definitely parts of Kate that I completely relate to, but not necessarily the parts where she has lost her mom and she’s grieving the loss of that and trying to find someone in her life so she won’t feel alone.

But, there were definitely parallels in my life during this film because I’d gotten out of a long-term relationship and fell in love with a new man who I married. So, I could relate to her on that place of spending so much time trying to make something work that wasn’t meant to work.

Aljon Go: As an actress, is there a particular comic inspiration for your work? Or, is there a particular actor that you draw influences from; especially in regards to taping this new Christmas classic, 12 Dates of Christmas?

Amy Smart: Honestly, there are so many wonderful female comediennes that I love. But, I’m not necessarily trying to copy any one. I feel like it really has to be an authentic experience yourself as an actor. So, I really find a lot of humor all over life. I love more than anything watching people be scared or trip and fall. I don’t know why, maybe it’s a bad thing. So, for me, it’s not necessarily that I’m trying to imitate or copy other amazing actors. But, I just try to have the experience myself.

Aljon Go: Is there a particular actor/actress that really makes you laugh out loud?

Amy Smart: Lucille Ball, who is so incredible and so over the top, but who could just hold that stage in all these funny, ridiculous scenarios. I think she was such a great woman to really bring comedy to females to start it off. There are tons of others. I thought Bridesmaids was such a funny, female driven comedy where all the women that you truly believe; they are such good actors because you really believe that they were living this hilarious journey.

Aljon Go: Did you have any issues with mixing up what you say in different scenes because they are so similar?

Amy Smart: That got really technical because it was the director, myself and the script supervisors really making sure that we, yes it was hard because there were just so many, it was written really well. So in the story and in the dialog, it’s all mapped out. But, as far as the attitudes and where she was at emotionally at that point, it was definitely challenging, too, to switch gears so many times.

Aljon Go: How did you get involved with the movie?

Amy Smart: I actually got offered this role. I read the script and I really, really loved it and wanted to do it. Then, I was so happy that Mark-Paul signed on to do it afterwards because I think he’s so talented. Everyone’s a huge Zack Morris fan. So, that’s kind of how I got involved.

Aljon Go: What’s your favorite holiday film?

Amy Smart: I have a few that I love. I really like A Christmas Story.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Surprise Guest Caller)
This is Miles Meyer from ABC’s Family. I have a question. Can you elaborate further on how talented and handsome your co-star, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, was?

Amy Smart: Mark-Paul is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He is such a generous actor, so caring. He definitely is a male. He’s not a boy. He’s a man.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Oh, really? He’s a man. Yes. Oooh, that sounds so sexy. I mean the man has the nicest butt in Hollywood. Did you ever get a look at it?

Amy Smart: No. I did not. I’m sorry.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Was he wearing snow pants?

Amy Smart: No. He wore jeans most of the time.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Does he have nice feet?

Amy Smart: Honestly, I did not check out his feet.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Yes, he’s got great hair, too. He’s just the perfect man.

Aljon Go: Amy, I think we have a mystery guest. The previous caller was actually complimenting himself.

Amy Smart: Are you serious?!

Aljon Go: Mark-Paul Gosseler has just surprised us on the line. Hello, Mark-Paul. How are you?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Hi, Amy. It’s “Miles Meyer.”

Amy Smart: No way! I was like who is this crazy guy who wants to be Mark-Paul?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar I love how you didn’t want to take it at all. You’re like, “I have the feeling that you’re trying to get me to say really risqué stuff.” I was like, yes, I am. Oh, man.

Amy Smart: Oh, well, if it’s you.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar What do I call this? It’s like a photo-bomb, but it’s like an interview bomb.

Aljon Go: Mark-Paul, what was your favorite part about filming this movie?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Well, it was a pleasure working with Amy. My co-star that I’m currently working with now worked with her and always spoke very highly of her. Working with her was a pleasure. So, the reason I came on board with this film was because she was attached to it. So, for her to follow-through with all the high praise that she’s gotten from so many people that I know was something that I appreciated. Yes, I think it shows on the film, too, that we enjoyed each other. We had a great working chemistry.

Aljon Go: What has been the best date that you’ve ever had?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar I don’t know. I haven’t dated a lot. I can’t really answer that question, but I would say that the date that my fiancée went on was pretty damn good and that’s why we’re still together now. Yes. I would say the date that I had with her.

Aljon Go: What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Usually decorating the tree after Thanksgiving. We just did that with the kids. I love the way the house smells during the holidays. We try to light as many scented Christmas-y candles as possible, the pine cones. We’ll put on the stove cinnamon and cloves and heat those up. I like the music, too. I just like the atmosphere of Christmas.

Aljon Go: How do you deal with a bad date? Have you ever been on a blind date and do you have any advice for people that have gone or will go on blind date or a date and how to deal with it if it turns south?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar I don’t like confrontation. I’ve been on a few bad dates, but nothing horrible, but knowing there was no chemistry there. I have such a hard time letting that person know that this is not going to work, unlike your character in the movie who was very honest and said this isn’t going to happen.

I tend to just put my head into the sand and hope it goes away, which sometimes makes it even worse. It elongates the issue. But, I tend to just turn my back and hope that the scary thing goes away.

Aljon Go: Amy, how about yourself?

Amy Smart: I, again, haven’t had as many dates because I’ve been in long term relationships, but I just remember this one date I went on that I had no interest. So, he was nice. But, I think it’s worth being kind to the person that you’re on a date with, but also being pretty honest so you don’t lead people on.

Aljon Go: If you could portray any Disney character, animal or human, in an upcoming remake what character would it be?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Oh, wow. Amy, you got something off the top of your head while I think about that one?

Amy Smart: I’m sitting here thinking, you have The Little Mermaid.

Aljon Go: Yes, Little Mermaid. Absolutely. You could be Ariel.

Amy Smart: I would be Ariel. I love her.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar I’m trying to think. They’ve done The Jungle Book, right? They’ve made a remake of that.

Aljon Go: Well, if you like Mowgli, you could definitely do that if you wanted to (laughs).

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Yes. Mowgli—no, Mowgli has his shirt off. I don’t want to have to work out. Gosh. We’ll do The Little Mermaid together. You can be Ariel. I don’t even remember what her name was though.

Amy Smart: You could be Prince Eric.

Aljon Go: Ariel and you could be Prince Eric. How about that?

Mark-Paul Gosselaar What was it? It was Eric, really? Wow, look at that.

Amy Smart: I have to say I’ve thought of my favorite Christmas movie that I love to watch almost every Christmas, which is Christmas Vacation.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar The best. All right, Amy. I’ve got to go.

Amy Smart: All right. See you next week.

Aljon Go: Thanks for talking with us, Mark-Paul!

Mark-Paul Gosselaar All right. Cool. Thanks for letting me interview bomb you.

Aljon Go: Amy- You’ve been in so many different roles. Do you have a dream role or part that you would love to play?

Amy Smart: I don’t have a specific dream role that I would like to play. I just always yearn for new roles that have incredible actors and great writing that challenge me; that push me out of my comfort zone. So, for me, I really enjoy going back and forth through all the different genres from drama to horror to comedy to doing some—I always am drawn back to comedy to be honest. I love doing comedy. So, that would be probably my first thing. But, I would love nothing more than to work with the most incredible actors on some great piece of film.

Aljon Go: Can you talk about any other projects you’re currently working on?

Amy Smart: I actually just finished working on a horror film that the Japanese director Takashi Shimizu directed. He did The Grudge. It was with Leslie Bibb and Ryan Kwanten and a bunch of other great actors. It all takes place in an airplane. That comes out next August, I think.

Then, I had a re-occurring on the second season of Shameless. That’s really fun to work on.

Aljon Go: If you had to tell viewers one thing to get them to watch the film, what would it be?

Amy Smart: I think what’s endearing about this film is two people keep missing each other, who are meant to fall in love, but things keep going awry. It’s like this funny tale about two people wanting to connect and they always keep missing each other.

Tune-in to the world premiere of ABC Family’s New Original Movie 12 Dates of Christmas on Sunday, December 11th at 8/7c as part of the ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas!

25 Days of Christmas Official Site: http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas

Related articles

• Sorcerer Radio Interviews “12 Dates of Christmas” Stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Amy Smart (chipandco.com)
• ABC Family 2011 Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas (chipandco.com)

Heads up Star Wars fans! Everyone’s favorite furry star ship co-pilot Chewbacca, will be guesting on the Glee  holiday special airing December 13th. Glee’s Matthew Morrison mentioned in a recent visit to the Jimmy Kimmel Show (see the embedded clip) that he was working on a the show’s mash up of the Star Wars Holiday Special and a Judy Garland Christmas special… hmm… an interesting combination to say the least.

Note that Peter Mayhew, the original actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, is NOT playing the Wookie in this episode but is played by the official actor cast by Lucasfilm to do special appearances.

Be sure to tune into Glee: “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” airing Tuesday, December 13th at 8pm on FOX.

Justin Bieber hanging out with Goofy during his taping of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. For more photos of the Biebs see below.

Photo credit Getty Images

Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson poses Dec. 2, 2011 with Mickey Mouse during a break while taping a performance segment for the “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” TV special at the Magic Kingdom park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 28th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airs nationwide Dec. 25, 2011 on ABC-TV and features performances by a variety of stars from both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Mark Ashman, photographer

Singer Cee Lo Green poses Dec. 2, 2011 with Reindeer Pluto during a break while taping a performance segment for the “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” at the Magic Kingdom park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 28th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airs nationwide Dec. 25, 2011 on ABC-TV and features performances by a variety of stars from both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Mark Ashman, photographer

Three of the canine stars of the upcoming Disney Blu-Ray & DVD film “Treasure Buddies” make a special appearance Dec. 2, 2011 during taping of the “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” at the Magic Kingdom park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 28th annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airs nationwide Dec. 25, 2011 on ABC-TV and features performances by a variety of stars from both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Mark Ashman, photographer

Merry Christmas!

Related articles

• Justin Bieber Recording Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade This Weekend! (chipandco.com)
• Nick Cannon, Christina Aguilera, OneRepublic and More at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on ABC (chipandco.com)

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Amy Smart star in ABC Family's "12 Dates of Christmas"

This morning on Sorcerer Radio’s WDW Tiki Room Aljon revealed next week’s guests, Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell, Franklin & Bash, NYPD Blue) and Amy Smart (Just Friends, The Butterfly Effect)

The duo will be promoting ABC Family’s spectacular romantic holiday movie, 12 Dates of Christmas! The movie follows a young woman who re-lives the same first date on Christmas Eve over and over again until she learns to open up her world to new things and stop living in the past.

Watch the world premiere of 12 Dates of Christmas December 11 at 8/7c!

Tune

The interview is made in partnership with Chip and Company, Sorcerer Radio and ABC Family.

More at ABC Family. http://abcfamily.go.com/specials/25-days-christmas/blogs-details/12-dates-christmas/886324

Disney fans! Check out Sorcerer Radio – All Disney Music, All Day Long – SRSounds.com!

Join hosts Kristen Hoetzel and Aljon Go on WDW Tiki Room as they discuss the series and ALL THINGS DISNEY, Fridays 8:00 a.m./eastern (encores Fridays 7:00 p.m./eastern and Sundays 2:00 p.m./eastern) on Sorcerer Radio - www.SRSounds.com.

ABOUT WDW TIKI ROOM
WDW Tiki Room, the show about all things Disney, is hosted by the husband and wife team of Aljon Go and Kristen Hoetzel. Every week they discuss Disney in pop-culture, theme parks, Disney news, celebrity interviews, Disney fan events and play the best mix of Disney artists and Disney attraction audio. The show airs every Friday morning at 8:00/eastern on Sorcerer Radio - www.SRSounds.com. For more information on Kristen and Aljon as well as on-demand playback of archived shows please visit this LINK.

Be sure to follow Kristen and Aljon on Twitter @wdwtikiroom and “like” them onFacebook.com/wdwtikiroom.

ABOUT SORCERER RADIO
If you are looking to virtually relive your recent Disney trip or dream of your next one, then Sorcerer Radio is the place for you. Sorcerer Radio is a fan-run, award-winning internet radio station that has been entertaining Disney fans for a decade! With many weeks worth of Walt Disney World park music and attraction audio, as well as Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line you can easily be transported to your favorite vacation destination anytime, while at home or at work. Sorcerer Radio stands out from the pack in our innovative programming and personalities, providing fans with DJ hosted shows every weekday morning providing a balance of Disney discussion and music. Sorcerer Radio plays a wide variety audio from the Disney universe. We also have FREE APPS for your iPhone, iPad and Droid so you can listen just about anywhere! Check out the award winning Editor’s Pick on Live365, Sorcerer Radio at SRsounds.com, All Disney music, all day long!

Photos by Sara Jaye Weiss, used by permission

Check out the first approved photos of Kermit at the National Tree Lighting last night with The First Lady.

Ceremony to be Streamed LIVE at www.thenationaltree.org on December 1 Beginning at 4:30pm ET and Broadcast Nationally on Public Television Throughout December

Washington, D.C. (November 15, 2011) – Today, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation announced that television and radio personality Carson Daly will host the 201 1 National Christmas Tree Lighting. In addition, the platinum selling band OneRepublic will perform along with country music star Rodney Atkins and six-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Marsha Ambrosius. The evening will also feature a special appearance by Kermit the Frog, star of The Muppets, along with several other special guests. Additional performers and special guests for the event will be announced shortly.

The 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting will take place on Thursday, December 1, 2011 on the Ellipse at President’s Park in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will usher in the holiday season in our nation’s capital and can be viewed LIVE online at www.thenationaltree.org beginning at 4:30pm ET with the exclusive National Christmas Tree Lighting pre-show. The event can also be seen on public television throughout the month of December. Check local listings or visit www.thenationaltree.org for more information.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony marks the opening of the four-week event sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s National Parks.
Originally started by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923, this year’s ceremony marks the 89th National Christmas Tree Lighting. The annual event has become an American holiday tradition. For more information about the 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting, visit www.thenationaltree.org.

The 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony is presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation and produced by Alex Coletti Productions.

The premier sponsor of this year’s National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony is UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety organization. Now in its fourth year, the premier sponsorship of the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony is part of a national safety campaign by UL to encourage families to Commit a Minute to Safety this holiday season. You can learn more at www.SafetyAtHome.com.

Other event supporters include GE Lighting, Amtrak, Guest Services Inc., Hargrove Inc., Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Washington, D.C., W Washington, D.C., Hudler Carolina Tree Farms and the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System and its 397 National Park sites for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service works with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. For more information, visit www.nps.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured memorials, landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites — all protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks. Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks. We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow. Join us in supporting your national parks — this is your land. www.nationalparks.org.

MTFBWY!
Twitter @JediMouseketeer
JediMouseketeer on Facebook
Book your next Disney vacation or cruise with Kristen at Magical Journeys Travel!