Now Where Did We Put That Invitation

First we have to admit that, as usual, we had not tried to buy tickets in a timely manner. The GH Fan Club 1998 Luncheon had sold out long before we inquired in March. Some of you may remember that last year, the same thing happened, and miracle of miracles, we got tickets at the last minute before the luncheon and got in. This year we thought we'd try that again, though the odds were against us.

Okay, so we didn't try all that hard. We arrived at the Sportsmen's Lodge, had a leisurely Champagne Brunch at the Caribou Room and then went off and did some shopping. On our way back to the lodge, we had a brilliant idea. If we couldn't get in we'd do interviews with unwary fans as they left the luncheon. We went back to our car to retrieve the tape recorder. This was fortunate, as it meant we were conveniently in the parking lot when the last of the GH stars arrived.

There were a few fans hanging about, ones who hadn't been able to get in and were still waiting for the photo opportunities. First was Billy Warlock (A.J.) and then Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis). Next was Steve Burton (Jason), whom we saw more of, since he went over to the trash can first to throw away his cup before going in. Then Mary Beth Evans(Katherine) arrived in a rather striking outfit. She was closely followed by the happy engaged couple, Vanessa Marcil (Brenda) and Tyler Christopher (Nickolas). Last to come in was Stephen Nichols (Stefan).

Let's All Go To the Lobby

The other stars had apparently snuck in while we were off shopping. We went into the lobby and approached the registration table, which was about to close up. We asked if there were any tickets available at the last minute. There weren't, and if there had been, the two ladies already in the lobby would have gotten them before us.

One of the other disappointed fans was an avid Stephen Nichols fan, the other had been to the Quartermaine Brunch the day before, and she told us all about that. Ron Hale (Mike) went by on his way to have a smoke and we pointed him out. "Hey, there's Ron Hale." "Don't get up," he called. The meal part of the luncheon was already over when we'd gotten there and they were doing the Q and A, We soon found that our vantage point was pretty good for star spotting purposes. We were right next to the entrances to both restrooms and the exit.

Some of the actors had to leave right after the Q&A. Stuart Damon (Alan) was first to leave. There was an i llness in the family and he couldn't stay overlong. Jonathan Jackson was the next earliest to leave. But we saw quite a few celebrities going to and from the restroom.

About then we caught our first fan leaving. She has requested anononymity, but we will say that she's from the Los Angeles area and has been to quite a few of these dos. We'll refer to her as Deepsoap. Here's her description of the event. Deepsoap told us about the Q and A.

Somebody asked Stephen Nichols how he kept in shape. I don't think I can quite do this justice. He says "I dance," and was literally doing this.(She demonstrated a little bump and grind for us.)And it's like Stefan Cassadine is doing John Travolta hip wiggles. What is that? And everybody applauded. And then he said, "No, really it's what I do on the set to relax."

Okay, questions. They asked Ron Hale why he didn't have a woman. And he pretty much would be happy with a woman, if they'd just write a woman for him. (As opposed to anything else, we asked.) Yeah, he finally said he would like a date, a date would be good. But the serious answer to the question was he didn't feel Mike was in a space right now where he could have a serious committed relationship right now. (Still hurting from that Sonny thing, we guessed.) Yeah, still hurting from that Sonny thing. (There's always Tammy the hooker, we suggested.) Yeah, go for Tammy the hooker. (We told her the Brad Maule scoop about Tammy.) You go Brad.

Brad (Maule, Tony) gets on stage. Where's Eileen (Benglesdorf) because I don't know if I can do this. And he's like, "I'm just misunderstood, okay! The baby really is mine! All you people here are jerks." And he had Justin Cooper on his lap.

Then from up above on the balcony where the bathrooms were located, we hear McAmy say, "here I am to recreate Katherine's fall from the parapet." Nearby fans applauded. Then McAmy declared she was going to get in Wendy's line and thank her for killing Katherine, even if she is going to come back. "At least she's off my screen for a little while." One of us suggested that perhaps Reginald could make another stab at it.

Then Ron Hale passed us going back into the ball room. "Hey, there's Ron Hale." "Don't get up," he called. Becky Herbst came by and we directed her up the stairs to the restroom.

There was also a restroom on the lobby level, which was nearer the ballroom. We would have directed people there previously, but we weren't aware of it until Tyler Christopher went in and came out. After that we kept an eye on that entrance.

Then a staff member, who shall also remain anonymous came by to chat, with us and Deepsoap. She was pleased with how well things were going this year. The autograph lines were going very smoothly. She told us how she'd been getting things for the raffle this year. She had asked Susan Brown (Gail) if she might have any items from earlier days of the show.

Susan called me up and said, "Well, I was cleaning my house, and in my closet I found a script. It must be a really old one, because it's a half hour show, and it's got Steve and everybody in it." And the staff member said to her, "That's really cool for our 35th party, you know. So then I go to pick it up at the studio, and there's this big note, "I realize the script I found was from the first show ever of General Hospital. So I have to donate it to Television archives." Another nearby fan said, "I wouldn't put that in a raffle," The staff member agreed, but "Maybe she'd let me copy it." Deepsoap said, "There's probably very few around." The staff member said, "Yeah, and when I saw her Friday night I said, what else have you got in your closet?"

A fan came over to complain to the staff member, "I only have one complaint about the whole weekend. I came over three thousand miles to see somebody that I didn't see." The staff member, "Gee, gah, I'm sorry," and then hesitated. "I don't know why I'm taking responsibility for that." The fan says, "No, no, you're not responsible. But really you did a really great job."

Ron Hale came by again. "Hey, there's Ron Hale." "Don't get up," he called. The staff member then related an incident with Ron Hale. They had both gone out for smoke, and she had asked him where he liked to go on vacation. And he said Arizona. She asked him if he'd ever been to Tombstone. He said, "Yeah, sure I love Tombstone. That's where I want to go." And she'd told Tammy when she gave her the tape that half the tape was her. And it was like we ended up having this whole conversation, forget the interview. "So, it was like, edit me out." Another fan commented that Ron Hale was so wonderful, he made her feel like the most beautiful person in the world when he was talking to her. "And at the Emmys it was like everywhere I turned I kept bumping into him and I had to tell him, we've got to stop meeting like this." Deepsoap said, "He's not even remotely shy." The staff member suggested that we should all write in about him to show, to see he got more to do. Deepsoap said, "The thing is, the guy can act."

A fan mentioned that she heard, Ingo Rademacher (Jax) had been in the hotel all weekend, and she didn't believe it. The staff member said, "He was here at eight o'clock this morning, and we chased him out. He came here to sign autographs as a surprise to us at his booth. And we kicked him out. We told him if he came in to sign autographs there wouldn't be anybody at anybody elses booth." "That's what Wally did," someone said. (Wally Kurth (Ned) had signed autographs before last year's Luncheon.) "You know he was here till one o'clock this morning signing," said another fan. Deepsoap mentioned that last year Jon Lindstrom was the last to stop signing at the Luncheon. The staff member said she had seen Jon at the studio last week and asked him if he was coming this weekend. He said, "Well, I've done it for the last five years, and I need a break, and I'm going out of town."

While that was going on we continued our interview with Deepsoap.(Oh, and Ron Hale passed by. "Hey, there's Ron Hale." "Don't get up," he called.)

I'm sorry, I wish I could remember the order (said Deepsoap,) because they had just asked somebody a very funny question, and I don't really remember who. Then of course they asked Becky Herbst a very serious question. And John York (Mac), went "gee thanks a very serious question." (We asked if John York was doing the emceeing.) He was very funny of course. They asked Becky Herbst (Liz) what she had done to prepare for the role. And she said she had very in depth serious conversations with a rape survivor. Who also happened to be a writer for the show, Michelle (Val Jean). She's very... well, she's public about it. (We commented that it was no wonder that it hit so close to home.) Exactly, because somebody was right there. And then Becky she's like Michelle.

They asked Vanessa when she and Tyler are getting married. And she stood up and said, "We don't answer personal questions. Ask me another question." So finally somebody shouted from the audience, "Why are you leaving?" She heard the leaving part not the why are you part. And she said, "Yes, I am leaving. I think my last air dates are going to be sometime in September. And I hope that if things don't work out you'll all take me back."

They asked Billy Warlock, "We understand that you're a really good basketball player." Everybody started to laugh. And they said how can you be so good because your so short. (We commented that he must be a guard.) And he gets up, because he was in the back row, and stands on the chair. "What do you people mean?" And Stuart Damon actually answers the question. "I want to tell you something here. I play golf with John York, Steve Burton and Billy Warlock all the time. Why do you people pick on him for being short. Do you want to know who kicks our ass all the time on the golf course, Billy! (One of us commented that if we remembered correctly, Nolan North (Chris) had said that he was going to kick Billy's ass on the golf course.) They all play golf together clearly, except Steve Burton said he would never ever ever play golf with Tyler Christopher again. You know because Tyler broke his nose. Then Tyler said, that Steve Burton had told the story last year and he didn't have to tell it again this year. And Steve's going, "He can't drive the cart either. We won't let him drive the cart." And Tyler says, "It's because I only have one good leg." (One of us commented that Tyler seems to be rather accident prone.) Is that it? Well, no more golf for him because he broke Steve Burton's nose.

Somebody asked if Sarah's baby had been born. (Sarah Brown, Carly) And there was a huge argument about whether or not the baby had been born. No one seemed to actually know.(One of us commented that they had announced at the Quartermaine Brunch, that the baby had been born the day before.) Wendy says that's not true, that no one had told her that. So that everyone seemed to get very confused. And we say, well, maybe Sarah didn't call her first. And we postulated that perhaps she wanted a couple days before Wendy ordered her back to work. So then finally Wendy said, "Then I guess we don't actually know do we." (The baby was actually born, on Monday July 20th.)

Nancy Lee Grahn was very sweet. They asked what it was like to be a new mom. And she said, remember I'm only quoting from memory, that everybody who read the soap magazines in the last ten years knew how much she wanted to have a baby. I believe her actual quote was, she didn't believe her "heart could have grown this big" that she just loved Catherine so much. And she was sweet. She thanked everybody for the baby gifts. And she said that it had overwhelmed her that people had sent so many baby gifts. And she tried to send everybody a personal thank you, but there were a few of them that had gotten separated from their cards, "And if you're one of the people who didn't get thanked, I'm sorry and I'm thanking you now."

They asked Tyler, I think the question was supposed to be if he had any hobbies, but John York said he was going to read the question exactly as written. "On the show, you do swordsing," "Swordsing?" said John, "You think they mean fencing?" "Do you have any odd hobbies of your own?" Was the rest of the question. Tyler's like "What?!" And John says, "Do you have any hobbies?" And Tyler says, "No." And John says, "Well maybe we should ask Vanessa this question." Vanessa's, "No personal questions." So I don't think Tyler ever answered a question.

They asked Ingo... I could tell you what the answer was. I don't know what the question was. I think they asked something about, was he going to follow Vanessa? I think it was something like that. And Ingo said something like "There's an ABC Movie of the Week I want to do, so write ABC." That was his answer to whatever the question was.

They asked Mary Beth... I don't know what the question was.(We asked, if they didn't ask if she was really dead.) They introduced her as somebody who may or may not be dead. She said that she was very proud to announce that she was training for a mini-triathalon. So she showed off her biceps. She's competing next week.

They asked Rachel Ames if she thought it was time for Mrs. Hardy to have a new man. And she said, "Yes, yes. Audrey will always love Steve, but it's time to move on." And they said, well, what guy on the show? And she said, "I think they probably have to bring in someone one new." And all of a sudden Susan Brown, said "Oh my God, the only guy in her age group is Lee. No, don't take Lee. Don't take Lee!" And Rachel's going, well wait. That could be a good triangle.

So then Denise Alexander (Leslie Webber) was there. (Oh really? So then she's going to be back?) So she said, "Write Wendy Riche. My going to work bag is packed and ready by the phone." So I think she came, but I don't know, you know. They asked her, if she was going to have a love life. She said that she felt she could use a love life. That of everybody on the show she thought that she had in fact had fewer lovers than pretty much anyone. Of course I was dead for a pretty long time, which you know, kind of put a cramp in my style. They asked her who she'd be interested in and she said anybody, any age, she didn't care. Someone, and I don't want to accuse John York, though it does sound suspiciously like a John York thing. Someone says well, what about Lucky back there. And everyone says, "Ewwww." (Oh there she is, speak of the devil. Denise goes by.)

Somebody asked Amber something about not having had her first kiss on the show, and she says, "Well, it's about time I've been on the show four years and haven't had a love interest. And Stuart is like in front of her going, "Your fourteen years old!" She's says, "Well I'm really looking forward to it."

And then later of course they asked Ron, about no love interests for Mike, and he says, "Wait, wait Amber, you don't have a love interest." And everybody says, "Ewwww." and he says, "No, I just want to talk to her about it." Oh, I remember what they asked Jonathan Jackson. They asked Jonathan Jackson if he had yet gotten his driver's license and what kind of car he had. He got his driver's license a couple of months ago and it's an Eclipse.

They asked Stephen Kaye, yes, your beloved Stephen Kaye. (Yes mine, one of us said, I saw him walk in actually. He's very grunge sort of today. Nobody stopped him, nobody took pictures of him. He walked right by the press.) Well, why didn't you jump him.(We explain that and Stephen walks by just then. We asked him how it had gone in there and he said it was good. He asked for a restroom. After he'd gone upstairs. Deepsoap said that had been about the extent of his answers in the Q and A, "good".) They asked him what movie projects he had. "Well, I just finished Mod Squad." And then Wendy got up and said... (We asked her if Stephen had been directing or acting.) Acting. Wendy got up and said, "Well, lets elaborate," she said, "Stephen is in fact one of the hottest screen writers around and he co-wrote the script. And Wendy's husband is one of the Producers of the movie. And then he says he's got another project coming up in the fall. (We commented that he dresses like a writer. Deepsoap admonished us for that comment.)

(Justin Cooper (Lucas) went by and Deepsoap recalled his question.) He was the most grown up person on stage. They asked him about his new series. And I said, my god this kid has been reading the press pack. He said, "Well, It's about a single dad, whose an English professor and whose very serious, and then his wacky brother moves in. And then lots of comedic hijinx ensue." It was just an answer where you say this kid has been reading the press package. And John York is like, "Next take the microphone away from him."

"Hey, there's Ron Hale." "Don't get up," he called. About then Stephen came out of the ballroom to go to the downstairs restroom, we hurried over to position ourselves to get a picture when he went back in to the ball room. The avid young Stefan fan was also eagerly awaiting his reappearance.

We asked Deepsoap about the program because we'd never heard of it. It's called, "My Brother's Keeper. It's an ABC show."

Then Brad Maule goes bye, saying hi to everyone.

When Stephen came out we took a picture. The Stefan fan begged him to come in her direction. He said he couldn't because he had to get back to the autograph table, but why didn't she go ahead and come in? She was after him in a flash. Unfortunately for her security staff was not as generous as Stephen Nichols, and she was back out in a moment.

Breaking and Entering

We ended the interview with Deepsoap. Just after that a fan was passing by and generously...

e) Sneaking in for a quick peek
f) Cindy from Orange County Interview
g) Two Questions for Edward
h) Christine Interview

Winding Up The Weekend

Now Where Did We Put That Invitation| Let's All Go To the Lobby| Breaking and Entering| Winding Up The Weekend| Photo Gallery

Thanks for joining us on our GH/PC Weekend. These pages are copyright 1998 Teresa and Tracy Murray (T 'n' T). Information contained herein may be used wherever you like, so long as you give us credit. Photos (jpgs) may not be used without asking us first.