Llanview on Broadway
The third annual ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS was a love-in for fans and cast members of all three ABC soaps. Granted, I’m no Broadway critic (and probably too nice to be one), but I was thoroughly entertained.
Let me set the scene: It was a snowy Sunday evening when I headed toward Town Hall, a theater on 43rd Street, right off Broadway. I was early, but fans had already lined up. I enjoy talking to the fans, first of all because they read our magazine and visit this Web site. Secondly, there’s nothing like the excitement of a true fan to get you really excited about soaps. And these were ultra-devoted ABC fans — or, as they say in New York, “I watch Channel 7.”
The first performance was, quite appropriately, from Dreamgirls. (The event took place Feb. 25, the same night as the Academy Awards.) Out came Kassie DePaiva (Blair, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Renee Goldsberry (Evangeline, OLTL), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, ALL MY CHILDREN) and, finally (to thunderous applause), Jeffrey Carlson (Zoe/Zarf, AMC). They all looked very glamorous in matching white gowns. It was the perfect kick-off number.
Cameron Mathison was the perfect host, seamlessly weaving together the acts.The show could be described as part small-town talent show, part AMERICAN IDOL — with some real Broadway belters sprinkled here and there. Walt Willey (Jack, AMC) and Scott Clifton (Dillon, GENERAL HOSPITAL) performed songs they had written. Sydney Penny (Julia, AMC) and Willey sang a song written by Penny’s dad, Hank Penny, a country and Western performer. Broadway vets Goldsberry, Carlson, Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) and Jacob Young (JR, AMC) had solos, as did Susan Lucci (Erica, AMC), Eden Riegel (Bianca, AMC), David Canary (Adam/Stuart, AMC), Kristen Alderson (Starr, OLTL), Tika Sumpter (Layla, OLTL), Eakes and DePaiva.
They were all great, though I was particularly impressed with Sumpter’s powerful rendition of “Trouble.” (Her mother was sitting right behind me and shouted for her daughter. She had every right to be very proud.)
Even some of the non-singing actors got into the act. In an effort to raise even more money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, each soap had scripted a scene that would be performed. Fans could bid on the opportunity to be in that skit on charityfolks.com. OLTL’s skit was my favorite. It had three guys — played by Forbes March (Nash), John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex) and Tobias Truvillion (Vincent) — sitting on a couch watching a game on TV. Enter Susan Berland, a fan from Huntington, Long Island, who wanted to watch her soap (OLTL, natch). All four start to watch, and as Berland explained the sagas of Nash, Rex and Vincent, the boys became hooked and forgot about the game.
The second act kicked off with a witty rendition of “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago.
The show ended with an auction. I left to stake out my spot in the afterparty press room, where actors posed for photos before hitting the reception. That gathering was a perk of the higher-priced tickets. There was a small buffet and bar for the actors in the quieter area, because it’s hard to shake hands and sign autographs out among the fans while eating at the same time.
Jacob Young (JR, AMC) was the first actor to make his way into the press room. I asked if it was difficult for him to learn the choreography for his number. After “a hundred shows on Broadway this summer (as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast), it took me two times to learn what they had worked out. It actually became pretty easy.” Young is set to produce a play on Broadway — probably due in February 2008. We’ll keep you posted.
“It’s always fun and I think it gets better and better every year,” said Eakes, basking in the post-show glow. “I was able to sit in the balcony, to sneak out there and watch the show this year. I was so impressed with everybody. So much fun.”
Eakes didn’t know that ABC publicists Michael Cohen and Lauri Hogan had written the lyrics for this version of “Cell Block Tango,” which was retooled to match the actresses’ storylines. “That was brilliant,” Eakes raved. “I loved that. Oh, my gosh, everybody’s working so hard and it’s during sweeps.”
I pounced on Anthony Geary (Luke, GH) because I was so impressed with his turn as Edna from Hairspray. Who knew he could sing and dance? He was delighted with the praise and immediately credited Stephen DeRosa, who had just finished a run as Hairspray‘s Wilbur. What a nice man, that Mr. Geary. I later heard from one of the photographers that Geary spent his entire time at the party signing autographs.
Then I introduced myself to Jeffrey Carlson, who said of his AMC gig, “I love coming to work every day. It’s fun. It took me a second to get used to how fast everything goes. I love the people I’m working with.”
And all of the ABC stars really loved meeting the people they perform for every day.
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