. . > >> you are doing the chicken dance. >> maybe she'll do it for us. >> cloud and temperatures. 62 degrees. nice and mild. above average. warmer tomorrow, 67. changes in store, first of all, chance of showers saturday. >> the "today" show is next. we will see you with updates. >> thanks for watching. happy thanksgiving. whine exist this year, although every year for this parade, the two big issues are the weather, which we said will be great, and security. >> i think it's fair to say we're seeing a security footprint like we've never seen before. the nypd out in force. people you see, people you don't see. just ahead, we're talk to chief jim o'neil, head of department with nypd and in charge of security. we'll find out what they have planned. >> natalie and willie, we'll be talking about the pomp and circumstance that goes along with the 89th macy's thanksgiving day parade. we'll give you the rundown of what you can expect in a second. >> looking forward to it. let's get right to everything you need to know to begin your thanksgiving, including the storm that is looming to our west. we want to begin with more on the security concerns tied to the holiday. rehema is along the parade route. >> one of the largest crowds ever is expected to come out for the parade. some people already claimed their front row spot, saying they're not afraid, despite concerns about security. >> reporter: those giant-sized balloons have been brought to life. >> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: for the big parade that will be watched by millions of spectators and beefed up security. >> you'll see a very large group of officers, hundreds of our specially trained officers. >> reporter: safety a top concern this thanksgiving. the nypd will be out in force, with a new critical response command unit. hundreds of specially trained officers. who have been drilled and prepared for both active shooters and hostage takers. all part of 2,500 officers covering the parade, in addition to the thousands of police already on duty throughout the city. at strain stations and bus terminals. nationwide, security is also on heightened alert. nfl fans from dallas to green bay will see a greater police presence. but at jfk, one of the nation's busiest airports, homeland security reconsidering a possible weak point. airport workers not being required to pass through rigorous security checkpoints. >> we're evaluating whether more is necessary right now. >> reporter: at the white house, president obama trying to reassure an anxious nation. >> we've taken extraordinary measures to strengthen our homeland security, everything from aviation security to border security to information sharing. >> reporter: experts say there is no known credible threat to the homeland from terrorists. still, law enforcement is on alert. >> if you see anything that's unusual, it's really important to come forward. don't be shy about telling law enforce cement about what you'v seen. >> if you see something, say something. but the city's police commissioner feels so safe about the city, he's bringing his own grandchildren to the parade. what you cannot bring is backpacks or large coolers anywhere along this 2.5 mile parade route. >> good to know. thanks so much. >> let's go back to matt and savannah for more on security at this morning's parade. guys? >> willie, thank you very much. jim o'neil is the chief of department for the new york city police department. he's on the scene in harold square in charge of the security operation. good morning. happy thanksgiving. >> good morning. >> as we were walking over here around the corner, we saw a lot of new york city police officers. compare the size and scope of the operation, the security operation this year, versus previous years. >> this year, we do have a bigger detail. about 20% bigger. it's not just -- it's a quality 20%. we stood up a couple of new groups. strategic response group and the critical response command this year. you'll be seeing a lot of people in armor, in helmets, and there will be people with long guns this year, also. i think everywhere you go along this 2.5 mile route, you're going to see cops. we also have a fairly good contingent of plain clothes officers. not only in the street but also in the subway. anyone coming to the parade should feel safe. >> what you see and what you don't see. there's also what's been happening up to this parade in terms of intelligence gathering and the monitoring you do. what are you doing in terms of trying to find out if there are any threats? >> this is what we do and we do it well. it's not just the nypd. we have a lot of federal partners we work with. our main federal partner is the fbi. we have a great working relationship with them. anything they know, we know. anything we know, they know. >> how do you keep a force like this in tact and motivated? you have the parade this week. next week, you have a tree lighting ceremony in rockefeller center. the holiday season in full swing. describe the challenge that faces your force over the next month and a half. >> i've been lucky enough to have this job a little over a year now. i get to see the great things the men and women in this police department do everything day. in an event like today, in light of what's going on in the world, we ramped up security for this. they do an outstanding job every day. it's their fortitude and courage, it's their will that keeps the city safe. i have complete confidence in the men and women of this great police department. everywhere i go, i thank them every day. >> you mentioned spectators are your eyes and ears, as well. if they see something, they're to say something. what is suspicious? what should people be looking out for? >> we'll have a couple million people on the parade route. everybody is probably coming by mass transportation. if you see something that doesn't look right, and everybody knows what that is. if somebody leaves a backpack on the subway or in the street. we'll have people in the crowd, too. they need to let somebody know. there's going to be cops everywhere. to you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, let us know and deal with it. we get paid to worry and do the job. there's been a lot of planning for this event. >> it's important to talk about all of these things but, more importantly, wish you a happy thanksgiving. thanks for being here. >> thank you very much. >> let's go back into the studio. we have willie and natalie. >> thanks. as they mentioned, the weather, picture perfect in new york for the parade, but other parts of the country are dealing with the major thanksgiving day storm. snow, ice and rain expected to make holiday travel even trickier than more normal. jacob rascon is in denver. good morning. >> natalie, good morning. it is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season since the recession. some 46 million americans traveling during the thanksgiving holiday. the overwhelming majority of those drivers, a nightmare situation for them as a winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow and some ice in parts of the midwest and west. the airports, of course, were packed, but many of those flying dodged a bullet, hardly any cancellations or delays at all. the threat of ice and flash flooding still exists for many parts of the country into the weekend, which is important because, keep in mind, the busiest travel day of the thanksgiving holiday are sunday and monday. natal natalie, willie? >> happy thanksgiving to you. >> al is keepi ining an eye on storm from the starting line of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. good morning. happy thanksgiving, buddy. >> you, too, guys. beautiful day here, sunny and in the 40s. on the radar, we are looking at a big storm system that's firing itself up. it's bringing ice, rain and snow. here's the travel troubles we're looking at. starting with today, a day that used to be quiet, as far as travel is concerned. now, it is a day where everybody is out there. denver, colorado, we're looking at freezing drizzle, snow and frigid cold. dallas and houston, texas, stormy, developing thunderstorms, heavy rain and storm winds. as we get on the roads on i-35, from kansas city to dallas, storms, soaking rains going up to minneapolis. low visibility. chicago, it'll be rainy, showers and flooding possible. friday, more showers in the midwest. we're also looking at the heavier showers and thunderstorms. look for snow making its way from oklahoma city to albuquerque. icy conditions, wintry mixes, icy bridges and overpasses. on sunday, we have wet weather from the south. dallas, icy weather just to the west. as we make our way along i-70, st. louis to baltimore, soggy conditions on the roads and travel delays expected at some of the major airports. in the meantime, just take your time. make sure you check in on the weather channel and on your nbc station for the latest forecast before you hit the road. guys? >> al, thanks so much. we'll get to the rest of your forecast in a moment. now to a new round of protests in chicago over theshok teenager. some demonstrators turned their anger toward one of the city's holiday displays. as we get a new look at what happened leading up to the shooting, here is stephanie gosk. >> reporter: but dash cam video obtained overnight shows a chicago police officer in pursuit of laquan mcdonald before he shot and killed the teenager. the footage is taken from jason van dyke's police car. as the officer drives through a burger king parking lot, the teen is seen in front of the car before running down the road. protesters hit the streets of chicago for the second night in a row, following the release of this video, showing officer van dyke shooting mcdonald multiple times. most of the protesters were peaceful. >> they getting killed and they have a voice. >> reporter: some taunted police. blocking roadways and tearing down the lights from the city's christmas tree. van dyke has been charged with murder. police say mcdonald was armed with a knife. the video shows mcdonald apparently walking away from police officers at the scene before he was shot. lawyers for van dyke have said the shooting was justified because he felt threatened. president obama posted on his facebook page wednesday that he watched the video of mcdonald's death. like many americans, i was deeply disturbed by the footage of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old laquan mcdonald. this thanksgiving, i ask everybody to keep those who suffered tragic loss in our thoughts and prayered, and be thankful for the overwhelming majority of men and women in uniform who protect our units with honor. while activist groups are planning demonstrations in chicago on friday, many are hoping for a peaceful holiday. stephanie gosk, chicago. there's mounting tension this morning over turkey's downing of the russian fighter plane. russia accusing turkey of trying to sabotage relations between the countries. joe fryer has more on this story. good morning. >> good morning, willie. french president francois hollande will meet in moscow today with vladimir putin. france wants to get russia and the west on the same page, building a coalition to battle isis. it's a challenge, especially after that russian plane was shot down by turkey. >> reporter: tensions are boiling over in moscow, where protesters hurled eggs and stones at the turkish embassy. an angry response after the downing of a russian bomber near the syrian border. one of the pilots did not survive. now, turkey is releasing recordings of what it says were repeated warnings sent over radio to the russian jets. turkey says the plane was warned ten times in five minutes, but the russian navigator on the plane who ejected and was later rescued disputes that. speaking to reporters but not showing his face, the navigator says there was no warning, either on the radio or visually. experts say it's possible they weren't tuned into the same channels. the navigator also says the plane never flew into turkish air space, claiming his jet was on the syrian side the whole time. turkey released a different flight path, showing the jet flying other a sliver of turkish territory. despite the conflict over what happened, both sides say there are no plans to go to war, but russian president vladimir putin announced he will deploy long-range defense missiles to the region. as russia holds a memorial service for the pilot who died and the marine killed after the plane went down. >> all of this provides the back drop as france's president meets today with putin, trying to put the crisis between russia and turkey behind them. h hollande said it can work with russia if they focus on isis. >> joe, thanks. for the first time since the terror attacks in paris, we're hearing from the california band that was performing at the bataclan when gunmen burst in. nbc's keir simmons is in brussels with their chilling account of the ill-fated night. g good morning. >> natalie, good morning. there are reports here in brussels from local media, unconfirmed, of another operation to try to arrest suspects. as you mentioned, we're hearing more about the terrible night in paris. shane smith sat down with the eagles of death metal, the band playing at the bataclan, for an exclusive interview. the interview is now available in full and it is painful to watch. >> reporter: 89 people were killed in the bataclan theater. the eagles of death metal were playing. their sound engineer came face-to-face with the killers. [ gunshots ]. >> people started dropping to the ground, injuries, death, you know. also, running -- there was nowhere to go, so they basically ran into me, towards me, and jumped below my console. i was still standing up, and i can see the gunman. he looked right at me and he shot at me and missed. he hit my console. buttons went flying everywhere. >> reporter: the band and their fans confronting terror together. >> we all just huddled. i think he thought i probably got hit because i went down so quickly. everybody else around was injured. there was blood all over. he stayed there and continued to shoot and shoot. >> reporter: all of the band escaped alive. some through a side door. members of their entourage, many fans, out to enjoy a night of music, never made it home. >> several people hid in our dressing room. the killers were able to get in and killed every one of them, except for a kid who was hiding under my leather jacket. >> reporter: but they say this won't stop them making the music they love. they want to play on the first night when the bataclan reopens again. >> music is what we do. it's our lives. playing every night and -- seeing those smiling faces in the crowd, it's what keeps us going. >> again, that exclusive interview now available on vice.com. a mark of how the night has changed europe, willie and natalie. there are suggestions here that some railway road workers may be asked to wear bullet proof vests. >> got to take all precautions necessary. keir simmons, thank you. >> i love they want to go back and play the first show at the bataclan. >> it'd be hard to go back. >> but they want to be there. let's go back to al for more on your holiday weather. al, how is it looking, sir? >> as i said, here, it is perfect. that's the story. along the coast, weather is going to be spectacular. as you look at the map, along the eastern sea board, plenty of sunshine. temperatures well above normal. out west, some fog in the pacific northwest. it's the midsection of the country, from the upper mississippi river valley into the central plains. snow, ice, further south, rain. we'll be telling you coming up, parts of texas and oklahoma could get up to a foot of rain by sunday evening. that's what's going on. we're going to get a look at what's happening in your neck o >> that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you. now to a revelation that hits close to home for us. >> kathie lee's family releasing a statement overnight, saying her husband, pro football hall of famer frank gif fordgifford,d in august, also suffered from a brain disease associated with concussions. the family writes, we made the difficult decision to have his brain studied in hopes of contributing to the advancement of medical research. >> they go on to say, we miss him every day. now more than ever. but find comfort in knowing that by disclosing his condition, we might contribute positively to the ongoing conversation. he might be an inspiration for others suffering from this disease, and he might be a small part of the solution. >> the giffords say the diagnosis hasn't changed their support for the nfl and making the same safer. we think of the en gifford family on this thanksgiving. t' happy thanksgiving, i'm first alert meteorologist brittany ship. we see mild conditions, a mix of sun and clouds, warmer temperatures than we saw yesterday good news for all the black friday shoppers over the weekend, first of all, much cooler on saturday. definitely by sunday again happy thanksgiving. . zbrrnlgs zblrnlgs and food that tastes like home. because the money we spend here... wn growing. this saturday is small business saturday, let's all shop small. for the neighborhood, the town, the home we love. shop small this saturday. hellmann's and holiday leftovers become irresistibly creamy turkey casserole. real delicious hellmann's. bring out the hellmann's. bring out the best. i was wondering if you for the rest of your life. at jared, we only sell one piece of jewelry... the one she'll wear forever... and it's waiting for you... at jared. before it was honey in these honey nut cheerios, it was honey being collected. and honey getting made. and honey that was just beginning. ♪ give your home the gift of big savings this year at lowe's. hurry in to your neighborhood store today for a ton of great black friday deals. now get up to 40% off major appliances $396 and more. but many of us we tdon't know healthy. there are nutrients that can help support our metabolism. take new one a day healthy metabolism support multivitamin with chromium to help use carbs from food and b-vitamins to help convert food to fuel. one a day. good morning him happy thanksgiving. let's take a like look at the ben frank will be parkway in philadelphia where the 96th annual thanksgiving day parade gets under way later this morning. >> that means there could be road close years. >> lauren, a lot of close years to go with this parade. it begins at 9:00 a.m. watch out on kelly drive and art museum circle, the jfk boulevard between 20th and 30th. so a lot of close years as well. expect a lot of buses on a special schedule for patco and new jersey transit. >> thanks, jessica. let's get your first alert forecast, good morning. >> temperatures starting off on the cooler side. we warm into the low 60s. you can see the sun is shining brightly over cape may, 31 in millvale, temperatures in philadelphia at 39. 29 if potts town. our temperatures will warm nicely by find. friday 57 will be at 59 in the lehigh strael by noon, south jersey 53 degrees. >> thanks brittany. we'll have another update in 25 minutes. have a great day. . ♪ it's 7:30 on this thanksgiving morning, thursday, november 26th, 2015. a nice, big crowd on our plaza this morning. many of them getting ready to claim their spots for the macy's thanksgiving day parade. matt, savannah and al already in place to bring it all to you in 90 minutes. we'll check in with them in a moment. >> all right. first, the story making news right now. a winter storm is causing problems for millions of holiday travelers today. a mix of snow, ice and rain is expected from nevada all the way to michigan. >> for a second straight night, demonstrators took to the streets in chicago over the fatal police shooting of a black teenager. several arrests were made when protesters tore lights off the christmas tree in millennium park. check out this surveillance video from a home in queens, new york. a burglar is crawling into a bedroom where a husband and wife were sleeping. their kids in the next room. he picks up a cell phone but runs away when the woman woke up. police say the suspect was actually in the house for about 40 minutes. they're now trying to track him down. frightening. thanksgiving is all about the food. we have two experts here all morning, sunny anderson and brandi milloy, to answer your questions. send your dilemmas to us at today.com/food club. >> we'll be taking notes. >> you were up all night seasoning your bird, right? >> i was, yes. >> with bourbon. >> seasoning the bird, if you know what i mean. >> a lot of bourbon in the bird. let's head back to matt and savannah, where they're getting ready for the parade. >> good morning. for those who just got audio who seconds ago to find out willie was seasoning his bird last night is a little confusing. thankfully, we're going to put it into perspective with the holiday. >> thank you. >> guys, good to see you. we're out here on the street in harold square. we have the cast from "finding neverland" rehearsing behind us. they'll be taking part in the macy's day thanksgiving parade. >> we have this person to thank along with many macy's employees. the chairman. >> happy thanksgiving. >> let's have a parade. what does this mean to the employees of macy's? >> too bad about this weather, by the way. >> i know, my goodness. >> we have 260,000 employees at our husband. this -- company. this is our gift to america. we feel grateful to be able to deliver this parade and thank you for being here. thank you for all the coverage you've given us. >> terry told me he and his wife stayed overnight in the store last night. >> on the mattresses? >> no. we actually have a little space in my office where i sleep. i'll do that tonight. i'll be working tonight. we open at 6:00. i'll be here and working all the way through the night to tomorrow. >> what are your first memories of the parade? >> sitting right here, underneath this awning, and watching the snow come down. we don't have that problem today. just the feeling, with my family being cuddled up. today, i have my first grandson with me. the family tradition to me is so special. >> what does it mean to you, to be a part of it? you told our producer, you give the employees an unlimited budget for the parade and they always exceed it. >> yeah. how much can you do to add to make this even better than last year? it's complicated because each year, it's better and better. my goal is to stay out of their way and let the creativity rule. >> in light of world events, current events, is it more challenging to put on a parade this year? >> you know, what you and i know is that the police department of new york city and all the state department and the fbi and all those who are so incredibly well in this city and have protected us so long, so well, i leave it to the professionals. we're coordinating with them, certainly, but i have such faith and trust in the professionals, that i feel great about this parade. >> happy thanksgiving. thanks for being with us. >>en that x and thanks to all t employees of macy's. let's head up to the start of the parade. that's where we find al roker. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by walmart. stop by a store or visit us at walmart.com to share wonder every day. >> hey, guys. we are up here, 77 central park west. i'm joined by rachel platten, whose song "fight song" was the song of the summer. you have a new album coming out at the top of the year. >> called "wildfire." so excited about it. >> your song "i am witness" is an anti-bullying anthem, really. you're going to be performing in the parade for the first time. >> i am so pumped. my parents took me when i was little and i was freezing the whole time. i didn't see much. i'm really excited. i might be the most excited person here. >> what do you have to be thankful for this year? >> my life changed so much. ten months ago, i was in a van playing for 20 people. now, i'm doing the thanksgiving parade. a lot. my wildest dreams have come true this year. >> what are you doing for thanksgiving? >> we're going to hang out in westchester with my family. i'm not going to cook at all. >> very good. >> nope. >> excellent. you saw the balloons for the first time. >> i did. >> pretty exciting, huh? >> amazing up close. >> rachel, we're looking forward to your performance later today. >> thanks, al. >> happy >> we're keeping ourselves warm up here, just marching away with rachel platten. back to you guys. >> al, like rachel, we love you, too, my friend. >> he's a little jealous you got an i love you. >> rachel platten was here not long ago. >> she's adorable. >> look forward to her performance during the parade. miranda lambert opens up. what she's saying for the first time about her split from blake shelton. our conversation with presidential hopeful marco rubio and his wife. why they say his toughest critics are their kids. ♪ have you ever thought, "i could never do that"? have you ever thought... you just didn't have anything left in the tank? well - you do. because the courage is already inside. happy thanksgiving. i'm first alert meteorologist brittany shipp. as we head into the rest of today, we will see conditions ranging between 60 and 64 degrees, warmer temperatures than we saw yesterday. we warm up even more as we head into friday. food news for the black friday shoppers. over the weekend, lots of changes on the way. first of all, we will be much cooler on saturday, mr. us we track showers saturday an then again on sunday. happy thanksgiving. . healing is something we do. together. and together, we put veterans first. search va careers to find out how. the kids are looking forward to seeing you too. they were talking about this all day long. we hit a little snow... momma! stop! hi! 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>> it's not allowed them to be as successful as necessary. they've avoided taking strikes because they're concerned if they blow up the oil plant, there might be civilians, even one, killed. that's a legitimate concern we have, but we must destroy the revenue source, which is the ability to generate oil. >> talk about the boots on the ground potentially, american forces. how many troops are you talking about? >> the goal is to have enough special operators on the ground to support a coalition of 25,000, 30,000 sunni arabs on the ground fighting. then our military officials will tell us, in order to support that, we need x number of people. it's more than 50. they need to be defeated now, not later. it'll be harder and more expe e expensive to do it later. militarily, isis is defeatable. they're not invincible. >> would you be in support of declaring war on isis? >> i would be in support. >> reporter: the battle against isis has led to a backlash from refugees seeking to resettle in the u.s. >> your critics said your policy on syrian refugees is all over the place. would you care to clarify, where do you stand? would you allow them into the country? >> i'm against allowing refugees we can't vet. if we can't vet you, we can't allow you in. even if you get one person wrong, you can allow 10,000 in, and if 9,999 are good people but one is an isis fighter, you have a problem. >> you would turn your back on the 10,000 or so that president obama has said, we would take into the country? >> we're not talking about turning our back. i'm saying there are many of the people that will not be able to come because we will not be able to fully and accurately vet them. we don't know anything about them. >> reporter: from addressing the issues in syria to the rigors of the campaign trail, senator rubio took a step back, preparing meals for those in need on wednesday, joined by his wife jeanette and their four children. >> our kids will call marco and give him a little advice. >> they will? >> yeah. >> what do they say? do they give you a performance review after the debate? >> the boys are young enough that they watch the first five minutes and it's like, we want to play. >> this is boring. >> my 15-year-old is more about encouraging me. my 13-year-old is a harder critic. she sometimes reveals headlines i hadn't read yet. dad, did you hear this? so and so said that about you. >> do your kids talk about the presidency? do they talk about perhaps life at the white house? >> i think they're proud of their dad. >> it wouldn't be bad to have secret service keeping an eye on your teenage daughter. i personally am not troubled by the fact that will be a couple guys, big guys with ear pieces alongside her, just in case. >> they ask you questions about, why is daddy running for president? do they ever question his decision? >> no, no. they're proud of their dad. they love their dad. i mean, that was one of the questions they asked in our thanksgiving breakfast. they said, what you thankful for? this was at school. sorry. dominic said, i'm thankful for my dad running for president. it's an honor, truthfully, to want to give back to your country. >> it's good to get out on the campaign trail and see them in action and meet the whole family. >> he's fascinating. two months until people go vote in iowa. you have donald trump and ben carson who has been lapping the field. but ted cruz and marco rubio rising steadily. >> we'll be watching what happens. up next, our thanksgiving experts are standing by. they have answers to your cooking dilemmas. >> listen to that. plus, if you're a fan of adam sandler's classic hanukkah song, wait until you hear the updated version he just debuted. we'll play it for you. first, these messages. to the used car buyer who's worried about getting taken for a ride... don't worry. the only rides you'll get taken on at carmax are the ones you take yourself. but just in case that absolutely 100 percent perfect choice... ...turns out to be... less than perfect... we give you five days to change your mind. sorry. this is more than just a town. this is our home. and small business saturday... is more than just a day. it's our day... to shop small at the places we love... with the people we love. for stuff we can't get anywhere else. and food that tastes like home. because the money we spend here... can help keep our town growing. this saturday is small business saturday, let's all shop small. for the neighborhood, the town, the home we love. shop small this saturday. ♪the best gifts that you want are here.♪ for mom dad and your dear.♪ what about baxter? ♪if that's your dog, then yes him too.♪ hundreds of gifts all from you.♪ he's my cat, i'm a cat person. black friday starts 6pm thursday and all day online at walmart. but i've managed.e crohn's disease is tough, except that managing my symptoms was all i was doing. and when i finally told my doctor, he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. for carson, getting last-minute turkey tips. good morning. >> i am, considering i haven't bought the turkey yet. we have sunny and brandi here. you're our turkey experts. if you have last-minute questions about your holiday meal, go to today.com/food club. send in your questions and they will be there to answer it. the president is also talking turkey at the annual white house pardoning on wednesday. he couldn't resist bringing some humor to the event. >> it is hard to believe this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey. time flies, even if turkeys don't. abe is now a free bird. he is totus, the turkey of the united states. >> oh, my gosh. >> colleen speaks for all of us on social media. tweeting, i live for obama's dad jokes. it was fun to see melilla and sasha squeezing in the laugh. they must have been told, give dad a break. let's look at the first turkey pardon in 2009. >> oh, my goodness. >> look how little they were. >> look how much bigger they are now. i could go back and forth. they are beautiful. in case you're wondering more about abe, well, you can find his information on twitter. he's got a complete bio card. apparently, he loves country music, and he's a 42 pound turkey. i think that needed to go in the oven a long time ago. good thing he's pardoned. >> he was pardoned, dylan. >> it's a good thing. >> i love how the president knew how bad the joke was before he finished the punch line. he turned like. >> he doubled over. i love her expression, i think, priceless. >> being generous on thanksgiving. coming up, are the savings really worth it? 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[whoosh of steam] [deep breath] stay unstoppable. alka-seltzer plus. . good morning, happy thanksgiving to you. it's a cool start today. if you are headed outside later today, you are in lucklet let's get your first alert forecast. >> it's going to be a beautiful day. lots of sunshine, warmer temperatures, winds speeds very comfortable. whatever your thanksgiving plans you have in store a. closer look at our temperatures, we're at 42 degrees in philadelphia. 30 in potts town, 52 in wildwood, that mild air slowly starting to move in. high pressure will continue to build over our region. by noon 60 degrees. by 3:00 p.m., our high of 62. >> sounds like a great day outside. here's a live look right now at the ben franklin parkway. the thanksgiving day parade gets under way a little later this morning. road closures as a result of that. so for more on that, let's get a check of traffic with jessica boyington. >> happy thanksgiving, everyone, we are starting off with closures at the parade route, proceeds eastbound to 16th up the ben franklin parkway and ends around the art museum. so watch out for the no parking zones also around jfk boulevard, but parking is free. >> thanks, jessica. a brawl at a local skating rink. investigators tell us the melee broke out at 10:30 last night at the christiania skating center. the motive isn't known, there are reports some several people can you ever u suffered minor injuries. a thanksgiving tradition is under way in philadelphia. people are lining up to hand over their turkey for baking. the process takes six hours. we'll have another update in about 25 minutes. happy thanksgiving. ♪ ♪ with the name trusted for nearly 80 years, you have the courage to enjoy the ride. independence blue cross. live fearless. what makesheart healthysalad the becalifornia walnuts.r? the best simple veggie dish ever? heart healthy california walnuts. the best simple dinner ever? heart healthy california walnuts. great tasting, heart healthy california walnuts. so simple. get the recipes at walnuts.org. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, black friday buyer beware. why that amazing deal on the new tv you've been eyeing may not be as good as it seems. the real story behind some of those big screen bargains. may the force be with the box office. we've got a sneak preview of hollywo hollywood's biggest block busters this year y. turkey time. looking for last-minute tips for cooking your thanksgiving feast? we have two pros to answer your questions. today, thursday, november 26th, 2015. ♪ no matter where we go >> happy thanksgiving. >> all the way from mississippi, celebrating thanksgiving in new york city! >> happy thanksgiving from jacksonville, florida. >> happy thanksgiving, lincoln, rhode island, on the "today" today. >> same from massachusetts to see the parade. >> hello, everyone. hi, guys. great time on the plaza. welcome back to "today." wow! look at this crowd. you know, there is a parade going on somewhere. they're here to see us first. >> they got one hour until the parade. a lot of our crowd made their way to the parade group. we have beautiful people from all over the country with us. we know you're at home watching, getting ready to cook up a storm. you may need a little help. look no further than our kitchen. sunny anderson and brandi malloy share the secrets to creamy potatoes and lump-free gravy and more. >> we'll check in with matt and savannah as they get ready to host the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> the weather is perfect. matt isn't wearing pants this morning. that's how warm it is. >> why do you say that? we're at the point of the morning where we get competitive. we quiz each other. how many giant balloons are there? >> 24 giant balloons, matt. >> 17 giant balloons. >> oh! >> how many floats are there? >> 27 floats. >> how many novelty balloons. >> 24. >> that's what it is. >> how many cheerleaders, your area of expertise? >> 1,000. 1,100 clowns. all the great aspects of the macy's parade about to get started an hour from now. we have the best seats in the house at harold square. the weather couldn't be better. >> we have broadway shows, new giant balloons, perfect weather. tons of security. people are feeling really good about being here. it's going to be a beautiful morning. send it back to you. we'll get ready for the parade. >> can't wait to watch. have fun. >> snoopy is one of the big new floats. love my snoopy. >> sheinelle jones has a look at some of the other stories this morning. >> good morning. security is a top concern this thanksgiving day. as americans celebrate the holiday against the back drop of global terror alerts, new york city police are protecting the millions of spectators enjoying the macy's thanksgiving day parade. travelers can expect ramped up security at airports, train and bus stations. nfl fans will see greater police presence during today's games in dallas, green bay and detroit. protests were held in downtown chicago for the second night in a row to express outrage over police dash cam video that shows an officer fatally shooting a teenager, armed with a knife, in october of 2014. the demonstrations were largely peaceful, but some protesters did tear lights from the city's christmas tree. officials released additional dash cam video from four police cars wednesday. included are screens from officer jason van dyke's police car, as he pursued laquan mcdonald, shortly before he fired 16 shots at the teenager. update on a story we told you yesterday. the mother who left her newborn at an indoor church nativity scene in new york this week will not face criminal charges. police located the woman caught on camera at a discount store near the church, buying towels to swaddle the baby boy. officials say the woman followed the safe haven law and left the baby in the manger because she felt it was the warmest place in the church and he would be found safely. he was. an alarming story out of salt lake city. a man who stole a woman's boarding pass was able to make it past security and board a plane. it happened earlier this month. 61-year-old michael took the border pass that was mistakingly left at a tee i don't skiosk. he got through security and boarded the plane. the mistake was discovered when the real ticketholder checked in using a replacement pass. the agent failed to properly identify the individual. a college dorm came tumbling down on wednesday. mccollum hall on the campus of the university of kansas is a pile of rubble. students say the campus will look different without the building. two new residence halls and a parking lot will be built in its place. time for a change. >> lots of people cheering them on. >> i think people like to watch -- >> things blown up. it's fun, let's be honest. if you're beginning the black friday ads and scanning them this morning, you'll find a lot of deals on televisions. >> flat screens, one of the best-selling items every year. are the bargains too good to be true? olivia is here. >> people think black friday is the day to find the cheapest tvs. you can find a 50 inch under $200. the question is, are they any good? two words of advice this morning, buyer beware. >> tv for my mom, tv for my wife. >> reporter: jarvis johnson has been camping out in front of best buy for days, just to be first in the store to grab the flat screen tv for a deep discount. >> tvs get bigger and the prices get lower and lower. >> reporter: while most shoppers focus on the sale price, it's the product they need to keep an eye on. slashed prices can come at a cost. many brands make lower quality versions of the most popular models. they might look the same but they have fewer features and some are made with cheaper parts. they're called derivative tv. limited edition models that go on sale one day only, black friday. >> may have a lesser feature. maybe the tv has one less input or doesn't have a usb import. >> reporter: they fly off the shelves, making it hard for consumer reports to check them out. >> we can't review them. it's hard to tell, is it a good deal or not? >> reporter: the biggest problem, experts say, lower performance and reliability. how do you know if you're getting a deal or a dud? go online, research the model number. if only black friday ads pop up, it's probably a derivative. >> keep in mind what you want to buy before you go out and shop, before you get online. look at the models you're interested in, and then watch the prices. >> it turns out, black friday isn't necessarily even the best time to buy a television anyway. the lowest price of the year is actually super bowl sales in late february or just after the super bowl in early march, when stores are trying to unload the previous year's models to make room for the new, better inventory. >> better off waiting a couple months. super bowl time. olivia, have a great thanksgiving. up next, miranda lambert speaks out. what she is and is not revealing about her divorce from blake shelton. hoping for an olsen twins appearance in the new "full house" reboot? we're going to tell you if they're in or out. before you start cooking, we have the secret to whipping up the creamiest mashed potatoes. and other great recipes as you and other great recipes as you ge your daughter can have sleepovers. your son can hang out with friends. your kids can play... and drive you crazy. you don't realize how lucky you are that you're children are healthy...until they're not. the laboratories at st. jude children's research hospital may not be in your community ...but our discoveries are. our research helps kids across america. thanks to you, more cancer treatments are pioneered at st. jude than any other children's hospital in the world. and no family pays st. jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. so if you have healthy children, give thanks. give thanks. da las gracias. give thanks. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. hellmann's and holiday leftovers become irresistibly creamy turkey casserole. real delicious hellmann's. bring out the hellmann's. bring out the best. this is more than just a town. this is our home. and small business saturday... is more than just a day. it's our day... to shop small at the places we love... with the people we love. for stuff we can't get anywhere else. and food that tastes like home. because the money we spend here... can help keep our town growing. this saturday is small business saturday, let's all shop small. for the neighborhood, the town, the home we love. shop small this saturday. 8:11. good time to trend this morning, wouldn't you say? >> absolutely. >> let's do it. >> i'm going to put this out. it's a killjoy. i know on thanksgiving, the last thing you want to hear, but we're going to talk about the thanksgiving dishes doctors won't eat because they say they're not good for you. >> nothing is good for you on thanksgiving. >> i know. the "daily meal" giving us the bad news. making the list, candied yams. they are naturally sweet, so doctors say there is no need to add all the butter, the marshmallows on top equal extra sugar. don't need to do any of that. next, homemade gravy, which is very high in fat. one doctor suggests using mushroom gravy instead. wawa, right? mashed potatoes. doctors passing on the thanksgiving staple because the carbs leave you tired and more hungry. >> what's left? >> i know. i can guarantee all the doctors will be eating all of those things. >> it's one day. you can splurge. go for it. >> forget we told you that. here's something else doctors won't like, but we love. the new thanksgiving treat taking over social media. piecaken. pie stuffed into a cake. >> wow. >> apparently, it's been an underground hit for years. i don't know what that means. the underground dessert scene. >> look at that one. >> the "new york times" wrote about it. piecaken pictures everywhere. the huffenton post asked, why add the "in"? you have pie in a cake. stacked on top of a apple pie put into a cake, and cover it with frosting. two pies and two cakes in a cake. >> my favorite dessert. need to have one. if your thanksgiving meal doesn't turn out the way you hoped, you're not alone. here's a roundup of some of the thanksgiving dinner fails a lot of people are failing. >> oh, no. >> the person who made this beautiful turkey, only to drop it on the floor. >> put the skin off and you're fine. pecan pie, too much for the crust. came out from under it. i don't know. the mom who may have gone a little too far in trying to toast the marshmallows. >> i thought they were bluebe y blueberri blueberries. >> i'm about saving what you can. >> you can save all three of those. >> i dropped an ice cream cone on the floor and took off the bottom layer and went about my business. >> nobody is drwatching when yo drop the turkey. >> the family pet may know. now to miranda lambert's first conversations on her divorce from blake shelton. adam sandler debuts his new version of the "hanukkah song." >> miranda lambert is opening up about her divorce. she says, marriage is a tough business and we gave it our best college try. miranda goes on to say, i had a great relationship with an amazing man, so i know what good is. i have a great launching pad for the future. i will never take that for granted. blake may have moved on with gwen stefani, but miranda says she's not ready to start dating yet. now to the olsen twins and the "full house" reunion series. they said they would not take part, but people hoped they'd change their minds. guess what? the cameo didn't happen. lori loughlayofoughlin said the twins never showed up. they meant it when they wanted to focus on their business careers. "fuller house" will hit netflix next year. i don't know, without them, they were the ones everyone went, awe. >> i'd take one olsen. >> no one would know. finally, adam sandler and his classic holiday bits from "saturday night live." the "hanukkah song," first performed in 1994. he updated the song with names of other celebrities you didn't know for jrewish. he just debuted the fourth edition. ♪ so does stanley, jake gyllenhaal and the two guys who founded google ♪ ♪ adam levine wears a jewish star, so does brake and seth rogen ♪ ♪ shia labeouf is half a jew, but 100% nutty ♪ >> it's one of my favorite songs every year. >> mine, too. >> adam says queen elsa from "frozen" is also jewish. >> is that right? >> that has become a holiday classic. i turn it up every time it's on. let's get a check of the weather from mr. rocker, at the starting line of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. hey, al. >> guys, i have to tell you, the weather is perfect. it's about 45 degrees and sunny. no wind. the balloons as you can see, already up and ready to go. it is going to be a fantastic 89th macy's thanksgiving day parade. let's show you what we've got going on. unfortunately, in the midsection of the country, it is a mess. it is going to continue a mess. here's what we've got for today, freezing rain and snow through the upper midwest, mississippi river valley. look for heavy thunderstorms down through texas. sunshine on both coasts. into friday, we're looking for that severe weather to make its way further to the east. great lakes into northern new england, more icing conditions. oklahoma, texas, new mexico. sunshine out west and along the coast. on saturday, icy mix stretching from texas all the way up into iowa. beautiful weather. western third of the country. snow in the cascades. east coast looks good. sunday, travel coming home, we are looking at, again, more wet weather into the mid-atlantic states. snow through the central and northern plains. sunshi sunshine, show chillier out west. look for icy conditions in northern and central texas. parts of texas could be picking up, looking at up to a foot of rain between texas and happy thanksgiving. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. we'll see mild conditions ranging between 60 and 64 degrees. mix of sun and clouds. we warm thing up even more as we head to friday plus good news for black friday shoppers. on the weekend lots of commendation. much cooler on saturday and definitely by sunday. we track chance of showers on saturday and then again on sunday. happy thanksgiving. >> that is your latest weather. well, one young man who has something to be grateful for this year -- >> lots to be grateful for. >> andy grammar, pop star, rock star, you've been burning up the charts. you just released a new version of your album. four bonus tracks. >> you have "good to be alive," which you told me you like, which means a lot. >> i like that song. >> i appreciate that. it's a big song. al roker approved. it's a big deal for me. >> everybody approves this song. you're going to be doing it in the parade. coming on the "today" show. >> yeah, man. >> what has this year been like? >> whirlwind. so much to be thankful for. it's incredible. you work at this a long time, and to get to do some of the bigger events. there's huge pumpkins. life is good on thanksgiving right now. >> this is going to be your first time in the parade. >> you've done this quite a few times. >> i was here before they started the parade. what are you looking forward to today? >> man, just fun. it's so colorful, so many incredible costumes. everywhere you go, there's an amazing photo op. this is an institution, man. it's an american -- >> if you want to take a picture with the baby clowns over there -- >> i do. they keep shouting. it's really good. you grew up and watched this as a kid. to be here is surreal. >> enjoy it. >> thank you. >> andy grammar, thank you so much. look forward to seeing you on the "today" show. >> good to see you. >> you're all good. >> he put on such a great show at our plaza over the summer. now to our special series, thanks and giving, highlighting the life saving work at st. jude's research hospital. >> a gutsy medical decision and remarkable ending for a hopeful family. here's kerry sanders. >> reporter: 6-year-old brady and 4-year-old charlie are rambunctious and engaging. to see them today with their 2-year-old brother bentley, you'd have no idea they were once so weak, they could barely lift their heads from their pillows. >> why did you have to go to the hospital? >> because it makes you healthy. >> are you both healthy now. >> yup. >> reporter: their journey to good health has been both painful and heartbreaking. yet, hopeful, as well. >> are you healthy? >> yes. >> you're full of tickles. >> reporter: healthy, despite being born with a disorder. each of us is born with pairs of chromosomes in our blood. when you get to the seventh chromosome pair in brady, charlie and bentley's blood, there's only one chromosome. >> the doctors said we had a better chance of winning the powerball than having this disease. >> i think it was winning twice. >> reporter: so unusual, punip h published medical reports documented 14 other families in the world with children who share this rare blood disorder. the problem, according to medical experts, just about everybody missing the chrome sewn has a chance of developing aml, an aggressive and often fatal cancer. so doctors at st. jude children research hospital made transplants from anonymous donors before the leukemia could develop. >> where was your hair? >> we were bald. the medicine made our hair fall out. >> now we grow our hair back. >> reporter: during the treatment, brady, charlie and bentley were isolated from their parents. it lasted more than four months. >> they didn't want me holding bentley and then -- sorry -- and handling the big kids. that was hard. >> what's it like as a mom, not being able to touch your children? >> unimaginable, really. >> reporter: unimaginable, but the treatment appears to have worked. brady, who had b positive blood before, today has b negative blood. charlie, who had ab positive blood, today, as o+ blood. their new blood from the transplant included the missing chromosome 7. now, aml, highly impropable,bab according to doctors. >> that could have been a death sentence. >> yeah. >> now? >> likely, will not happen. >> reporter: today, they're like any other kids. soon, it's hoped, bentley, too. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, memphis. >> marlo thomas is the national outreach director for st. jude's research center. this is a family treated before it had cancer. is this the future? >> this is our new predisposition study. we have mapped hundreds of children. doing that, we found that 10% of children with cancer have a genetic defect, which could appear in their other family members. so these families now, who have been completely naive to the risk, who will test the other children and find out if they're going to have a cancer before we see the symptom of it and before it's life threatening. we'll be watching them to be sure that if they do have it, we're going to catch it early enough. way earlier than the other children. >> ground breaking research. >> very much so. >> bentley will have to undergo the bone transplant surgery, as well. >> he will next year. it's amagzamazing. we're studying the families and showing the world how to do it. it can cost $500,000. this family would be looking at $1.5 million in expenses to save these three children. it's not only a miracle of science, but it's a miracle of st. jude paying for everything. >> incredible. marlo thomthomas, amazing stori all week. thank you so much. >> thank you. let's go over to dylan. >>en that thanks, guys. on "today" food, we're talking about turkey and the thanksgiving fixing. brandi has the secret to the creamiest potatoes ever. what's the trick? >> we'll get to the trick in a second. first, the potatoes. you can use russet potatoes. i love the yukon gold. they're creamy and buttery. >> do they peel them? >> i love peeling mine. some want the texture. i want to fling them on the plate. you put it into salted, boiling water. then you're going to boil them until they're tender. not just completely falling apart. >> okay. not total mush. >> sometimes people do it too much. you're always drain your potatoes. a lot of times, the water will make it gummy and weird. put it back into your pot. i love using butter. >> obviously. >> some people love buttermilk. they use heavy cream. honestly, my secret, dylan, is cream cheese. >> no cream at all, just the cream cheese? >> i love to just mash it up by hand. i continue doing this until it's nice and whipped. obviously, you'll do salt and pepper to taste. i think some people, they have a tendency to put their mashed potatoes into a food processor good morning. happy thanksgiving. the oldest thanksgiving parade philadelphia in just minutes. you're looking at the ben franklin parkway where the 96th thanksgiving day parade is set to begin shortly. we're tracking the parade forecast in just a minute. but first we'll track the parade road closures. >> lots of those as well as septa bus detours. ben franklin pairk between spring garden street and art museum circle. kelly drive between fairmount avenue and art museum circle. jfk boulevard and art street, mr. turkey right there is happy about that. north wales turkey trot between horsham road and county line road will be closed until 10:00 a.m. >> how will your weather look for your thanksgiving day? let's go to nbc 10 first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. >> cool start. some locations in the 30s. philadelphia in the 40s. as we push into the afternoon we warm into the 60s. a beautiful day. take a look at that great picture in the poconos. some high thin clouds. our temperatures are at 42 in philadelphia, 30 degrees in pottstown. 37 in millville. as we head into the rest of today happy thanksgiving by 1:00 p.m. 62 degrees which is your high for today. by 4:00 p.m. 60 degrees. >> thanks. sounds like a beautiful day out there. we'll have another update in about 25 minutes. happy thanksgiving. ♪ it is 8:30 on this thanksgiving thursday morning, november 26th, 2015. the start of the macy's thanksgiving day parade is almost here. less than 30 minutes until you see 27 floats, 17 giant balloons, clowns, cheerleaders and much, much more, ready to dazzle you this year. >> fantastic. here on the plaza, check it out, right behind us, the stacaffoldg gone from the rockefeller christmas tree. looks stunning. we're going to bring you the star-studded lighting ceremony next wednesday night here on nbc. coming up, we know the force will be strong at the box office this holiday season, but what are the other movies that should be on your list? we'll have the answers. don't forget, our "today" food team is searching for the best cookies to showcase in our holiday cookie swap. tell us who makes the best ones in your state, and watch all next month for the recipes. >> when do we get to try them? >> that's what i want to know. >> speaking of food, sheinelle is in the kitchen as we help you prepare the ultimate thanksgiving day feast. >> you can't enjoy the turkey and mashed potatoes without gravy. sunny anderson has a foolproof method for making it lump free. good morning to you. >> how many lumps, one or two? >> two. i'm kidding. zero. >> lump free. >> where do we start? >> whether you're making your gravy from scratch or from pan drippi drippings, do a lot of separating. separate the solid from the liquid. then, if you'll notice in my fat separator, you'll have liquid and fat here. if you don't have a fancy fat separator, it's okay. you can see the fat on top. skim it with a spoon. the reason most people's gravy is lumpy is flour. it loves to hang out with salt. you have to separate it so it can evenly spread into the gravy. if you put the flour in liquid, it'll hang out and create the lumps. to stop that, i have some of the fat we swkimmed off the top of the pan drippings. i'll add in flour. equal part fat, equal part flour. if you don't have fat, use butter. a tablespoon. then a tablespoon of flour. >> you have to have it thicken, right? >> flour is the thickening agent. cornstarch can make things gummy if you go overboard with the water and corncornstarch. >> how do you get it to the smooth? >> the smooth part comes when you add the flour and whisk like crazy. this is something you don't dump, stir and walk away. whisk like crazy. then to this base. after you cook the flour flavor out, you'll add in the turkey stock. that's when you create your gravy. >> final step? >> now, the final step, if you literally have done everything you can to whisk that flour and still have lumps, girlfriend, use the sieve. >> sounds like what i would do. >> it works. one thing not to do, don't use a blender. that's just going to aerate and create a texture you don't want your gravy. sa sieve it out. don't push everything through because it'll be raw flour. there's lump free gravy. >> see you in a few minutes for dessert. guys? >> thanks so much, guys. we'll get another check of the thanksgiving forecast from al at the start of the parade. hey, al. >> that i, guys. how are you? i have rock royalty with me right now. pat benetar and neil is here. you're releasing a new single? >> yes, we are. debuting it here today. >> this time of year, everybody is in a festive mood. clowns are everywhere. >> what does it mean to be in the thanksgiving day parade? >> it's a huge thing. >> pretty thrilling. >> from living here and being actually in it, and not watching the floats get, you know, inflated, being on a float, it's cool. >> we're on a really great float, the central park float, winter in central park. beautiful. we're excited. >> what are you thankful for this year? >> so much. a lot. everything. >> don't have enough time, al. >> we hope everybody finds the beauty and peace in the world and love. just happy and healthy with your families. >> you were marveling of the view we have of scrat. >> we have his butt. it's okay. >> lovely. >> pat, neil, so good to see you. happy thanksgiving. happy thanksgiving. i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today we'll see mild conditions ranging between 60 and 64. mix of sun and clouds. we warm things up even more as we head into friday. good news for black friday shoppers. for the weekend lots of changes onto way. much cooler on saturday and definitely by sunday. we track chance of showers on saturday and then again on sunday. happy thanksgiving. >> that's your latest weather. dylan, happy thanksgiving. next time i see you, we'll be kicking off this 89th edition of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. back to you. >> announcer: shop small on "today" is sponsored by american express. this small business saturday, november 28th, show up and shop small. >> thanks, al. happy thanksgiving to you, as well. enjoy the parade. as you gather your gifts for the holidays, it's important to support your community by shopping at small businesses. we've been asking "today" show guests to share their local shops that they love. meredith chose a sweet place. >> riviera bake house in new york. i've been going there for years and years. i'm a sucker for the birthday cakes. they're lopsided. whimsy is the best way to describe the place. that sums it up more than anything. a lot of the people i met when i was just moving to town are still there. it's that kind of family environment. >> you have also been sharing positive reviews of your favorite small businesses. sophia writes, i love tangerine boutique in texas for bringing style to our island. susan tweets, wagmeyer farms supports our community and we support them. no stranger to stage or screen, including memorable tv roles on "who's the boss" and "law and order." she stars in "transparent" now. a two-time tony winner is starring alongside i ckeira knightley.morning, judith. >> this play is a sensation. everybody loves you and they love keira. katy perry saw it and tweeted this. just left the most daunting play. sweating from the intensity. people thinking about seeing it, set the scene. 1860s paris. what's happening? >> you have lust, greed. it's basically a sexual thriller, is the way that i would describe it. what you have are basically two people who are really led by their desires and their wants. because they only think about themselves and what they want, there are dire consequences. >> and you have an amazing cast. i meanted ementioned keira kni. people are flooding the theater to see you two. >> she's a lovely person. happy to be working with her. matthew ryan, on "constantine." a really fabulous cast. wonderful director. extraordinary writer, who wrote from the novel. it's quite an -- and it's an intense evening. >> you've done it all in show business, right? you've done tv. >> i love you describe me that way. >> it's true. >> i've done it all. >> you've done it all in show business. do you get a special pleasure from appearing on stage in front of a live audience? is broadway home to you? >> first of all, i had not been on the stage after i'd done "who's the boss," i hadn't been on the stage for 22 years. i took over for an extraordinary actress in "whit." it's not just that it's home for me, the generosity of this community after my having been away for such a long time, has been extraordinary to me. so they have made me feel like it's home. performing for a live audience, there is absolutely nothing like it. look, i love doing "transparent." "ugly betty" and "who's the boss," everything i've done in television and film. there is something about the connection you have with a live audience that is transformational. it transports you. there is an exchange of energy between us and them that is really an extraordinary experience. anyone who has been in the audience of the show in the theater can tell you they have that experience. >> "transparent" is winning all the awards. it's a sensation. >> yeah. >> are you surprised by the reaction it received? >> i was. after the first season, i had no idea. we didn't know it would be like this. we hoped it would be something that would change the culture, that would give information to people about the transgender community. but also, about this particular, very complex and interesting family. but we had no idea people would respond the way they have. >> and on the subject of tv, how often, when you walk down the street, do people yell "angela?" >> that's a good question. it used to be, "one life to live," screaming karen, and people still do. they say angela a lot. now, it's become this "transparent" is so popular, it's really -- it's, like, hey, shelly. >> little shelly, little angela. >> little claire. judge donnelly. we have the mix in there. i've been around a long time. >> sign of a good career, when you can get that many names. >> i have great people who support me. i've had a very good and long career. i'm very grateful. >> great to see you, judith. the second season of "transparent" on amazon, december 11th. the show is on broadway through the beginning of january. great to see you. >> you, too. up next, the can't miss movies coming to the box office this season. first, this is "today" on nbc. to go with the turkey and football, people will be heading to the movies. thanksgiving mark it is start of a busy time at the box office. here with the seasons must sees is dave, host of "front runners" on fan ddango. >> good morning. >> a lot of families heading to the theaters. >> "the good dinosaur." it's from pixar, a sweet story about a dinosaur and little boy who team up for a life-changing advantage. it has gorgeous scenery, beautiful. great choices for family. >> also, "creed." i've been waiting for this, a spinoff of "rocky." >> michael b. jordan plays the son of apollo creed. it's great to see sylvester stallone back at rocky. one thing people should watch for, the first fight scene in the movie is two rounds and a corner break. five minutes all in one shot. >> really? >> really imbrepressive by the director. i love this movie. exciting. >> i'm glad it's good. this next movie, two words, oscar buzz "t, "the danish girl" >> eddie redmayne stars. like he was stephen hawking, he fully becomes this woman. every shot is like a painting. it is a beautiful love story. anyone will enjoy this. >> based on a true story. >> gorgeous. >> next up, truly an all-star cast, "the big short." >> this is about four investors who saw the housing crash coming and bet against the housing market. i finally feel like i understand what happened with the banking collapse in 2008 after seeing this movie. the cast is great. brad pitt, ryan gosling, steve carell, christian bale. it's infuriating e ining to wat >> the sequel we've been waiting for. i have to cue the theme music. ♪ star wars theme >> "the force awakens." >> it's already the top advanced ticket seller and it's not coming out for another three weeks. i'm the biggest harrison ford fan. because it's j.j. abrams, i love how he reinvented the "star trek" franchise. i'm interested to see what he does with this franchise, too. >> no jar jar binks near this. >> thank goodness for that. >> also, tina fey and amy poehler in "sisters." >> they throw one last raging party at their childhood home before their parents sell it. it's directed by the guy who did "pitch perfect." >> i love it. >> funny performances, particularly by maya rudolph, who is their high school nemesis. so funny. great to see them together. >> i love comedy this time of year. we need laughs. this movie is -- has will smith possibly in oscar contention, "concussion." >> this is a relevant movie. about the doctor who took on the nfl for traumatic head injuries that nfl players sustain throughout their careers. as you said, will smith delivers a really strong performance in this one. that's going to be oscar contender. as well as "joy," which also comes out christmas. that's jennifer lawrence's new movie from david o. russell, who directed her in "silver linings playbook." >> the cast of the season right there. >> fantastic. great stuff. lot to look forward to. willie? >> natalie, thank you very much. up next, we are putting the finishing touches on the ultimate thanksgiving feast, including, i'm told, sweet potato fries with marshmallow dipping sauce. >> yeah. >> what? >> crazy. >> after these messages. first, this is "today" on nbc. all morning and all month long, let's be honest, we've been helping you create the ultimate thanksgiving. sunny anderson and brandi malloy have been with us throughout the morning, answering your questions and cooking up a storm. next on the menu, a last-minute side and dessert. sunny, let's begin with you. waldorf rice. >> we know about the salad that had its beginnings in new york city from the waldorf hotel. filled with walnuts and luscious fruits. this is simple for the last-minute side today. these are typical pantry items and things in your refrigerator. maybe you buy one thing if you're going to the grocery store this morning. we have rice and sour cream, walnuts, arugula. if you don't like it, do baby spinach. honey, oranges, chives, salt and pepper, dried cranberries, and apples. i'll show you how to make the dressing first. it's like a rice salad. it's sour cream in here. i'm going to add some chives. you can also do scallions or leave out the chives. orange juice or fresh from the carton. have orange juice for the holidays. friends and family over for breakfast the next day. vest zest of an orange. little bit of honey, another staple, right out of your pantry. that's going to make this kind of sweet in the sour cream. >> did you invest this? >> i did. >> this feels sunny anderson, and i mean that as a compliment. >> thank you. to me, it's a home run. it's great hot and great warm, great room temperature or chilled. what i love about it is it's got the starch, vegetable, fruits and protein from the nut. your vegans and vegetarians -- did i say a curse word? those people that you invite over for the meat day that want just vegetables, you can make them happy. >> didn't know it was in your vo cab lawyer. >> -- vocabulary. >> i know, right? i didn i'm sorry. you have a red-skinned apple. >> celery and mix it up? >> mix it all together with a little bit of dried cranberry. what i love about it is also, kind of has the fall holiday col colors. red and green for you. >> would you mind taking this to the group? it appears they're finished with dinner. >> we started early. >> amazing. >> keep making your sides. we're digging? >> all right. ready for something sweet now. >> what are you doing here? >> this recipe is so easily. sweet potatoes, marshmallows, olive oil, salt, cream, cinnamon. we are making sweet potato french fries with a toasted marshmallow tip. >> you're not allowed to do that. >> add a little olive oil and salt. it gives the savory bit. you get the salt, the sweet. pop those into the oven at 425 for 20 to 30 minutes, until crispy. then into the blender, i have heavy cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. those are the flavors you get from the holiday. look what i did here. i just threw some marsh melmall on a baking sheet and threw them in. >> they're going in? >> it gets messy but don't worry about it. i'm going to mix this up. >> make it happen. >> there we go. >> wow. >> you're going to do that for about 30 seconds or so. it's going to get nice and creamy. >> that becomes this? >> you serve it with -- dip it all the way in. >> excuse me. let's take it to our friends. guys, please. >> hey! >> happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. >> you made this for us in all that time? wow. now i don't have to cook. >> oh, my gosh. brandi, sunny, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. >> great to have you with us. >> we have all these recipes on today.com/food for your thanksgiving meal today. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. next vehicle purchase? at enterprise, we guarantee it. head to your neighborhood enterprise car sales and let the people who buy more vehicles than anyone... change your thinking about buying your next one. this is delicious. sunny and brandi, thank you, again. straight ahead, the macy's day thanksgiving parade with matt, savannah and al. >> can't wait. happy thank good morning. i'm lauren mayk. hope thanksgiving. let's get your first alert forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. good morning. >> a cold start built as we head into the afternoon our temperatures will be above average. it's going to be a mild thanksgiving and happy thanksgiving torch at home. let's take a live look outside. maybe not. by noon 57 degrees in philadelphia. lehigh valley 59 by noon. south jersey 53 degrees heading into the afternoon high today in philadelphia 62. for the+"ñx lehigh valley 60 ds and south jersey will stay in the mid-50s. >> if you're heading out the door let's get a check on traffic. >> a lot of closures surrounding the thanksgiving parade starting at 9:00 beginning at jfk boulevard. proceeds to 16th. ends around the art museum. watch out for different changes for mass transit. we're on holiday sketd for septa. no delays for darth. thanks. it is 8:57 this morning. cameras capture a brawl at a local skating rink. investigators tell us the melee broke out at 10:30 last night in a thanksgiving tradition is under way in south philadelphia. people are lining up to hand over their turkeys for baking. the process takes about six hours. off duty philadelphia police officer is recovering after a crash in olney. he somehow lost control of his truck and ended up on the sidewalk at 3rd and fisher street. he'll be okay. i'm lauren mayk. ñ thanksgiving day parade. have a great thanksgiving. ♪ ♪ come on, shake your body baby do the conga ♪ ♪ i know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ come on, shake your body baby do the conga ♪ ♪ i know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ everybody gather 'round now ♪ ♪ let your body feel the heat ♪ ♪ don't you worry if you can't dance let the music move your feet♪ ♪ come on, shake your body baby do the conga ♪ ♪ i know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ don't you fight it till you tried it, do the conga ♪ ♪ come on, shake your body baby do the conga ♪ ♪ i know you can't control yourself any longer ♪ ♪ feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger ♪ ♪ don't you fight it till you tried it, do the conga beat ♪ ♪