By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — A eclectic group of stars — including reality TV’s Ariana Madix, Broadway belter Idina Menzel, hip-hop’s T-Pain, members of the WNBA champions New York Liberty and country duo Dan + Shay — will feature in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Music performers The War and Treaty, Lea Salonga, Kylie Cantrall, The Temptations, Chlöe, Charli D’Amelio, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Rachel Platten, Bishop Briggs, Joey McIntyre, Natti Natasha and ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, are also slated to perform. The Associated Press got the list early.
The holiday tradition will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 28 in all time zones and will be kicked off by actor Alison Brie, the “Glow” star currently starring in Peacock’s “Apples Never Fall.”
This year’s parade will feature 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns and 10 performance groups.
“The work that we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring a bit of joy for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us every day,” Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, said in an interview.
The parade airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from “Today” will host and a Spanish language simulcast on Telemundo will be hosted by Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza.
There will be six new featured character balloons, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah” with The Elf on the Shelf, “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” “Goku” and “Spider-Man.”
The “Gabby’s Dollhouse” float will include a 55-foot-tall (17-meter-tall) balloon featuring Gabby and Pandy Paws that will have 10 different shades of pink.
“As a little girl growing up in New Jersey, the Thanksgiving Day parade was what you always tuned into and the balloons were, of course, the best part,” says Traci Paige Johnson, the co-creator of “Gabby’s Dollhouse” with Jennifer Twomey.
“That little 7-year-old girl in me is just like, ‘Oh my God!’ — something from your brain that you created that all the world watches floating down New York City is just absolutely incredible.”
She and Twomey, who also produced “Blue’s Clues,” are the rare creators who get to celebrate having a second balloon in the parade. Johnson advises watchers this time to look for all the hidden cats in Gabby’s sneakers and costume.
The Macy’s parade has been a traditional holiday season kickoff and spectators line-up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer the floats, entertainers and marching bands. The parade has lately asked icons to be the last guest before Santa, with last year Cher fitting the bill. This year’s headliner will be revealed later.
Broadway will be represented by performances from “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders,” as well as the iconic Radio City Rockettes and “Riverdance” dancers.
New floats include ones from brands like Disney Cruise Line, Haribo, “Wednesday” from Netflix,” Universal Orlando Resorts and “The Grannies Car” from BBC Studios’ “Bluey.” Nickelodeon and Paramount’s “Dora the Explorer” will have both a float and a balloon.
One new float will spotlight the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements.
“It’s one of those opportunities to really combine the whimsy and the artistry of our great artists and artisans at our studio and deliver on that iconic spectacle that’s known and loved of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Coss.
The marching bands will hail from Massachusetts, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, South Dakota, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia and New York.
Members of the New York Liberty, who earlier this month won their first-ever WNBA Championship, will march alongside their popular mascot, Ellie the Elephant.
The Macy’s parade team, if you can believe it, are already working on sketches and ideas for the next parade, since each cycle takes 18 months. Coss calls it “the largest variety show on television.”
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits