EVENT REVIEW : ABC General Hospital FALL EVENT

ABC GENERAL HOSPITAL FALL EVENT

9/16 - HELIUM CLUB - PHILADELPHIA

Soap operas have been a sort of cult class for decades, continuously being passed down from generation to generation as a family tradition. Full households of families investing in storylines and characters throughout the years. I am twenty seven and I do not remember a day of my life where I haven't watched a soap opera. I've been told that I have been watching soaps since the day I was born, knowingly watching since I was three. I have grown up knowing the history of the good and bad of every fictional soap town.

Michael Easton

Days Of Our Lives - Tanner Scofield (1991 - 1992)

Port Charles - Caleb Morley (2001; 2002 - 2003)

One Life To Live - John McBain (2003 - 2012)

General Hospital - John McBain/Caleb Morley/Stephen Clay (2012 - 2013)

General Hospital - Silas Clay (2013 - 2015)

General Hospital - Hamilton Finn (2016 - present)

Rebecca Budig

Guiding Light - Michelle Bauer (1995 - 1998)

All My Children - Greenlee Smythe (1999 - 2005; 2008 - 2009; 2009 - 2011)

General Hospital - Hayden Barnes/Rachel Berlin (2015; 2015 - 2017)

Roger Howarth

Guiding Light - Jory Andros (1992)

Loving - Kent Winslow (1992)

One Life To Live - Todd Manning (1992 - 1995; 1996 - 2000; 2011 - 2013)

As The World Turns - Paul Ryan (2003 - 2010)

General Hospital - Todd Manning (2012 - 2013)

General Hospital - Franco (2013 - present)

Laura Wright

Loving - Ally Rescott Bowman (1991 - 1995)

The City - Ally Rescott Bowman (1995 - 1997)

Guiding Light - Cassie Layne Winslow (1997 - 2005)

General Hospital - Carly Corinthos (2005 - present)

Although, unfortunately, a dwindled part of the daytime industry, soaps at one time ruled the daytime hours. When I was sixteen, I was watching six soaps a day, not to mention the few that I wasn't a viewer of. It saddens me to see that we only have four still standing, but happy that there is still hope for the ones that are still airing. The top four are still going strong, with fans more passionate than before. Watching soaps is somewhat of a family activity; mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts and sometimes even fathers and grandfathers, keeping up with the lives of characters who have become staples in our homes. In my home, watching soaps with my Mom while we have my Mom-Mom on the phone watching on her end is part of my day that I look forward to. It's a continued shared interest, always discussing what we think will happen to this character or that character. Watching specific actors five out of seven days a week, year after year, they become not only part of your day, but part of your life.

I have been fortunate to meet a lot of soap actors/actresses in my young life, some great and fun experiences and some not so fun. I have always reminded myself that they are not their character, to go in with lower expectations and be able to come out unbiased about the encounters.

Today, however, was a day I had been waiting for to happen for years. I had been waiting for today since June 4th, 2001, when Caleb Morley first came to Port Charles. From the day the mysterious vampire showed up in PC to the days when John McBain ruled One Life To Live's Llanview, to General Hospital's Silas Clay and now Hamilton Finn. Today had been the day that I was going to get to meet Michael Easton (along with Rebecca Budig, Roger Howarth and Laura Wright). If you are a fan of soap operas, these are names you know, actors who pull together entire casts of shows, actors who have become iconic through their characters in the last twenty years. It isn't rare to meet someone you are a fan of and get completely disappointed, we have all had it happen, but I am happy to say that today's experience was beyond amazing.

Rebecca and Michael greeted the crowd, interacting as if everyone was an old friend they were seeing for the first time in years. The two were more than welcoming to every single person they encountered, taking photos, signing autographs, having conversations and exchanging hugs with a mutual fan to actor appreciation. Roger was just as welcoming and interactive, and I have to note the fact that he knew how to spell my name correctly, which was a nice surprise that I rarely get from anyone. I had also met Laura once before today's event when I was sixteen. I cannot express the sincerity that Rebecca, Michael and Roger exuded during their time at the event, which to a life-long viewer, meant so much.

ELECTRIC must also note that in addition to being a great event, it was also all in support of a great cause for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation.