Teen ticket sales

Film studios know about box office appeal.

If it's geared for teen tastes, it will sell tickets.

After the amazing wave of popularity the folks at Walt Disney Studios have enjoyed since they introduced Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus and the gang from "Disney's High School Musical," the brains at MTV are now ready to get in on the act.

Its new movie musical is "The American Mall."

The cast of the film, which debuts early next month, includes Nina Dobrev ("Degrassi: The Next Generation") as Ally, Rob Mayes as Joey, Autumn Reeser ("The O.C.," "Lost Boys: The Tribe") as Madison Huxley, Yassmin Alers ("Rent") as Erin, Ally's mom, Al Sapienza ("The Sopranos") as Madison's dad, Max Huxley, Wade Allaiin Marcus as Ricky, Neil Haskell ("So You Think You Can Dance") as Drew, David Baum as Stavros, Brooke Lyons ("American Dreams") as Dori, Blythe Auffarth ("Veronica Mars") as Alexa, Bresha Webb ("Lincoln Heights") as Little Penny, Bianca Collins ("Unfabulous") as Mia and Rodney To as Ben.

A special red carpet premiere featuring a Q&A with the cast is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Sears Centre, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The actual movie will roll at 7 p.m.

This event and film project marks a partnership with MTV and Sears, teamed up to launch the new movie musical, "The American Mall," just in time for back-to-school shopping.

Set in the kind of mall that's always been a home away from home for teens everywhere, "The American Mall" is the story of Ally, a hardworking young woman whose mother has owned a music shop that's been the soul of the mall ever since it opened when Ally was a kid. Ally's singer/songwriter dreams seem to come closer to fruition when she meets Joey, a musician who's moonlighting as a janitor at the mall in order to support his own rock star ambitions. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else, Ally's happiness and the fate of the music store are threatened when the mall owner's spoiled daughter Madison, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, becomes involved.

If you can't make it the Chicagoland screening, "The American Mall" premieres exclusively at 8 p.m. Aug. 11 on MTV. Created by the executive producers of "Disney's High School Musical," the movie musical DVD and soundtrack will be made available to own for die-hard fans on Aug. 12. Check out www.theamericanmall.com.

For furry friends

Game show legend and animal rights advocate Bob Barker hits the Windy City today on a mission to continue to spread the word about the importance fo controlling the pet population.

According to Lisa Dawson of Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS), the City of Chicago is proposing a pet overpopulation and safety ordinance that "would ensure Chicago is one of the most humane cities in the nation."

At the 10 a.m. Tuesday meeting, Alderman Ed Burke, chairman of the Finance Committee and Alderman Virginia Rugai, will introduce the Pet Overpopulation and Safety Ordinance.

"Aldermen Burke and Rugai have drafted this ordinance for the safety of the community, as dog-bite incidents are the second-highest cause of emergency room visits by children," Dawson said.

"The ordinance is also a humane and taxpayer-friendly solution to Chicago's pet overpopulation, stray and animal crime problems."

Renowned pay/neuter advocate Barker will attend to show his support of the ordinance.

In March 2005, Barker donated $1 million to Northwestern University's School of Law to endow a course devoted to animal rights law, one of seven law schools to receive the grant. Barker also provided seed money to help open PAWS Chicago's Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic, Chicago's largest free and low-cost spay/neuter clinic for pets of low-income people.

The proposed ordinance will require dogs and cats older than 6 months to be spayed or neutered. The ordinance includes seven clear exemptions that respect the rights of compliant animal breeders, police dogs, working dogs, show dogs, law enforcement animals and for family pets deemed by a veterinarian to have a valid medical reason not to be spay/neutered.

Dawson said anyone who does not wish to spay/neuter his or her pet will be able to buy a breeder's license.

She said many "backyard breeders" keep pets in inhumane conditions and are not registered or inspected. This ordinance will require registration of breeders and a mechanism to monitor that breeders engage in safe and humane practices.

Dawson said every year, thousands of pets are caged and ultimately killed at Chicago's Animal Care & Control Center at "a great financial expense to taxpayers." She also said numerous accounts of roaming dog maulings plague Chicago annually, with a reported 2,174 dog bites in the city in 2007, while inhumane "backyard breeders" have found a profit in exploiting pets who are then often used in dog-fighting and other illegal activities.

She said similar legislation has recently passed in Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio and Palm Beach County, Fla.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

celebBirthdays

Actor Robert Horton ("Wagon Train") is 84. Wrestling's "Captain" Lou Albano and actor Robert Fuller ("Wagon Train" and "Emergency") are 75. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is 72. Actor David Warner ("Titanic") is 67. Actor Tony Sirico ("The Sopranos") is 66. Actress Roz Kelly (Pinky Tuscadero on "Happy Days" ) is 65. Keyboardist Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon is 62. Political wife Marilyn Quayle and actress Leslie Easterbrook (Rhonda Lee on "Laverne & Shirley," "Police Academy" movies) are 59. Singer-bassist Geddy Lee of Rush and documentary maker Ken Burns and singer Patti Scialfa with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are 55. Actress Alexandra Paul ("Baywatch") is 45. Country singer Martina McBride is 42. Drummer Chris Gorman (Belly) is 41. Former child actor Rodney Allen Rippy (Jack in the Box commercials) is 40. Actor Wil Wheaton is 36. Singer Wayna

Morris of Boyz II Men and actor Stephen Dorff are 35. Actor Josh Radnor ("How I Met Your Mother") is 34. Musician Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley is 31. Actress Allison Mack ("Smallville") is 26.