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Welcome, Natalia (Can you bring back Emily, too?)
I’ve held off writing about Natalia Livingston’s return to General Hospital ever since I heard the official announcement last month.
However, I just can’t withhold my incredulity any longer.
Let me preface all this by saying how much I like Natalia. Every interview I’ve read and public appearance I’ve seen makes me believe she’s a true sweetheart.
And let me also stress that I liked the character of Emily. I would welcome her back in a heartbeat.
The problem is, Natalia won’t be Emily this time around.
Nope. She will be doppelganger Rebecca. And a “bad girl,” to boot.
Yeah. I’m not too happy about that.
Why?
Well, first, GH kills off legacy character Emily FOR NO APPARENT REASON. (Although I think Tyler Christopher had some amazing scenes in the aftermath.) I don’t even like to admit there was a Text-Message Killer, the story was that inept, disjointed, pointless and just plain awful.
Not that it upset me or anything.
Then, the show follows Emily’s death with the senseless, gratuitously staged murder of Georgie Jones. That still has me seething.
Guess what those two characters had in common (despite deep GH ties and wasted potential)?
They were both good girls.
Now, I know good girls aren’t usually as “exciting,” but … listen closely, GH … YOU NEED THEM. Really. Without the sweet, you’re left with too much sour … and viewers start grimacing throughout the entire show.
Not good.
Of course, Rebecca could turn out to the most amazingest character ever. (Although, really, how often does an actor’s second role on a show translate as well as the first? coughClaudiacough)
Time will tell. (Natalia’s return air date is scheduled for Jan. 15.)
I’m just tired of losing characters I know and love, only to have them replaced by strangers (no matter who plays them).
Hey, I have a novel idea, GH. Why don’t you try not killing young, beloved legacy characters off in the first place?
Or would that require too much creative thinking on your part?
Wow.
I started the new year bitter, didn’t I?
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Will new year bring back soaps of old?
I must admit that I haven’t been watching a whole lot of soaps during the past month.
For various reasons … some personal, some caused by the busy holiday season and some related to my substantial disappointment in my favorite daytime dramas recently … my tube watching has consisted mostly of Momma’s Boys and college football.
And I’ve been reading a lot of news.
Well, guess what I’ve discovered? Our world is just one, big soap opera.
Really.
Check out this Reuters story I stumbled across. Turns out a man in Poland walked into a brothel … and came face-to-face with his wife of 14 years.
And, no, she wasn’t just in there asking for change for a dollar. (Here’s the link if you want to read it yourself.)
Anyway, the story kind of reminded me of 1979 One Life to Live, when Karen Wolek (played to perfection by the amazing Judith Light) was forced to admit in court that she was a prostitute. Much to the shock of her fine, upstanding doctor husband, Larry.
Man, that was good soap. (Watch it below.)
So what happened? Where are those nail-biting, build-up moments now?
To give OLTL credit, though, I still think it’s one heck of a show. Probably the best on ABC. They at least can take a story and stick with it, developing their characters (old and new) and even using their vets.
And they give their viewers actual payoffs. A novel concept nowadays, to be sure.
I don’t know. Maybe 2009 will bring me fully back into the fold.
It all really depends on whether the shows will invest in their fans as much as we invest in them.
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The Joys of General Hospital
Did you catch the General Hospital episode right before Christmas with Spinelli (Bradford Anderson) pinch hitting for Santa and Maxie (Kirsten Storms) helping out as his elf?
I just loved that episode so much.
It was so much fun and so heartwarming - and who doesn’t just love that combination?
And it made me smile.
For that alone - and with the absence of all the violence and mob doings on GH - I am happy.
I couldn’t help but chuckle every times those jingle bells jingled and Spinelli’s eyes rolled around….the look on his face and on Maxi’s face was priceless.
I have to say, I was one who never thought this pairing would work, but I absolutely love them together. Their chemistry is so much fun and they really play off each other so well that I can’t help but smile everytime they’re on the screen.
It even made watching Robin tolerable, because lately I’ve been fast forwarding through most of her scenes.
And that’s sad to me, because I’ve always like Robin, but lately with all the baby nonsense - Fast Forward!
Even the cookie scene with Robin made me smile. Particularly when she ate the cookie and realized that it was her grandmother’s recipe. It was just a nice feelgood scene.
The episode also brought tears to my eyes, particularly when Monica (Leslie Charleson) received the glasses that allowed her to see Alan (Stuart Damon).
How wonderful was that?
And, of course, Max and Diane….Any episode with the two of them is just plain fun!
Carolyn Hennesy and Derk Cheetwood are a joy to watch. Those two never fail to make me smile.
If you haven’t seen the episode, watch the clips above and you’re in for a treat.
And for that one, wonderful episode I have to say, thank you GH for getting me into the Christmas spirit.
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A Couple of Good Things on General Hospital
There are two things that I could do without on General Hospital.
Number one: Robin obsessing over the fact that her baby constantly cries while she is taking care of her and doesn’t cry around just about every other person on the planet.
And number two: mob violence.
Monday’s episode, happily, was void of the first and pretty much void of the second.
Which in itself was an improvement over some of the more recent episodes.
But more than that, there were a couple of good things coming out of Monday’s episode.
Top of my list - Luke (Tony Geary) and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn).
The two have such a good rapport and an ease and comfort, that I just loved that scene with the two of them commiserating about their respective love lives.
Dontcha just love the way he calls her Natasha?
I just chuckle every time he does it.
Another thing that got my attention: FBI guy and Jason (Steve Burton).
Although I don’t like the mob stuff in general, I found FBI guy’s offer to Jason interesting.
Jason didn’t dismiss the agent’s offer to give Jason immunity in exchange for information on Sonny and Anthony Zacchara that would bring both of them down.
What I really liked was the way the agent brought up Jason’s history.
Although we all know how once upon a time Jason was a promising doctor-to-be, it’s sometimes easy to forget given that he’s been in the mob for so long.
And, I have to say, I would be very interested to see what would ensue if Jason takes him up on the offer.
So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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Interview with Brandon Barash (Johnny Zacchara) from Super Soap Weekend
It’s been a few weeks since Super Soap Weekend 2008 ended.
I had posted some interviews in the days that followed.
But then came Thanksgiving and some traveling and now I can get back to some unfinished business.
Namely: more interviews.
I’ll start with Brandon Barash, Johnny Zacchara on General Hospital.
Before I get to the interview, I have to tell you….He was so good with all the fans.
Incredibly nice, actually.
He not only met and spent time with all of the people with FastPasses AND all the standbys, but he also went around the railing and signed autographs and took photos with many of those people who waited patiently outside of his booth.
He was so friendly and nice to everyone and he looked like he was having such a good time.
Brandon went above and beyond what was expected of him and all of the fans who I talked to just raved about how nice he was.
Now to the interview.
Brandon described his alter ego, Johnny Zacchara, as being “like an onion. He’s got a lot of layers.”
Where would he like to see Johnny go as a character?
“I like where he is right now,” Brandon said. “I like the ‘to be or not to be’ struggle that he has going on. I like that his external instinct is to lash out and be rough and his internal struggle and instinct is to be a kind guy…to be a human being, and those instincts have been shut down and repressed through the years because of his father so I would like to see him explore more layers.
On working with Kirsten Storms (Maxie):
“Kirsten is a lot of fun to work with. It’s kind of hard not to have chemistry with Kirsten. She is who she is and she gives it her all and she’s great. I remember filming those scenes in the elevator when Johnny and Maxie were trapped and you can’t resist her. You can’t.”
And what does he think about Lulu (Julie Marie Berman) and Johnny?
“She brings the Yin to his Yang. She brings out that softer interior that he struggles to show. She brings out the human in him and not the monster.”
What was his first Super Soap Weekend like?
“It’s been madness, but very welcome madness. It’s been a lot of fun to put a face with the name of the fan community. It’s great to walk out and see a sea of people who came to see all of us, because we wouldn’t be here without them.”
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OLTL’s Blair deserves a guy like John
As a longtime Todd and Blair fan on One Life to Live, it’s always been really hard for me to accept Blair with anyone else.
But since she’s been paired with Michael Easton’s John McBain, all that has changed.
I think Blair, as played by Kassie DePaiva, is one heck of a woman who deserves one heck of a man. And Todd hasn’t fit that bill in a long time (yeah, an understatement, I know).
Enter John, who started out as a friend, someone who was there for Blair when she needed some honesty and strength in her life.
And as Michele has written before, Blair has helped John loosen up a bit. No small feat with the play-it-close-to-the-vest detective.
Their scenes Monday on the rooftop had me holding my breath.
John finally told Blair that she was who he wanted.
I knew he was a smart guy.
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OLTL’s January LaVoy (Noelle) onstage in New York City
I touched a bit on this in Tuesday’s blog, but this topic deserves a blog unto it’s own.
First of all, my favorite pie-baking waitress is back on One Life To Live - Noelle Ortiz of course and that’s good news in itself.
Noelle
But there’s more good news about her portrayer, January LaVoy, who, by the way, is so warm and genuine….she’s an amazing person as well as super talented.
And being a good person in this crazy world counts for a lot as far as I’m concerned.
January is co-starring in “Home” at the Signature Theatre Company in New York City until Jan. 4. She co-stars with Tracey Bonner and Kevin T. Carroll.
Since I was spending my Thanksgiving week in Conn., my husband, my aunt and I took the train in to New York City to see a play - and when I found out that January was in “Home,” I decided that would be the play to see.
Below is a description of the play, which is a revival of the original production.
Home, which received a 1980 Best Play Tony nomination, is the tale of one man’s struggle to stay true to himself amid a rapidly changing and turbulent America. Leaving behind his family’s farm in North Carolina, Cephus Miles seeks refuge and prosperity in the North. Three actors portray more than 25 characters over the course of Cephus’ epic journey from adolescence to adulthood, spanning the 1950s through the Vietnam War and Civil Rights eras.
The three of us were awed by the entire performance.
All of the actors were incredible.
Kevin T. Carroll as Cephus brought the audience through a gamut of emotions - funny to sad and everything in between. January and Tracey did a spectacular job of playing a variety of characters and performing an array of sound effects that were so amazingly real.
After the performance, the three of us met January, Kevin and Tracey - all of whom were so unbelievably warm and welcoming.
Do we look like we’re having a good time, or what?
Tickets are available on Signature’s website at http://www.signaturetheatre.org/ by phone at (212) 244-PLAY (7529) and in person at the box office.
I highly recommend the production.
You won’t be disappointed.
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Johnny and Lulu aside, GH was pretty good
Tuesday’s episode of General Hospital was definitely a hit or miss for me.
On the one hand, there was lots of Johnny and Lulu. Which meant I fast-forwarded through most of the show. Which means my viewing time took half as long as usual. Which in general is a good thing.
However, I must report that the fast forwarding did nothing to diminish the awkwardness that is Johnny and Lulu. And I don’t mean good awkward as in “Aw, isn’t it cute how awkward they are with each other?” I mean awkward as in “Wow. That was an awkward kiss. Are they sure they’re in love?”
Then of course there was Kate and Sonny, who normally irritate me to the core. It’s just too much smugness and arrogance … and treat-everyone-like-crudness … for one couple.
But I actually found their scenes riveting. Check them out for yourself below.
Maurice Benard and Megan Ward really shine when their characters are fighting. It’s just the actual romance part that I find lacking.
In fact, I think it says something that I find Sonny’s unholy union to Claudia far more interesting than anything he’s done with Kate.
As for Carly, I am thoroughly enjoying her quest for revenge. Nobody wreaks havoc like Carly, and if her target is Kate, then I’m gonna pull up a chair for a front-row seat.
I’m not as keen on Carly’s targeting of Jax, but I am loving the business rivalry (with a healthy dose of personal bitterness) that is brewing between Jax and Nikolas. So if Carly’s plan brings these two rich, business-savvy men head-to-head … and in a story that no way involves the mob … then I am all for it.
There were a few Quartermaine sightings. Almost always a good thing.
And Tracy plans to divorce Luke. As much as I love Tony Geary and Jane Elliott together, Luke really needs a wake-up call. He’s taken Tracy for granted for far too long. It’s high time he worked for her love.
So all in all a pretty good episode.
But GH? Today I’m really hoping to find out what’s happening with Jake. Could we step that up? Please?
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It Was A Heartwarming One Life To Live Thanksgiving
I just watched One Life To Live and I have to say it was one big - Awwwww.
I had tears in my eyes the whole time.
They were good tears.
Not sad tears.
But sentimental tears.
From Charlie recreating the Bon Jour Cafe for Viki and bringing back Noelle and Moe to Bo’s speech at the Buchanan gathering, it was all so heartwarming - hence the tears.
Erika Slezak as Viki and Brian Kerwin as Charlie - watching them together is like reading a beautiful poem.
Viki and Charlie
How about the end of Bo’s speech when he singled out Cole and said that God should bless him for enduring what no one should have to endure. Loved it!
Robert S. Woods as Bo brought tears to my eyes throughout his monologue.
And I love the fact that Renee forgave Natalie and Jared. It brought that storyline around to some degree of closure and now, hopefully, everyone can move on.
Okay, there was some bit of craziness at the Vega and Cramer gatherings, compliments of Sarah and Dorian, respectively.
I have to say - and maybe I’m divulging a bit too much - but I could see myself going off on Vanessa like Sarah (Justis Bolding) did.
I mean come on, the woman is obviously a viper and Sarah, a bit tipsy at best, needed to vent and protect her man, Christian.
So, yeah, I was cheering at that part.
I loved that final montage with all of the family gatherings meeting together at the new Buenos Dias Cafe, the former site of Carlotta’s Diner, which Charlie rebuilt in the form of the Bon Jour for Viki!
And, yeah, more tears.
You could just see the real emotion in Slezak’s eyes as Viki looked around at all the various characters gathered at the spot that she holds dear to her heart.
You know when I interviewed Slezak at Super Soap Weekend two weeks ago, she said the Paris, Texas storyline and the Bon Jour Cafe with Moe and Noelle was her favorite storyline…and I have to agree that it was one of my all time favorites too.
Click here to read my interview with Slezak.
Slezak said that she loves the fact that the Bon Jour crew - Gigi (Farah Fath), Noelle (January LaVoy) and Moe (John Rue) are all real working people.
And speaking of January LaVoy, she’s co-starring in “Home,” at the Signature Theatre Company in New York City.
The play is an incredible piece of theatre and January, along with her co-stars Tracey Bonner and Kevin T. Carroll delivered some very powerful performances.
Suffice it to say that if you’re in New York City and you want to enjoy a profoundly moving theatre experience that you’re not likely to forget, reserve your tickets ASAP. Go to www.signaturetheatre.org
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SSW 2008 Interview: Brandon Buddy (Cole) and Kristen Alderson (Starr) from OLTL
Did you know that Brandon Buddy was 13 when his younger brother was born and he was in the room with his mother for the birth?
Well, he was.
And he told Kara and me about it during our interview with him and co-star Kristen Alderson (Starr) at Super Soap Weekend 2008.
He calls the experience “the biggest rush ever.”
Brandon said he drew on those emotions as Cole, during his One Life To Live scenes, when Cole was told that the baby he fathered with Starr (Kristen Alderson) had died.
“I just tried to put myself in the situation,” Brandon said. “God forbid if that had ever happened to my little brother, I just couldn’t imagine….I’m kind of a softie, you know.
“When something that tragic happens, you hear so many incidents in real life, when a married couple loses a baby in real life, unfortunately many times they end up divorcing over it because they try to blame one another,” Brandon said.
Kristen told us that Trevor St. John improvises a lot. In their upcoming scenes this week, when Starr finds out that Todd was going to steal her baby, there were a lot times they deviated from the written lines, she said.
“Trevor St. John is so great,” she said. “He’s big into doing things in the moment. You always just have to be ready to ad lib and to react to whatever he does and that’s really exciting for me. A lot of people don’t like that, but I love it. Starr and Todd have a lot of scenes coming up where Starr confronts him about everything. We went back and forth and sometimes we said lines that were in the script and sometimes we said lines that weren’t in the script. We sometimes we do things really spur of the moment and I think it’s great.”
It struck me that Kristen, only 17, had the poise, manners and aplomb of someone far beyond her years. I was beyond impressed with the maturity with which she answered questions that would have challenged someone much older.
Kristen has been on the show since she was 6 1/2 after all. She grew up on the show with Kassie DePaiva as her mother Blair Cramer Manning, Robin Strasser as her aunt Dorian Cramer Lord and Erika Slezak as her aunt Victoria Lord Davidson.
So when Kristen was called upon for the teen pregnancy storyline, she was up for the challenge. But she only found out a week before taping the birth scenes that the baby would die - or at least Starr and her family thinks the baby died after Jess/Tess/Bess switched her dead baby with Starr’s live one.
“If I knew [at the outset] that I was going to have scenes that Starr was going to have scenes where she lost the baby, I don’t know how I would have reacted…I would have been ‘I don’t think I can do that.’ But ever since we started with the storyline, I feel like I have just grown with my character and really went through the experience with her. When I found out a week before taping the baby was going to die - or at least Starr thought that - I got emotional about it. We taped the delivery scenes a day before we found out that the baby’s dead. Just being in the bed about to give birth, it was so emotional and I had everyone that’s known me since I was 6 ½ years old around. Just the whole experience was so emotional than I ever thought it would be, so it was kind of easy to do those scenes because there was a lot of emotional build up.
“The good thing about soap operas is that you get to grow with your character if you’re on long enough,” Kristen said. “To grow with Kassie and Trevor and Erika and Robin, it just makes the scenes easier because you’re drawing upon other moments that you’ve had with each other in the past. In a movie, you don’t get to do that. You just have to make up the background.”
Brandon said he was a bit intimidated when he heard Susan Haskell was coming back to the show as his mom, Marty Saybrook, the role she originated and made a soap opera legend so many years ago. He had never acted with Haskell in the role of Marty, because when the character allegedly died in the car crash that Cole witnessed, Christina Chambers was playing Marty.
“She’s so good,” Brandon said of Haskell. “She continues to impress me every day. The first day we worked together, we had 65 pages of us two back and forth. I was so nervous, but the time just flew by. She’s such a great lady.”
On Cole trying to smother Todd with a pillow, Brandon said, “When we were doing the scenes I was like - a pillow? Really? Can I carry a bat in or something?”
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Michael Easton: A SSW Interview
Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite soap character is Lt. John McBain on One Life To Live.
Yeah, he broods sometimes. Big deal.
But what I really like about McBain is his honesty and loyalty and the fact that he always does the right thing to a fault.
The only times that he breaks the rules is if someone that he cares about is in danger or in trouble.
You gotta love that!
At Super Soap Weekend 2008, I caught up with the actor - who plays my favorite cop - Michael Easton.
And I learned an interesting fact that I didn’t know and maybe you didn’t either.
Easton rode around with one of New York City’s finest for a week before tackling the role of McBain.
“I went home with him and talked to his wife and I really learned a lot from that relationship,” Easton said. “She said that he’d come home and the whole night would go by and she knew something was on his mind and he wouldn’t talk about it. And she’d ask him and he’d say, ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ They see a lot of stuff and you know it has to affect them.”
Regarding playing John McBain, Easton said, “I like that he doesn’t talk a lot. It’s a hard thing to do on daytime not to talk about your feelings all the time. He’s a hard guy to like and that’s one of the things I like about Todd. It makes them sort of different from the other daytime male characters, who are always handsome and rich and very charming and there’s certainly a great place for them. But then you get these other characters who are reserved and can’t say I love you [like McBain] and that’s honest. Then you can get the audience to take that ride with you. The gestures mean a lot more and when he does say something he means it.”
Easton is multi-talented. He’s also a poet, writer and photographer.
His first book, “Eighteen Straight Whiskeys,” is a compilation of his poems about his life during less prosperous times. The writing is raw and real and you actually feel what Easton has been through. I have a copy of the book and it’s good writing.
He also has a recently published the graphic novel “Soul Stealer,” with illustrations by Christopher Shy.
On Soul Stealer: “It’s one of the things that I’ve done that I feel is beautiful and pure. I started asking a lot of questions in my life like “Have you ever lost somebody in your life and how far would you go to try and get them back?” Out of that came this character, Kalan, this Etruscan warrior, poet and he develops the ability to bring back souls from the after life. And he uses this to wander the earth, searching for his one true love.
“We’ve had a great response [to Soul Stealer] and it’s very kind of people to want to check it out.”
Easton, who played the vampire Caleb Morley on Port Charles, said he likes coming to Super Soap and seeing his co-stars from Port Charles - Kelly Monaco (now Sam on GH) and Thorsten Kaye(now Zach on AMC).
“We had a lot of fun with that,” Easton said. “That storyline had passion and humor and so many things you don’t often get. It’s nice coming down here, it’s almost like a little reunion with Kelly and Thorsten.”
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Get your Super Soap photos here!
Whew!
I thought I’d never get these Super Soap Weekend 2008 photos out into the blogosphere. (And I think Michele had serious doubts, as well!)
But here I am …
And here’s the link: SSW photos.
I only put one photo per star (although there are a couple “couple” ones in there, too.) I’ll be loading up the extras in the next day or so.
Here’s one of my favorites from the batch. It features Brittany Underwood (Langston) and Jason Tam (Markko) of One Life to Live.
I hope you enjoy the photos as much as Michele and I enjoyed standing thisclose to some of our soap faves.
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Interview With A Daytime Icon: Erika Slezak (Viki/OLTL)
Everybody loves the honest, loyal, warm, compassionate and very wise Victoria “Viki” Lord Buchanan Davidson on One Life To Live.
And I see many of the wonderful qualities that we love about Viki in her portrayer Erika Slezak.
In the few minutes that we chatted Saturday at 2008 Super Soap Weekend, I felt like I’ve known her forever.
And in a sense I have.
I began watching One Life To Live from nearly the beginning of the show 40 years ago as an escape from high school angst.
And I still watch the show as an escape from the realities and pressures of the world today.
Erika is incredibly warm and welcoming - and funny!
She just seems to be really down-to-earth.
And how nice is that in someone who is an icon in the business!
It was Erika’s fourth year appearing at Super Soap at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and here’s what she had to say about it.
“I think it’s a remarkable experience for us as actors to get to meet our audience who are incredibly warm and friendly and giving to travel from all over the country to come here and meet us. For us, we’re just people. We just happen to have a more high-profile job. To meet them face to face - it’s extraordinary. I just met a boy out there whose mother said he gets up at 3:00 in the morning to watch the reruns and I said, ‘you should be asleep.’ He loves the show and it’s just wonderful. It’s very humbling too because we live in a little cocoon. We are in our television studio and I get in my car and drive home. To see all the wonderful people out there who are our audience and who like what we do and who are grateful that we are there makes you feel really good.”
Erika told me that one of the highlights of playing Viki was the recent Paris, TX storyline, which, by the way, was one of my favorites.
“I loved the characters. I loved the idea of being there living a fantasy life. She knew she was only going to be there for awhile and she could get away from her problems and wouldn’t we all want to do that - just kind of vanish for a few months and not deal with life.”
Erika also really enjoys the new characters brought onto the One Life To Live canvas by the Paris, TX storyline - Gigi (Farah Fath), Moe (John Rue) and Noelle (January LaVoy). Gigi is now living in Llanview and Moe and Noelle are coming to Llanview soon.
Erika had Kara and me laughing as she described the people of Llanview.
“They [Gigi, Moe and Noelle] are such real characters,” she said. “They don’t have a ton of money. It’s not like the Llanview people where everybody is rich and nobody has a job and nobody pays a bill. Have you ever seen anybody pay a bill in Llanview? It’s fine we all have charge accounts everywhere.
“But [Gigi, Moe and Noelle] are real people and to bring them in and to assimilate them into the show is so wonderful and I think that was one of my favorite stories ever.”
Erika also said she loves the challenges of playing Viki’s alter personalities and she also very much enjoyed the recent 40th anniversary storyline where Viki died (briefly) and went to heaven and saw some of her dead loved ones, including her beloved, Ben (Mark Derwin).
“I loved heaven because it was so comfortable. I had ballet flats on for two weeks. It was great.”
She also enjoyed working with the show’s creator Agnes Nixon in some of heaven’s scenes.
“Agnes is an extraordinary woman. She was so nervous when we did the heaven stuff. She was wonderful. She was so determined to learn her lines and know every single word. She’s a very, very smart, funny lady. You will never know how funny she is. She’s delightful. It was a treat. And I kind of went, ‘Yay! I’m the only one who gets to work with her. Yay!”
I asked Erika what are the characteristics that she likes best about Viki.
“She’s so good. She has such a big heart and is so fiercely loyal to her friends and her family in particular. She’s kind. She’s very smart. She’s able to differentiate in her mind what’s just and what’s not just and she always tries to do the right thing, which is a hard thing to do in life isn’t it?”
Kara asked about how Viki’s relationship with Todd will be affected when she finds out that Todd knew that Jess had turned into Tess for all those months that she wreaked havoc.
“Viki gets Todd. She understands his problems. But when she finds out what Todd did it’s not going to be pretty because that’s unforgiveable to leave your family hanging out to dry. Natalie could have been killed. Jared could have been killed. Tess was in a lot of trouble. It was his own selfishness. I don’t care what motivated him, it was unbelievably selfish. It’s interesting to see where it goes. She always wants to believe that there is good in everyone and I think she’s finally going to realize that the good in Todd is buried so deep, that there’s no point in looking for it anymore.”
On playing alter Niki Smith, she said, “It’s nothing but fun, but she is so tiring. She expends so much energy and she’s all over the place all the time. But after playing Viki for so many years who is so controlled and always does the right thing - and then to be Niki….it’s terrific.”
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Super Soap 2008: Can’t Believe It’s Over
Super Soap Weekend 2008 at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios is over and I have LOTS to report.
And because was the last year for the uber-popular event, there was certainly a lot of sadness by fans, but also a feeling that everyone wanted to get the most out of it.
Since we packed so much SSW in two days, I can’t stay awake long enough to really do justice to all the good info, gossip and spoilers that we gathered.
So here’s what I’m gonna do.
Give you just a teaser….
You know, a few tidbits and morsels to bring you back in the next few days to read some more interviews with the stars.
Disney/ABC hosted a wonderful media breakfast each day, where members of the press questioned the soap stars in a red carpet-style format.
We got up-close-and-personal with 20 of the 32 stars, so we have lots to report - and photos too!
And we got more low down by attending some of the talk shows.
But we’re spreading things out through the week, so stay tuned.
But, for now, here’s a few tidbits.
Laura Wright (Carly/GH) was looking forward to taking her daughter on the Rock-n-Roller Coaster and Soarin’ during their Disney stay.
Laura loves the “passion” of Carly and how “her pendulum swings so drastically.”
Out of all her leading men, who’s the best kisser?
Ingo Rademacher (Jax).
You know Melissa Claire Egan who plays Annie Lavery? She dishs on some upcoming, jaw-dropping stuff.
We will see Annie quickly slipping farther and farther from reality after staging the kidnapping of her daughter, Emma.
When that plan backfires and Annie goes totally off the deep-end.
Annie thinks she’s marrying Ryan again and is at a party in her wedding dress, with lipstick smeared freakishly around her mouth and she’s holding a knife dripping with blood.
I saw previews, and I tell you she was scary looking!
And who did she stab?
Erica!
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The Road To Super Soap 2008: Interview With Bradford Anderson (Spinelli)
Bradford Anderson has fond memories of going to Disney World every year with his family.
“Disney World is one of my favorite places,” he said. “It was the family trip. We all got in the car and drove down from New Hampshire each year and I looked forward to it so much. This year, I’m bringing my mom and my sister as well as my girlfriend. So coming back to Disney World in this capacity is strange but amazing.”
Anderson, best know as Damien Spinelli on General Hospital, is one of the 31 stars meeting and greeting fans at Super Soap Weekend 2008 - this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16. As Disney has announced, this will be the final year for the popular event and Soapbox will be the blogging live from SSW.
Bradford was the breakout star last year, with his FastPasses being the first to go each day.
He also surprised the fans camped out the Disney gates at 1 a.m. by visiting them and bringing them goodies to eat and drink. But Bradford says he won’t be doing the same this year, because he’s performing at the Street Jam for the first time - and he got the word from Disney not to.
The following is an interview I had with Bradford last weekend before his appearance with other daytime stars at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.
As promised, here is my Bradford Anderson interview.
Michele: What are you looking forward to about Super Soap?
Bradford: It’s kind of hard to pick just one thing out. I’ve only been there one year and it was just a barrage of positive energy and fun. Seeing familiar faces. Seeing lots of new faces. Being able to perform in the Street Jam. Just the opportunity to meet people and run around and basically be as crazy as we want to be because that’s why we’re there. It’s kinda neat.”
Michele: What is it like to have Spinelli become such a breakout character?
Bradford: “I came from doing musical theater in New York. Not only did I never have a job that lasted more than two or three months, but the life of a theater actor is not necessarily congratulatory. Getting on a show like this with a job that lasts more than three months, those are the things that blow my mind on a daily basis. The things beyond that - like all the things I get to do because of it and the people I get to meet is just beyond anything that I could’ve imagined. I’m just glad to have a job.
“When I joined the show, I was only supposed to be on for two months. So the fact that I’m here two years later is the biggest blessing I could have asked for and all the things that come with it is the cherry on top.”
Michele: What do you love/hate about Spinelli?
Bradford: “I love his sincerity and the fact that he’s innocent enough to not quite know how to communicate without telling the truth. He’s so earnest and honest in everything he does. It pains him to not tell the truth. He never tries to put on anyone or manuever anyone.That’s what I love about him.
“What I look forward to improving on is his self-confidence in knowing that he is such a good person and therefore doesn’t need to become something that he isn’t. That is the struggle that makes him somewhat interesting. The more he allows himself to be confident in who he is, I think more adventures will ensue. I don’t think the confidence will take away from who he is, it will just enable him to have more experiences.”
Michele: How difficult is it to memorize Spinelli-speak?
Bradford: “It’s funny. When I go to work and put on my hooded sweatshirt, my mouth just figures out how to do it. People have asked me to go into Spinelli when I’m not at work and it’s hard. At work, I just kind of step into it and when I’m not at work, it’s out of me. Some soap actors, their characters are just a different version of themself and it’s hard for them to separate the two. You get kind of confused, because we live in our characters so often. But, for me, I never get confused.
“I grew up in central New Hampshire, we don’t have football, but I played sports. I was never the strapping young athlete, but I did okay. And my social skills are actually pretty good and I’ve always had a fair amount of self-confidence because of my parents. I do have much more confidence in interacting with people than Spinelli does and I know how to use a computer, but I don’t even know what hacking means.”
Michele: What do you hope for Spinelli”
Bradford: “To relax and to love, somehow. To find someone who allows that part of him to really come out. Being able to see how he reacts when he is loved in return and knows it.”
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An Afternoon With Four Soap Stars = FUN
I spent Saturday afternoon listening to four of daytime’s hottest stars dish about everything from things they hope for their characters to their most memorable or favorite scenes.
And, seasoned journalist that I am, captured it in my notes to share with you!
More good news: I had one-on-one interviews with them and will post those blogs later in the week.
Soap stars Cameron Mathison (Ryan, All My Children), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli, General Hospital), Winsor Harmon (Thorne, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael, The Young and the Restless) appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.
All four will be taking part in the 2nd voyage of the Soap Cruise, which departs out of Miami on Jan. 22, where fans get to mingle with 15 soap stars on a four-day cruise.
And I attended it with my good friend, fellow journalist and rabid soap fan Sharon Robb from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Two-hundred-plus fans joined us in a fun-filled two hour question and answer session and the fans (also rabid, but not literally) peppered the soap hunks with questions - no holds barred.
The guys ad-libbed everything and took their cues from the audience. It was great entertainment!
Christian ran around with the microphone from fan-to-fan and had the entire audience in stitches with his comments, while the others on stage engaged in repartee with him and the fans.
They started off showing clips of each of the actors from their respective shows.
Cameron asked the audience how they liked Christian’s clip.
“How many Emmys do you have…like 14?” he asked Christian.
To which Christian responded in mock modesty…”Ca-a-mer-o-n-n-n. Stop talking about my Emmys! It’s embarrassing.”
When one fan asked Bradford to sing with her, he called her up onstage to sing solo - and the two finished the song together!
Here are some other highlights:
Question to Christian: Are you going to get your dad out of jail? Answer: Christian said he’s “thrilled” to be working with Michael Gross, who plays his father, River, on Y&R. Gross is best known as Steven Keaton on the 80’s sitcom “Family Ties.”
“He’s in jail because the feds caught him and my step-father turned him in. You know how that can be,” Christian answered.
From the stage Winsor said, “Sounds like bad writing to me!”
“Win-sor!” Christian said. “It’s a half hour….Only a half hour, isn’t that sad?” referring to the fact that B&B is a half-hour compared to the other soaps’ hour format.
“Just because we get paid more to do less work,” Winsor retorted.
Actually, the two actors film their soaps across the hall from each other in the same studio and the two constantly joke around with each other.
One fan asked Bradford if he would visit the fans at 1 a.m. at the Disney World gates - like he did last year - when he brought fans food and soda while they camped out waiting for Super Soap Weekend to begin. SSW 2008 is this weekend, Nov. 15 and 16.
Because he will taking part in Street Jam this year, Bradford said he has to take better care of himself and not stay up all night.
“Last year, I went out and kind of slept with the crowd on the concrete,” Bradford said. “I won’t be able to do that this year. Number one, because I’d be too tired and number two they forbid me to do that again.”
A woman told Cameron that she loved watching him on “Dancing With The Stars” and that his Superman number was the best dance of the entire season.
Cameron said, “It is phenomenally difficult beyond anything that I could possibly say and add to that I was traveling 3,000 miles to work full-time in New York (filming AMC). It was just insane, but it was fun. Pretty intense.”
A fan asked Winsor if his character, Thorne, will get a love interest.
“We’re in the process of shooting stuff right now regarding where Thorne’s heading with the love interest,” Winsor said. “She’s somebody new on the canvas.”
Question: What are the most difficult scenes that you’ve had to do?
Bradford said the most challenging scenes for him were when Georgie was killed on GH and he found her body.
“It was a great challenge and allowed my character to evolve,” Bradford said. “But we lost a great actress and a great character.”
Well, that’s all for now.
Check back here and I’ll have more from Hard Rock interviews this week.
Coming up this weekend, LIVE FROM SUPER SOAP 2008.
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Real-life soldiers’ tales set AMC apart
If you haven’t seen Thursday’s episode of All My Children, then make some time to do so.
Actually, it’s really only one segment you need to make time for. In fact, I’ll make it easy on you and post some of it here:
Whether you are a fan of soaps or not, watching these real-life veterans talk about being injured during combat is a lesson in courage, humility and fortitude.
I’ve written before about how well I think AMC has told the stories of their military characters. It hasn’t been perfect, of course, but compared to the other soaps (namely General Hospital), AMC has handled soldiers’ stories with dignity and respect.
The irony of Thursday’s segment was I had just finished telling my husband how boring AMC has been. (The tornadoes were great, but I think the show has lost some serious momentum since.) The words came out of my mouth, and in the next instant, on my TV screen was a semi-circle of people who I knew right away weren’t just actors.
As my husband and I listened to their tales, you could have heard a pin drop. It was riveting. And when it was over my husband turned to me and said, “Now, that wasn’t boring.”
I know soaps are usually meant to be an escape from everyday life, but I also appreciate those times with this genre spotlights a real, visceral issue.
AMC did a great job. But, you know, even if the segment hadn’t turned out so well, I would have still given the show credit for at least trying to give these war stories a mainstream voice.
It’s a lot more than most of the other soaps are doing.
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Come See The Soap Stars In Person In South Florida
Remember last week I told you about four soap stars appearing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL?
It sounds like a lot of fun and who doesn’t like to get up-close-and-personal with their favorite soap stars?
Well, I have some more info on the event. Check out the details below.
Special Engagement to Feature Q & A with
Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery, All My Children),
Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli, General Hospital),
Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young & The Restless) and
Winsor Harmon (Thorne Forrester, The Bold & The Beautiful)
It’s your daydream come true…four of daytime television’s hottest soap stars are coming to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on November 8 at 1 p.m. for a special engagement. Tickets are on sale now.
This is your chance to get the scoop on your favorite soap opera story lines by participating in an exclusive Q & A session with some of the most popular stars on television.
Celebrities scheduled to attend are Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery, All My Children and Dancing with the Stars), Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli, General Hospital), Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young & The Restless) and Winsor Harmon (Thorne Forrester, The Bold & The Beautiful).
All attendees will have a chance to compete in daytime trivia questions for prizes including a grand prize of a trip for two on Celebrity Cruises’ Soap Cruise Second Voyage sponsored by Soap Opera Weekly and Soap Opera Digest.
Visit www.soapcruise.com for a full list of stars scheduled to sail the high seas. The cruise features 16 of the most popular actors starring in soap opera dramas today.
Tickets cost $10*, all seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Monday - Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.
About Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a state-of-the-art facility is attracting music, comedy and sports fans. This 5,500-seat indoor arena expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. For more information please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com.
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino features 71 tables offering Blackjack, Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, and Let it Ride. More than 2,500 of the most popular Vegas-style slots and games are available to play on its 145,000-square-foot casino floor including Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise is a 12,000-square-foot private room offering no-limit Texas Hold ‘em, limit Texas Hold ’em, Seven Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games.
This Four Diamond, AAA-rated, 500-room hotel offers 16 restaurants and lounges, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, a full-service, European-style spa, and 23 retail shops, 11 nightclubs, and Paradise Live - a 600 seat venue with classic music album performances in Seminole Paradise.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. From I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.
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General Hospital: Now I Remember Why I Loved This Show
I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed General Hospital as much as I did yesterday.
There wasn’t one thing that I fast forwarded through.
Amazing, considering I - and others - have been ranting about the over-saturation of the mob storyline.
But, note, there was none of that yesterday - and, oh, how enjoyable!
First, the return of Genie Francis as Laura waking from catatonia into a fully, lucid state is the ultimate reward for any longtime GH fan.
I mean, who doesn’t love Laura?
And doesn’t she look fab?
Coupled with her return to the real world, she is paired up with Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) for the moment.
See, I’m one of those fans who liked those two together….
It’s so nostalgic right down to Laura calling him Scotty. Scotty!
That was what everyone called him back in the day —- until he returned years later going by the “more mature” version, Scott.
I still think of him as Scotty and so does Laura!
I loved their reminiscing about their honeymoon and the old days, even if it is semi-creepy that he has to blackmail her with her daughter’s freedom.
But hey, it’s a soap after all.
I know. I know. Everything is all about Luke and Laura to hoards of fans.
But I so enjoy Laura and Scotty and their time together.
It’s so cute the way Scott dotes on her.
And despite all the despicable things that he’s done, I instantly forget about those things when he’s with Laura.
And speaking of Luke…How about him and Tracy?
Those two are a laugh a minute. Tony Geary (Luke) and Jane Elliot (Tracy) play so well off each other.
The minute they come onscreen, I involuntarily smile. It just happens.
How about that first scene between the two with them arguing over Luke almost crashing the plane.
They just banter so well together and never miss a beat.
And then later in the show when they don those disguises….more laughs!
Other bright spots in the show: the opening bit with Coleman and the minister, when Coleman was asking if the priest thought Patrick would show. The priest said, “Have faith.” And Coleman said, “I hope to hell you’re right.” Realizing in an instant that he swore in church, Coleman looked at the priest and said, “No offense, chief.” The priest replied, “None taken.” The looks on both their faces - priceless!
And even the scenes between Sonny and Jason were enjoyable, because for the first time in weeks the two were not talking mob stuff and they were reminiscing about the good times.
Why can’t GH be like this every day?
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Closure good for OLTL’s Rex, Adriana
It was wonderful watching the mature, rather low-key closure between Rex (John-Paul Lavoisier) and Adriana (Melissa Fumero) on One Life to Live.
As a fan of the couple, I appreciated that the show provided a respectful stopping point for two people who were once so in love.
Obviously Adriana changed a lot since she and Rex first became friends and eventually lovers.
But their parting conversation this week reminded me of why I started rooting for them long ago: Their foundation of friendship.
The mature dialogue they were able to share was touching, especially considering all the hurt, lies and maneuvering (mostly on Adriana’s part) that doomed the relationship. (Check out some of their conversation below.)
It’s evident that Rex and Adriana still care and want what’s best for each other. Adriana just happens to think she’s what’s best for Rex. But hey … you can’t blame a girl for trying.
As Adriana becomes more controlling and Dorian-like, she moves farther and farther away from the woman Rex fell in love with.
It was extra nice, then, to see a glimpse of that classy, mature woman again as she agreed to let Rex go.
Of course, this is a soap, so someday she’ll probably be back to lay claim to him once more.
But for now I have a sweet memory of two people calmly deciding to part ways.
That’s rather unique in daytime, don’t ya think?
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Latest comments
Hi Sally, I totally agree with you! I don’t seek out spoilers and only see them through previews at the end of the shows. I try to stay away from internet spoilers, but it’s so hard because there’s so many out there that I inadvertently
... read the full comment by Michele | Comment on Will new year bring back soaps of old? Read Will new year bring back soaps of old?
Kara…I think a big part of the problem these days is the Internet. Everyone is “spoiled” these days, so there is no suspense anymore. Would that Karen scene have been as gripping if we had known weeks in advance that it was happening?
... read the full comment by SallyV | Comment on Will new year bring back soaps of old? Read Will new year bring back soaps of old?
How True! Life IS just one big soap opera. The Karen Wolek court scene is truly one of the great soap opera moments of all time. It’s one that I’ll never forget.
... read the full comment by Michele | Comment on Will new year bring back soaps of old? Read Will new year bring back soaps of old?
Hi Sally, I just found myself smiling throughout the whole thing:) I still can’t believe they killed Alan off… miss him! And Diane and Max - yeah they need more s/l and more airtime! btw, if you’re a Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) fan - she has
... read the full comment by Michele | Comment on The Joys of General Hospital Read The Joys of General Hospital