good morning. opening the floodgates. officials opened louisiana's spillway to save cities like new orleans from the rising water. now thousands of people at homes in the countryside are bracing for the floodwaters that are coming their way. stunning arrests. the leader of the international monetary fund, a potential candidate for president of france, yanked off a new york plane bound for paris just moments before takeoff. the crime he is accused of? a violent sexual assault in a new york city luxury hotel. and foot loose. banned from the prom for a very public proposal. a high school boy will get to dance after all. now that the school has backed

down from its punishment. find out what led to the change of heart. today is sunday, may 15th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television those raindrops tell it all around here. i'm lessest holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. for the first time in nearly four decades, water, speaking of which, is rushing through the morganza spillway in louisiana. >> officials lifted the floodgates. this sent floodwaters rushing towards an estimated 25,000 people and 11,000 structures in the louisiana countryside. >> two more gates are expected to be opened later today and more residents in those rural areas are bracing for the expected surge of water. officials hope the decision will spare big cities like baton rouge, like new orleans from the still rising river. we're going to have the latest

in a live report just ahead. plus, we're going to talk about a murder mystery that remains unsolved after nearly six months. what happened to jack wheeler. he was a decorated veteran and co-founder of the vietnam memorial in washington. his body, you might recall, was found in a delaware landfill back on new year's day. here's surveillance video from the days before his death he appears confused and disoriented. for the first time his widow and son are speaking out. we'll hear from them coming up. >> remember the classic movie "willie wonka and the chocolate factory." how long ago? long. 40 years. it's been 40 years since charlie, violet, veruca and the rest of the gang got the golden tickets and head offed to a land of pure chocolate imagination. this morning they reunite on our studio. we'll take awe walk down memory lane. >> also speaking of american classics, we'll take you this morning behind the scenes of nashville's grand oel opry. it was inundated by floodwater,

and since then it's made a come bashing. it's just as lively on stage and off. we have an all access pass. >> that was probably right up your alley. mroo it was right up your alley. you go from dressing room to dressing room, and you hear music coming out of it. every time you turn a corner, it's another musical experience. >> music you own joy listening to. >> i got to play with it. we want to begin with more on the floogsd in the south and the opening of the morganza spillway. that's where chief environmental affairs correspondent ann thompson is for us this morning. ann, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. the flood you see behind me could save new orleans. in a breathtaking demonstration of the power of the mississippi river, one of the 120 125 bays of the morganza spillway opened and set in motion a series of events that could take the homes of some 25,000 louisianans. the mississippi river roared through just one gate in what the army corps of engineers

called a flow opening. the flow headed for the sparsely populated river basin area instead of louisiana's two biggest cities, baton rouge and new orleans. the release is part of a decades old plan to control flooding on america's biggest river, but it didn't make the decision any easier for colonel ed fleming. >> none of these decisions that we make are easy. i don't take them lightly, and we remember that public safety is our number one priority. >> reporter: the water could impact as many as eight rural parishes. by midafternoon today the water is expected to reach interstate 10 and then iberia parish on monday, and morgan city on tuesday. in nearby gibson where residents expect five feet of water, phillip and elizabeth ready their home for the onslaught while trying to control their anger at what they say is an unfair decision. >> we're the outcasts? we're the black sheep? i mean, what are we? >> reporter: elizabeth worries she'll lose the house that was

her parents', while phillip confronts this disaster as he deals with an even bigger challenge. >> i'm battling cancer, and having to fight really hurts me. >> reporter: further up the river in vicksburg, mississippi, neighborhoods are already flooded. three times a day david clark gets in his row boat to go and check his submerged house. he says he is just mum to the new reality. >> the hardest part is moving out and then just trying to settle back in a new place while this one is flooded. that's the hardest thing about it. >> reporter: chris lynn makes his living on the water fishing. he can't believe what he is seeing. >> as high as the water gets, the more it sinks many. it's just depress, actually. >> reporter: the river won't crest in vicksburg until later this week. now, here at the morganza spillway, two bays are open, and officials will continue to open more bays in an effort to manage

the river until it crests here next week. officials also say that this spillway could remain open well into june. lester. >> ann thompson this morning. ann, thank you very much. as ann mentioned, vicksburg, one of the places fighting rising waters. nbc's tom trung is in vicksburg, mississippi. >> reporter:.river is expected to rise above 58 feet. that's something that hapt been seen since 1957. neighborhoods like these are taking on more water every day, and that's begun to continue until the river cresteds at 57 1/2 feet. all the eyes are on the levees. the army corps of engineers spent the entire week shoring them up. as can you see here, some neighborhoods regardless will be flooded. lester. >> where are they putting, tom, the people who have been evacuated so far? i have to figure it amounts to thousands. are they going to be allowed into their homes soon? >> reporter: well, they do have some emergency shelters open,

but most evacuees are either staying with family or friends at this point. as for when they can come home, there's no exact time. officials here expect that some areas in neighborhoods will be flooded until june. >> tom trung in vicksburg, mississippi. thanks. >> janice is upstairs and has a look at where these floodwaters are now head and when they'll get there. good morning. >> good morning to you, jenna. well, now that the spillway is open, some of the flooding has now been moved up in terms of the crest of the river. basically downstream of that. particularly for baton rouge. your crest was anticipated to occur later into the weekend, but now it's going to occur fomorrow in baton rouge. meanwhile, upstream of the heillway, we have record levels of the river up to between 55 and 60 feet from vicksburg to red river. vicksburg, your crest will occur l theired. michez after that. back to you, lester. >> see you then. thanks. >> let's get a check of this

morning's other top stories. for that we'll head to the news .esk with thomas roberts. >> hi, good morning to you. ood morning, everybody. atioegin with the arrest of the international monetary fund chief on charges of sexually attacking a maid at a morning city hotel. we have more on this story for you. >> well, this news has struck like a thunderbolt in france and around the world. a wealthy and incredibly influential man hauled from the first class cabin of a plane at jfk before takeoff yesterday and then accused of sexual assault in a luxury hotel. he 52-year-old is being questioned by the nypd, but it's claimed he walked naked from a hotel bathroom, attacked a t-year-old maid, throwing her down, then fled for the airport leaving his wallet and cell phone. asething he is denying this morning. >> you point out this is an international story. us those of us here in the ant es we may not know how as irtant this man is throughout ctuall. he actually has high aspirations

to be the french president, as i understand it. >> that's right. rd is very important. i mean, some people may not have aderd of him, but is he a world leader who helps oversee the global financial system, and as you say, he isn't just head of the international monetary fund. he was seen potentially as the next french president. it is quite astonishing. >> thank you. six people, including three u.s. citizens, have been charged with providing funds to support the pakistan taliban. fbi agents arrested an immam after prayer services on saturday. two of his sons also taken into custody. all three are accused of providing $50,000 to buy guns and to support militant families in pakistan. nu> jury selection continued ny urday in the casey anthony trial. in a ten-hour day of questioning, two men and two women were picked bringing the total number of jurors now 12. three more are needed before swearing in can begin. casey anthony is charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter caylee in 2008.

jury selection will resume coming up tomorrow. it is a go for launch. nasa has approved a monday morning launch attempt for the space shuttle endevour. the electrical problems have been repaired. a flight to the international space station is going to be led by commander mark kelly. his wife, representative gabrielle giffords, plans to attend that launch. finally for you, it is graduation season, but for one college senior it is really a special day to remember. austin whitney was paralyzed in a car accident four years ago, but he has been working with engineering students at his school to get him walking once again. look at this. their creation, a special brace called an exoskeleton. the first demonstration was when austin stood up and walked forward to receive his diploma. big hugs all around. certainly an emotional day for austin. congratulations to him. that's a check of the news. now back to lester, jenna, and janice. so great for this kid. he is also an inspirational speaker after being paralyzed. >> that just gave me the chills. that was nice.

>> janice is back with a check of the weather. >> well, it's pouring here outside our studio here in the northeast, and all the rain has pushed eastward from the central portion of the country now. it's been raining there most of the week, but now everything is shifting a bit. we've got rain in the northeast and rain out west too, and right in the middle plenty of sunshine. dry weather from the dakotas into texas for today. looks like we have a few thunderstorms ahead of that cold front into parts of south florida, and also here in the northeast. quite a bit of rain expected over the next several days. maybe as much as two to fou and let's take you on a tour of the radar this morning, the 2k3w50d news, the wdes preara in is down, but the bad news, mixed with theeuninsh willin be some scattered showers and perhaps an isolated thundershower or two. especially with more heating of the o.day. ay to breakers right now, it looks like a mix of sun and scattered showers at times. you can see the snow still flying out towards the sierra. more rain due in late tomorrow

into tuesday, clearing and dry for the middle part of the week. now here's jenna. >> all right, janice, thanks. now to politics. from last night's announcement from former arkansas governor mike hucka bethat he will not seek the gop's presidential nomination in 2012, what does that mean for the rest of the republican field? david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. >> hey, jenna. >> this republican presidential field is slowly starting to take ship shape. hucka be's name will not be on that list, but he was very popular in some of the polls, and he had strong support among evangelical christians. so his decision not to run, how does that affect the rest of the field? >> you'll see a lot of candidates scrambling for his supporters. the more culturally conservative members of that conservative base. evangelicals, values voters, and the like. the kinds of voters that you'll particularly want in iowa, for the walk iowa caulk yugss for south carolina, so these early primary states where that momentum becomes very important. what hucka bethen decides to do, who he might endorse will be

very interesting here. >> talk to me about indiana governor mitch daniels. he has a lot of traction. there's a lot of call for him to throw his name into this race. >> yeah, and he still is on the sidelines. i mean, i think there's questions about whether as a family he wants to go through this. some issues with his marriage over the years that would certainly become more public and something he would have to deal with. he has been on and off again. he is making all the moves to position himself, and i think there's a big appetite for him to run. doneors and others in the party are saying it's time to xlit or not commit or we're going to have to move on. there's more and more momentum building i think for him, and the longer he is on the fence, that inevitably grows. >> the president has a busy week ahead. he is going to give a policy speech, talk about north africa and the middle east. do we have any idea what he is expected to say? are these broad strokes, or maybe something more specific? >> republicans and democrats on the hill have been calling for the president for some time now in the middle of all of this revolution throughout the middle east, the arab spring, to put a

frame around it. to really talk about how the u.s. can influence this and where this region is going. now after the killing of osama bin laden, this is an opportunity that the white house wants to seize with the president trying to put some context around all of these events and talk about it in front of the american people. that appears to be what he will intend to do. it also comes at a time where there's renewed calls for the administration to engage on a peace process between palestinians and israelis, the special envoy to the region, george mitchell, stepping down and the prime minister of israel coming to america to give a speech. a lot of these things coming together, and the president wants to really put a frame around it. >> talk to me about the timing of that, what we just talked about, of george mitchell stepping down the same day ares basically, that the president is supposed to meet with the israeli prime minister. is that going to affect this whole peace process at all? >> there's not much question about the fact that it's been a tough go here, in terms of the administration trying to forge a basis for a real peace process to move forward. the palestinians are divided in

their own leadership. there's been a rather icy relationship between this administration and the israeli government. somehow getting there, getting to a real peace process is one that's again very difficult. you can be seen trying to do something, but if there's no real ground game for it to begin, then you're not going to get very far. again, this is a moment after bin laden for the president to try to refocus those energies, and he will be meeting with key figures in the debate. >> david gregory, david, thanks. >> you're welcome. >> up next on "today" what happened to one of the cofounders of the vietnam memorial in the days before his mysterious murder. his widow and son speak out for the first time. that's right after this. ♪

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[ son ] you realize, it's gotta run out sometime. ♪ on new year's morning decorated military veteran jack wheeler was found in a delaware landfill murdered. on surveillance footage found of him in the days prior to his death he looked disoriented, confused, even afraid. to this day his death remains a mystery. for the first time his family is speaking out about those final days. here's nbc's pete williams. >> reporter: when the widow of jack wheeler looks at this recording of her husband appearing disoriented in a delaware parking garage two days before he died, one thing stands out. >> he looked afraid. >> reporter: but of what kathy says she has no clue. >> i'm not sure what he was afraid of. >> reporter: police in delaware don't know either or how his body wound up in a trash truck the morning of new year's day.

now, for the first time, jack wheeler's widow and son are speaking out, agreeing to an interview just after attend iin his memorial service at arlington national cemetery. full honors for a west point graduate who served in vietnam and at the pentagon and was a driving force behind the vietnam memorial visited by more than 4 million people a year. at the parking garage in wilmington where he had a home he wore no overcoat despite the bitter cold and carried one shoe. >> it's bizarre and it's like watching a movie or reading a crime novel except that it's your life and it's your father. >> reporter: he was last seen walking downtown roughly ten hours before he was killed and his body placed in a dumpster then trucked to the landfill. some wondered if he was off his medicine for bi-polar disorder. >> i know he was taking his medication on monday. i didn't see him tuesday morning. but i don't think it was a factor. >> reporter: his widow doubts robbery was a motive disclosing something new that valuables he

wore were not stolen. >> a random mugger would have taken his ring and watch. >> reporter: she doubts it was an ordinary crime but who would want to target him? >> a good question. i don't know. >> reporter: the family's offer of a $25,000 reward has failed to bring in any good tips. but the family of jack wheeler holds on to the hope that soon police will solve their agonizing mystery. for "today," pete williams, nbc news, wilmington, delaware. from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase, so me and the boys earned a trip to dc twice as fast! oh hi! we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast... one more chariot please. ...we can bring the whole gang! i cannot tell a lie. he did it. right... it's hard to beat double miles! read my lips -- no new axes! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one, money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? so, you're a democrat right?

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still to come, more and more items on store shelves. the secrets big retailers use to get more money. plus the high school senior banned for prom from this public

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good sunday morning to you, take a look at this gorgeous sunrise over san francisco. but don't be deceived by the pictures, because we do still have some rain passing through. i'm kris sanchez, along with meteorologist rob mayeda. and if you're going to bay-to-breakers, i guess it depends on how fast you run. >> that's an encouraging sign, compared to last night when all the rain was flying. we're seeing brief clearing around san francisco. scattered showers, breezy and 48 degrees, so you'll want a jacket if you're going to catch some of the bay-to-breakers action this morning. you'll need an umbrella at times. what you'll see on the radar view we'll show you the whyly scattered showers.

we'll see upperte 40s, low 50s. most showers focused in over the south bay, you can see most of those over the santa clara valley. we had widespread rain overnight, now dealing with the scattered showers, in the case of the amgen tour to the east, look at the snow in the sierra, they're going try to get started at 10:30. a game time decision if stage one gets started today. highs today, in the bay area, upper 50s and low 60s. but with the heating of the day, it will destabilize the atmosphere and give us some unsettled weather. 70s we hope coming back for the second half of the week. thank you very much, rob. tomorrow injured giants fan, brian stow is expected to return home to the bay area. after more than a month ago that he was beaten outside of dodgers stadium. we're expecting an update on stow's condition in a few hours from the team of neurosurgeons

treating him in l.a. the 42-year-old paramedic is still in critical condition, but is stable enough to be moved to san francisco general hospital as early as tomorrow. stow was taunted, beaten and kicked by two men outside dodgers stadium on opening day. his attackers are still at large. the sharks are one step away from playing for a stanley cup. for the third time in its 20-year history. san jose is playing in the western conference finals. we caught up with them as they held their l pastractice yesterday before heading to vancouver yesterday afternoon. >> well if we're not at home, we're on the road, get the first game. and that's what we're looking for, yeah. >> game one tonight at 5:00, go sharks. the 100th anniversary of the zazdle bay-to-breakers will get under way in half an hour. and more than 55,000 people are going to take part in this 12-k event. but this year is a little different from previous races.

organizers have a zero tolerance for alcohol and set up a number of sobering tents on the route for people who have had too many drinks. drunk racers will be steered toward the tent as opposed to jail. race officials has stressed city jails and hospitals in the past and annoyed members of the community as well. it's the 100th anniversary. coming up, two men are dead after a triple shooting in san francisco, the latest on that. plus all the day's stories, plus another look at the rainy forecast coming up after "the today show." can i eat heart healthy without giving up taste? a man can only try... and try...and try. [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. ♪ that's ever happened to cinnamon. introducing cinnamon burst cheerios.

20% daily value of fiber bursting with the delicious taste of cinnamon. new cinnamon burst cheerios. prepare your taste buds. we're back on this sunday morning, may 15th, 2011. it's a warm but drizzly morning out here on the plaza. what a myself crowd joining us. thanks to them and thanks to all of you watching at home. i'm jenna wolf along with lester holt. that guy was still on the phone. he is, like, can you believe i'm on tv? watch out. how are you? hey, guess what. >> what? >> he is going to the dance. >> is he. james tate. by now you have probably heard the story. he is a connecticut teen who wanted to take a young lady to the prom, and he put big cardboard letters on the side of the school.

he said, no, you can't go to the prom after they suspended him. asked again, they said no. s and then they changed their mind. we're going to find out what that's all about, why the change of heart. coming up. >> it was the movie every kid fantasized about. diving into a chocolate river. "willie wonka and the chocolate factory." it was 40 years ago that we met characters like willy, charlie, mike tv, and violet. we reunited the cast, and we're going to take a look back at this childhood classic with them and find out what it was like when they first entered the chocolate room. >> a year ago, the grand ole opry was under water. the big floods that came through nashville. the stage was flooded. it was a horrible thing for the heart and soul of country music. boy, they got their act together in record time. we came back on the year anniversary to see how things are going. met a lot of great country acts and all that goes on behind stage where they renovated. got to meet that young man, luke bryant, and play with him as

well. >> look at you. >> we're going to show you our trip. >> i like it. i like the outfit you wore. everything looked great. it was fun. >> i feel like i'm on "american idol." this is good. jenna, the judge. we'll share that coming up. first, starting to pick up a little rain here. let's get another check of the weather with janice. >> yes, it's a wet morning on the plaza, and i have two of your biggest fans right here. hi. what's your name? and your name? they love jenna. look at this. they love lester too. she loves you too. oh, that's so great. and jenna walked inside. how about that? she says she loves you. let's see what's happening in the weather department. there's a chance for severe weather today across parts of then mid-atlaicatstates. we have thunderstorms coming through washington d.c., richmond, and norfolk, virginia this morning, so watch out or that there. we've got some heavy rain here in new york city, but it's going to be spotty for the rest of the

afternoon. just keep your umbrellas around. also in the pacific northwest where it's windy and rainy, but sunshine from texas into the northern plains. a little bit of good news, the widespread rain has moved on. but cold, unstable air aloft will fire off some scattered showers and possibly some hail with those heavier showers, thanks to the freezing level down close to 3500 feet to 4,000 feet, whicheans snow levels as low as the top of mount hamilton or even mount diablo. we have a winter storm warning in the sierras, isolated showers, a mix of sun and clouds, more rain spreading into late monday into tuesday, drier for the middle part of the week. and now back inside to jenna. >> jenna, thanks. now to the story of a connecticut teenager that was banned from the prom from his public -- for his public proposal. his punishment made a lot of headlines around the world. even drawing the attention of

lawmakers. nbc's kristen dahlgren joins us with the latest. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, jenna. a united states senator is among those weighing in on the school's reversal, and that gives you some idea of just how big this story got. the school's head master now says james tate does face alternate punish am, but that he will go to the prom after all. >> reporter: it was the prom proposal that ended up inviting international attention. >> i just thought my school would think it was pretty cool of me and just thought it was very special for her. >> reporter: those cardboard letters asking his friend to the prom instead spelled big trouble for connecticut senior james tate, suspended for trespassing on school ground. he was also banned from the school's june 4th prom. that is until the state of the high school romantic captured hearts around the world. >> i never thought that such a decision would lead to

international notoriety. >> reporter: that's head master beth smith who all week insisted school rules wouldn't be changed. now admitting all the attention was too much. >> in an effort to maintain a focus on teaching and learning, i have decided to implement alternate consequences on a case by case basis beginning with james tate. >> reporter: tate wasn't just on national tv this week. he was on t-shirts and twitter. connecticut state legislators were thinking of drafting laws to help him, and the let james tate go to the prom facebook page gained almost 200,000 fans. >> when you start getting e-mail from australia, u.k., scotland, and throughout the whole united states all in support for the youngster going to prom, i think that had a lot to do with it. >> reporter: on saturday even u.s. senator richard bloomenthal offered his support.

>> the punish am has to fit the crime. >> reporter: today those facebook posts read things like "people have spoken" and "sonali is a lucky girl." her prom date now is an international inspiration. >> certainly for all of us gentlemen here james tate has set for us a new standard for romanticism. >> tate says he has no hard feelings and is going to be quite a prom for the couple. they've had offers to do their hair and her makeup. a local car dealer is offering a chauffeur-driven car, and, jenna, there is now an on-line push to crown them king and queen. >> i assume she said yes? >> she did say yes. they are going together. even though he has had people like kim kardashian giving input, and he probably could have gotten another date. he is excited to go with her. >> i love it. >> i think they're probably a lock for king and queen. >> that is so great. thank you so much. imagine if she didn't say yes. up next, the secrets big

retail stores are using to make sure you spend more money. what to look out for after these messages. tores are using to mak tores are using to mak low back pain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta.

dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. this morning on "today's consumer" just how far are big retailers going nowadays to get your attention? far enough to redesign their entire stores. "today" consumer reporter janice lieberman is here with details. good morning. good morning. i bet this has happened to you because it's happened to me. if you've walked into a store with a few things on your shopping list but walked out with way more in your shopping bag. well, it's not entirely our fault. some big stores are getting a makeover not just for added convenience but to get you to buy stuff you didn't know you needed. we went on a shopping trip to find out how i. it's going to

get harder to resist your shopping impulses. some big retailers like walmart, jcpenney, old navy and dollar general are redesigning stores to get you to spend more. i met up with retail analyst marshall cohen at one dollar general in new jersey to find out how. what's important when you walk in? >> what they're doing is they're putting purchase right there in front of you as you come into the store and as you wander around. it's about putting seasonal products and impulse items that you need now, want now at a great price. >> reporter: what's interesting here that really hits you. >> look at how high the merchandise is now. >> reporter: raising shelf heights by 12 inches has increased profits by $30 a square foot in three years. traditional end caps, displays at the end of the aisles, are getting a makeover, too. >> they want to utilize all the square footage they can to make an impact.

it isn't just the front, it's the size. it's three dimensional market. here's a great example of what we call cross merchandising. what they're trying to do is have it pop out at you so you don't just buy the chips, you also buy the dip. they just turned a $3 sale into a $6 or $7 sale. >> reporter: we found examples of pop-outs and 3-d end caps throughout the store. sewing kits next to foil paper. baby bibs in the stationery aisle and fruit punch with cds. all to grab your attention. interesting to have baskets in the back of the store. >> how many people think they're not the going to buy a lot of product? they want to you stay in the store as long as you can. the longer you are here, the more likely you are to spend more money. >> reporter: i'm going into walk into these roses. >> that's on purpose. >>eporter: why? >> it's about you saying, oh, wow, i didn't even realize they had flowers.

i'm going to buy that. it's all about trying to bring as much merchandise out into the aisle where the customer is. >> reporter: and if you think getting to the check-out counter is the end, think again. candy and magazines are now sharing valuable real estate with tooth brushes and electronics. >> stores all across the country are finding ways to fit their impulse items at the registers and at check-out to be able to get you to keep add to go the basket. >> everything you listed there, i'm like, oh, i've seen that, i've seen that. and i get the impression these must be bargains when they're positioned like that. are they? >> sometimes they are but sometimes they're not. those end cap displays, even in the supermarkets, sometimes it's just something they want to promote and it's not any cheaper than a different eitem. so you really have to look at unit prices. you have to comparison shop. you have to come in with a list and know what you're buying and the prices they should be because it's so tempting just to grab stuff off those displays.

>> you say, well, i think i need this. i need that and it wasn't on my list. janice lieberman, thank you very much. good to have you here. a trip down memory lane with the original cast of "willy wonka and the chocolate factory." and my visit to nashville's grand ole opry. ♪ ooh-oo, child ♪ things are gonna get easier ♪ ooh-oo, child, things will get brighter ♪ ♪

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wanted, at that trip to willy wonka's chocolate factory. >> you got it. you got the golden ticket. >> for poor charlie bucket winning a golden ticket meant a taste of sweeter life. ♪ come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination ♪ >> directed by mel stuart and starring gene wild er the movie was based on "charlie and the chocolate factory" a quirky musical that's become an enduring classic. ♪ if you want to view paradise >> the film tells the story of five kids who get a special tour of the factory, the garden of delectable delight. >> mm-not bad. ♪ >> led by the eccentric chocolateer himself. >> any good? >> yes. >> but won ka is tempting the children. >> what's happening? you're blowing up like a

balloon. >> like a blueberry. >> willy wonka basically eliminates them. >> both magical, willy wonka defied cat gegories. when released in 1971 it wasn't widely popular but became a folk hit. >> it crosses so many different genres. it can't be pigeonholed. >> and the heart of the story -- only one child, charlie bucket, passes willy wonka's test with his good hearted nature and sincere love of candy. and now 40 years after introducing us to a world of imagination, members of the willy wonka cast are reunited here today. we have charlie bucket himself, peter ostrum, michael, julie cole, and charlie's mother played by diana. thank you for being here. >> good morning. >> this must have been a dream role for you, an absolute dream

role to get something like this. was making the movie fun? was it exciting? >> it was. i have very fond memories of making film, working with jack and gene wilder. >> you hadn't seen it the first time we saw you watch it for the first time. you hadn't seen the actual chocolate factory? >> it was a soundstage. we were 30 or 40 feet above it looking down on the river and the boat going and it was amazing. yeah, most of us actually that was our first time seeing it. >> i understand one of you snuck in before hand? is that true? >> i'm afraid so. i do have a confession to make. yeah, i was a bad girl, literally. i went out early to record my song in august and the scene was to be shot in september. one of the stagehands said would you lick to coke to come in and?

i said yes. it wasn't completed. it was incredible. then they did it's a secret, nobody can see it so i didn't dare tell anybody until now. >> thank you very much. i really appreciate it. michael, let me turn to you. your character met his demise in the chocolate river. which to any kid at home seems like it would have been the most unbelievable experience ever. was it as unbelievable an experience for you or was it not as chocolatey as we were led to believe? >> not quite exactly unbelievable because the chocolate wasn't real chocolate. it it was colored water. >> curses! >> more or less a swimming pool and it doesn't taste very well. >> if the river wasn't real chocolate, how much of the set was edible? how much of it was edible? we saw you chomping down on pretty much everything. >> most of it, they would substitute it for the real thing. the only thing i think that wasn't edible was when gene, mr. walker, ate the daffodil cup.

that wasn't real. that was wax and he had to spit it out. >> oh, it was? >> and wallpaper. the wallpaper tasted like wallpaper. >> it really did because you licked it like it didn't taste like wallpaper. who played the blue -- you were the blueberry, right? i understand there was an incident that took place when you were being blown up in your big blueberry suit as well, right? tell me what happened there. >> well, they blew me up and gave me a push and i wouldn't clear the double door frame. and the director would call cut. they did it for hours. that was my last scene i was in. i got on the airplane, flew back to new york city where i was going to school and all the kids are -- and i was turning blue. they put food dye in the makeup so for 72 hours my face, my neck, my hands and ears were blue. >> actually blue? >> actually blue. >> wow. what was so great about this movie, yes, it was fun to watch

and fun to make but there was so much heart in it. can you tell me a little bit about that and why for you it was such a great experience working on the set? >> it's a good thing for any parent to give that message. >> and then there's gene wilder who must have been just an absolute to be around and to watch work. i keep calling you charlie. i keep seeing you. peter -- you do? what was it like for you to work with him? >> gene, i recall, after we would take lunch break and walking back to the set would share a little bit of chocolate walking back. >> real chocolate. not wax chocolate. >> real chocolate. as we were walking back to do our afternoon shoots. gene is a wonderful man and that comes across in the film, that relationship. >> we want to thank you all this morning. and out of the corner of my eye i see something gold and shiny

and i can only imagine -- >> it actually is. >> oh, my goodness. there it is. >> and look what's inside. >> the golden ticket. >> wait is minute. is this chocolate bad? is it from the original movie set? >> i'm still going to eat it. to finally be holding this after so many years, thank you so much. this is such a timeless classic and we appreciate your time. good luck with everything else. we see you the next time you reunite. and now here's lester. how fun. jenna, thanks very much. it is one of the most iconic stages in american music but last may it found itself buried under four feet of floodwaters. one year later i traveled back to nashville, tennessee, to celebrate the reverse of the grand ole opry. ♪ everyone recalls the moment they first walked onto the stage at the grand ole opry. >> when i first came here dottie

west, who brought me to nashville, she was in a matinee in august. 3:00 in the afternoon, at least 140 in here. the place was full. >> we met up with opry member gatlin at the auditorium, the home up until 1974 and again last spring after its current home fell victim to floodwaters that all but destroyed the fabled institution. >> the water was over the stage. it just broke my heart. old guitars and mementos that were washed away. >> a year later the flood is a bad memory and a mark on the wall. this flood line, the water was this high. >> the water 46 inches. ♪ will the circle be unbroken >> astonishingly in five months the grand ole opry was back in business. and a backstage tour reveals

plenty of surviving history. >> this is our opry post office. k country music fans can actually just write the name of an opry member, put grand ole opry and it will come here. >> if the walls themselves don't speak, then the doors or at least what we found behind them certainly do. >> spontaneous gems. >> my goodness. >> join us? >> absolutely. ♪ >> later that evening i would get my own chance to walk onto the opry stage as a performer. >> do we have a bass here? >> and larry wanted to make sure i'd be ready right down to my boots. >> we're going to hook you up. >> all right. ♪ all the gold in california >> but to become a member of the opry it's more than just having

the right boots and a good sound. how are these folks selected? how do you get to the point where the grand ole opry says, come join us. >> it's a decision resefbed by the management. we really look for artists that not only have accomplished a great deal in their career or have a potential to accomplish a great deal in the future, we look to those artist who is have a real strong emotional connection to what the opry stands for. >> one guy to watch is luke bryant. a guest artist now. with a string of number one hits already in his pocket -- ♪ rain is a good thing >> -- like most young performers he longs to some day call the opry home. >> i moved to nashville to become a country music center and you don't have playing the grand ole opry or being a member as the top of your list, i feel would have come here for the wrong reasons. >> in a few minutes i would join luke or the bass for his new song "country girl" if i could keep it together. proceeding us on stage a who's

who in country music. little jimmy dickens. >> ♪ my pop used to tan my hide ♪ >> playing in a worldwide radio and internet audience. >> mr. lester holt, everybody. >> and then finally -- ♪ got to give a little blood >> larry gatlin was right. ♪ in the honky-tonk for the red necks through the break of dawn ♪ ♪ the deejays spinning that country song ♪ >> there could be no forgetting your first time on this stage. ♪ country girl shake it for me, girl ♪ ♪ shake it for me, girl ♪ shake it for me give it up! >> my thanks to luke bryant. we got up there and he said, can

you play, by the way? we invited you. we weren't even sure you could play. they were great. i was very nervous. we'll play together. >> i would love to jam. look at you. you look great. ng ready to plant? chances are your soil is like this: compacted, drained of nutrients. it'll hold your plants but it'll also hold 'em back. the solution: miracle-gro garden soil. the perfect mix of rich, organic ingredients, and miracle-gro plant food. just mix it in. and turn bad soil into great soil. helps plants grow twice as big. instead of holding 'em back, they'll leap ahead. miracle-gro garden soil. and moisture control garden soil. miracle-gro garden soil. what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness, that brings people together.

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let's check back with david gregory and find out what's coming up on "meet the press." david? good morning, lester. coming up we begin our meet the candidates series with an exclusive interview with former speaker of the house, officially republican candidate for the presidency, newt gingrich. plus, our political roundtable. it's all coming up this morning on "meet the press." we'll see you then. thanks. >> that's going to do it for us. thomas roberts, thank you. janice huff, thank you very much. the music man him seven, lester holt right there.

coming up next week, one-on-one with the legendary dick van dyke. we'll see you next weekend. have