Friday, August 15, 2008

Guiding Light: Moonlighting and More

In a cause that is near and dear to my heart, Frank Dicopoulos (Frank) will be the master of ceremonies for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure in Long Branch, N.J. on Sept. 7. For more information, please visit http://www.foodallergywalk.org/


Murray Bartlett (Cyrus) will be joining Austin Peck (Brad, As the World Turns) at the Beach Boogie Barbeque Festival at Grand Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Aug. 30 from 12 noon until 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.. For more information, please call (800) 356-3016 or visit http://www.beachboogiebarbequefestival.com/.

Bradley Cole (Jeffrey) will perform at The Cutting Room, located at 19 West 24th St. on Tuesday Aug. 26. Cole will also perform at the 5th Annual Bradley Cole Rock Show for Charity to Benefit the Red Cross on Friday, Sept. 26. For more information, please visit http://www.nomadicmusic.com/.

As the World Turns Stars: Moonlighting and More


Billy Magnussen (Casey) will host Gifts of Love, an AIDS benefit auction and luncheon from 12 noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19 at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadow Queens. For ticket information, please call (718) 896-2500 or email Jaj3854@aol.com.

Ellen Dolan (Margo) will appear the New Ground Theater’s production of A Body of Water, Thursday, Aug. 14; Friday, Aug. 15; and Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Village Theater, 2113 11th Street in Davenport, Iowa. For tickets and more information, please call (563) 326-7529.

Austin Peck (Brad) will appear at the Beach Boogie Barbeque Festival at Grand Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Aug. 30, 2008 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon and again from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, please call (800) 356-3016 or visit http://www.beachboogiebarbequefestival.com/.

Marnie Schulenburg (Alison) will appear in a production of Anais Nin Goes to Hell as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival at the Connelly Theater, located at 220 East 4th Street from Aug. 8 until Aug. 24. For tickets and more information please call (866) 468-7619 or visit http://www.fringenyc.org/.

Billy Magnussen will appear in a production of Paper Dolls as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival, running from Aug. 8 through Aug. 24 at the Players Theatre, located at 115 MacDougal Street in New York City. For more information, please visit http://www.paperdollstheplay.com/.

Interview: (NS) Jagger Returns to Port Charles

Antonio Sabato Jr. left General Hospital 13 years ago. In the time since, his fans have hardly forgotten him. He went on to stints on The Bold and the Beautiful and Melrose Place. Most recently, he won NBC’s Celebrity Circus, beating out the likes of supermodel Rachel Hunter and Christopher Knight of The Brady Bunch.

Now, however, after years of begging, GH viewers have finally gotten their wish: Jagger has returned to Port Charles in SOAPnet’s second season of General Hospital: Night Shift, which airs Tuesday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

What prompted Antonio’s return to his old stomping grounds? Simple: They asked. “Before this, General Hospital had never come to me about coming back. My career was elsewhere; I was doing different things. But they came to me about it this year, and I realized that I really wanted to bring Jagger back, and the fans really wanted him to come back. The fan base has been unbelievable!”

Antonio also feels that Jagger’s return fits in well with where he currently is in his life. “It felt perfect,” Antonio says. “He comes home with his son, he’s more mature; I can relate to him in my own life, because I have two children myself.”

He was also excited to be returning to GH via Night Shift. Antonio explains: “Night Shift is a great show. It takes General Hospital to a whole new level. We have 13 episodes; we know where we are going and what the story arc will be.

“I am very excited and driven to make this a success. Everyone involved is so enthusiastic and energetic. I am just so thankful to be a part of it. The whole idea of the nighttime spin-off is great. It brings soaps to a whole new level.”

Fans will get to see a new side of Jagger. Yes, he is still drop-dead gorgeous, but now he is a father. “As we already found out in the first couple of shows, he comes back with Stone, who has autism. That’s what he struggles with. He’d do anything for his son. At first he can’t believe his son’s diagnosis, and he doesn’t want to accept it. Although eventually he does – he is driven and he has a big heart. Robin (Scorpio, played by Kimberly McCullough) helps him out a lot.”

Antonio also hints at a possible love interest for Jagger. “Throughout the process, he will get together with someone,” he teases.

It wasn’t difficult for Antonio to step back into Jagger’s shoes. “It was like going back home. This part, this situation – I like to put myself in that place. And I bring a lot of myself into it.

Working with the cast, old and new, has been wonderful. “It’s great seeing Kimberly again and working with her. I remember working with her when she was 16, and now she’s 30. I also worked with a director I used to work with – it’s like family. It really is like coming home.”

Casting News: Jon Prescott Is Out

Jon Prescott was hired by As the World Turns in April of this year to bring back the character of Mike Kasnoff — a character who was previously played by Shawn Christian and Mark C. Collier. Now, it seems, Jon has been let go. He made this statement on his official website:

"I'd like to express my gratitude to the entire cast, crew and production team who have made this an irreplaceable experience. I have been privileged to be a part of ATWT and this concludes an invaluable education. I view my departure as a positive step forward. Stay tuned as I share my next creative challenge with you shortly."

Budget problems are said to be the reason behind his departure. A spokesperson for the show has confirms Jon's exit, stating that he'll be sticking around until October.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Dr. Evil is Back!



Vincent Irizzary is returning to All My Children this fall to reprise the role of Dr. David Hayward. Now that Billy Miller is out as the town's evilest evil, Richie Novak, Pine Valley has room for another mustache twirler. Welcome back, David!


Dallas 30th Reunion Party

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- J.R., Bobby, Sue Ellen and other members of the Ewing clan are getting back together for a "Dallas" reunion party.

Larry Hagman is scheduled to attend an event celebrating the  30th anniversary of the hit TV show, "Dallas."


Larry Hagman is scheduled to attend an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the hit TV show, "Dallas."

Cast members of the popular prime-time soap opera that ran from 1978-91 will return to the Southfork Ranch north of Dallas on November 8 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the show. Several key actors, including Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, have confirmed they will attend.

Hagman, who played central character J.R. Ewing, a scheming oil baron and cattle rancher, said he is looking forward to the event.

"I may not be able to do the 40th," said Hagman, 76, in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. "Thirty years is pretty good, and the show is still very popular."

The reunion at the ranch in suburban Parker, north of Dallas, is open to the public. Tickets go on sale August 22 and will cost between $100 and $1,000. The event will include fireworks, a country music concert, a question-and-answer session with the cast and tours of the mansion.

Read the whole story here.


Divas of Daytime Tour


(Click on picture to see a larger version.)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Is Jason Priestley Returning to His Old Zip Code?

Hot on the heels of the news that Tori Spelling is out of the new 90210 spin-off (rumor has is she is miffed that she wasn't going to be paid as much as Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth), CNN is reporting that Jason Priestley is in.

While I had heard rumblings that Jason was interested in returning as a director, this article on CNN.com implies that he is back as Brandon Walsh.

"To help spin the spin-off, original cast members Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley and Jennie Garth will reprise their roles as special guest stars on 90210. Joe E. Tata will return as Peach Pit cafe owner Nat."

OMG - I really hope this means that Kelly and Brandon ended up together, because I am a card-carrying member of the Dylan + Brenda Forever club!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Days: Such a Tease!

Nicole (Arianne Zucker, pictured) asks if EJ meant that he wanted to give their relationship a shot.

Marlena’s dead twin has some advice for her.

Stefano vows to get revenge on the new John.

Chloe and Nicole team up to get their men and leave Sami in the cold.

EJ and Tony agree to unite to take back their share of the DiMera empire from John.

Thursday – Steve and Kayla find baby Joe and fear what has been done to him.

Friday – Marlena regains consciousness and has just one question for John.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Interview: Andrea Evans on Returning to Llanview

Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, you know that Tina Lord is back on “One Life to Live,” and she’s just as cool and crafty as ever. Fans have missed their favorite mischief-maker, and her portrayer, Andrea Evans, is thrilled to be back.

Andrea Evans left Llanview 18 years ago, and she went on to create memorable characters on “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Passions.” With the cancellation of the latter, rumors were running rampant that Andrea would come back to her old stomping grounds.

“It’s so funny,” Andrea tells me, “because (in the past) whenever I would step foot in the ‘OLTL’ studios, the rumors would start that I was coming back to the show. In actuality, I would be there simply because I was visiting friends, and some of my friends happen to work on ‘OLTL.’ But inevitably, the rumors would start that Andrea Evans is returning!”

However, this time, the timing was right for a Tina Lord return, with Andrea back in one of her favorite roles. “The fans really are the ones that prompted my return. They been wanting me to come back, and the producers have been anxious to have me back.” So, how could a girl say no to that?

“It’s really such an honor (to have such a supportive fan base). I am working hard to honor their request. They are very important to me. They really could not have given me a greater compliment.”

Andrea’s fans have always played a great role in her career, even following her from one show to the next. “I had such a great fan base when I was with ‘The Bold and the Beautiful.’ When I left ‘B&B’ to go to ‘Passions,’ Finland, which didn’t air ‘Passions’ before this, started airing it because all the ‘B&B’ fans wanted to keep watching me.”

While it is a given that Andrea is excited to be playing Tina again and to be working with old friends, she is especially intrigued by the prospect of “exploring Tina as a mother. The actress who plays Sarah, Justis Bolding, is such a good physical match to me, and she’s a very good actress. I love being able to work with all my old friends, as well making some new friends.”

So, for an actress who has always been such a consummate professional, playing Tina again was like riding a bike, right? “Eighteen years is a long time,” Andrea explains. “I was pretty nervous. But as soon as I said my first line, I was like, ‘Whew, I’m back!’”

Andrea is as excited as the fans are to see what the writers have in store for Tina. “So much has changed since I’ve been gone. I am excited to find out where Tina has been all this time. She is such a glamorous, over-the-top character — I really have fun playing her, and I know the fans will really enjoy what she has in store for them.”

Andrea can relate to Tina much like an adoring fan might: “It is so much fun to play her. I call her my alter ego — she’s my split personality. To be able to step into those very high stilettos for a while is a lot of fun.

“Tina is someone that so many people can identify with. I love her spirit. She is such an underdog. She tries so hard, and yet she almost always screws it up.”

What else can “OLTL” viewers expect from Tina? “We will find that Tina is bigger and better than ever,” Andrea gushes.

Interview: Robert Scorpio Is Back!

The last time we saw the debonair Robert Scorpio, he was at the ceremony for Luke and Laura’s vow renewal, which was almost two years ago. And, as far as Tristan Rogers knows, “He’s still sitting in that park, on that chair. We never did get to see him leave or find out where he went.”

Well, last Tuesday on SOAPnet, fans of “General Hospital” at least got to find out where Scorpio is now — he is the hospital as his daughter, Robin, tries to save his life. In season two of SOAPnet’s breakout summer hit, “General Hospital: Night Shift,” faithful viewers will be treated to the appearance of a number of familiar faces returning to Port Charles.

Tristan explains, Scorpio’s health “will be a singular cementing point in the story line. There are two elements to this story: the father/daughter connection and the father/doctor connections.”

Tristan readily admits that taking orders from his daughter, the doctor, will be hard for Scorpio. “He’s a stubborn person, and he won’t slide into the role of patient that easily — until she gives him a reason, which she does. But it’s a challenge for him; he’s never had to deal with this.”

However, Tristan had no trouble dealing with re-creating his iconic role on the “Night Shift” stage. Tristan tells me: “When you’ve been doing a character this long, you have thorough insight on how this character is going to react, so it comes rather easily.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on the show,” Tristan continues. “Filming ‘Night Shift’ has been a completely different experience. We film only two days a week — which is such a luxury, getting two days to film one hour of television. We’re in a separate studio with our own separate resources: writers, producers, directors. I think this is a good thing — it’s the same, but different.”

While the experience has been positive for Tristan, it also feels a bit like déjà vu. When he first heard of the “Night Shift” concept, he thought: “Hey, we discussed this back in 1981. I spoke with Gloria Monty (then-executive producer and head writer) about it. It was going to be called ‘The Young Doctors of General Hospital.’ But we were very busy with the current story line, so the idea fell by the wayside.”

Another concept that sets “Night Shift” apart from Scorpio’s appearances on “GH” is his condition. “Robert is coming in as a patient; he’s not here to save the world or to unravel a mystery. Although he still looks sideways at everybody, he knows he needs help.”

Tristan also knows he and the folks at “Night Shift” are onto something special. “This is a different version of ‘General Hospital,’ no question about that. It gets back, in some respects, more to the roots of the show. I wasn’t around when the show first started, but it would certainly seem to touch on a lot of those themes of when the show first originated.

“It has a great entertainment value. Fans basically get to see another version of the show. ‘Night Shift’ is ‘Night Shift’ and ‘General Hospital’ is ‘General Hospital.’ We get to see a lot more of the medical side; we don’t go outside the world of the hospital. While we are in the same building, it definitely is different.”

You can catch Tristan on “General Hospital: Night Shift” Tuesday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SOAPnet.

PHOTO CREDIT: SOAPnet/Craig Sjodin

Y&R: Such a Tease!

* The results are in: Will the paternity test reveal that Cane (Daniel Goddard, pictured) is the father of Chloe’s baby?
* Adam refuses to back down from running Newman Enterprises in Victor’s absence as Victoria and Nick struggle to protect it.
* Cane gets an offer he can’t refuse.
* Tyra makes a shocking confession to Neil that will forever change his family.
* As Jana celebrates her pending nuptials, Amber and Daniel struggle to move on from one another.
* Jana and Kevin finally tie the knot.

B&B: Such a Tease!

Ridge (Ronn Moss, pictured) must face his family after his unspeakable act.

Owen is the voice of reason.

Steffy plans a romantic night for Marcus.

Beth learns Katie's secret.

Katie is stunned by Nick's confession.

GL: Such a Tease!

• Cassie and Josh file for divorce.
• Daisy testifies against Grady.
• Marina and Mallet make love.
• Dinah (Gina Tognoni, pictured) raises Bill’s suspicions.
• Alan convinces Natalia that he can help Rafe.

ATWT: Such a Tease!

• Alison has a near-death experience.
• Lily (Noelle Beck, pictured) and Mike take their relationship to the next level.
• Emily and Casey make a decision about their marriage.
• Carly gets a shock when Neal comes back to town.
• Margo discovers that Decker has poisoned those who have wronged him in the past.