♪ >> whit: good morning, america. it's our second hour. breaking overnight, deadly stabbing attack at a busy shopping center in sydney, australia. the major police response. authorities shooting and killing the suspect. >> janai: all eyes on middle east tensions.

israel on high alert amid the possibility of an attack from iran. how the white house is responding as sources say iran has readied more than 100 cruise missiles. the latest from our team on the ground. >> gio: meet the 8-year-old opening up about a rare health condition, her health journey bringing awareness to avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. >> whenever i try a food i think about all the people i'm helping. >> gio: dr. darien sutton is live with what parents need to know. how the tell the difference between a picky eater and something for serious. >> whit: "gma" on broadway and the playwright flipping the script, writing two shows running at the same time. both boasting a roster of a-list talent. amy herzog joining us days before her next opening night. ♪ i can buy myself flowers ♪ >> janai: and "gma" is live from the nation's capital taking you inside the cherry blossom festival parade.

all the flowers, festivities and some familiar faces as we say good morning, america. ♪ it's saturday morning. this is "gma." >> gio: we do say, good morning, america. things are in full bloom here in washington. we've got the marching band ready to go. we've got the flowers ready to go here for the cherry blossom festival and so many people ready to greet the onlookers descending on d.c. right now. i think we have princess tiana because she arrived moments ago. it's a lot of excitement here in d.c., guys. >> janai: so much excitement. the perfect song. gio, we are so excited you are there and will be taking part in hosting that on our affiliate down there in d.c. much more ahead on all those festivities, but a very busy saturday morning. we begin this hour with the breaking news overnight in

australia. >> whit: a man armed with a knife stabbing people in a crowded shopping center in sydney. a number of people killed, and others injured. let's go back to abc's ines de la cuetara with the latest on the rare act of mass violence in the country. ines, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit. the attack happening at a time when the mall would have been packed with saturday shoppers. hundreds being evacuated while inside officials say the suspect was going on a killing spree. at least six people dead. overnight panic inside a sydney shopping mall on a busy saturday afternoon. officials say a man began stabbing people around 3:00 p.m. local. the attack sending crowds spilling into the streets. first responders rushing to the scene. >> i saw a woman lying on the floor. it was insane. >> reporter: multiple people were killed. others were stabbed and taken to a local hospital according to local officials. a number of them now in serious and critical condition. witnesses describe the suspect appearing to hold a large knife.

confronted by a shopper on an escalator trying to fend him off a lone officer nearby confronting the attacker. she shot and killed him as he raised his knife. >> when he wouldn't put it down and she shot him but if she didn't shoot him, he would have kept going. he was on a rampage. then she was giving him cpr. >> reporter: police believe the suspect acted alone and there is no ongoing threat. the australian prime minister expressing his condolences and praising that officer's actions. >> she is certainly a hero. there's no doubt that she saved lives through her action and it is a reminder that those people who wear uniforms, people who rush to danger, not away from it. >> reporter: and police say the attacker was 40 years old. police have yet to identify him and it's still unclear what his

motive may have been, but police say the attack is not thought to be terror related. >> janai: awful mass violence that we unfortunately know all too well in this country, ines, thank you. to israel now, on high alert this morning amid the possibility of an attack from iran. u.s. officials telling abc news that iran has readied more than 100 cruise missiles and a sizable number of drones over the past week. they say iran could be poised to launch a major retaliatory attack on israel in response to the strike on the iranian consulate in syria earlier this month. the u.s. government issuing a warning to american embassy staff in israel urging them to move with caution, and president biden warning iran against a retaliatory attack, whit. >> whit: now to the presidential race and renewed focus on abortion restrictions following that arizona supreme court ruling. vice president kamala harris out front on this telling voters former president trump wants to take america back to the 1800s. abc's senior white house correspondent selina wang is in

washington with more. selina, good morning. >> reporter: vice president harris is directly blaming donald trump for arizona's new abortion ruling, that battleground state upholding that 160-year-old law that bans abortion in all cases except to save the life of the mother. now, doctors and women across arizona are left scrambling, anxious and confused and the vice president, she has a simple message that this is all donald trump's fault. she's blaming trump for creating a health care crisis by appointing justices who overturned roe versus wade and warning that a second trump term would mean more bans, more suffering, less freedom and that trump won't stop until abortion is banned nationwide. now, democrats, they are betting that abortion is going to galvanize voters to the polls in november with a majority of americans saying that it should be legal in all or most cases. and trump, he is well aware of the politics here and now saying that arizona went too far.

but that ban, it is set to go into effect in arizona unless republicans there repeal it, but ultimately this could be left up to the voters there with abortion rights expected to be on the ballot in november. >> whit: all right, selina wang, thank you. sitting down with the 8-year-old opening up on instagram about her rare eating disorder and what parents need to know about the condition. >> janai: also ahead, "deals & steals." tory johnson in the house ready to spruce up your home without breaking the bank. and florals, florals for spring. gio is in d.c. aint. ♪ behr behr behr behrrrr ♪ ♪ behr behr behr behrrrr behr behr behr ♪ ♪ behr behr behr behr behrrrr ♪ ♪ behr behr behr behrrrr behr behr behr ♪ ♪ behr behr behr behr behrrrr ♪ what is going on next - ♪ behr behr behr behrrr behr behr behr ♪ ♪ behrrr behr behr behr behr ♪ ♪ behrrrrr ♪ whether you're doing it yourself or hiring a pro, today let's paint. ♪ behr behr behr behrrrrr ♪ ♪ behr behr behr behrrrr ♪ - no, no. - sorry...

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and throat and nose irritation. relying only on drops? not me. my own real tears are my relief. ask your eye doctor about tyrvaya. >> whit: welcome back to "gma" on this saturday and right to our cover story and the young instagram influencer shining a light on her rare condition. abc's jaclyn lee has more on that story. jaclyn, good morning. >> reporter: hey, whit, good morning.

we met with an 8-year-old girl changing lives through social media. she struggles with a rare eating disorder called arfid. it is not driven by someone's self-image, rather, it's a fear of food, an aversion to food or even a complete lack of interest in eating it. 8-year-old hannah, a courageous third grader from los angeles, is winning over the internet one bite at a time. >> today i'm going to be trying strawberry yogurt. >> reporter: strawberry yogurt might be unremarkable to most. >> i can smell it from here. >> reporter: for hannah who has a rare eating disorder, called arfid, trying small bites of typical foods is a monumental feat. >> this reminds me of a cucumber but i had four bites just to make sure and i'm proud of myself. >> when did you realize it wasn't just her being picky?

>> we noticed when she went to get her physicals at the doctor's and her growth was not increasing at the rate that it was supposed to. >> reporter: with her health at a breaking point, hannah started trying a new food each day as part of a therapy approach called exposures. she then rates them on a scale of one to ten, like her first taste of mac and cheese. >> i'm really anxious. four out of ten. i don't know if i want to eat this again. >> reporter: hannah is part of a growing number diagnosed with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder or arfid, since 2013 when it was added to the list of official mental health disorders. an estimated 0.5% to 5% of children and adults have the disorder. >> the people that have this diagnosis, have a fear of food, meaning a fear consuming food, a fear of being around food. >> reporter: for hannah, and others like her, food is broken into two categories, safe or unsafe. >> there's so many foods. >> the hearts mean i like them and the boxes mean they're going

on my safe food list. >> reporter: her 1.5 million instagram followers cheering her on, including celebs like rosie o'donnell and demi lovato. >> your instagram has helped you as well, right? >> it helps motivate me. >> reporter: for now, hannah is doing what she can to raise awareness. >> do you want to do your finale? >> yeah. follow my arfid journey to see me try new foods. >> reporter: so courageous and hannah's mom says hannah's on cloud nine with her viral instagram page. she says it has boosted her confidence. she loves helping other people and proving to herself that she can do it. guys. >> janai: that is incredibly interesting. jaclyn, thank you. now let's bring in medical correspondent dr. darien sutton. obviously, whit and i are both parents and fascinated by this. what are the signs of arfid? >> well, arfid stands for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, and it's a problem

when you have a severe aversion to food dependent on taste, texture and results in nutritional deficiencies, weight loss being one of them, sleeping difficulty, generalized weakness, dry hair, skin, and even hair loss. >> whit: how do you tell the difference between a picky eater and something more serious? >> this is so much more significant than just picky eating and it's not about weight loss. what happens, if you can imagine, when you see something that is rotten or disgusting, you have an aversion so it and that is a reflex that causes people to have physical symptoms and problems with their health. so what to look for, this can include children that, for example, know every single thing about their food, even simple changes can trigger them. children have severe anxiety

with new foods, even emotional outbursts or crying or nausea and vomiting. and in general, when adults have this because up to 5% of people live with this, they often hide their weight loss because we stigmatize disordered eating. >> janai: we love to eat on this show. but this is a really serious thing, if someone feels like and you said it's not just kids, if they feel like they may be dealing with this, what can they do? >> talking to your provider about it. many don't know this diagnosis exists. there can be treatment involved including cognitive therapy and medication for some so there is help out there. >> whit: dr. sutton, as always, we appreciate it. thank you so much. >> of course. >> whit: back out to gio and the cherry blossoms. gio, what's going on? >> gio: there's been an outfit change so things are getting serious at the cherry blossom festival parade set to start shortly. i'm co-hosting with our friends here and to tell us about the

parade, is charity larson, grand marshal, and you know her from "the "bachelorette" and diana mayhew. charity, you're from georgia. >> i am. >> gio: your first time here. >> i'm super excited. it's a big deal apparently and obviously honored to take part of it and be the grand marshal this year. >> gio: diana, obviously not the first time for you. what are you most looking forward to this year? >> we are excited because the festival continues to bloom down constitution avenue bringing more than 4,000 people together to be part of it and bring so much joy to washington, d.c. and the nation. >> gio: and, oh, so many flowers. so many flowers. we'll be checking in with you guys all morning long here as this parade gets under way. now let's send it back to somara theodore for a check of the weather. 4678, good morning, gio, and my

beloved d.c. we have a wind advisory for washington, d.c. as well as pennsylvania, parts of new york and winds will continue to pick up so wind gusts generally around 35 miles per hour but could see them as high as 55 miles per hour. you couple that with all the rain we have seen and will see, 300% above normal in pittsburgh and round -- surrounding neighborhoods. so that could lead to downed trees, power outages, keep that in mind this weekend and full force line of storms riding through tomorrow evening, bringing the threat for severe weather from cant

>> whit: time for "deals & steals" and there's no place like home. tory johnson is here with saturday savings all from small businesses that you love to support. janai and i were just talking that the small victories now as we get older is finding things like the right container. >> you'll love these from mr. lid. you will never lose the lid again, because the lid is attached to each of these containers. it's so smart. >> janai: organization too. >> oftentimes we have all the bases, mismatched lids and nothing fits. this is a great reusable item. >> whit: is this where you got the froot loops? >> we have goldfish here. so many options and these start at just above a dollar. >> janai: oh, wow. you thought i pulled them out of my pocket. perfect ladle.

>> this is called gir, get it right. that's exactly what they do with the smartest kitchen utensils. >> janai: measurements in there. >> measurements in the ladle and is the ultimate ladle. these in front are suction lids that turn any container into a storage container, so instead of using disposable plastic or aluminum foil, you can use this. and they stretch so they'll fit a variety of bowl sizes. >> whit: and form a family band if you want. >> exactly. the utensils, though, are something they are really known for. we've got a big variety of options from them. >> janai: so cute. the baking mat is good, too, so this is a perfect replacement for parchment paper or, again, aluminum foil. it's reusable and better for you. they use 100% pharmaceutical grade silicone in their product. we love this brand. i know you do. starting at $4.

>> janai: you stay there. we'll keep going. come on, come on. >> whit: i'm in the kitchen too. i need a good oven mitt. >> what's awesome about mahogany, these are bright prints that brighten your kitchen. we have so many different options from them from table linens to all of the -- we have aprons and these oven mitts here and then there's coordinating tote bags which are great for your groceries or market run. everything is washable and gets softer with every wash. oversized tee towels, as well. these start at $7. >> janai: these totes fold up easily. >> okay, this is really all about joyful entertaining made easy from slant. so many great options. i love this party in a box to keep in your office. someone's birthday, no one remembered. you look like a hero when you bring out the banner, the cups, all of that. >> janai: party in a box. i love it. >> they make these great cups that are fun. everything is better with

sprinkles. one of my favorite products is this right here. looks just like a little cactus, but these are all individual glasses. >> whit: i love that. >> this entire set stores so perfectly in a little space. just makes entertaining fun. huge assortment, including cake stands that you'll find online. >> whit: i'm excited about this. >> i have the baby one for you here. >> janai: i was going to say. i got the baby one. >> it's very powerful. that's the lowest beam. >> janai: look here. >> don't do that. >> whit: we can tell ghost stories. >> go ahead. go bottom to bottom.

they have a built-in they'll charge your phone, if necessary. the headlamp is rechargeable, great for any outdoor activity whether camping, taking a walk going hands-free. these are great for your emergency prep kit, camping. >> whit: when the power goes out like it does every week in new york with the storms. >> there you go. >> whit: sorry. >> then finally from discovery night, we're ending on little comforts. >> janai: oh, yes. >> this is a great pillow with this pillowcase already built on it. you feel the memory foam. we also have their tri-silk pillowcases in all of the sizes. like to keep a little softness here. >> janai: thank you. >> why do you think he has that perfect hair? >> janai: exactly. you did so great ignoring our silliness. >> free shipping. >> whit: free shipping. >> i'm sorry gio wasn't here to participate.

>> whit: that means we get to take more stuff home. >> janai: the perfect ladle. >> whit: sorry not sorry. we partner with all of these companies. you can find each deal on our website, goodmorningamerica.com. >> janai: coming up here on "gma," more with gio live at the cherry blossom parade. now that he's changed outfits and he'll have a special guest. that's a cute jacket, my friend. we'll be right back. >> whit: a bomber jacket.

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good morning, i'm stephanie sierra. today, mayor london breed is flying to china for a week long visit. the mayor says she'll discuss everything from business, tourism, and possibly even bringing some pandas to the san francisco zoo. she will be joined by asian business and community leaders. she's also meeting with several universities to talk about campus partnerships. president xi jinping extended the invitation during last year's apec summit. another wet weekend across the bay. let's check in with francis. good morning. morning stephanie. >> morning, everyone. we've already had about half an inch of rain in some neighborhoods. and here's a look at live doppler seven light rain falling all around the bay area. it's a level storm. one on our storm impact scale. temperatures right

now on the cool side. the rain will continue throughout this afternoon and this evening. >> stephanie francis, thank you and thank you all for joining us. gma

>> gio: and we are back now on "gma" live from the nation's capital as the annual cherry blossom parade is about to begin on this saturday morning. i can't tell you how excited everyone is here. we've got the band ready. we've got the flowers ready. so many flowers, guys.

>> whit: we're still excited about your wardrobe swap. >> janai: that is a really nice bomber. tommy picked that outfit out, didn't he? >> whit: yeah, you matched the blossoms. >> gio: it actually is tommy's. >> whit: we'll talk soon. take a look at some of the other big stories we're following on this saturday morning. president biden announcing a new round of student loan forgiveness freeing 277,000 borrowers of $7.4 billion in debt. this round helping people who have made payments for years through income-driven or public service forgiveness plans. the administration focused on targeted forgiveness after the supreme court struck down their more sweeping proposal. so far they've forgiven $153 billion in debt for 4.3 million borrowers. >> janai: a new cdc warning about measles outbreaks across the u.s. at least 121 cases reported in 17 states so far this year.

because of vaccinations, measles had been considered eliminated in the u.s. nearly 25 years ago. the cdc says the rapid increase in cases could threaten that status. 95% of cases this year were patients not fully vaccinated. >> gio: and the fashion world is celebrating the life of italian fashion designer roberto cavalli. it was one of the biggest names in fashion with his distinctive trademark style both flamboyant and his flashy creations attracting celebrity fans for decades. roberto cavalli was 83 years old. what an icon. what a life and legacy there. all right, we are back now at the national cherry blossom festival parade, of course, and we've got style icon and superstar carson kressley right here. >> thank you. >> gio: back for his third year as the commentator here. >> yes. >> gio: welcome to "gma." >> thank you so much. always great to be part of the "gma" moment on tv. so, it's great to be in

washington for this event every year. >> gio: and it is a moment. what are you so excited about here? >> oh, well, i love cherry, i love blossoms, put the two together and i'm tickled pink. i love parades. i love the bands and the antique cars. i love all the amazing talent that comes from all over the country to celebrate this beautiful time of year to be in d.c. >> gio: you love the wind because it's a natural beyonce fan. >> i feel like i can do a number at any moment because my hair will be wind blown and tousled. >> gio: three keys to being a good parade commentator, what are they? >> oh, gosh, i don't know. i'm not a good one, so i think being in the moment, sharing the excitement, and giving a shoutout to the people who work so hard to be here, like these folks behind us would come all the way from alabama to provide some entertainment for us. >> gio: yeah, and that's what's so exciting about this. everybody comes together and get to celebrate this big moment

here. these gorgeous cherry blossoms, they really are incredible. >> it's a beautiful, beautiful time to be here in d.c. if you haven't ever been here for the cherry blossom, put it on your travel agenda for sometime in the near future. it's wonderful. >> gio: carson kressley, thank you so much. >> i didn't know if we'd do the bump or the hug. >> gio: send it off to whit. >> oh, yeah, take it away, whit. >> whit: love that. getting in the mood, getting ready for the cherry blossom festival. it's so fun. >> janai: it is so fun and carson, carson, we want you to look your best in that wind. just pop your lapel. >> gio: pop your lapel. she wants you -- >> am i supposed to pop it? pop it like it's hot? >> janai: there you go. that's even better. >> i didn't know that was going to happen. thank god i have training. >> whit: thank you, guys. we'll chat in a bit. to this saturday's buzz

pick, it's "city in ruins" crime writer don winslow's final novel and end of his best-selling trilogy. >> it's the story of danny ryan, a young man who starts as a minor mobster in new england, becomes a hollywood power broker and then finally a multimillionaire casino mogul. it's a story of action, drama, crime, romance, and i really hope you like it. >> "city in ruins" is available wherever books are sold and our book club. >> janai: still coming up, you can eclipse the "gma" weekend team's love for the great american eclipse.

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plus ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. don't wait- call today. ♪ >> janai: we are back now on "gma" and maybe you caught the total solar eclipse earlier this week. well, my incredible colleagues sure did. whit, gio and somara all hitting the road and taking in the celestial event. here are the highlights. >> let the natural wonder begin

where in moments we'll begin to experience the solar eclipse. >> janai: oh, my god, i get it! >> gio: we are approaching totality now. oh, my gosh. wow. that is absolutely spectacular. i'm thinking about all of the hardships that we cover at abc news, because that's what happens in journalism, and here everyone is together. nobody is divided, everyone is unified and looking up at the sky together and seeing that we really are this small on this planet. >> whit: here we go. any moment. see that diamond ring. look at! whoo! yes! >> robin: whoo. it's hard to express the emotions that you feel when you see something like this and know

that we're all together like this. something i will never ever forget. >> janai: okay, and so i was -- i was down in florida with my family watching that coverage and the viewers at home don't know, we were altogether on text. and right after those moments we were all texting about it. tell us, share your experiences again. somara, what was it like for you the first time seeing that? >> somara: you know, at first i was like you know the scene from "the office," it's happening and when it happened, i was like, oh, my god, we are just really floating in space. so it was surreal, and i get now why it becomes so emotional. >> janai: yes. you told us about that leading up to that. >> whit: i've been telling everybody. look, open our hearts, minds, senses and i talked to robin about that ahead of time. i'm so happy that also she felt

that emotion, was able to break through, because nobody speaks from the heart like our friend robin. >> janai: yeah. >> whit: and i just felt like what she said was so beautiful and what we were all feeling in that moment. >> janai: and saying the right things, oh, our guy, gio. speaking with that cracked voice but, gio, it was everything. >> gio: listen, i mean, whit, i think, you know, he's the real expert on the eclipses and have been to so many with his mom and family, and we saw that on our abc news special. but i think he's turning me into an eclipse chaser, because i've got to say that looking at that, it's almost a portal into the heavens. it's just unbelievable what you see. >> janai: and what you all said about, like, our small place on this floating planet, i thought about that watching it in florida because unless you had the glasses, you couldn't see it so there were people around us

who had no idea what was going on and that's our normal life on this planet. we don't always know what's going on out there, but to get that glimpse of it and you all seeing it in person. >> whit: exactly. >> janai: you did fantastic. it was so great. >> whit: ibiza, august 26th. >> gio: let's go. >> whit: we'll be there. i think we made eclipse chasers out of everyone. thank you so much. let's get to somara now and a check of the weather. >> somara: back here on earth my fellow earthlings, take a look at what we've got going on. out west, the storm is moving in and bringing a foot of snow to parts of the rockies and at the start of the workweek gearing up for severe weather, wichita, oklahoma city, wichita falls, you have the highest threat for tornadoes, also, very impactful hail possible with this. what's going to amp up these storms, give them the energy and bite, the temperatures. we are unseasonably warm, minneapolis should be in the 50s this time of year. you'll be in the 70

>> janai: they should have never put me on these stairs in this jumpsuit. "gma" celebrating the impact and creativity of storytelling. this morning we're taking a look at a community making history and giving poets a platform all around the world. >> the man can't be a man without a strong woman. >> reporter: bridging the gap between storytelling. >> a new style of dance and not just something for girls. >> reporter: through the art of writing poems. >> who decided our lives were worth less than yours? >> reporter: this is poetry me, please, born in 2019 from bronx native rashan brown, a/k/a rush

the mic, creating his platform that's selling out at the historic apollo theatre in new york city. all the way to the white house honoring the accomplishments of black men and through the program harlem native fanta began writing poetry in the tenth grade. her poem "broken hearts" seen by over 6 million people on social media. >> i'm so tired of being the one that looks good on paper. >> reporter: now grateful her passion for poetry connected her to rashan's mission. >> him giving a platform to so many poets to be able to perform their work, it was a blessing. the opportunities that came from that was, like, no dollar amount could be put on that. i'm so grateful for that. >> joining us is rashan brown, the founder of poetry me please. you help bring stories to the stage. this morning you're performing one for us right here.

tell us about it. >> the piece is a -- like a plea to cupid. it is a conversation i had with cupid about, when is it going to be my turn? it was when i felt like at a loss with love honestly. >> janai: wow. all right. i don't want to out you but rashan said he's a little nervous right now. he always gets a little nervous but you got it. take it away. >> i said, cupid, do you hate me or, cupid, do you fear me? cupid, if you love me, you shoot me with this clip. you may not have any arrows with my name on it. is it not my turn to love or be loved? what must i suffer? cupid, these streets are cold, and they're only getting colder. my future, she's only getting older. cupid, by the time my name pops up on your list of targets, i fear she, whoever she may be, may not feel the same way towards me. i said, cupid, do you hate me or, cupid, do you fear me, or, cupid, if you love me, shoot me,

you would rather float beside me. but are you a god or an angel, because regardless of the two, i know that my god, the god, is the only one that can judge me unless he's told you that i'm not worthy enough to be loved. nah, nah, cupid, you're just a little kid anyway. but for real, though, cupid, i think i'm ready, ready as i'll ever be. i want to wake up with a purpose. besides the greed that draws me to money. i don't want to wake up and her say, this guy is mad funny. no, no, i want to wake up and cook that girl breakfast. ooh, i hope she likes her tea with honey. sugar, please, i know you love this honey. >> janai: oh, my gosh. that was so cool, rashan. shoutout to our producers for this whole setup. that was awesome. so you're not nervous now anymore. >> no, i'm good now. >> janai: a plea to cupid. are you still waiting? >> no, cupid has shot me with an arrow. i'm good. >> janai: i love that.

he shot me too so shoutout to my husband. >> right, right, right. >> janai: thank you for bringing that joy to us. >> thank you. >> janai: whit, over to you. >> whit: that was so great. thank you, janai. she's written two broadway plays this season, playwright, amy herzog is here to tell us all about them. we'll be right back. season. playwright amy herzog is here to tell us all about them. w places. no one wants to be known for cancer, but a treatment can be. keytruda is known to treat cancer. fda-approved for 16 types of cancer, including certain early-stage and advanced cancers. one of those cancers is early-stage non—small cell lung cancer. keytruda may be used with certain chemotherapies before surgery when you have early-stage lung cancer, which can be removed by surgery, and then continued alone after surgery to help prevent your lung cancer from coming back. keytruda can cause your immune system to attack healthy parts of your body during or after treatment. this may be severe and lead to death.

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>> whit: we are back now on this saturday morning, and it's "gma" on broadway taking you behind the curtain with the playwright achieving a rare feat writing two shows running on broadway at the same time. that's "mary jane" and a new version of ibsen's "an enemy of the people," both featuring a-list talent and amy herzog is joining us now to talk all about it. amy, good morning. it's great to have you. >> thank you for having me here. >> whit: this is a big deal. broadway buzzing. 14 shows opening in an 11-day span. what's it like having two at once? >> it's wild. i grew up in new jersey coming

to see broadway and i did always dream of being on broadway in some way. i never dreamed of two at once. it's been hectic, but it's been really joyful and just extraordinary. >> whit: and speaking of extraordinary, so "an enemy of the people" is a real family affair. your husband is the director, and then actor jeremy strong who most of our viewers might know from "succession" also part of this. what's it like working with those two? >> well, my husband and i have been together for 17 years, it's our first time working together and i think we're glad we waited this long because it's been smooth and an enormous amount of fun. jeremy, i met in 1997, an undergrad, and we did theatre together in college and have just loved him and loved working with him since then. so starting with that level of trust with your collaborators is a rare and really great thing. >> whit: so do you give your

husband heavy notes. >> heavy notes. >> whit: you know what, we really got to work on this. >> i do. we had to make a rule early on that we were going to be really respectful and speak to each other as though it were a collaborator who we were not married to, like instead of being, why were you doing that. to be, like, can we talk about that scene so we were really careful and kept some decorum in the process but were able to go deep really fast. >> whit: speaking of star power, rachel mcadams making her broadway debut in "mary jane." she spoke recently and said this play got its hooks in her. how has it been working with her on this project? >> i can't say enough wonderful things about rachel. she's a beautiful soul. she connects to the place so deeply. she is so kind. she is so generous to all of her collaborators. she has brought nothing but generosity and humility and openness to the process, and she is an absolutely beautiful mary jane. >> whit: congratulations. two shows at once. trying to figure out when the

last time that happened, but you're very busy these days. all good things. >> i'm pretty busy. >> whit: thank you so much for coming in. we appreciate it. and we'll be right back. you can see "an enemy of the people" and "mary jane" right now on broadway. feel the power of osteo bi-flex®.

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>> janai: thank you so much for starting your saturday, your weekend with us, and our guy, gio, for holding it down in d.c. have so much fun. >> whit: waiting for another wardrobe change.

like now. good morning. i'm stephanie sierra. crews are still working to fix a part of highway one that collapsed a couple of weeks ago near big sur, just south of the rocky creek bridge. caltrans hopes to complete repairs to stabilize the edge of the road by memorial day. daily convoys escorting drivers are canceled today because of the rain. convoys are expected to resume tomorrow morning at seven. today is the start of a busy weekend here in san francisco, starting at 11. the cesar chavez parade begins at dolores park, the festival on 24th street between folsom and bryant will run until 6:00. japantown celebrates the first weekend of the northern california cherry blossom festival, and today, san francisco also kicks off its first ever weed week. businesses around the city will partake.

let's get a quick check of conditions outside with francis. good morning. >> yeah. if you're heading outside this weekend, grab the winter gear. here's a look at live doppler seven. we have light rain falling over most of the bay area, and we could even see some snow on our highest peaks. you could experience some possible downpours as the showers continue to wrap around. this is a live shot of mount tam . temperatures are mostly in the 40s right now, and then this afternoon it will only warm up to the mid and upper 50s. raindrops on our richmond-san rafael bridge. and then tomorrow , after some showers will turn it into isolated showers for sunday. another live shot of the san mateo bridge so roads are slick. we will get some breaks with the rainfall and then we'll finally see a warm up next week. in fact, you can put the wet weather gear away and things will warm up for inland areas into the 80s. stephanie francis, thank you and thank you all for joining us. >> hockey is up next and

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