General Hospital: April 2023 Discussion Thread

[carolineg]

Alan definitely opened it in 1996 and 1997, but I think in 1998 he was in the midst of his drug addiction and couldn't do his song with Robin, so it probably was someone else.

I remember a montage of arrivals showing off the fashion and maybe a red carpet, but not actual interviews.  It was never an Oscar style entrance even if there were gossip reporters asking Sonny questions or something.

I dislike Valentin strongly, but I feel like I would be less disappointed in him if he wasn't hyped up to be the scariest, most dangerous Cassadine.  I don't like him and Anna at all.  They might have chemistry, but I feel like he's too wimpy for Anna.  I genuinely think she could kick his ass.

[Vee]

Half the town could kick his ass! I cannot stand them together but they have fans and I think Finola loves it. I'd kill him immediately.

The number with Ric frantically singing (very, very painfully autotuned) and hip-hop dancing in place to a considerably unimpressed Liz and baffled audience begging for her love is among another of the major NB lowlights for me BTW. I never thought I'd see them make him do that, and I watched this show happily humiliate Rick Hearst for the better part of 15 years under Guza. Don't look it up, it's bad.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Vee

[carolineg]

I just looked it up lol.  At least Carly had the good sense to interrupt lol.  Her love of exposing secrets in public came in handy there.  It was rough.  I don't even remember him with Liz in 2015. 

I don't get the random use of pop songs/characters.  Even today I was wondering why Joss/Trina were singing a pop song from 5 years ago that had no correlation to them, the cause, or anything going on at the moment. 

Listen, I know everyone loves it and it's fine, but it's been full of questionable acts since its inception.  It just used to look like an actual production.  Now the tables are so small 3 people are crammed into it and my high school had a much more sophisticated lighting and stage area. 

[Vee]

My memory may be failing me, but Frank and Ron Carlivati are the ones who popularized this IMO. I seem to recall the existing song numbers in the old days at least having a thematic connection to the sketches or numbers they were doing onstage (even the absolutely unwatchable "Swannee River/Proud Mary" number with Luke and Felicia, one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life and it makes my skin crawl to think about to this day).

But when Ron and Frank started doing big high school musical episodes at OLTL they would weave in characters singing popular songs like a jukebox musical. It got a big response so I think they brought it over to GH and the NB. But it makes zero sense for GH characters to get up there and sing Meghan Trainor or whatever for no reason. It drives me nuts, it's just Frank trying to get a few more teenagers.

That's the essential issue for me. That and the painfully cheap, corny numbers like the opening as they march in place while someone toot-toot-toots on a muzak organ or something.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Vee

[AMCHistory]

The “Welcome to the Nurses Ball” song is just awful, and unnecessary. The words and the music don’t go together. Because they force the nurses to sing, all in a different key, I can’t even figure out what it should sound like. 
 

Make the opening song a fun, upbeat, oldie everyone knows the words to, that sets the tone for the evening’s ball. I like the idea of introducing a theme too (“This year, we honour Motown…) so this doesn’t look and sound like a bad talent show. 
 

Is anyone on the cast actually a good singer? Other than Ned (who we haven’t even seen this year). I hope JPS was not the second in line!

…man I miss Vanita Harbour. At least the old regime had the decency to roll her out once a year for this.

[Vee]

I don't mind good oldies. And I'll stand by the Rick Springfield/Jack Wagner numbers from 2013. Wagner's terrible acting performance that year and the bad storyline aside, those were joyous celebrations of the show and their roles in it and in the show's mark on pop culture as well as very well done. Even Kristina Wagner's heartbreaking, visibly struggling reaction to "All I Need" in the audience worked for the drama with the characters (while Mac and Felicia happily dancing in the back to "Jessie's Girl" instead was just fun).

Edited April 6, 2023 by Vee

[carolineg]

I think you are correct about Frank/Ron making this a thing.  Outside of Ned and Ricky Martin doing some of their own songs, I believe the Nurses Ball pretty much always used classic songs from movies, or Broadway, or just songs most of the audience would be familiar with.  Frank needs to understand the Glee moment has passed and it's just weird to have Trina and Joss sing that song for no reason.  

That Nurses Ball opening and the marching with that posing choreography was absolutely embarrassing.  

@AMCHistoryI think Chase would be the #2 singer in this group although I think a lot of the nurses in the opening number have good voices.  That's why they get to appear once a year.   

Speaking of Nurses that appear once a year, Amy looked lovely in her dress.  Why on earth couldn't they put Maxie in that instead of a sparkly blazer.  She's hosting the freakin show in an ugly jacket and casual pants.

 

[Vee]

Frank's taste and sense of the youth demo is still stuck in 2008, so what are you gonna do.

[AbcNbc247]

Honestly, the entire episode was pure cringe. 

Finn with the earbuds, all the women wearing the same style, the random llama and just Linc, Austin and Valentin (the worst Cassadine of them all, ladies and gentlemen

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) in general. And it wasn’t even like they were trying to be funny and screwing up, like RC with Days. I just don’t get it. 

And yeah Joss still can’t sing. Even when I liked her, I didn’t think she could sing. Someone needs to tell Frank just because she’s his Starr doesn’t mean she’s also his Kristen Alderson (who wasn’t the best singer in the world either, but was still better than EM) 

[victoria foxton]

GH has money for a Llama. But not for extra's. The Metro Court ball room looked empty. It was another painfully dry and boring episode. Anna & Valentin's cringey musical fantasy sequence did have me laughing.

  

Edited April 6, 2023 by victoria foxton

[Noel]

Awwww. So, it wasn't me then. See, I'm a Nurses Ball virgin and hesitant if I wanted my cherry popped or not. You see, this is not cherry pop-worthy, but I figured it had to be the budget, even when I saw the bananas that were close to collecting fruit flies.

[victoria foxton]

.

Edited April 9, 2023 by victoria foxton

[titan1978]

When they brought it back I remember thinking why?  It wasn’t my favorite back when the show was excellent.

@Vee how dare you bring that Luke/Felicia monstrosity up from the depths of my memory.  Some of these things are best never mentioned again!

[dragonflies]

 

[Forever8]

I forgot who said it on Twitter, but someone said they should just drop the musical acts from the ball and have it just be a gala moving forward.