Behind The Scenes On The Set Of GENERAL HOSPITAL

I can’t believe it’s been just a couple of days since I came home from the Han Solo Event! It was a whirlwind of fun and exclusive surprises, including a visit to the set of General Hospital, to celebrate its 55th anniversary.

Can you believe it? General Hospital is both the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the longest-running scripted television drama currently in production.

I actually started watching General Hospital before I immigrated to the USA, while I was still living in the Dominican Republic and I found out that Ricky Martin was part of the cast. I followed Ricky since he was in Menudo and I remember I started my first job as a receptionist when I turned 12 years old and I used a portion of my first payment to buy a Ricky Martin pen and notebook set, which was my most precious possession!

I was going to college and it was a nice break to watch shows on Cable with my brother. We lived together at the time, shortly before my tragic abduction and the car accident that left me in a coma for 8 days. Life was challenging financially but I was a happy teenager with so many hopes and dreams.

I loved watching General Hospital whenever I could and I would learn English idioms I didn’t know before. I had watched Latin American telenovelas, which I didn’t like and are quite different!

 “General Hospital” was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and since it’s been on the air, it has won the prestigious Emmy® Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama a record 13 times.

When we visited the set, we had the honor of meeting and chatting with Executive Producer Frank Valentini and actor Joshua Swickard, who plays “Detective Harrison Chase” on ABC’s “General Hospital.” Some fun tidbits about Josh is that he is originally from Illinois, a former model, and his birthday is the 4th of July! When not working, he enjoys singing, dancing, and playing the drums. His hobbies include snow skiing, hiking, reading, and traveling!

Frank Valentini became executive producer of ABC’s “General Hospital” in January 2012. Previously, he was executive producer of ABC’s multi-award-winning daytime drama, “One Life to Live.” Something fun to know about Frank is that he has traveled to over 75 countries, and in 2002, he became a published photographer.

Since the Nurses Ball returns tomorrow to General Hospital, Wednesday, May 16th and airs on The ABC Television Network through Monday, May 21st, my blogger friends and I also got a sneak peek at Josh’s top-secret performance. All I can say is it was phenomenal and it left me wanting to see more!

The General Hospital’s annual Nurses Ball is sponsored by Olay this year. The Nurses Ball is one of fictional Port Charles’ most glamorous charity events, dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and research, was founded in 1994 by Port Charles resident Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring).

This year, celebrity guest appearances in the Nurses Ball 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.

I am really grateful for the special tour we received of General Hospital and I really enjoyed looking at the props, meeting actors and actresses as they planned their scenes (which is called “blocking”), and looking at all the different sets for different scenes.

Soap operas are taped at a very fast pace and there’s not a lot of time to practice lines. For the Nurses Ball, they actually pre-record some of the takes, first without an audience and then the actors perform in front of the audience.

The hospital set is more of a permanent set, but many of the others are moved and stored, or turned into a half set that looks a lot bigger on TV depending on how it’s shot. The hospital floor numbers by the elevator are replaced with velcro and the elevators don’t really work and are pulled open manually when required, instead. The floor number on the monitors then change to match.

Some of the sets we saw were the Quartermaines’ mansion. I sat in their office and their living room.

We also saw the set for the Metro Court Restaurant, which is supposed to be the most prestigious spot in Port Charles, however, up close it looks quite beat up – TV cameras sure hide all the imperfections! The bar features drinks that are at least 3 years old. When the stars are drinking alcohol, they actually drink either tea, ginger ale, or a watered down pop (as Sweet Brown would say).

The food in the vending machines is even older than the bar drinks. They place stickers on the packages to cover up the actual brands.

I had the most fun in the courtroom, at first playing judge, and then pledging to say the truth, the whole truth, and nothing by the truth!

What would you like to see if you got a special visit to the set of General Hospital? General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. To follow the conversation, use #GH55 and #ABCTVEvent and like General Hospital on Facebook, follow General Hospital on Twitter, and also follow General Hospital on Instagram. For more information about this iconic show, visit the ABC website.

Elayna is a single mom of 4, award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 4x TEDx speaker. Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results, so you can have the wealth, opportunities, and freedom you deserve. Connect with Elayna Fernández at thepositivemom.com/keynote-speaker and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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Photo Credit

Joshua Swickard, “General Hospital”
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18