General Hospital News & Gossip

News for the week of 19-Dec-2005

by Carol Banks Weber

Different venue, more stars, fast turning into an annual event. Last year, AMC’s cast performed skits and music onstage at New York City’s Town Hall, to help raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, while celebrating their show’s 35th anniversary. This coming year, on February 6, the cast will do it again, but in the New Amsterdam Theatre, where The Lion King reigns, and with a few colleagues from other ABC Daytime shows, including GH and OLTL. Backed by the sponsorship of ABC Daytime, Disney and SoapNet, the musical benefit’s scheduled performers include hostess Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC), her AMC colleagues, Cady McClain (Dixie), Kelli Giddish (Di), Jacob Young (JR; ex-Lucky, GH), Tonya Pinkins (Livia), OLTL’s Renee Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline), who co-starred in several musicals recently, including The Lion King, Kathy Brier (Marcie), another Broadway baby, Kristen Alderson (Starr), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), Robin Strasser (Dorian), and GH’s Scott Clifton (Dillon), among many others. More stars are planned. The second annual “ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS” – the first sold out, with $250,000 helping the organization – kicks off at 7:30 p.m. BC/EFA executive director, Tom Viola, brimmed over with raves for last year’s soap stars from AMC, their caring, their fun, easygoing manner, and their tremendous contribution to the worthy cause, calling the first musical benefit “one of BC/EFA’s most successful one-night events.” –BroadwayWorld.com, December 16, 2005

Two of the greats in the business vouched for Laura Wright, the new recast Carly. Jane Elliot (Tracy) and Tony Geary (Luke) lavished respect for the GH newcomer, claiming she “held her own” amongst a scene full of veteran scene stealers – most of the Quartermaine clan – and even had fun doing so, “there are good things to come with this girl.” (Damage control or endorsement?) –Soap Opera Weekly

If the slapstick, laff-riot Carly isn’t working for some fans, don’t blame the latest portrayer Laura Wright. Blame the writing. The third recast is merely doing her job, interpreting and parlaying her scripts into a quixotic characterization, “she can turn on the charm and she can street fight.” She, meaning Wright, can also charm the pants off her male co-stars by turning on, quite spontaneously, the flattery. After her first on-screen smooch with Maurice Benard (Sonny), Wright screamed with delight at having touched the holy grail herself. Benard, blushing, merely chuckled. Her smooch with Steve Burton (Jason) was equally delightful, in a different way, and, she thinks, not likely to offend the Jason and Sam contingent of fans, because the smooch happened in a flashback, before Sam. The backlash of the controversial recast hasn’t been lost on Wright, either. She’s aware, understanding, commiserating even – she’s been there, as one of us, and Carly isn’t exactly an easy, mild-mannered act to put on – but she wouldn’t really want the atmosphere too worshipful of her either. “I don't know if I ever want to know I made it because I don't want to be so confident that I stop trying to do the best work I can possibly do. And I'm not doing it for the web sites to love me because fans’ opinions change. I just want to be a good actor.” –Soap Opera Weekly, “Carolyn’s Corner” by Carolyn Hinsey

Robert LaSardo broke the myth of his villainous Manny character to Northwest Afternoon’s Cindi Rinehart December 12. “He’s a little kid, it’s kind of a game to him… [the guy] needs a spanking.” The friendly, well-spoken actor joked at first that he derived inspiration in playing Manny from the Mannys on the news, then allowed that humor played the real culprit. Rinehart previewed that Manny’s humor will surface a lot more in the coming episodes, alluding to a lengthier stay; LaSardo wouldn’t say, not wanting to spoil the surprise. As for Manny’s influence on the soap audience, LaSardo said, with a chuckle, that he’s received many “very interesting” letters, expressing opinions in a variety of ways, with some unable to comprehend how his character still remains vertical… giving me the sense that perhaps some of those letter writers have confused him with the character, delving in the fanatical realm. In a surprising turn of events for the usually pedantic, shallow Rinehart, she delved deeper in topic to the effect of his many tattoos on acquiring work in Hollywood, which pleasantly surprised her subject. Ten, 15 years ago, having tattoos was more of an obstacle for me, he began. Now, it’s less of a negative stigma, continued the September 20, 1963-born actor, as more celebrities, basketball players, “frontrunners of beauty” and leadership sport tattoos, it’s “increasingly becoming less dark,” and has positively “changed perception and consciousness to some extent.” On a personal note, the single, only child saw himself as sort of an oddity, his family a definite “enigma,” suggesting with another laugh that he might’ve been dropped on earth from space or something. I’m in love.

Pre-nom mini-drama: Adrianne Leon (Brook Lynn) thought all pre-nominees would receive a call. When she didn’t she then thought she missed the list. That’s when an advanced pre-nom list came out at the official Kelly Monaco (Sam) site, and was passed around. A couple fans questioned its authenticity until its authenticity was proven as fact. Later, Leon did receive word about her inclusion on the pre-nom list, which prompted her to publicly apologize for the “unintentional” misunderstanding and for “causing people to question [OKM’s] credibility and to everyone that I have confused.”

As a kid raised on the East Coast and in the Midwest, Matt Marraccini (Jesse) experienced a typical, all-American Christmas every year… the visits to the various homes of friends and neighbors, and relatives nearby, the snow on the ground, the parents waking up at the crack of dawn to wake up their kids—wait, that’s not normal. Marraccini acknowledged the unusualness of his enthusiastic parents. Living and working out of L.A., as an actor, especially the past year, hasn’t exactly allowed him a chance to immerse himself in such idyllic childhood traditions, but makes him appreciate those traditions all the more. Lights on palm trees in the sunshine, he described, aren’t quite the same as freezing Pittsburgh with the entire Marraccini clan gathered around the tree. But, he makes the most of it; last Christmas, he welcomed his sister to L.A., and spent the holidays with her and some buddies. Because Brooke couldn’t take any vacation from her job to fly with her brother back home, the two stayed put. “I didn’t want her spending her first Christmas in L.A. alone,…” Matt, stop putting off shopping for gifts, do it now, online! –Soap Opera Digest, December 20, 2005

Derk Cheetwood’s younger brother Drew, 22, adds GH actor to his resume – he’s a personal trainer to many of the GH studs at the studio – when he takes on the role of Max’s little brother and Sonny’s other (new) bodyguard, Milo. First on-air day like… today, Monday!

Gossip for the week of 19-Dec-2005

by Carol Banks Weber

Lisa Cerasoli or Lisa LoCicero (ex-Sonia, OLTL; ex-Jocelyn, Loving/The City)? One of ‘em might reprise V for Jax, for a little bit, according to Soapdish. Cerasoli, a new mom, was the original V, btw.

With Adrianne Leon (Brook Lynn) bailing GH for Y&R, who’s next? Robin Christopher (Skye)? I’m surprised more cast members aren’t updating their resumes. GH has become a sinking ship of cliqueish favorites, I don’t care if Wubs.net reports (as gossip) of a hint of improvement. Almost every character, including the favored ones (this means you, Sonny), is dumbed down into its lowest common denominator, forced into painful repetition, warped beyond recognition. Skye just keeps doing and saying the same things over and over, as the resident judgmental, do-gooder cocktease—and that ain’t Skye by a long shot.

Robin Christopher (Skye) probably regrets re-signing for any amount of time (TV Guide has her down for another year). She needs to get her ass out of GH and on back over to AMC, or try primetime. They’ve turned Skye into a tedious, lecturing, trifling, sanctimonious boor. Yes, that Skye.

Kimberly McCullough (Robin), however, has performed a miracle in me. Perhaps because she’s juxtaposed against the tiresome, yammering, nagging parasite of Sam. I no longer think of Robin as a phony baloney goody-two-shoes, but ::gasp:: a heroine. As for the parasite Sam, in the immortal words of Carly, “Go get some coffee.” Make mine mocha, bitch.

The Courtney recast goes to:

a)     Erin Hershey Presley (ex-Alison, PC)

b)    Lauren Woodland (ex-Brittany, Y&R)

c)     T.C. Warner (ex-Kelsey, AMC)

d)    an unknown

e)     who the hell cares anymore?

Embarrassing moment at a Christmas party out in the civilian world last Monday. I meet the wife of a church goer. We have Hawaii – and our loathing of its phony-baloney stance on aloha and diversity – when the inevitable subject of what I do for a living pops up. I debate on whether I should lie, bio-physicist? Published novelist? Oprah’s personal assistant?, mutter something unintelligible and she’ll go away, or come out with it, loud and clear? I chose the latter, and she feigned interest, fought valiantly not to roll her eyes, yawn or laugh out loud. But then she queried me on specifics. I brought up ABC Daytime’s biggest news breaker, in hopes of impressing her somehow, “Rick Springfield came back to GH. He’s the rock ‘n roll singer from the ‘80s.” Nothing registered. “Jesse’s Girl?” Nothing. Awkward silence for a minute before I helpfully offered what I thought she wanted to hear, “When my son goes into school more full-time, I plan to return to school to study medicine.” That cracked a smile, of recognition, respect. Le sigh.

GH writers and OLTL writers were probably in collusion with their similar peril at the hospital plot shockers. In Llanview, Asa burst through one set of double-doors, contaminating Bo’s emergency surgery. A week later, it’s Manny’s, Carly’s and Sonny’s turn, threatening Jason’s emergency surgery. Coming soon, AMC’s tumor becomes a trend on GH.

Kirsten Storms (Maxie) thinks Ted King (Lorenzo) still has no idea of her secret crush. If the man reads SoapNet’s online interviews, the boards and/or this column, he knows, girlfriend, he knows. Also, isn’t it cute how she acts all giddy and smitten behind King’s back? She’s so engrossing of a masterpiece of a darling youth demographic, girl should get her own show. Um hmm.

Intriguing speculation on a past rumor about Jax, Carly and a baby. Back when Tamara Braun was Carly and Vanessa Marcil returned briefly as Brenda, Sonny was caught between his two loves, and seemingly nothing came of it. But what if something did? What if, after Carly spied Sonny and Brenda in a friendly clinch, she ran off to tattle to Jax and engage in a little revenge sex that resulted in the very blond Morgan (recently recast as even more blond)?

Furthermore, what if this secret Jax shares with Dr. Meadows isn’t just about tampering with DNA to favor him as the father but to protect Courtney from Helena? What if Jax knows this is Nikolas’s unborn baby, but if Helena ever got wind of it, both mother and child would be at jeopardy?

A new year approaches. So what can GH fans expect? The writers are once again trying to drive a wedge between the greatest couple in the history of soaps, by using Emily. Jason hates the idea of Emily swooning over his best friend, Sonny, and hates it double times worse when Sonny actually gives Emily consideration. Sonny can’t deny that Emily has gotten to him, but he is slow to broach the subject with a disgusted Jason. The previous Carlys may not have been enticing enough for Jason, but Laura Wright’s version might just do the trick. Jason and Carly are thrown together, a lot, testing the boundaries of friendship. Carly’s love life will forever be in a holding pattern thusly: She loves Sonny, she trifles with Lorenzo, she toys with her boy on the side to make everybody else miserable. The trifling with Lorenzo reaches a climax; rather, a pathetic whimper as Lorenzo finds his balls again, dumping the dead end Carly. The second he does, two other chicks go panting after him. The stork visits Courtney by May. Surprise, the baby survives mommy-to-be’s many mishaps. Georgie and Dillon are close to parting ways, as Lulu distracts him, and maybe another guy, maybe Diego distracts her. Luke’s everywhere in all this, and more. Lucas discloses his homosexuality to an aghast Bobbie and an understanding Luke. Bobbie mourns the loss of her hopes and dreams for Lucas’s white picket fence, less about hating the gay, more about missing the straight ideal. Luke steps in from his self-aggrandizing to set Bobbie straight about Lucas, who experiences romances, plural, yet to come. Death strikes a character, maybe two characters if we’re lucky! The bets are on! If Nancy Lee Grahn didn’t already tick off the writers, they’ll place her in the middle of fresh hell. All this time, Jason and Sam fans were freaking out over the Robin factor, when Robin – rightly – will set her sights on a new man in town, the deliciously dreamy Dr. Patrick Drake.

Get in line, behind me. Marry me, Jason Thompson. My ovaries are ready for ya.

General Hospital News & Gossip, Copyright © 2005 Carol Banks Weber. No part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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