Taina Morales, a 15-year-old Latina girl who lives with her family in New York, can't wait to see her name in lights. Taina, a new Nickelodeon show taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, chronicles her quest for an acting and singing career. As she hopes and prays for stardom, Taina attends the Manhattan School of the Arts. The trials and tribulations of remaining connected to her Puerto Rican roots are evident as Taina gets caught between the modern world of the arts and the traditions of her strong family. Growing up can be tough under any circumstances, and this show illustrates the fears and excitement of being a teenager. Taina is fun, bringing cool music and Latin culture to life, with singing, dancing and well-defined characters and story lines. In the first episode, "Be Careful What You Wish For," Taina learns a valuable lesson: No matter what her problems are, her family will always be there for her. Actor Christina Vidal, 18, plays and sings the role of Taina. In a phone interview from Los Angeles, Christina talked about Taina, her own life and what it's like to be in Orlando taping a show set in New York.

Question: What is a typical day of acting like for you?
Answer: On days when we tape, I get up at 6, get to work by 7:30 and go into hair, makeup and wardrobe. Then we start taping the show.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I am just a regular teenage girl! I hang out with my friends, go bowling, to the movies, get something to eat. I also take dance classes and singing and acting classes, too.

Q: What is your favorite Nickelodeon show?
A: I love watching All That.

Q: What do you particularly like about the Taina character?
A: I like her ambition and her drive. I can relate to her dreams and aspirations a lot. It's like a page out of my life! She's like the same person. She lived in Queens, N.Y.; I lived in Queens, N.Y. We both traveled two hours to get to school.

Q. Was this show purposely based on you and your life? There are so many similarities.
A. No, it was totally coincidental. This show was created way before I was introduced to the creator and producer and way before I auditioned for it.

Q: What made you become an actor?
A: Well, I guess it was something that was just always in me. Some people are born knowing what they want to do. My sister Lisa is an actor who plays a doctor on the show Third Watch. She's been acting a real long time. We are so much alike, I always wanted to follow in her footsteps!

Q: Do you write and sing the songs on Taina?
A: I sing them, but I don't write them. I also sing the theme song in the opening credits.

Q: Is it tough playing a person who is younger than your true age?
A: No, not too much. It wasn't that long ago that I was 15. It's fun going back to the age I was in high school.

Q: Do you have any friends like the friends portrayed in the show?
A: I have a few friends from high school who actually remind me of the character Renee, who plays my best friend on the Taina show. I really didn't have any enemies in high school.

Q: What was the funniest incident that occurred during taping?
A: On one episode, Taina's parents make her wear this Pepto-Bismol pink, puffy dress. I was supposed to go down the stairs in it, and I fell. It was a big pink, puffy mess!

Q: When you are in Orlando, do you get to ride some of the rides at Universal?
A: We did once, during our lunch hour. We are usually so busy we don't get many chances. We went to Islands of Adventure. It was a lot of fun going on the rides. I love theme parks! No matter how old I am, I am going to continue going to them!

Q: Was it hard to think of the Orlando set as New York City?
A: So many people ask me that question! When you step outside and it is 300,000 degrees, you know it is definitely not New York City! We created a real New York feeling on the set. Many of the writers were from New York and they spent time there to get a feel for it. They re-created the look of the city pretty well, too. Many people in the cast are also from New York.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share with people here in the Tampa Bay area?
A: I just want to say, enjoy the show! It's a great show for kids, teenagers and even adults. I hope you guys enjoy it! * * * Nick Linguanti, 13, is in the eighth grade at Southside Fundamental Middle School in St. Petersburg. ON TV Taina premieres at 7 p.m. Sunday on Nickelodeon.