Premiere Party

Last night, at an hour when most of the soaps online team is still very much entrenched at the studio, we were all together, but this time at a theater at NYU in Manhattan. A theater complete with a red carpet entrance, press galore, loyal fans, and a "first look" at the pilot episodes of One Life to Live and All My Children (which will be available online starting next week). I am not a frequent guest at premiere parties, so the whole thing was pretty exciting to begin with, but once I was in, I realized that it was much more than a glam event I got to attend. I was surrounded by cast and crew colleagues decked out for the occasion. There were people with whom I've worked for over 20 years, and people I've met over the last six weeks. And while all of us might have been excited about the opportunity to "get fancy" for the evening, we were united in something far more significant--the revival of shows that were pronounced dead a year or two ago, and the return to work for several hundred people. Several hundred.
 
We watched the pilots, rapt by the stories and characters that have been a part of so many viewers' lives for years, and new characters we hope viewers will be excited to meet. And we celebrated the teams of people who believed that this was possible and worked tirelessly (these people work till 4am!) to bring the endeavor to this point.
 
As I made my way home afterward, I felt special carrying the souvenir tote bag filled with promotional materials. I felt special about being an active part of making this dream happen, and about being a member of the team working so hard each day to make the shows the best they can be. There are a whole lot of us back to work, and what we deliver starting Monday will be the virtual family members that fans have followed for years. And as with One Life to Live's live shows and musicals and Daisy Awards, I was there. It was a moment in time, not just a premiere party, but the start of something big. And very special.
 
And I was there.