****Disney provided an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****
Remember those days? I learned to program the VCR just to not miss General Hospital (I think I am dating myself a bit here…) I just loved it too much to miss a minute! Can you believe that General Hospital turns 55 this year? 55 years of entertaining, keeping old fans and getting new ones. General Hospital is both the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the longest-running scripted television drama currently in production. That is pretty impressive. 
As we toured the nurse's station it was cool to see all of the paperwork, and the hospital set up. There is only one floor of the hospital, and when the scene needs to be on a different floor the monitor will change with the new floor number and a description of the floor, and the floor numbers on the elevators will also be changed, they are Velcroed on.
There were even some flowers for the "patients" in the hospital. I had to sit back and take some calls to help out, it is a busy station and I tried to do what I could.
After my long day at work, I was looking forward to some snacks in the vending machines, anyone up for a Hanshey’s Bar or some Baked Cheezlos? Unfortunately, they are not plugged in, so no treats for us, and these too are all pretty old!
The courtroom was a really cool part of the set that we were able to check out and play around, we even set up a fun picture opportunity of all 25 bloggers either being a party of the trial or being in the trial, it was a lot of fun.
We were able to have a quick chat with Executive Producer Frank Valentini, and Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" as well as get an exclusive sneak peek of one of the much-anticipated performances from this year’s Nurses Ball! How much do you pay attention to Twitter, as far as the storyline? According to Frank, "We all have opinions, and preferences fans will say "I hate it" but they really love it. We may not listen to something like that, but if a fan says that a storyline is going on for a long time... Our fans love the three dimensionality, there is an intense familiarity with the storytelling".
Frank let us know how hard everyone works on the Nurse's Ball episodes, "Some of the bigger numbers have much more people and are much more complicated, we are really fortunate to have some really talented singers. This year for the Nurses ball episodes, there are popular songs, eighties songs, and original numbers".
We asked Frank Valentini how will General Hospital be in the next 55 years? Frank said, "To have a continuing drama and to be on the air for 55 years is incredible, the pioneers were creating something ... entertainment... that was groundbreaking. There are ways to tell stories that can change peoples lives. Who knows what television is going to be, our audience has stayed with us and has loved the show".
Josh Swickard who plays, Detective Harrison Chase, is the star of the Nurses Ball performance we were able to preview. He did such an amazing job such a talented dancer and singer. How does one get the chance to be in a Nurses Ball episode and do a performance? Did he sign up to do the performance? According to Josh Swickard, he was asked if he could sing... he was a bit nervous.
When Josh gets a script about seven days before he will read it 10-20 times to make sure that he knows the script, he was impressed how fast his co-workers could learn their scripts.
For Josh and the other actors, the Nurses Ball performance took a lot more practice than the usual scenes. There were extra performance days to practice, even some weekends were thrown in there to make sure the scene would be perfect. We all applauded him for the amazing job he did, and he was so modest he graciously accepted and complements, and I think he blushed just a bit, what a cutie.
“General Hospital’s annual Nurses Ball, this year sponsored by Olay, returns WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, and airs through MONDAY MAY 21. Founded in 1994 by Port Charles resident Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), the Nurses Ball is one of fictional Port Charles’ most glamorous charity events, dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and research. This year, celebrity guest appearances include “The Chew”’s Carla Hall and “The Bachelor”’s Nick Viall.
In her debut performance, Hall takes on an infamous role decades in the making; while Viall joins Aurora media maven Nina Clay (Michelle Stafford) on the red carpet, as they welcome viewers into what promises to be a memorable night. From Sam McCall’s (Kelly Monaco) stunning arrival to Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) unwavering support and Jason Morgan’s (Steve Burton) tireless search for answers, as well as never-before-seen musical performances and a surprise proposal, the Nurses Ball promises to be this year’s can’t-miss event.
The Nurses Ball sneak peek was amazing. Be sure to stay tuned for more Nurses Ball awesomeness, starting Wednesday, May 16th through Monday, May 21st. With all of the great things coming up for GH including the Nurses Ball, and some great new plots that I can not say a peep about… I know I will be back watching General Hospital full time, to see what happens… but now I will be DVR’ing the show!
Stay social with General Hospital:
When I found out that there would be a set visit to General Hospital during the press trip for the Solo: A Star Wars Story premiere, I have to admit I was pretty excited. I grew up watching General Hospital with my mom, it was her favorite soap opera. As I grew up I strayed away from the show, but in high school, I was back as a huge fan. Oh, those were the days Ricky Martin and Antonio Sabàto, Jr. The love story between Sonny and Brenda… Remember those classics? Because I was in school in the afternoon, and by the time I got home I would miss most of the show, I learned to program my VCR. Yes!
Getting to be on the set was a bit surreal, we were exploring and checking out all the little nooks and crannies of the set. I was surprised at how large the set was, I expected different sections of a building, not one long long hallway sit different “rooms” on the left and the right. The hall was filled with different sets, from a courtroom to, a bedroom to a bar and of course the hospital… and much more.
We had a peek at all of the props and clothing that they need on hand, there were plenty of tops and accessories, even a whole bin of cell phones!
We had a peek at all of the props and clothing that they need on hand, there were plenty of tops and accessories, even a whole bin of cell phones!
Sonny’s Bar was stocked with plenty of alcohol, but we were warned that we would not enjoy it… The alcohol was there for many many years. They just keep the bottles there and only replace them when they start to look funky.
We were given a tour around the sets and given so interesting information about some of the props. Of course, when they have bar scenes the actors are not drinking alcohol… But do you know what they are drinking? Watered down juice, or watered down diet coke or just water for certain liquors, for the beer they tend to us non-alcoholic beer. Interesting huh?
Check out a room from the Quartermaine mansion, looks pretty nice, doesn’t it?
As we toured the nurse's station it was cool to see all of the paperwork, and the hospital set up. There is only one floor of the hospital, and when the scene needs to be on a different floor the monitor will change with the new floor number and a description of the floor, and the floor numbers on the elevators will also be changed, they are Velcroed on. 
There were even some flowers for the "patients" in the hospital. I had to sit back and take some calls to help out, it is a busy station and I tried to do what I could.
After my long day at work, I was looking forward to some snacks in the vending machines, anyone up for a Hanshey’s Bar or some Baked Cheezlos? Unfortunately, they are not plugged in, so no treats for us, and these too are all pretty old!
The courtroom was a really cool part of the set that we were able to check out and play around, we even set up a fun picture opportunity of all 25 bloggers either being a party of the trial or being in the trial, it was a lot of fun.
We were able to have a quick chat with Executive Producer Frank Valentini, and Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" as well as get an exclusive sneak peek of one of the much-anticipated performances from this year’s Nurses Ball! How much do you pay attention to Twitter, as far as the storyline? According to Frank, "We all have opinions, and preferences fans will say "I hate it" but they really love it. We may not listen to something like that, but if a fan says that a storyline is going on for a long time... Our fans love the three dimensionality, there is an intense familiarity with the storytelling".Frank let us know how hard everyone works on the Nurse's Ball episodes, "Some of the bigger numbers have much more people and are much more complicated, we are really fortunate to have some really talented singers. This year for the Nurses ball episodes, there are popular songs, eighties songs, and original numbers".
We asked Frank Valentini how will General Hospital be in the next 55 years? Frank said, "To have a continuing drama and to be on the air for 55 years is incredible, the pioneers were creating something ... entertainment... that was groundbreaking. There are ways to tell stories that can change peoples lives. Who knows what television is going to be, our audience has stayed with us and has loved the show".
When Josh gets a script about seven days before he will read it 10-20 times to make sure that he knows the script, he was impressed how fast his co-workers could learn their scripts.
For Josh and the other actors, the Nurses Ball performance took a lot more practice than the usual scenes. There were extra performance days to practice, even some weekends were thrown in there to make sure the scene would be perfect. We all applauded him for the amazing job he did, and he was so modest he graciously accepted and complements, and I think he blushed just a bit, what a cutie.
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| Joshua Swickard, "General Hospital" © XJJohnson/jpistudios.com Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18 |
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| Joshua Swickard, "General Hospital" © XJJohnson/jpistudios.com Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18 |
Stay social with General Hospital:
Visit the website: http://abc.go.com/shows/general-hospital
Like General Hospital on Facebook
Follow General Hospital on Twitter (#GH55)
Follow General Hospital on Instagram
Follow Executive Producer Frank Valentini on Twitter
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Twitter
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Instagram
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Twitter
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Instagram
“General Hospital” airs weekdays on The ABC Television Network check your local listings or streaming or on the app.
Are you a fan of General Hospital, and the Nurses Ball?
Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.
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