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A Soap Star Whodunit And It's Not A Soap!

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

As many of you heard in our premiere episode of the On-Air On-Soaps Podcast that All My Children’s Jacob Young, along with his producing and directing partner, Mark Rozzano, have launched the new Soap Star Mystery Theatre in Los Angeles, which features lesser known, yet wildly entertaining works of legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie.  I attended last night’s opening at the Writers Guild of America in Beverly Hills, where several of Young’s AMC cast mates and other soap and primetime notables headlined the reading of The Unexpected Guest. Jacob had a huge hand in casting the roles of unusual suspects for the play.  So I had to ask when he looked at AMC’s Vince Irizarry (David) for the play, did he cast him against type, or can we expect to see his evil ways?  Young responded, “He is playing his type.” (Laughs) Ah, my first hint that Vincent was going to end up being the murderer!  Adam Mayfield (Scott) plays a servant/nurse who seems to be on the shady side, too!  Then I had to ask, who else from Pine Valley would he love to see participate in a future reading.  Young replied, “I was speaking to David Canary (Adam) and hopefully we can use him down the road.”  Next, Jacob with pride and a bit of sadness also gave his views on Canary’s upcoming retirement from soaps. “He is at a point now where his home is in Connecticut.  He has been stationary out here in LA for a while and it was always the plan for David to come out to LA with the move of All My Children for just a few months.  Regardless, if he were on the east coast or here in LA, he would have probably retired at the same time. He has had such a wonderful run and is a talented man and a workaholic.  He deserves a break.  Maybe he will get restless, and knowing David as I do, he might.  And I certainly do hope he comes back.  Working with David has been such a thrill for me and he is such a giving actor.  And I think his wrap-up story is going to be great.  When I heard it, I thought it was fantastic.”

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

The actors only had a full rehearsal and run through and that was about it for the Mystery Theatre reading.   It was sort of fly by the seat of your pants, which many daytimers are used to.  The star of the reading, Stephanie Powers (best known from television’s Hart to Hart) shared with me her utmost respect for the soap genre… something that is nice to hear for a change from someone on the outside of daytime television.  Powers stated, “It’s wonderful to work with all these daytime people. They are fabulous. They are absolutely ready to improvise and absolutely ready to keep it going.  If you don’t have the dexterity to change on a dime it can be tough, and the daytime stars are amazing.  What they do on a daily basis is phenomenal!”  So then I asked if Powers would be interested in stopping by Pine Valley and doing some scene work with Susan Lucci?  “Yes, but I don’t know if I could cut it. They work very fast.”

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Vince Irizarry filled me in on how he has been so busy at AMC that he was on overload prior to the performances. “To be honest with you a week and half ago I was dreading tonight, because I am working so much right now on All My Children. I did eight shows last week and six the week before, and another six this week.  I have been doing it the last month and half.  However, I am happy I did this tonight, and we pulled it together.”  Vince let me know that having Constance Towers (Helena, GH) up on stage with him as one of the suspects was a delight.  And what soap fan would not want to see a smackdown between two of daytime’s biggest all-time troublemakers?  And speaking of Constance Towers, she is one of my very favorite people in the world! She stopped by to speak with me about Helena’s… Lucky Spencers!  “Jacob Young was my Lucky.  I adored him and the first time I saw him, I remember Helena had him in a limousine.  I was taking him to revisit all the places he had been with his parents by torturing him and thus torturing Luke and Laura, because I was playing with his mind.  We are in the limousine and I looked into that face and those beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair.  And the thing about Jacob is his innocence, and he was so dear to work with.  And I saw him grow as an actor and he won an Emmy!  And now to be on stage with him is fun.”  Then we talked about Constance’s current 2010 Lucky, Jonathan Jackson. “He too is one of the nicest human beings you could ever hope to meet.  He is a great father and he is clean cut, and an intense actor. You get into a scene with him and he is wonderful.  I just expect him to win another Emmy.”

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Robert Newman (Ex-Josh, GL) played the inspector in the piece and was supported in the audience by Kim Zimmer (Ex-Reva, GL) who told me she is hard at work on her book that should be a doozy!  When I spoke to Robert, it was the first time I had seen him since the Daytime Emmys and several months since Guiding Light went off the air.  I asked Robert if he has finally moved past the mourning process.  “Honestly, I think I got a wave of it and then my play Sessions closed in early January, and the next couple weeks it hit me hard.  I hit a wall.  My body gave up on me for a couple weeks and that came and went.  I have been keeping busy.  I just shot a Law and Order SVU!”  So, I had to ask will Newman plays a creepy guy, like many of the guest stars on the crime drama?  “I may play a freak, and it’s a fun group over there.” (Laughs)

Robert and I went on to speak about the last episode of GL.  He stands by his opinion, that the ending was the way it was supposed to be.  “I think Guiding Light ended the way it was supposed to end.  I think it had to be Reva and Josh.  I am not sure why the kid was there?  (Laughs)  Kim and I joke about it all the time.  I think it had to be the last line of “Always” and panning up to a lighthouse. ”

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Newman also looked back on how the powers-that-be handled the ending of the series with the cast and crew, and the balancing act that had to be done to finish the series long run. “In the end, I feel like we all handled it quite well and I think they gave us a lot of notice.  I have corporate friends who in that world, if they lose their jobs are told to clean their desk that day.  They gave us four months or so.  I think we just rose to the occasion.  I remember the day they told us about it and there was a lot of emotional stuff that went on.  And then we went to shoot and that phrase, “We got work to do,” constantly carried us through right till the last day of taping.”

Along with Kim Zimmer there were a few other notables in attendance.  First, one of my favorite couples, Juliet Mills (Ex-Tabitha, Passions) and her husband, Maxwell Caufield. Catching up on old times, the three of us couldn’t help but discuss the hard times the US soaps are having as compared to the British ones, especially in lieu of Caufield’s run on the hit UK soap, Emmerdale.

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Caufield expressed, “British soaps are in primetime and they are only a half-hour long so they move a lot quicker.  They are able to hold on to their audience, and it’s a different vibe.  They air between seven and eight o’clock at night.  So they have a huge captive audience.  Peyton Place was one of the great American soap operas at night.  And I can’t believe the American Broadcasters and networks have not thought about re-tooling these shows to air in primetime.  I am just getting over being shot in the shoulder blades by my wife, who didn’t take kindly to having a bigamist husband. (Laughs)  It was on Emmerdale.  It was shot in Yorkshire and in a beautiful part of the country.  There is nothing like consistent work, and that is why everyone wants to jump on these soaps.  All the more reason for the networks to cherry- pick some of the vintage actors that are out there.  So it’s not all about 20 year olds who are stripping down to the waist!”   On a side note, Juliet and Max did just celebrate Valentine’s Day where they tell me it’s always a special day in their relationship!  “We actually went out and bought a bed,” laughs Mills!

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Hollywood legends Jerry Lewis  and Cloris Leachman came to see Jacob’s creation and were very impressed! (See pic to right)  So how was the play you ask?  Well I have to say; Jacob Young showed another side of his award winning acting, as the mentally challenged Jan Warwick.  He stole the show, and that is hard to do with the likes of the talented performers on the stage.  Next month, The Soap Star Mystery Theatre will continue with an all-new Agatha Christie play and some more of your favorites from daytime.  If Young and company can get more LA soap actors to get in on this concept (that is their plan), and have them rotate through the proposed eight different Agatha Christie mysteries, it will be a very fun series of shows and evenings for soap fans that could be better than a good old television soap opera murder mystery!

 

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Michael, this is a wonderful update on what Jacob Young is doing and creating, It sounds like great fun for actors and a different spotlight. Nice comments from Robert Newman on GL and its demise. I am sure all those actors are missing that long running show. Michael, you always have such interesting articles and interviews and insights on the soaps. Good work!!

I miss GL! What happen to the person that played Raven Husband? not Josh!

All My Children

Carol Burnett Talks About Being a Superfan of ‘All My Children’ on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’

In a heartfelt reunion, of sorts, the one and only Carol Burnett appeared on Monday March 25th episode of Live with Kelly and Mark.

Burnett had first met Kelly Ripa (Hayley) and Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo) back when they all appeared on All My Children together. Carol played Verla Grubbs first in 1983 and then again in the 90’s.

Host Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC) noted to Burnett that “we go back a long time”. She also described Burnett’s character of Verla Grubbs, “extraordinary in every way.”

Carol’s love for All My Children is well-documented, hence legendary soap creator, Agnes Nixon, created the role of Verla for Burnett.

Photo: ABC

Speaking on how her passion for All My Children began, Carol told Kelly and Mark, “It started with my kids. They would watch at noon. I said, ‘What are you guys doing?’ I sat down and I started to watch and I got hooked!”

When Carol’s family decided to travel through Europe during one summer, the comedic legend recalled thinking, “How am I going to last if I don’t know what’s going on in Pine Valley?” She revealed she had a friend, “who sent me a telegram to the (different hotels) on Fridays to bring me up to date.”

Photo: ABC

In a hilarious moment from the segment, Carol recalled receiving a late night telegram while in Lake Cuomo when there was a knock at her hotel room door from the hotel manager who was shaking.

Carol related what it said, “Erica is still in a coma. Mark slipped again and ran away from rehab.” As Kelly and Mark broke into laughter, Burnett continued, “Chuck has learned that Donna is carrying his baby, who was once a hooker.”

Check out Carol explaining how she became an AMC Superfan below.

Now, let us know, did you enjoy Carol as Verla Grubbs? What show do you consider yourself a Superfan of? Tell us in the comment section.

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All My Children

Malachy McCourt, ‘Ryan’s Hope’ and ‘All My Children’ Actor, Dead at 92

If you watched Ryan’s Hope through its 14-year-run, you know that Kevin the bartender became a beloved “member’ of the Ryan clan on the defunct ABC daytime drama series. The character of Kevin MacGuiness became so loved by the fans because of the actor who portrayed him, Malachy McCourt.

Sadly, according to his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times, Malachy passed away on Monday from a heart condition and battling cancer. The actor was 92-years-old.

Playing Kevin on Ryan’s Hope was not much of a stretch for McCourt, because in his lifetime, he was the owner of 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan. Known as one of the city’s great story-tellers, patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris would stop in and talk all things Irish with . On Ryan’s Hope, Kevin was best friends to “Ryan’s Bar” owner, Johnny Ryan (Bernie Barrow) and he tried to keep Delia (Ilene Kristen) on the straight and narrow.

Photo: ABC

In his soap opera career, McCourt also was widely-known for his role of Father Clarence McCourt on All My Children especially come Christmastime. Was Clarence, actually St. Nick? That was always the proverbial question. McCourt also appeared on the New York soaps: One Life To Live, Search For Tomorrow and Another World. Other roles included: Devil’s Own, Brewster’s Millions, The Molly Maguires, and Starman, to name 

Later in 2006, Malachy ran for governor of the state of New York as a Green Party candidate. He tackled social issues of the time including being an advocate for gay and lesbian groups to march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Photo: ABC

McCourt’s childhood was recounted within his brother Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, which detailed their mother’s attempt to raise the four of their surviving seven children in poverty in Limerick, Ireland. Later, Malachy wrote his own memoirs: 1998’s Monk Swimming, and 2000’s Singing My Him Song.

Malachy is survived by his aforementioned wife, Diana, daughter Siobhan McCourt; sons Malachy Jr., Conor and Cormac; stepdaughter Nina Galin; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Share you remembrances and condolences for Malachy McCourt via the comment section, but first check out this scene from a 1983 episode of “Ryan’s Hope” featuring the late actor with Ilene Kristen.

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All My Children

‘Live with Kelly and Mark’s’ Annual ‘After the Oscars’ Show Brings Backstage Interviews, Fashion Review and Red Carpet Arrivals from Movie’s Biggest Night

Monday morning, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the talk show’s annual Oscar post show.

However, this time it would be Consuelos’ first time as the co-host of ‘Live’ for an Oscars episode. Mark took over the gig from Ryan Seacrest to team with his wife back in April of 2023 and since then the show has seen a ratings spike hitting several all-time highs.

The After the Oscars show opened with a tribute to the movies were the former All My Children stars took on iconic roles from: Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct to Barbie and Ken in Barbie, to the Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller role’s in the romantic comedy Something About Mary and more.

Courtesy/DisneyABC

During After the Oscars, Kelly and Mark were shown in clips backstage as the first stop for the newly-anointed Academy Award winners including: Finneas and Billie Eilish and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The Bachelor host, Jesse Palmer was the talk show’s guest correspondent who spoke to the nominees, and celebrities as they were entering the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.

Singer Andy Grammar took to the stage and performed on Live’s  After the Oscars show as well, and Project Runaway’s Elaine Welteroth shared her thoughts on the night’s Oscar fashion.

You can watch the full ‘Live with Kelly and Mark After the Oscars’ show below, plus the full movie parody below that. Now let us know, what do you think of Kelly and Mark’s first post-Oscar show together on ‘Live’? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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