Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year, OLTLers were full of energy at the 2007 Fan Club Luncheon, held at New York’s Marriott Marquis on August 4.
The event kicked off with the usual roll call, during which fans were treated to an impromptu gymnastics floor show by newcomer Chase Coleman (Garrett). Then, fans challenged the very fit Sean Ringgold (Shaun) to do push-ups with John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) on his back. Lavoisier also showed the crowd some plis, courtesy of ABC Fan February contest winner Stephanie Ryan’s dance class earlier this year. “I never want to dance again,” groaned Lavoisier of the experience.
Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), who was simply glowing in a silk maxi dress from Laila Rowe, was the event’s gracious emcee and introduced each actor with a fitting quip. “I have one word to sum him up and it’s hottie!” she cracked of David Fumero (Cristian). Fumero was later put on the spot by fans who asked if he’d like to see a recast for Evangeline (“It would be weird, but then again, I don’t call the shots,” he remarked) and what he’d think of a Cristian/Layla pairing. (“That would be kind of wrong, no?”)
Fans pay close attention to their favorite actors’ fashion choices, as demonstrated when one pointed out to Robert S. Woods (Bo) that he wasn’t wearing a Hawaiian shirt, his usual off-hours attire. He was quick to stand up and reveal the print at the bottom of his shirt. “See these little palm trees? It’s the kind [of Hawaiian shirt] you get married in,” he said, winking at Hickland, whose Lindsay is rumored to be heading for a reunion with Bo. Then, a fan tested Woods by asking him to name all of Bo’s wives. “What do you want me to name ’em?” he joked. He passed with flying colors.
Continuing with the tough questions, an audience member asked Patricia Elliott (Renee) if viewers would be fulfilled by the episodes surrounding Asa’s death. Elliott assured the audience that the writers had done an outstanding job with the 9,999th and 10,000th eps, and praised former co-star Phil Carey (ex-Asa). “I learned so much from that man about how to be a human being and how to work a camera,” she smiled. “There were times that he was so generous with me; he was very supportive. I am very much going to miss him. I don’t know what that means for Renee, but I can tell you this: She is now the richest woman in the world. She owned about half of Llanview and now she owns the other half and all the rest that comes with it!”
Also hit with a string of questions was BethAnn Bonner (Talia), who was elated to be attending her first fan club weekend. “I have so many awesome fans who I keep in touch with on my message boards and my MySpace, and we’re all excited to see each other,” she told Soap Opera Digest in the green room before the event. When fans asked what’s ahead for Talia and Antonio, she demurred, “She likes him. She thinks he’s sexy. I think what the writers are going to do is take their time with it.” Later, Bonner told the audience about her experience on I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR. “We got no sleep, we didn’t eat anything that tasted delicious, it was awful. It was really hard, so going to ONE LIFE TO LIVE, where everybody is like, ‘You’re family!’ is so different,” she revealed. “I’m just having so much fun. I’m so, so, so grateful to be on the show.” “She’s a firecracker,” added Hickland. “She is proof that dreams come true.”
Hugs were also in abundance, with two fans requesting embraces from Woods during the Q&A, and one 8-year-old asking for “a hug from Rex” for her birthday present. Lavoisier obliged. He ran over to the girl’s table, then escorted her onstage and gave her his seat!
Already anxious about fan reaction to some of their characters’ poorly chosen actions, Christina Chambers (Marty) and David Chisum (Miles) were faced with the harrowing task of running around the room with microphones during the Q&A. “I have no idea what I’m getting myself into,” Chisum admitted backstage. “I’m sure I’m going to get quite a few questions like, ‘What the heck are you doing?’ and I’m not going to know how to answer them! But I’m looking forward to the event because I’ve gotten fan letters from a lot of people saying they’re going to be here, so it’s nice to put a face to the name.” Both Chambers and Chisum did just fine, if the long lines at their autograph tables were any indication.
Notable absentees included Trevor St. John (Todd) and Forbes March (Nash), who hosted their own events the night before, and Michael Easton (John), whose “unofficial” fan club was busy selling calendars at the luncheon to benefit the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Erika Slezak (Viki) was also off traveling the globe with her family during her annual summer hiatus. And Robin Strasser (Dorian), who attended the Girls Night Out with the Ladies of Llanview event the night before, hosted an exclusive luncheon at her home the next day. “I put it on my Web site at one point, if you give me $3,500 [for hurricane relief], you can come to my house for my home-cooked Birdie’s Birdies, my roast chicken recipe,” she told Digest before the event. “I’ve been cleaning madly because I didn’t want to let these wonderful people down. If you see me next and I’m carrying a bottle of Clorox Clean-Up with me, you’ll understand I’ve gone over the top [laughs].”
Despite the luncheon’s absences, Fan Club President Carol Dickson was thrilled with the turnout for the club’s 20th anniversary. “From the bottom of my heart, I would like to say thank you to those of you who made it and postponed their vacations to be here.”
