Courtesy/CBS

As The Young and the Restless continues to “Flirt with Disaster” this week in a series of shocking events that have put the lives of everyone in Genoa City in dire straits, viewers just witnessed the entire collapse of Nick Newman’s (Joshua Morrow) club, “The Underground”!  While those close to Nick and his family were celebrating Valentine’s Day in a gathering filled with some intense encounters, in a blink of an eye they are all trapped beneath the rubble of the trashed venue, and caught in some oh-so-uncomfortable scenarios.  As for Nick, well, he has been finding himself more attracted to Sage Warner (Kelly Sullivan) who is at the club when it all caves in.  But what Nick doesn’t know is that brother Adam (Justin Hartley) has been lurking around in the guise of Gabriel Bingham … and just what is Sage’s true relationship with the guy?

Meanwhile, Nick recently was awarded custody of his daughter Faith after the bitter ending of his relationship with Sharon (Sharon Case).  As Y&R fans know, Sharon switched the paternity tests, which proved all along that Nick was Summer’s (Hunter King) biological father, while making him believe he wasn’t her dad, and that Jack (Peter Bergman) was!  Sadly for Shick fans, it looks like it’s curtains for Nick and Sharon right now, as they are headed in the path of some new loves!

On-Air On-Soaps sat down with the talented, and oh-so-funny, Joshua Morrow in his dressing room at Y&R to get the lowdown on the massive mess that has struck Nick’s club, and what it was like to film the sequences where he and his cast mates are crawling around in the debris!  Plus, we get a preview as to who will be the true hero in all of this and save the day.  After all, this Newman must feel pretty guilty that due to some poor construction and weather conditions, the customers at his club are not having, shall we say, a very good time.  Later, Joshua weighs-in on the how he feels Gina Tognoni (Phyllis), Justin Hartley, and Kelly Sullivan are faring on the number one daytime drama as recent casting additions in major roles … two being recasts, and one being a chick for Nick!  So, ladies and gents, we bring you Joshua!

MICHAEL:

Everyone is in turmoil this week on Y&R as we “Flirt with Disaster”!  But, where is Nick at with Sharon (Sharon Case) at this point in time, since he won custody of their daughter Faith?  Nick has been harsh on Sharon in regards to Faith, not that she hasn’t done some … umm, unforgivable things!

JOSHUA:

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Nick is probably over-reacting, as Nick tends to do in these situations.  Based on his track record, he is extremely protective of his children now, and so at the slightest hint of danger, no matter what merit anyone gives to it, he instantly goes into this psycho-protective mode, and this is coming at the expense of Sharon (Sharon Case). Unfortunately, Sharon the character, does not deserve what Nick is putting her through, but if he thinks Sharon is a danger to faith, probably isn’t, but if he thinks that, he is going to go to these extreme steps, and act like the way he is.

MICHAEL:

Do you think it’s hard to justify Nick’s actions towards Sharon?

JOSHUA:

It is.  I have a job to do, and that is to tell the story they want to tell.  If I took myself out of the equation, I think Nick is wrong.  I even think Nick knows he is wrong, as he is asking all of his family, “Do you think I am doing the right thing?”  There is clearly some doubt in what he is doing, but he is so concerned about Faith, and Sharon going off the rails again, and so, he can’t risk it as he is trying to protect his child.

MICHAEL:

I also did not get the opportunity to ask you previously: what you thought of how your standalone episode played out, where Nick confronted all the women past and present in his life, and tried to figure out why he is such a failure as a husband?

JOSHUA:

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I did watch it and I thought it was great.  I thought everyone did a great job, and it was a fun show to watch.  To go down memory lane with Julianne Morris Poloha (Amy) and Jennifer Gareis (Grace) was fun.  I think it was pretty appropriate to finally have a show with no other males in it.  I think it’s about time. (Laughs)   Being a 21-year vet of Y&R, I think getting a show that is just about me and women is appropriate. (Laughs)  So, we did that!

MICHAEL:

Did that episode truly include all the women Nick has slept with?  I swear there seemed to be more, because let’s face it, Nick hops in to bed, or wherever, a lot! (Laughs)

JOSHUA:

Well, everyone but Diane was represented, but I think Nick has a reputation of being a slut, but it’s really only with the same girls.  He just keeps going back and forth, but there are many, many characters on Y&R that have been in more beds than me.  Nick is just a bad husband, not a bad guy.

MICHAEL:

So, let’s put this to bed, sort of speak.  Shick is done for now?

JOSHUA:

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Definitely, Shick is done for now.  I hope viewers understand, this isn’t a story we picked, or are promoting, it is just the way the show is going to go right now.  We certainly appreciate all their complaints and ‘Shickness”, but right now Nick and Sharon are not together.  That being said, they love each other.  Sometimes, you can completely love someone, and not be together, and it’s just not right for them right now.  They are certainly not over, by any means, if you know anything about soaps, but for now the page had definitely turned.

MICHAEL:

Four years from now, we will be having a conversation like this, and it will be centered around the fact that Shick are back together again.  Thoughts? (Laughs)

JOSHUA:

We are going to be having déjà vu.  We are going to be here in my dressing room, with you going: “Tell me about you and Sharon falling in love again?” (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Let’s get to the business at hand this week on Y&R!  The walls have come crumbling down at Nick’s club, “The Underground”.   And isn’t this all due to a building inspection mishap?

JOSHUA:

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Nick has a lot of stuff going on in his personal life, and he is the owner and operator of his club.  Apparently, the building inspector has come by a few times, and there are some issues that need to be dealt with.  Nick is never around, and there is never anyone in his club, so he’s not there. (Laughs).  I don’t even know what the business is there for anymore. (Laughs)  I think Nick just wanted a place to go.  I don’t think he cares if the place makes money.  He just wants to go there and say, “This is mine!” (Laughs)   But apparently, the business inspector has been to the club when Austin (Matthew Atkinson) was there, and Austin forgot to tell Nick there were some issues with the club.

MICHAEL:

So, Austin made a big boo-boo?

JOSHUA:

Yup!  Austin messed up, and Nick has got to clean it up in short order, as they are threatening to shut the club down.  And the biggest night of the year is Valentine’s Day, which was fast approaching.  And, at the Valentine’s Day party, I think there were actually nine people there and eight bartenders. (Laughs)  Nick likes to keep his place heavily staffed.  He likes the ratio to be one-to-one of staff and customers.  Anyways, Nick hires a contractor.

MICHAEL:

Do we know anything about the contractor Nick hired?  Is this a sub-plot?  (Laughs)

JOSHUA:

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No, we don’t know anything about the contractor.  It’s just like “Contractor Jones” showed up.  (Laughs)  So, the guy shows up, Nick pays for it, and it’s done, and the place is up and running.  The party happens.

MICHAEL:

Now, it looks like there is a new girl in town that has caught the lustful eyes of Nick’s Newman … the alluring Sage Warner (Kelly Sullivan)!  What does Nick think of this woman?

JOSHUA:

He digs Sage.  She is a little mysterious.  He doesn’t know what she is doing, and she’s spunky.  She is kind of like a breath of fresh air for Nick, and they don’t know what it is that is going on between them.  They are just hanging out, and she is like a sounding board for Nick, and vice-versa.  She has got some stuff going on with Adam/Gabriel (Justin Hartley) and Nick is always there to talk her through it.

MICHAEL:

So, Sage shows up at “The Underground” for the Valentine’s Day bash, and lo and behold, she ends up bartending!

JOSHUA:

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Yes!  She shows up, and unbelievably, one of the bartenders doesn’t show up for work, and so he wants ten bartenders as opposed to nine!  And apparently, Sage is able to whip up this amazing drink, and it’s a miracle.  She saves the day.  And, when we were taping the scenes I was joking to Kelly going, “Sage, can you clean up table four?”  Nick really put her to work and she volunteered!   Sage works for Nick that night and he gives her a t-shirt and staffs her, but he didn’t make her sign a w-2 form or anything.  So, legally I think there are all kinds of problems here.

MICHAEL:

And then the roof comes down on all the patrons!

JOSHUA:

The roof comes down on everyone, and Nick doesn’t notice, because he is way too busy flirting with Sage.  So, he doesn’t know what is happening because … he just does not stop flirting with Sage! (Laughs)  The roof caves in, and comes down due to the weight of the snow and the shoddy construction contractor work.  When the roof comes down, Sage and Nick are in a different part of the club, as we went to check the generator together, and we get in the rubble.

MICHAEL:

Of course, Nick needed his “bartender” to go with him to check the generator!

JOSHUA:

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Well, Nick said, “I need somebody to hold the flashlight for me.”  He picked Sage over the eight other bartenders that were there.  (Laughs)  So, when they went back to check it, the roof caved in.  Nick and Sage were in the office area where the circuit breakers were, because the lights went out and so they went back there to check it out.  The whole place collapsed, but they are in a different room.

MICHAEL:

Does Nick then go into heroic mode to save his family from certain doom amidst all the destruction?

JOSHUA:

Well, duh! (Laughs)  I think Sage and Nick decide not to have sex due to the risk of tetanus, because there is metal everywhere, so we decided to keep our clothes on.  But yes, Nick goes into, “I’m saving everyone … I don’t care what happens” mode.

MICHAEL:

So, Nick is the hero in all of this?

JOSHUA:

Well, maybe.  Nick and Dylan (Steve Burton) tend to go around and save everyone. Dylan is not there when the roof collapses, but he shows up later.  You need Steve Burton to look heroic, you know. (Laughs)  So, we get the blue-eyed wonder to show up.  Nick and Dylan go digging in the rubble to find everyone.

MICHAEL:

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What was it like filming those sequences of the club’s collapse?  Were they extremely long day taping sequences?  Remember, the “Out of the Ashes” story arc?  Would you say it is similar to that?

JOSHUA:

Yes, it’s a lot like “Out of the Ashes”, but this one is more scaled down.  When we did “Out of the Ashes” it was incredible.  However, this sequence was also incredible, and how they shot it in a much smaller space.  The way they used and created different pockets to illustrate different areas of the club was genius.  They were able to create using half the stage six different pockets of destruction for people to be in … it was incredible.  And, the way they used the space and they shot it, will look enormous on camera.  It was really, really genius work.  To answer your question, yes, they were super long tape days.  We would start at seven in the morning, and go till eleven at night.  It was difficult shooting.  I still have bruises from it.  We were literally crawling around in crap and they are pumping snow and dirt at us, I mean we were filthy!  It was hard work, but really fun.  It looks amazing.

MICHAEL:

Did you get to talk to new head writer and executive producer, Chuck Pratt Jr., when he came on board about what his plans are for Nick?

JOSHUA:

I haven’t spoken to him, but I have met him.  Chuck had a vision for this, because we destroyed the s**t out of everything, (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

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Chuck is known for using the big disaster plot device like the tornado that hit Pine Valley on All My Children, and in doing so it was suppose to change a few characters lives.  Can you see lives forever changed when all is said in done in the collapse of Nick’s club?

JOSHUA:

I don’t know if it will alter people’s lives, and if that’s the case.  It was more about different pockets of people working together to see if they can survive, because there is a building collapse.

MICHAEL:

Nick’s mom and dad (Nikki and Victor) are in there, too!

JOSHUA:

Yeah, Nick doesn’t know if his parents are even alive at this point.  But he knows they are there and he can’t get to them.  Nick doesn’t seem to care about safety measures.  He doesn’t really care about himself at this point.  Dylan comes in, and together they have got to find their mom!  We have Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Jack (Peter Bergman) and Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) Avery (Jessica Collins) and Joe (Scott Elrod) all in the mix.

MICHAEL:

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How does Dylan (Steve Burton) show up on the scene?

JOSHUA:

Dylan shows up because he wants to find his mom, but when he gets there he finds Nick and Sage trying to dig out of the rubble, and so the three of them find Joe and Avery together, and the paramedics find Nikki and Phyllis. Victor and Jack are also a big part of this mess!

MICHAEL:

What has it been like working with the talented Kelly Sullivan (Sage)?

JOSHUA:

I love her.  Kelly is super funny and I love her personality.  She is not all “actressy”.  I had heard so many cool things about her coming in, and obviously, Michelle Stafford (Ex-Phyllis, Y&R, now Nina, GH) is one of my best friends.  Michelle was talking about Kelly, and that she was the best thing that ever happened to television.  Kelly makes me laugh a lot.  She doesn’t take any of my crap.  She’s very similar to Michelle Stafford in that way – and they have a similar sense of humor.

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo

And, what do you think of Justin Hartley’s portrayal of Adam Newman/Gabriel  Bingham?   He has really made the role his own in a short time.

JOSHUA:

Things started out funky, because Adam wasn’t being totally upfront about his background, but Nick certainly didn’t figure anything out.  It’s a great story that they have with him, coming in.  Justin has done a tremendous job.  There will never be another Michael Muhney Adam.  Michael played him differently.  Justin adds just enough of himself to create this mystique about this character that it really needed. That was really crucial to playing this role – and that is – keeping this element of danger, but being able to fool the town.  There is something about Justin’s clipped line delivery that is fascinating to me.  It makes you think, “What is going on with this guy?”  But then he says something, and you go, “Oh, OK.”   Justin’s delivery is such that he can brush things aside, but the way he delivers his lines are very effective.  In Muhney’s portrayal, Adam’s heart was pulsating on his sleeve.  He was this broken human, and you wanted to hate him, but yet you understood everything he was going through.  Well, you can’t have that character come back, because then it’s so obvious.  Justin plays him with the perfect level of “How am I going to get out of this?”   Next, there is a moment where in a scene the camera goes to the other person and Justin as Adam is looking at them, and then he kind of smoothes that over.  Whether Justin came in as that as his plan, or his choice, or maybe that is just who he is as an actor … it works so well!  My greatest compliment to him is that he needed to be able to play Adam completely differently with this shroud of mystery, and that is exactly what he is doing.  I like watching him.

MICHAEL:

When the truth finally comes out of Gabriel’s true identify, are you looking forward to having Adam and Nick go at it again as brothers and adversaries?

JOSHUA:

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I told anyone who would listen that my favorite relationship on the show is Nick and Adam’s, because there was always something to play.  You can go through down periods in your career where you think, “My character is doing nothing right now.”  But, I always had something to play in scenes with Nick and Adam, and they didn’t even need to write it.   It was just right there between me and Muhney.  It was hate, resentment, and pain, and it was easy to play and fun.  I am looking forward to when that comes about with Justin.  I appreciate they are taking their time with it, because it’s a great story.

MICHAEL:

What about Sage in all of this?  What is she really up to?

JOSHUA:

What’s interesting to me about this is: Sage is being devious as innocent as she is in all of this. There is a method to what she is doing and it is not completely on the up and up, and that gives this layer of danger to her.  Nick is obviously going to fall madly in love with her, and then we will see what happens when all of this comes out, because at any point she could have been honest with what was going on, but she is choosing to protect and go along with this with Adam/Gabriel, which in of itself is pretty dastardly!  

MICHAEL:

Nick is going to be duped yet again … by another woman!

JOSHUA:

Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo

Listen, he is never going to win the Noble Prize for brains.  Nobody wants Nick to be the guy to figure stuff out.  Standing up has never been his problem, but he never is going to sit back and figure things out, because he acts too impulsively.

MICHAEL:

Wait.  Nick was the one that put the pieces together about Phyllis.  He’s had a few moments where the light bulb went off!

JOSHUA:

Well, they’ve got to give him a win once in a while. (Laughs)  I like that Nick is all reaction.  He is not calculating, that is Adam.

MICHAEL:

Have you ever thought what it would be like to play a doppelganger version of Nick?   Certainly, it’s been done before on Y&R.   This way, you would get the opportunity to play a bad dude!

JOSHUA:

No.  I like playing Nick.  I would like to play someone else like that, but in a different project.  But on Y&R, and in this realm, I love playing Nick.

MICHAEL:

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I think it is very difficult, and takes a solid actor, to make a good character remain interesting throughout its run on a soap opera.  What are your thoughts on that having played a good guy for over two decades?

JOSHUA:

I think good is hard to play with a lot of longevity.  Look, there are certainly more interesting characters on the show, and they usually have something dark and insidious about them, but I wouldn’t trade Nick for any of that.  I really, really like my character.  He makes a lot of mistakes, which is fun, and I like the guy!  If he was real, I would hang out with him.

MICHAEL:

Could you see Nick and Phyllis getting back together, and you working opposite Gina Tognoni?

JOSHUA:

I did a scene with her, and it was amazing.  Steve Burton came to me and said, “They need to put you two back together.”  Steve is such a good friend of mine, and I appreciate he took the time to watch, and good grief!  Gina is so talented.  It’s funny.  I remember when they were reading for the role of Phyllis.  I thought Kelly Sullivan was going to get the part, for sure.  I didn’t think there was a question.  Then, I found out the show went with Gina, and she was awesome, too!  Now, I can’t imagine it switched around. Gina has so owned the role of Phyllis now.  She is freaking scary and unhinged.  I like watching her.  She’s really good … I mean, really good!  They did a great job casting her, because I think you can’t replace Michelle Stafford, but Gina has done amazing.  I love the characters of Nick and Phyllis together, and that story was probably my most favorite that I ever told.  I got to work with Michelle, and it put Nick in a different stratosphere.  He was no longer bopping around the coffee house, and it was a very intense relationship that was told very maturely.  The Sharon/Nick/Phyllis triangle was definitely one of my favorites, too.

MICHAEL:

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You have been going on personal appearances around the country with Steve Burton.  What has that been like to work with him away from the Y&R studio? Why do you think the combo of the two of you works in a live venue?

JOSHUA:

Listen, Steve Burton brings me along to the personal appearances for one very obvious reason … to make it zany.  Our roles are very clearly defined, and Steve is such a sharp business man.  I am not that guy.  Steve is like, “Here is what you need to do! You need to do this, and you need to do this…”   So … I had to learn how to make flights! (Laughs) I know that sounds super ridiculous, but Steve is just lean and mean.  He’s got a plan and he is no-nonsense, but you put us together, and he is like the straight man and I am like the idiot brother.  It works!  Steve and I have a great time together.

MICHAEL:

Did you initially think you would enjoy doing these club dates with Steve?

JOSHUA:

I didn’t!  It’s such a different format than what I have been used to over the years, but this by far is the best way to do this, which is: get a van and drive around with your buddy and act like idiots, and people love that, assuming you are good at it.  Steve is a tremendous idiot. (Laughs)

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MICHAEL:

I think many would agree it’s time for you to have your own talk show.  You are a natural at it.  Could you see your career heading that way in the future?

JOSHUA:

It’s my dream.  I would just need the right vehicle.  My hero is Jimmy Fallon.  What he does is insanity, and I feel that is my calling.  I am not afraid to do anything, or make an idiot of myself, and I like talking to people.  I would love to do something like that.

MICHAEL:

“The Underground” has collapsed.  Everyone is in peril.  Give me some parting shots on what viewers are going to see.

JOSHUA:

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com

All the characters get really dirty.  It’s the dirtiest you have ever seen them! (Laughs) But we all had fun!

MICHAEL:

Did the iconic Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) have fun too, getting all dirtied up?

JOSHUA:

Melody had fun!  You should have seen her on the stage!  We loved this.  We never get to do this, and it’s good, good TV.