Gayle and Josh

The Wildest Dreams Bus is taking Manhattan! The unsuspecting dreamer is Oprah's best friend, Gayle King, editor at large of O, The Oprah Magazine in New York City. To pull off this fantastic moment, Oprah calls on Gayle's favorite singer Josh Groban.

"[Surprising Gayle] was hard but so much fun," Oprah says. "We do not keep secrets from each other. We talk every day about everything."

Minutes before Josh arrives, Gayle decides to call Oprah for a chat. Gayle wants to talk about—who else—Josh Groban! "[He's having] a concert this Friday night," she tells Oprah. "His voice does something to me. I just feel him!"

"What was that song that you love so much?" Oprah asks casually. Gayle sings her answer: "When you say you love me..."

Josh's song is still on Gayle's lips when he steps into her office. "Oh my goodness!" she screams, "Josh is here! I would have dressed today. I have no makeup. I look like a schlub!"

Josh presents Gayle with a bouquet of yellow roses and asks her to come with him.

"Oh, this is too much," Gayle says, overwhelmed. "Where are we going?"

That's also a surprise, Gayle!

Gayle and Josh Groban

Oprah and Josh have planned the serenade of Gayle's dreams. An army of decorators and technicians quietly transformed a dreary conference room into a romantic concert hall designed by none other than the fabulous Colin Cowie. Josh sings the very song that Gayle and Oprah had just been talking about on the phone, "When You Say You Love Me" from Josh's CD Closer.

Afterward, Gayle shares what she was thinking during Josh's serenade. "I said if he ever sang that song, I would just die. And then to have him this close to me singing the song? For a moment, you get all caught up and think, 'He's really singing to me. I do Josh, I do!" Gayle jokes, "Yes, I'll marry you!"
Paul and his parents

For thrill number two, the Wildest Dreams Team heads to the land of aloha to surprise a very talented 12-year-old boy. Paul wishes more than anything to sing on Oprah's stage. "I want to be a singer so bad," he says. "I just pray that one day my dream will come true. I could go on for hours talking about artists and songs that I love—Mariah Carey. 'Hero.' I would love to sing with my favorite artists, meet them. That's what my dream is."

Oprah's team meets Paul and his parents outside their home in Hawaii with the exciting news that Paul's wildest dream is going to come true—he's going to Chicago to sing on The Oprah Winfrey Show!
Paul, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson

But there's even more in store for Paul. To get him ready for his international debut, Oprah called on one of Paul's favorite artists, Grammy winner Mariah Carey.

Mariah says that she jumped at the chance to help Paul. "He [has] a beautiful tone," she says, "It was just something that seemed like it was meant to be. And [Oprah] makes dreams come true, so we wanted to be part of it."

On the tape Paul sent Oprah, Mariah says that there was one song that really grabbed her attention—when she heard his beautiful voice singing a gospel number, she knew that she wanted to help. Mariah's newest CD, The Emancipation of Mimi, includes a gospel song.

Paul has no idea that his wildest dream is about to get even wilder! When Mariah surprises Paul in the recording studio, he can't believe his eyes. Before he even has a chance to recover, Mariah surprises Paul—as well as The Oprah Winfrey Show—by bringing along one of her dear friends, American Idol host Randy Jackson.

Randy and Mariah spend the day coaching Paul through his first professional recording, and then they all listen to the beautiful music they recorded together.

"You look for signs of greatness," Randy says, "and this kid has it at 12 years old. I do believe he's got what it takes."
Paul

Paul has flown from Hawaii to L.A. to Chicago; he's met Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson—but his wildest dream is just beginning. It's time for him to make his international debut.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mariah announces, "please welcome my new friend Paul, singing one of my number-one-hit songs, "Hero."

After Paul's performance brings the audience to a standing O, he probably thinks that his day couldn't get any better. But Oprah has yet another surprise: Max Siegel from Verity Records—the largest gospel label in the United States—would like to offer Paul a contract to record a song. And the song will be produced by none other than Mariah Carey! Wildest dreams do come true.
Beth Barnes' classroom

In January 2005, Nate Berkus shared his personal account of the tsunami disaster and since then, he has received thousands of letters and e-mails of support—many from children.

English teacher Beth Barnes, of Harper's Ferry Middle School in West Virginia, was just one of the millions of viewers touched by Nate. "I really wanted to talk to my kids about the tsunami and teach them about compassion and how to help people when you're sad," she says.

The students decided to write letters to Nate sharing their own life experiences.

Cullen: It is always hard to lose someone close to you. I know how you must feel because I lost someone, too. I hope you can start to get happy soon.

Grace: When I'm sad, I listen to music and that makes me feel better.

Brittany: I kind of know how you feel because I lost my great grandma. You should think about some of the good times you had with Fernando to make you feel better.

Ms. Barnes says her class was so thrilled when they got a letter back from Nate, they framed it!
Lauren and Nate Berkus

We enlisted Nate's help for the second stop on our Wildest Dreams Bus tour.

Lauren was a typical, 14-year-old teenager who loved acting, singing and dancing. But in April 2003, doctors had heartbreaking news. Lauren had a brain tumor about the size of a golf ball. Many of Lauren's friends turned away while she was suffering through chemotherapy and radiation. But Annie, Rosie and Kathleen stood by Lauren through it all.

"When we got the call from Lauren and found out that her wish was for me to come and redo her room, it was really touching and I'm very grateful," Nate says.

After months of excruciating treatments, Lauren was ready for some good news! Nate's boarded Oprah's Wildest Dreams Bus to surprise Lauren and make her dream come true!
Lauren's room, before and after

Lauren's one and only wish was for a bedroom that made her feel special...and Nate Berkus has not failed! He has transformed her once-gloomy room into a bright, cheerful and special place.

"Oh my gosh, that's perfect!" Lauren exclaims. "My friends are going to be so jealous!"

Lauren's cracked and peeling wooden dresser has been replaced with an organized system by California Closets. Her too-small twin bed is now history—a new full bed by Room Service Home sits in its place. Nate picked beautifully hand-painted nightstands from the same company to go on either side. And monogrammed linens from Horchow dress her new bed.

To keep her room bright, Nate replaced the ceiling fan with a new chandelier. And bye bye baby bookcase and broken TV! Nate's swapped them out for a new shelf and TV/DVD combo! And wow—Apple sent her a new computer!

Nate made sure that Lauren's love for dance was reflected in her new room, with framed prints of acclaimed dancer Martha Graham. And for that last empty space on the wall? Nate has framed a beautiful black-and-white photograph of her three best friends!

"This makeover was not about paint and pillows," Nate says. "It was about making a girl's dream come true."

Today, Lauren's tumor is completely gone and she is 100 percent cancer free.

Learn more about the people and companies that helped make these dreams come true!
Oprah and Halle Berry

It's been one of Oprah's wildest dreams for years—to make a film based on one of her favorite books of all time: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. And she knew there was only one person who could help her bring this dream to life—Oscar® winner Halle Berry!

This film, which takes place in the small town of Eatonville, FL, tells the timeless story of the passionate and beautiful Janie Crawford, played by Halle. Janie takes viewers on her search for love through three marriages to three very different men. Throughout her journey, she defies time and all the expectations of women of color in 1920s America. "One of the reasons I wanted to do it is because I'm all for the empowerment of women, and it's about a woman coming of age and discovering her own identity," Oprah says.

Oprah caught up with Halle on location!

Oprah: Oh my God. Real mud, huh? I didn't expect you to look quite like this, but you're still pretty.

Halle: I got down and dirty!
Halle Berry and Oprah

Oprah: When Halle first [interviewed on The Oprah Winfrey Show] about 15 years ago...I went into the green room and I gave [her a copy of Their Eyes Were Watching God] and I said, "Read this book because one day, I'm going to be able to make this a movie." And then Halle won the Oscar® ...and I said "I'd better lock this in!" I called you up the day after, right?

Halle: You did. I was thrilled. When you asked me, I was probably happier than you were, that I was given a chance.

Oprah: Even the day after the Oscars®?

Halle: You know what, Oprah, you always make dreams come true. ... Even before this year when it became about dreams, you always, just with your show, your presence, you say the right thing; help people in so many ways. So to be a part of something that meant so much to you really meant the most to me!