Guiding Light - MESSAGE BOARDS

Well, I'm back and really exhausted. Four very fast paced days and nights and I loved some of it, some of it was very sad and depressing and some of it very disappointing. I will start with Thursday when I arrived, I had hoped to go to the ATWT studio but they were filming in upper NY and finishing up scenes at the studio before I could get in to NYC and out there. So I will go in April instead. My friend and I went to Jessica's (Natalia) husband's restaurant for dinner, Jess has designated me as his "2nd wife" so he fed us and then surprised us with Keith Urban tickets across the street at Madison Square Garden (a sold out show). We had dynamite really close seats and it was fantastic. Leave it to me to leave Nashville where Keith lives about 10 miles from me and go to NYC and see him perform!). We then went and crashed at our room. Friday morning, my friend went shopping and to tour the Top of the Rock and I went to Beth Chamberlin's luncheon. Her guests were Grant (Phillip) and his wife Sherrie, James (Zac), Rick (Michael O'Leary) Vanessa (Maeve Kincaid), Mel (Yvonna Wright) Doris (Orlaugh Cassidy) and Matt (Kurt McKinney). Alexandria (Marg Dusay) didn't show. And of course, Beth. It was a really nice luncheon and an auction for the Humane Society for Cruelty to Animals. Took lots of pictures, and I had a good chance to talk to Grant and he introduced me to his wife. I work for the animal shelter here in Nashville as a volunteer so that was really special. She is an attorney who specializes in cases of animal abuse.

I'll do a little more on this. I went up to introduce myself to Zac Conway who plays James Spauling, Phillip's son on the show. He looked at me and said, "How do I know you when this is my first event? And before I could explain, he replied "Oh, now I know who you are, you're John Driscoll's and Beth's friend, I saw your picture at their apartment and you were coming into their place the morning I was leaving to stay with some friends." during Emmy weekend. So I didn't even have to introduce myself to him. He looks 17-or 18 but is actually 24 years old. Very nice and personable, hung around and chatted with me all the way through the weekend. I went to take a picture of Maeve and Kurt (Vanessa and Matt( who when they played falling in love on the coast, one of my favorite story lines) and she smiled at me and he said, "hi, love, Maeve this is my good friend from Tennessee, Kurt is from Kentucky and I have known him about 15 years. That was fun, too.

I'll try to continue on this. After the luncheon we ate across from some of the Broadway plays and then walked on up to the Red Cross Building where Bradley Cole was having his two shows. The first had been sold out for a good while, and I only ordered a ticket for the second show last week so I wasn't sure if I even had a ticket but got there and discovered I had one for the sold out show, thanks to buying two a year for the last seven years or so. Went inside and found Bradley and Frank, Caitlin and her fiancee and Bonnie and her boyfriend, and Lawrence so went and chatted with him. They began to come in and we went in and sat down and I spotted Tom Pelphrey in the back with the actors so I went back and caught up with him and Gina T. came in so it just went on and on. Karla Mosley (Christina) sang on the show and believe me she has the pipes, Tom and Kim sang "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and brought the house down. Lawrence danced while Karla sang, and those hips!!!!! Mandy sang and then I went back with the actors again to catch Rob and Mandy together, and then I won a picture in Soaps in Depth so I asked Tom if he wanted to be in it and Gina and Frank, and then Kim came over and asked what were we doing, so she got into it also. Look for it, in the next CBS Soaps In Depth. I'm sandwiched inbetween Tom and Gina. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and dropped. More Later. I also got to chat with Trent Dawson (Henry ATWT and Marnie S. of ATWT (Alison) before leaving. Saw Adam Reist producer of GL, and Janet production back with the actors and some other gl personnel, behind the scenes folks.Nice to talk to them again.

Thanks! PP Glad that you had a nice trip and are back safe. Take time to rest and relax. If you think of anything else, let us know. Thank you again for the update.

Saturday morning went to the Marriott Marquis Hotel and met up with two friends of mine, and the four of us went up to the luncheon. This was kinda sad, cause it was the last time. Robert Newman (Josh) is in an off Broadway play so he came and signed and then left for the matinee. Ditto, David Andrew McDonald (Edmond) also doing Momma Mia. They were leaving just as I got up to them and Robert waved at me and said "see you in Pittsburgh" which was fine but I hollered out to David and caught him, we have a mutual friend here in Nashville who had sent him best wishes and he stopped to tell me something to tell his friend when I got back home. Most of the cast were there, No JEFF (SHAYNE), NO BUZZ (Justin), no Marcy (Too pregnant to fly) but just about all of the rest of the cast and no Murray (Cyrus). Was very busy trying to decide who to try to see and talk to and who to miss,cause you cannot do everyone. I decided to skip Tom's line (the longest other than Zimmer's) but went to the restroom when I noticed the line was not long. While I was in there, my cell rang and it was Crystal Hunt (x-Lizzie) wanting me to go to Tom and tell him she wanted to come to his playreading that night and to put her on the list to get in. So I wound up having to work my way up to get his attention and pass on her message. He just laughed at me. But he did it. Got to catch Ron just a minute, he had to leave for something, too. Will see him in Pittsburgh. Chatted with Marg, Jessica, Crystal, Rob and Mandy, Caitlin and Orlaugh, Kurt and Maeve, Jordan, Gina,Zac, Tina Sloan, and I know I'm leaving some out, I'm just brain dead right now from the flying. I'll pick up with Tom's play, and bowling and one last "hunk" date which is a ritual every year for me, if anyone is interested.

We are interested!

It was quite the experience... I am so glad I went. I won Det. Frank Cooper's name plate from the police headquarters. I didn't get to that many cast members, because the lines were too long...Figuring that I would not be able to get near Jessica Leccia during the autograph session, I snuck to the stage, and gave her a gift I had for her baby, a singing Spanish mouse about a foot tall (or for those of us of a certain age bracket 'Topo Giggio,' from the Old Ed Sullivan Show). She appreciated it. The first table I went to had Fiona Hutchison and 'Coop,' who flew in from California. Olivia's 'daughter' was so cute, she signed my final cast photo, as well. She is a darling, and told me that she is in the 4th grade. I was able to ask EJ Bonilla a nagging question, and that was regarding how Rafe could enlist while being a Diabetic...he said that Rafe was no longer insulin dependent, and therefore, could join. EJ and 'James Spaulding' had a running little bet to settle between themselves...they asked all the male fans, 'from a male perspective, who was the better guy for Daisy?' I said, Rafe...so, EJ chalked up my answer and said that, at that point, the two were running neck and neck. I wonder who eventually won the bet.
I wish that the actor who played James Spaulding would wear something other than his striped tee-shirt. He had the same one on when he was interviewed on TV during the Pittsburgh, recently.
I didn't spend as much on the raffle prizes...sort of short on cash this month...One of the more interesting prizes was the architectural/construction model from Lewis Construction. The fan club president said, "Whoever wins this, I hope you're not going to the airport." That thing was huge.
Noticeably absent, 'Bizzie,' both Daniel Cosgrove and Marcy Rylan, Buzz and Hawk. Oh, big surprise, Jordan Clarke has grown a moustache!
A couple of laughs, in the beginning, Grant Alexsander and Frank DiCoupolos were referring to Allan's death scene in the park...they attributed his stiffness to too much Viagra.
The cast was introduced alphabetically, Frank DiCoupolos said 'coming out next is Oleg Cassidy, oh, wait a minute, she's already come out!' As for Frank's next
job, he simply said, "Do you want fries with that, sir?"
At another point, Frank had a one-sided phone conversation, where he was 'coaching Marcy Rylan through labor.'

Afterwards, I went to the Apothecary Theater's Staged Reading with Grant Alexander, 'Daisy,' Kim, and Tom Pelphrey...

Because of my physical disability, the Apothecary Theater arranged for me to have a wheelchair during the performance, which was most helpful, because I had had a long day, waiting on the lines, and at one point, almost passed out, while waiting to see Caitlin and her TV mom...Doris was a little leary about having her picture taken with me because I was wearing my 'Jeffrey O'Neill for Mayor' button. I did not get that many autographs, the lines were so long, and even though we had been cautioned, in the beginning, to keep the lines moving, they really didn't.

I left at about 4:10pm, figuring that I wouldn't be able to get too many other cast members. I was pooped. As the autograph session started, I did see the head writer, wearing her trademark big floppy hat. I did not see her interacting with anyone, however, she did wave and acknowledge me, remembering having seen me at the Paley Center in August. As I was unsure of how to get down to the Tom Pelphrey event, I leisurely made my way to the subway. When I got to the Downtown Marriott, I treated myself to a lowfat Banana Chocolate Chip muffin and Strawberry Banana smoothie. I was starved, I didn't eat the entree at the luncheon.

The Apothecary Theatre event:

It was a Dark Comedy, the staged reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Grant's southern/hillbilly accent. The play was set in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1960. Suffice it to say, that, as the play progressed, 'The *** of Springfield was revealed as 'the *** of Terre Haute.' At the supposed, big reveal moment, when Kim's character confesses to her husband that her younger son is not his, Grant's character is non-chalantly peeling an apple, and says, "Yep, I knew." I loved Grant's southern/hillbilly drawl.


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The autographs I did get were: Tom Pelphrey, Jacqueline Tsirkin 'Emma,' Mandy Bruno, and Robert Bogue, Frank DiCoupolos, Caitlin Van Zandt, 'Doris,' Remey and his TV wife and sister,' "Coop" and Fiona Hutchison, James Spaulding,' EJ Bonilla. I had my picture taken with David Andrew MacDonald and Robert Newman, before they left for their matinee. I got to tease Marj Dusay when I saw her drinking a glass of wine, and I told her that she wasn't '21,' and couldn't legally have that drink. Oleg had a 'Doris Wolfe for President Coffee Mug.'

At the Paley Center on August 19, I met and got autographs of 'Matt,' Gina Tognoni, Doris, Kim Zimmer, Maeve Kincaid, Frank DiCoupolos, Bradley Cole, Tina Sloan, Ellen Dolan - ex-Maureen, Executive Producer Ellen Wheeler, Liz Keifer, Michael O'Leary, The headwriter Jill Lorie Hurst, and Grant Alexander.

So, that was it. I felt a little let down, afterwards. But, happy in the knowledge that I had been part of the closing chapters of GL and my beloved Edge of Night (I was at the studio on the final day of taping, Dec. 12, 1984). A combined total of 100 years of daytime television history.

Thank you edgeofnight1 . . . . that was so kind of you to post.

Rosie where do you live? Are you coming to Pittsburgh in two weeks? Grant is beautiful up close and personal. He was very appreciative that I wanted to meet his wife, I do humane society volunteer work here in Nashville, sleep I get 4 hours a night until weekend. I can go on very little, I have to between work, my soap life and volunteering. You do what you want to do with it. And I do have a family also. Just no husband to have to cater to. 20 years of that was enough for me.

Since Edgeofnight did Tom's play, I will just add that I finished up my weekend with a beer at a bar and Jon Prescott, who played Mike Kasnoff on ATWT the last time; we meet each time I come to NYC either breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink, whichever fits his schedule, this time it was after a play rehersal, so it wound up being a beer! Works for me, he's so good looking and so talented, I'm just glad he still keeps wanting to hook up each time I'm in town. He is also on OLTL as the swim instructor with Kassie DePaiva (Blair). And so ends another soap trip, two weeks and I'm off to Pittsburgh for two days and 10 GL actors.

Are you old enough to drink beer, PelphreyPosse? The next time you're in NYC, I think I'll have to proof you to make sure!