Curlyqgrl's SSW 2001

Super Soap Weekend 2001

I have about 7 1/2 hours of SSW all taped on SP speed for the best quality. I have a digital video camera that provides good sound and picture quality. I only use new camcorder tapes. I transferred this footage onto VHS tapes also on SP, again for the best possible quality. I decided to combine the GH events onto one tape, and the two street jam concerts onto a tape, and the AMC events onto another tape.

For those of you who have seen the GH weekend tapes from 2001, the video quality is similar as far as good clarity of picture, the audio quality is very good as there were good sound systems at all the events. However, at these events it was not possible to set up a tripod which provides steadiness of a picture so overall the picture is not going to be quite as steady at the GH events. I did use a tripod at the indoor talk show but had to set it on my lap and the camera did occasionally move but those events are probably the most stable of the weekend film and I think came out pretty good. I got some beautiful up close shots of each of the actors as I had good seating directly in front of them and have a great zoom on the video camera.

The Celebrity Motorcades/Q&As were more difficult to tape as there were so many people and it was difficult to get a clear view over people's heads. I devised a system of setting up my tripod on top of my bag of equipment so I got a pretty good clear view. Of course the camera did occasionally get jostled by people in the crowd or if I needed to move. Fortunately I was able to fully extend the tripod and use the zoom to get some good close ups on stage. For those of you who have gotten tapes from me before you know how particular I am about quality, so just wanted you to know the circumstances that the taping took place in. It was a lot of fun, and I got some great footage. I learned a lot from taping in this environment and made a lot of notes of additional equipment that I think would help me improve in future years should I decide to go again. But I think I got pretty good at the whole outdoor arena setting by Sunday night and the final street jam concert came out pretty good.

SSW #1 - GH & PC Actors - 2 hrs 31 minutes

Talk Show - Linda Dano hosts. Guests Maurice, Tamara, Coltin, Marisa, Jackie (each introduction is proceeded by clips of the actors on GH). This is from the 9:00 Sunday am show. But I thought this would be a good way to start off the tape as this event was a lot of fun and a big crowd pleaser. Linda starts off by saying how grateful they are that we got in our cars, planes, trains to be there. That they think of us as family as we are! Maurice is announced and the crowd goes wild. Someone screams out, "We Love you!", he responds, "I Love You too!". Linda confesses that he is her favorite actor. Linda brings him down to the edge of the stage so I got truly gorgeous shots of him on video. Tamara talked about how that little boy quality about Maurice gets all women and how he is a genuine person. Maurice said that when he first came on with Sonny being a bad guy he knew he had to bring some suffering, soulfulness to the role so he could stay on the show. (side note I recently read an article stating that Tony Geary came up with the idea of Bill Eckert being the owner of a sleazy night club in 1993 - TPTB liked the idea and created the role of Sonny). Linda invites a couple of fans to touch Maurice’s arms, and his stomach, the crowd goes nuts. Jackie is brought out, Linda congratulates her on celebrating her 25th year. Linda asks her to demonstrate some moves from her exercise video, "Walk Away the Pounds". Then Linda introduces Coltin and Marisa. Coltin teases her that she had told him backstage that he was her favorite. After Linda interviews each actor, she then brings them down to the edge of the stage and they are each asked a question by the audience. Then the actors go back stage and one lucky fan is selected from the audience to do a scene with one of the actors. Its an older woman named Freddie. She does a scene with Coltin and is ALL over him, it is hysterically funny as she changes the lines, and Coltin is laughing and cracking up! At the end, clips of the following weeks shows for GH are shown.

Celebrity Motorcade/Q&A with Walt Wiley - Maurice, Tamra, Coltin, Marisa, Jackie Sat afternoon. There is a lot of good natured teasing between the actors. They all seemed pretty happy which was nice to see, moral seemed good. Walt asked each of them questions, then they were asked questions submitted by the fans (This event was about 26 minutes, total tape to this point is 1 hr 13 minutes).

Talk Show - this was the 3:45 show on Saturday, hosted by Linda Dano. Guests: Wally, Ingo, John Ingle, Brian Presley (Jack, PC) and Kelly Monaco (Livvie, PC) (each introduction is proceeded by clips of the actors on GH). Ingo is the first out, Linda sits on his lap and flirts. Next out is Wally, then John Ingle. They are so funny! Wally & Ingo are pretty funny together. Wally is celebrating 10 years on GH and talks about how much of himself he brings to the role of Ned. Linda begs Ingo to admit that he is just like Jax, as that is what she and the fans want to hear. John Ingle's clips is of him singing at the Nurse's Ball. Linda asks Wally to sing a sample for the audience. He picks a girl out of the audience and sings to her. He puts his arm around her shoulder, and kisses her on the neck! Next Kelly & Brian come out, he carries her onto the stage, lays her down and kisses her! After Linda's interview, the actors come down and are seated at the edge of the stage and take questions from the audience. In a cute moment, Erin Hershey asks a question from the audience - commenting on what a great voice he has and if he will be singing during SSW. He says no and so she asks him to sing for the audience. He comes down and picks another lucky lady out of the audience and sings a country song, he too has a great voice! He does a little two step dance with her as he holds her in his arms and sings. Then a fan asks John and Wally to sing the Thanksgiving song that the Q's always sing. After the Q&A, a fan is selected to act out a scene with Brian. He is so funny as he takes the woman in his arms, and holds her, gently brushing her hair off of her face. She has a hard time getting her lines out, and as she stumbles, he leans down and kisses her neck, then nuzzles her on the other side. She is pretty gone by this time! At the end, clips of the following weeks shows for both PC and GH are shown.

Celebrity Motorcade/Q&A - Sunday -Walt Wiley hosts. Ingo, Wally, John Ingle, Kelly, Brian. Show begins with a parade as the actors arrive in cars with Disney characters. Funny moment when Wally teases Ingo that he didn't know that GH takes place in Port Charles. Ingo says something sarcastic about vampires on PC, Walt zings back about the whole Stavros being frozen and defrosted! Good comeback!

Autograph Sessions - Short clips of Coltin, Jackie, Tamra, Wally, John Ingle singing autographs for fans

SSW 2001 #2 - AMC & PC Actors - 2 hrs 26 mins

Linda Dano's talk show - Saturday 9:30 -guests Cameron, David Canary, Finola, Jack Scalia. Cameron is extremely popular with the young ladies. But I have to say I thought that Jack is mighty handsome. Linda interviews each of them, then brings them down to the edge of the stage so fans can ask questions of each of them. After this a lucky fan is selected to act out a scene with one of the actors - its Tinky Johnson. The stage set turns to reveal Cameron laying in bed! Tinky jumps up and down with excitement. This is very funny as Cameron really hams it up, as they lay in bed trying to read their lines. He struts and poses and the ladies go nuts, then he takes off his shirt!

Celebrity Motorcade/Q&A - Walt hosts - Sunday am - Guests: Cameron, Finola, David Canary, Jack Scalia. Walt teases Cameron about taking his shirt off. This becomes a running joke the whole weekend. Walt asks each of the actors questions, then the actors are asked questions submitted by the fans. There is joking between Cameron and David over Liza, and between Walt and Jack over Erica. I got a bit of the motorcade after the event not before.

Autographs - Clips of Finola, David Canary, Josh, Jack Scalia, Susan Lucci signing autographs.

Talk Show - Susan Lucci with Linda Dano. Clips of Erica shown, then the lady herself comes out to a standing ovation! Linda interviews her, then it is time for the audience questions. She talks a lot about Jack and her current storyline, singing at Carnegie Hall, Erica & Bianca's relationship. A little boy comes out and asks her a question, she gets up and goes over and hugs him it is so sweet!

- Talk Show - PCers with Linda Dano. Thorsten, Kiko, Erin, and Robert S. Woods (OLTL). Its obvious that Thorsten and Robert S. Woods are great friends, probably why they appeared together. They talk about a tree house that they have been building for Bob's son since 1997. He dances with Linda Dano to "All the Girl's I've Loved", then Thorsten joins in for a threesome. Next out is Kiko & Erin, they come out with him giving Erin a piggy back ride throwing things out to the audience. After the interviews , the fans asked questions of the actors. Then it was time for the lucky fan selection, Anne Marie Ferraro who is an aspiring actress. She got to act out a scene with Robert S. Woods. This is so funny. He is seated in this little tiny car and can hardly get out or move around. She takes her lines seriously and he teases her not to be so melodramatic.

Autograph Sessions - shots of Kassie and James DiPaiva, Robert S. Woods, Short clip of another Celebrity Q&A - with Kassie & James DiPaiva, Rebecca & Josh. I think I only got the last 4 minutes of this Q&A with the departing parade (and its quite jumpy) but thought I would go ahead and add it to the end of this tape.

SSW 2001 #3 - Street Jams - Walt Wiley hosts - 2 hrs 30 mins – SP

Saturday Street Jam - (This was my first of the outdoor evening concerts, and there were a lot of heads to work around - led to very tired arms. I think the Sunday concert came out the best and had the best video of the two concerts) This event was fun, it was great to hear all the vocal talents, it was a special treat to hear Susan Lucci sing since I haven't heard her before. Walt introduces all the stars: Catherine Hickland, Michael E. Knight, Kiko & Erin, Josh & Rebecca, Finola & David Canary, Thorsten, Susan Lucci, Ingo, Linda Dano, Hilary B. Smith, Robert S. Woods, David Fumero, Laurence Lau, Maurice, Tamra, Jackie, Cameron, Kelly, Brian, Coltin (parade not shown) Let's Get Loud" (?) played as the stars danced on stage with confetti raining down on them. Good shots of Tamra dancing, and of Kiko dancing. Kurth & Taylor - they sang three songs: "Freedom", "No Surrender", then a song he said he just sang on GH sorry don't know the title of it either. Kassie Di Paiva - First she sang "Simply Love", and she made a lot of jokes about Blair looking for her baby. She also sang a really good country song, something about I just want to be an ordinary girl. I really liked it.

Coltin Scott - he also sang two songs. I'm not sure what the first one was but think the second one was titled, "Stay". This is a great song with the makings of a top 10 hit. I think I will wear out my tape listening to this one!

Susan Lucci - oh my gosh this lady can really sing. She sang three songs, the first one "Black Magic", then a song about winning an Emmy, then a third one. Kurth & Taylor - they returned again at this point to close the show with "Let It Go". Wally talked about the fear we have had as a country and then introduced this song that is it time to let it go. I panned up to show the fireworks going off above the stage.

Sunday Street Jam - This event came out pretty good. I had a good spot and had gotten down videotaping in this environment. So I think the Sunday event came out better than Saturday, as the picture was much more stable. Poor Walt is incredibly hoarse by this time and this became a running joke throughout the evening. This was kicked off by the parade of all the stars: Linda Dano, Finola & Jack S., Thorsten, John Ingle, Cameron, Marisa, Hillary & Laurence, Tamra, David Fumero, Brian & Kelly, Robert S. Woods, Rebecca & Josh, Ingo, Kiko & Erin, James & Kassie, Michael E. Knight, Maurice (with his daughters). "Let's Get Loud" played - good shots of Finola dancing with Jack, Marisa & Tamara

Kurth & Taylor start off - they rock out, it was great! I don't recall the name of the first song but words are "can't believe what the girl has done to me", then they sang 7th Son.

Kassie Di Paiva - she sang a new song, then sang the ordinary girl song that I enjoyed so much the night before. She really has a beautiful voice. Then Walt came out as she finished and whispered in her ear...I think they needed her to fill some time. So she calls James up on the stage and they sang, "Natural History" which was a very sweet moment.

Catherine Hickland - she sang with two guys who were her backup singers. Coltin Scott - sang two songs, one being "Stay" - I really like that song! Finale - this was beautiful. Kassie comes out singing "America" as the crowd ooohs and ahhhs. Then she is joined by Wally - oh my can he sing this song, then Coltin joins in, then Catherine. Its was truly an amazing combination. I panned up to try to catch a bit of the fireworks in the background so you could get a feel for being there.