Two Questions in One Querry - Singing & The Olympics

[j swift]

1.  As I recall the soap used to have big cliffhangers the Friday before the Summer Olympics when the networks broadcasted the games during the daytime.  Three memories come to mind: (1) Edge of Night had a short term drug runner story that ended with Preacher and Sky in a car chase on the beach (the footage of the end of the car chase was used in the opening montage for years) (2) All My Children and General Hospital had to be rearrange their summer plotlines in 1980 when the US boycotted the summer games and (3) Days is the last soap that I recall using a cliffhanger prior to the Olympics.  Does anyone else remember specific Olympic related cliffhanger stories?

 

2.  Y&R regularly featured characters singing during the 70's and 80's.  At first, it was mostly non-diegetic, for example when Snapper would sing it was meant to be in his head.  Later, Gina's Place gave everyone an opportunity to sing (even John Abbott struck up a tune).  And, of course, Danny usually had his summer concert (with Traci and Lauren as backup) either to educate Genoa Citizens about the dangers of drugs or premarital sex.  On GL, Morgan and Kelly sang to each other, ex-hookers Donna and Kitty both sang at the cabaret on AMC, Doug of Days sang all the time, and Frisco sang to Felicia before being a secret agent.  Who else do you recall singing and do you prefer characters singing only in context or should soaps bring back the non-digetic style? 

Edited July 1, 2020 by j swift

[Darn]

 

What stories did they have to alter? 

[j swift]

There was an article in SOD about it and mostly it was just the timing of story because there would no longer be break in July.

[Darn]

 

That's interesting, you'd think they'd just continue as planned. I'm guessing they stretched out whatever the cliffhanger was meant to be as to not burn through story?

[robbwolff]

I don’t recall other cliffhangers other than the one on Edge. The situation you describe was from 1983 and featured Preacher and Jody. That was the sequence featured in the opening credits. The Olympics cliffhanger was taped in Mexico and featured a car chase involving Sky and Raven. It ended with the Whitneys at the edge of a cliff. Ryan’s Hope and Loving may have had cliffhangers that day, too.

[Paul Raven]

 

First I had to look up diegetic!

From what I recall when characters sang it was a variety of circumstances.

In the first episode Pierre sang in his restaurant and I assume he continued to do so.

Leslie would sing in private ,either while at the piano or to Brad or to an audience eg the after party of her concert in a clip recently posted.

Lance would serenade Lorie in private or in a restaurant and the patrons would look on approvingly. I recall Lorie singing also.

Brock would belt out an inspirational song to the many women who turned to him.

By the 80's the schtick of characters singing outside of a public forum was dropped.

It was campy fun to me.

Edited July 1, 2020 by Paul Raven

[robbwolff]

I could be wrong but I think Loving's Olympics cliffhanger involved Jack Forbes getting into a motorcycle accident.

[Gray Bunny]

During the John Conboy/Ellen Weston era of GL in 2003, Danny and Michelle once busted out singing the vocals to their theme song. I think it was at the Santos family's underground restaurant (the one below Millennium). It was quite random and mostly cringeworthy. 

[Darn]

I hate when characters sing...if the actor can only marginally sing and it makes no sense for the character to be a singer. Looking at you, Kassie DePaiva.

 

I recently watched a scene of Evangeline singing Ain't No Other Way with Layla randomly. It's a weird scene because she does the whole song while walking around her apartment, Layla just sits there listening but it's not like Evangeline is singing for her, she's just wandering about singing. BUT it's REG singing so I won't even complain.

[j swift]

 Chloe and Brady's summer of song still makes me smile.  Not only did these "teens" know every lyric to The Sound of Music, but they could harmonize on cue with operatic vibrato.  The idea of high school students spontaneously singing showtunes is funny to me and it is one of those things that can only work on a soap. 

[titan1978]

GH had several performances during the years Brenda and Lois ran a record company.  Ned as Eddie Maine and himself sang all over the place- several times at The Outback.  So did Mary Mae Ward, (in flashbacks and current scenes), and Miguel.

 

Also Terry Brock was a singer if I recall correctly.  And Blackie was in a band with Frisco.

 

They finally got Rick Springfield to perform music on the show in the late 2000’s with Noah Drake’s lookalike Eli Love.

[j swift]

Yes, but do you prefer this performative style (where soaps have to contort the plot to fit an actor's desire to sing) or the musical tradition of characters breaking into song to express their inner thoughts and feelings?  I have a campy appreciation for the latter (which I find far less annoying than characters constantly talking aloud to themselves), but I know there are fans that prefer a more grounded soap experience.

Edited July 1, 2020 by j swift

[All My Shadows]

I like it when it when it’s part of the scene/story. Random characters singing over dream sequences of flashback montages is cheesy as hell.

 

There used to be a super cute Love of Life scene from 1969 on YouTube. It featured real-life couple Gene and Toni Bua as their characters Bill and Tess, with Bill singing and playing guitar. I love stuff like that, especially intimate moments between couples. Maybe it’s a little syrupy, but it’s effective.

There was one really crappy example of this - AMC had Carlos serenade Greenlee in front of everyone at The Pit, and it was the pits.

 

I’m not too crazy about the local club/lounge having mega-famous real-life performers coming by to sing for a few days worth of shows. WTF was Mary J. Blige doing performing for Starr Manning’s birthday?

[GLATWT88]

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[titan1978]

I prefer my soap people to sing in a performative style I guess.  I do not have an issue with someone like Nikki Newman playing the piano by themselves, or another instrument.  But breaking out into song is not my jam on a soap.