I can remember back in college, the office I worked at essentially shut down at 2. We were open until 4pm, but from 2-3 in the afternoon it was time for General Hospital. The stories were always wild and the stars were always glamorous, and over the 55 year run of the show, no matter what crazy story line is happening, that’s stayed the same!
Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to check out the set of General Hospital and I even got to see an upcoming sneak peek of this week’s Nurse’s Ball! As someone who dabbled in theater growing up and always dreamt of being on TV {but was too chicken to actually pursue it}, being on stage of such an epic show was just mind blowing!
The General Hospital set is actually made up of a whole bunch of sets, and they can be rotated in and out as needed. Once a week or so, a crew comes in during the middle of the night and tears down sets completely and puts others back up. It’s an all-night process- not only do the sets need to be dealt with but the lighting needs to be changed to accommodate each set- and the lights in this place are no joke!
It was so fun to see how tiny the sets were compared to how big they seem on TV- each set was pretty much the size of my living room, with just a couple of exceptions for the main sets like the hospital lobby and the courtroom. Because of how they film the show, it seems like the characters are in these giant rooms, but really they’re in a tiny little space! Here I am, totally making myself at home in someone’s living room!
The Nurse’s Ball episodes start this week, and we had the chance to preview a seriously catchy performance by one of the newer cast members, Joshua Swickard {Detective Harrison Chase}. I can’t say much about it, but I will say that you’re going to want to tune in to the Nurse’s Ball to see it!
About the Nurse’s Ball:
“General Hospital”’s annual Nurses Ball, this year sponsored by Olay, returns on 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.
After our sneak peek at what’s coming up on General Hospital, we got to hang out in the Green Room and eat bundt cake with Joshua Swickard {Detective Harrison Chase} and Executive Producer Frank Valentini. They talked about what it’s like coming into a show that’s been on the air so long- Frank joined about six years ago and Joshua just joined earlier this year, so expectations were already high long before they joined in. Luckily they’re both doing an amazing job!
You can watch General Hospital weekdays on ABC {check your local listings} or streaming or on the app!