What did Michelle Stafford (Nina) yell to Donna Mills (Madeline) during the main event? What did Prince Nikolas, Tyler Christopher, admit was true at his individual event? How overwhelmed was I at gazing at all of the fabulous soap stars during the 2014 GH Fan Club weekend? Read below to find out!
For the first time ever, I was fortunate enough to attend the magnificent General Hospital Fan Club event that I had only heard about a year ago but that has been going on during the summer for years. I truly had a terrific time and thoroughly enjoyed meeting as many soap stars as I could. They were all very gracious, and they indicated that they really love, appreciate, and respect their fans. I learned so much that I wished to share my experience and the knowledge that I gained from the actors about what their lives are like playing a character on a soap.
The event consisting of four fabulous days took place at the Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel, and I admit that the hotel was a little smaller than what I had expected after reading about it on the website. But that ended up working out for me because the rooms for some of the individual events were located just around the corner from our hotel room. And it was a very nice room at that, complete with a balcony.
Since we were staying for six days and nights for my first visit in the Los Angeles area, my husband and I paid to have a small refrigerator placed in our room for only $20 for the entire visit. Although my husband accompanied me on the vacation and we did the usual "touristy" things together, he did not attend any of the GH events. But he did play a very important part for my soap weekend, as I will discuss shortly. (Oh, the suspense!)
The first event of the weekend took place on Thursday night, July 31, and it was a casual meet-and-greet of the GH stars that were able to flow in throughout the evening. I will admit that I was a little nervous because I had never been in a room with so many celebrities at one time before. So, I pretty much just kicked back, observed all the activity and soaked in the electrifying atmosphere. I did buy some raffle tickets, though, and won a few great GH gifts. And I managed to get up the nerve to ask Kirsten Storms (Maxie) for her autograph on a picture that I had purchased for my mother for her birthday. (If you are reading this, Mom...surprise!)
I watched as several of the GH actors, such as Rick Hearst (Ric), Ryan Carnes (Lucas), and Sean Blakemore (Shawn) floated in and out. Emme Rylan (Lulu) was also on hand, showing her beautiful line of jewelry, and Brandon Barash (formerly Johnny) displayed his wonderful photography, which he also offered to sell. And there was one more moment that was well worth noting: I took my very first selfie...with Linda Elena Tovar (Rosalie)! Well, okay, she took it for me, but that doesn't really matter. I got my picture taken with Ms. Tovar, which helped me to get over my first night jitters.
On Friday morning, I woke up more calm and relaxed and ready to have fun at some of the individual events. My first was rather intimate with a small group given by Prince Nikolas, Tyler Christopher. Strangely, the show that the fans wanted to know the most about was Mr. Christopher's appearance on Celebrity Wife Swap with Ronn Moss (formerly Ridge on The Bold and the Beautiful). Tyler immediately claimed that he did not, in fact, weigh every single thing he ate, as the show suggested. He educated the viewers that the show actually tapes 15 hours and picks out what to show, which can skew the actual reality of the situation. Tyler admitted that he really does 100% of the cooking for his family because he loves doing it. I am sure his wife appreciates it too.
Tyler Christopher also informed us that sadly, the house that he and his family were shown living in was actually a 6.3 million dollar house that his salary could not possibly afford. While the truth is that he lived on the beach, it was not in that particular house. The house shown belonging to Ronn Moss, however, really did belong to him. And we also learned that the wives never actually stayed overnight in their swapped husbands' houses. They actually stayed at nearby hotels overnight and resumed taping the next morning.
I heard for the first time (but not the last) from GH's Nikolas Cassadine that the actors do not know ahead of time what their characters' storylines will be and what will be happening next on GH until they actually receive their scripts. So, they couldn't give away any spoilers, even if they wanted to. Tyler replied that they get their scripts about seven to ten days in advance and that he thought that GH was taping about six to eight weeks ahead of airing dates. I received a great education from Tyler Christopher, and the intimate setting provided a relaxed atmosphere.
Next, I was headed to the event for Finola Hughes (Anna) with special guest Ian Buchanan (Duke). Finola had actually first scheduled her event for a later time on that date, but then she had to cancel. They refunded the money to everyone who had purchased tickets, so I, and many other fans, instead paid a deposit for Laura Wright's event for that same day. Eventually, Finola learned that she could attend, after all, and she rescheduled her event at an earlier time, which conflicted with Ms. Wright's. (Quite a few of the events' times conflicted with other individual events, so you had to pick and choose which ones you really wanted to attend.)
I learned of another event that was more flexible with the time of arrival so I bought tickets for that and donated my deposit to Laura Wright (Carly). However, I later learned that the fans who arrived late for Ms. Wright's event were allowed to attend without having to pay any more than the deposit they had already paid. I thought that was a great thing to do, since it was none of their faults. I really wished I could have done both.
Our beloved Anna and Duke had quite the crowd, and they entertained. I had previously read that Ms. Hughes and Mr. Buchanan are very good friends, and it showed. Their camaraderie had the audience laughing and applauding. When someone asked what Finola wanted for Anna in the future, Finola joked that she would really, truly love to see Anna Devane solve just one crime in Port Charles! I think that brought the biggest laugh of the event. A live auction for charity followed the Q&A, and I was outbid for an actual GH script that had been signed by many of the cast. Another interesting item was an Anna Devane doll that Finola autographed for the very lucky winner.
I had to immediately dash off to the newest event that I had scheduled, which was the screening of Maurice Benard's new movie, The Ghost and the Whale. I thought that it would be a treat to attend an actual screening for a Hollywood movie, and I was not disappointed. After posing for a picture with Ryan Paevey (Nathan), I sat back and watched all the people, dressed to the hilt, mingling and anticipating the new flick. Then came the photo session with many of the GH stars. When we were asked to be seated in the theater, I decided to sit in the back so that I could observe and pick out all the GH actors who were there to support Maurice (Sonny).
The Ghost and the Whale is a fantastic movie, and if you get a chance, please try to see it. Maurice Benard is brilliant in it, but then again, he is very familiar with the subject of the film, bipolar disorder. After the movie, the cast presented a Q&A session, and when the viewers returned, Kimberly MCullough (Robin) sat two rows in front of me. It was a spectacular night! And to top it all off, I received a compliment for my red dress in the ladies' room. I mean, all of these flashy women were wearing their expensive cocktail dresses, and I received admiration for my not-so-expensive outfit. It was wonderful.
Oh, and because the film was shown at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, my husband actually drove me to the screening and then waited until it was over to take me back to our room. What a guy! I had invited him to go, but he refused. I was going to drive, but after seeing the twisting, turning roads, I was relieved when he offered to drive. My husband definitely played a major part in my having a fantastic experience.
On Saturday afternoon, the main event was featured, and it did not disappoint. As each actor made their entrance into the room, cameras clicked, and fans went crazy. The last person announced was executive producer Frank Valentini, who showed his support. During the Q&A, when someone asked when he was going to have more scenes with "Julexis" (Julian and Alexis), Mr. Valentini wanted to know why he should, since neither actor had bothered to attend the event. He joked that he should be writing more story for the actors who were in attendance, and the fans cheered. To be fair though, William deVry (Julian) did arrive late to sign autographs and have his pictures taken with the fans. So we will cut him some slack.
Another question fans were concerned with during the Q&A was when Silas was going to see through Nina's manipulations. This question had both Michael Easton (Silas) and Michelle Stafford (Nina) perplexed, since they didn't really know the answer. Any time the actors couldn't answer a question, they would throw the question to Frank Valentini, who would skirt around it. I mean, really, he couldn't give everything away, and besides, he might not have known the answer yet himself. Once the Q&A was over, the actors split up to go to their tables, and the fans rushed to get in the lines of their favorites.
I immediately dashed to Michelle Stafford's line. She was dressed so elegantly in a black, slinky dress and black pumps. Rather than sitting at her table, Michelle stood in front of it for a more personal interaction with her fans. Later, at another event, I heard that she also stayed until the very last fan who wanted her autograph had left. What a class act! When I mentioned to Ms. Stafford that my mother and I loved Nina, even if she was a little whacko, Michelle yelled over to Donna Mills (Madeline), "It's the drugs. I'm telling you, it's the drugs." I remember it so well. Michelle Stafford was so personable and friendly. It was so much fun meeting her.
Lucy Coe's Lynn Herring could easily be voted Ms. Congeniality of the weekend. She and Kin Shriner (Scott) were paired up at a table, and she was so outgoing and friendly to every person, making each one feel welcome and special. I can see why Kin likes to be partnered with her; he can just let her do all the talking. Ms. Herring asked where I was from, how long it took for us to get here, and I can't remember what else. Honestly, I would have rather heard more about her though. She is truly fascinating, and I am glad that I got to meet her. I've always love Lucy.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Cady McClain (Y&R's Kelly) had accompanied her husband, Jon Lindstrom (Kevin), and I remarked to Mr. Lindstrom that my mother and I had believed that Cady's Rosanna and Jon's Craig had been perfect for each other on As the World Turns. Jon pointed out that we had been absolutely correct, since they were still together to this day. Both of them were so very charming.
Rick Hearst (Ric), Zachery Garred (Levi), and Kathleen Gati (Dr. Obrecht) were three other soap celebrities that I was fortunate to meet at the main event, and I will always cherish the memory of this (as well as their pictures and autographs). Actually, during the introductions, when Zach was introduced, you could hear a gasp from the crowd upon his entrance, followed by cheers from the ladies. The reason, of course, was because of his new haircut, and he looks terrific!
Zachery said that we would see Levi's haircut soon, and I am looking forward to that. He looks so much better with it styled. His hair was just so shaggy long. Mr. Garred also stated that Frank had not wanted him to let the secret about his hair out, but Frank had also wanted to him to participate in the event. I'm glad he went. Oh, and Zach's accent is genuine. From what I gathered from the other actors, he is one of the nicest people on the show.
Right after the main event, I went to one of the most popular individual events in the past, which was for Michael Easton (Silas). Sure enough, Mr. Easton drew a large crowd, and I could understand why. He is even better looking in person than he is on the screen. Actually, I was fortunate enough to have the seat directly in front of him, and it was all I could do not to just sit there and stare at him. I was close enough that I could have reach out and touched him. But, of course, I didn't. I reminded myself to take pictures, since I was sitting in the catbird's seat.
Michael Easton is very down-to-earth, and he also expressed his appreciation and love for his fans. He was sympathetic to Jimmy Deshler's fate, since Rafe had just perished on the show and Mr. Easton remembered that the same kind of thing had happened to him on Days of our Lives. Michael stated that soap life is perfect for him as a family man because it affords him the time to be with his family in the morning and to ensure that he can be home for dinner by 7:00 each night. Although he claimed not to be an experienced speaker, he told some amusing stories that had everyone thoroughly entertained.
Sunday proved to be my hectic day because one Friday event that I had gotten tickets for was bumped to Sunday morning due to the two actresses' taping schedule. Emme Rylan (Lulu) and Teresa Castillo (Sabrina) hosted a pajama party that only one fan actually dressed for. (The brave soul!) While waiting for Teresa's arrival, Emme joked about how she finally had an entire day of shooting where Lulu's uterus wasn't mentioned at all. And she also talked of the scene where Lulu was expected not to realize that Fluke was not her father. She related that both she and Anthony Geary were stunned that she was expected to portray Lulu in that way. Ms. Rylan said that she had trouble playing the scene because Lulu was supposed to be a savvy young lady. Fortunately, the writers decided that it would be best to keep Lulu and Fluke apart after that. She was so relieved!
Once Ms. Castillo arrived, Teresa talked of losing Sabrina's baby and explained that it had not been that difficult for her to play the scene because she had still been pregnant at the time. Ms. Castillo said that her baby hadn't seemed real at the time but that now it would be a hard scene for her to play because of the love she has for her new daughter. As other actors had stated before, Emme and Teresa both indicated that they never knew where their characters' storylines were headed until they got the script. Teresa was thrilled, however, to be back with her GH family, and Emme was glad to have her back.
Another major event, Blast from the Past, followed, with a reunion of fan favorites that we had once loved -- and in some cases, had lost. The major example of this would be Michael "Stone" Cates, as portrayed by Michael Sutton. Stone's story was one of the saddest of GH history, along with B.J.'s heart storyline. I guessed that Mr. Cates and Scott Clifton (formerly Dillon on GH) would have the longest lines for autographs and photos, and that proved to be correct. Actually, Scott Clifton was the biggest surprise for me, since he currently plays Liam on The Bold and the Beautiful. It was great that he took time to pay tribute to the soap that gave him his first real break. Needless to say, I made sure to get autographs and pictures with both Scott Clifton and Michael Sutton.
Other pictures and signatures I was thankful to get at the Blast from the Past were from Brian Gaskill (Rafe from Port Charles,) Tonja Walker (formerly Olivia Jerome on GH and Alex on One Life to Live,) and Loanne Bishop (Rose Kelly, GH.) After I told Ms. Bishop that Rose had always been the best at giving advice, which I could have used when I was younger, she admitted that Rose gave out good advice and good coffee. Loanne stated that it was amazing that Rose could ever make the diner work, since her customers never paid for their coffee. Funny lady!
A touch of elegance came at the Blast from the Past with the presence of two amazing actresses, Susan Brown (Gail Baldwin) and 91 year-old Anne Jeffreys (Amanda Barrington). Both actresses looked sensational, and they truly graced the event. Ms. Jeffreys, who is very much a veteran actress, even stayed for a short time to sign autographs. Just as I walked over to jump in her line, a person in charge placed a chair to end the line. I missed my chance!
Going from a seasoned veteran to a seasoned youngster, I next went to the gala thrown by Kristen Alderson (Kiki and Starr) and her real-life boyfriend, Chad Duell (Michael). They seriously are a cute couple. I actually watched Kristen grow up on the screen as Starr on One Life to Live. Miss Alderson revealed to us that since she had grown up on the soaps, she would really love to have "a real job," such as a waitress or an office worker, and we were all yelling at her, "No!" Even Chad tried to convince her that was not the way to go, since he had held numerous jobs before he was fortunate enough to land the role of Michael. Kristen really didn't know what she was asking for!
Kristen Alderson also told us about how much she and Anthony Geary (Luke) enjoyed shooting the scenes where Fluke had grabbed her rear. She proudly pointed out that not every lady could say that Tony Geary grabbed her butt. Miss Alderson explained that it really hadn't been creepy because she had known that she was working with an experienced and talented actor. Chad and Kristen then went on to explain exactly how they had met. They really are adorable together.
My final individual event was for Kin Shriner (Scott), and it was supposed to include Robin Mattson (Heather), but she had to cancel a couple of days beforehand. The person in charge of the event offered refunds to anyone who wanted one, but nobody did. I think Kin felt a little lost, probably because most of the time he is paired up with Lynn Herring, who does all the talking, but he did just fine on his own.
Kin had the idea to go down each row and ask each person to give a question for him to answer. My question for him was if he has been surprised to find out that Scotty (as Kin refers to his character) was Franco's father. Mr. Shriner said he sure was, but once he learned that, he was hoping to do more scenes and comedy with Roger Howarth. We all yelled out that we wanted more of that also.
Kin Shriner's response to a question about his favorite storyline was Scotty and Dominique, their baby, and her eventual death. That storyline was so touching! He also talked about some of his past scenes with Anthony Geary and about how Scotty always seemed to lose Laura to Luke. It seemed so easy for the actors to have favorite memories of scenes with Tony Geary, who is currently recovering from back surgery in Amsterdam. Kin Shriner joked about the Luke/Fluke storyline and said that even he is interested to see how that turns out.
My final 2014 GH Fan Club event was the "Music of the Night" karaoke hosted by Sean Blakemore (Shawn), Marc Samuels (Felix), Parry Shen (Brad), and Ryan Carnes (Lucas). And they were joined by ddy (Epiphany) and Vinessa Antoine (Jordan). That was a fun night! Each would select a song, and whoever wanted to join in and sing would jump up on "the stage" with them. I jumped up with the group several times. I had the best seat in the house for taking pictures, and I took them. Actually, Vinessa Antoine has the distinction of being the very last GH celebrity that I got a chance to talk to. Once the karaoke was done, I stood up to leave, and Vinessa was mingling through the crowd. As she walked by, I told her that I loved her as Jordan and hoped to see more of Jordan's story. She said that she did, too, and thanked me. All of the stars were so very gracious!
That explains my GH Fan Club Weekend experience. Believe me, I could go on forever telling about how much fun I had and how impressed I was about meeting our favorite soap actors and actresses. If there was one that I did not mention, it does not mean they weren't there. Space and time dictates so that I couldn't possibly list everyone. Plus, some soap events overlapped, and I had to be careful with my finances, so I was unable to attend all the events. From what I understand, though, almost all of the cast members attended one event or another, and there were only a very few exceptions. It was obvious that Frank Valentini encouraged their participation, which was great for the stars and for the fans.
Luckily, I do have memories to take with me and souvenirs to cherish. I actually wound up with four GH scripts of past episodes through silent auctions and raffle items. Two scripts were signed by cast members, and two are from episodes that aired in 1978 and 1979. I thought that was perfect, since that was around the time when I first started watching General Hospital. I will keep them always! And if I can save up the money and I can get the chance to attend the fan club weekend again, I will do it. I truly had a blast.
Thank you for letting me share this with you. If you have any questions about the 2014 GH Fan Club Weekend, please let me know, and I will do my best to answer them. I will honestly treasure this experience forever.
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