Soap Stars, Broadway, and Charity - what could be better?

Every once in awhile we do something non-Lilly-centric.

Since I was 10 years old I've watched ABC daytime soaps, thanks to having an older sister who came home from college every summer and convinced me to fall in love with the characters and the outrageous plotlines. My first soap moment was when Tad came back from being dead, and then he was with Dixie... and Brooke... and couldn't make up his mind. And time went on and the Todd Manning/Marty Saybrook storyline was crazy but somehow had me hooked. Bo and Nora were like the aunt and uncle I always wanted, and I totally wanted to be friends with Bianca. I remember the day Starr was born, and was pregnant at the same time as Babe. I've even yelled at my screen when Tess took over Jess, and those painful moments when they added on Bess.

It's odd because the two constants I've had in my life - through changing schools, moving cities, new life experiences - are God and my soaps. I always find a new church when I move to a new city and I always start watching my "shows" to feel like I haven't really moved that far, I'm still near the people I love in Pine Valley and Llanview.

So when we got the chance to get tickets to the ABC Daytime Broadway Cares event, I jumped on it. (Of course, being that we're on a strict budget, I accounted for it and got the cheapest seats.) But I was thrilled to go to a night out with my humoring husband and watch the soap stars that I've grown up with and who still entertain me on a daily basis perform Broadway hits for a charitable cause. Sounds like a nice night out to me!

And they sure did deliver. Bobbie Eakes and Walt Willey (Krystal and Jackson on AMC) hosted and did an incredible job - funny, talented, entertaining. A huge part of the OLTL cast was there, and Hillary B Smith, Bree Williamson, Kassie DePaiva, Melissa Archer, Kristen Alderson, and Brittany Underwood (Nora, Jessica, Blair, Natalie, Starr, and Langston) did an insanely good version of "Cellblock Tango" from Chicago (in character, which made it even better). I was impressed by the talent of so many of the performers (too many names to drop here) but each of the 25 or so actors that participated were all so talented, it was so much fun to watch. It will make watching the soaps even more interesting, after feeling like I've gotten to know an additional side to these people. And they genuinely seemed to all love each other and be a happy group, which warms my heart (and is unexpected considering how many times they've all killed and cheated on each other - on the shows of course).

And the big suprise at the end was La Lucci herself - Susan Lucci (Erica Kane on AMC) - surprising everyone in the audience and the cast by flying in from the West Coast. As this is the last time in a 7 year run that they're doing this event, who knows if I'd ever get another chance to see all my favorite people in the same place. Unless I move to Pine Vally, of course.

For a Soap fan, it was a great night. And for a husband, it was a good night of great music and the chance to pay it back to the wife who's tolerated a few sporting events now and again.