Recently in Guiding Light

GUIDING LIGHT alum Terrell Tilford (David; Greg, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) will join ALL MY CHILDREN's Denise Vasi (Randi) for the second season of the VH1 hit comedy SINGLE LADIES!

Tilford announced the news on his Facebook fan page. "Single Ladies get ready ... Terrell Tilford joins the upcoming second season of VH1's "Single Ladies". Currently in production, season two will debut sometime in late May 2012."

Congratulations are in order for former GUIDING LIGHT stars Rob Bogue (Mallet) and Mandy Bruno (Marina)! The real-life couple welcomed son Flynn into the world on January 13. The tyke is the first child for the couple, who married last March in Mexico. Bogue has a son, Zeb, and daughter, Zoey, from a previous marriage.

"We welcomed in awe the birth of Flynn Zachariah Bogue on Friday the 13th," the proud pop tells Soaps In Depth. "7 lbs., 8 oz. of healthy yumminess. Mandy was a warrior goddess, delivering him after 8 hours of labor, with only 20 minutes of pushing. He is a handsome little boy and is now home with his older siblings, Zeb and Zoe, who are both thrilled and enamored with the new arrival. Even our yappy tea cup Yorkie terrier is often caught tucking him in with a blanket, and protectively sleeps very close to him. Mandy is mending well. And we feel blessed with the magnificence of this new life."

The hit CW occult drama THE SECRET CIRCLE has finally cast Cassie's mysterious father -- and he's a familiar face to soap viewers! TV Guide reports that Joe Lando (Macauley, GUIDING LIGHT; Jake, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) has nabbed the coveted role of John Blackwell, a former member of the Circle who was killed by his own coven centuries ago after he began to dabble in dark magic. Look for the powerful witch to make his first appearance in Episode 15, titled "Return," scheduled to air in early February.

Heads up Tom Pelphrey fans! If you've been longing to see the actor who once broke your heart as GUIDING LIGHT's Jonathan and AS THE WORLD TURNS' Mick back in action, now's your chance. CBS' hit police drama BLUE BLOODS is about to get a whole lot soapier next month!

In an upcoming episode titled "The Uniform," Pelphrey guest stars as Mike, the nephew of a diner owner who is being suspected of a crime. While show reps wanted to keep the rest of the details under wraps, they do reveal that the episode is "centered around" Pelphrey's character. Also featured is ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Matt Walton (ex-Elijah), who plays the publicity manager for the mayor's electoral campaign and takes a meeting with the police commissioner, played by series star Tom Selleck.

Tune in to CBS on Friday, January 13, at 10 p.m. EST.

If you missed GUIDING LIGHT alum Justin Klosky (Joey) in his recent guest appearance on ANDERSON -- Anderson Cooper's syndicated talk show -- you're in luck! The organizational expert and owner of The OCD Experience is bringing his enlightening tips and advice back for the Monday, January 2, episode. "It's all about New Year's Resolutions," Klosky hints. "It's been great, and hopefully they will continue to bring [me back]."

Might his newfound popularity result in a series of his own? "I wouldn't object to having a show, and it would definitely be a unique one because of the people that I know and the circles that I run in -- it could be interesting," he grins. "But listen, from your mouth to God's ears!"

For more on Klosky and The OCD Experience, visit www.ocdexperience.com. And be on the lookout for our Keeping Track interview with him in an upcoming CBS issue of Soaps In Depth!

GUIDING LIGHT fans, don't forget to tune in to LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT tomorrow night to see guest star Beth Chamberlin (Beth)! The episode is titled "Spiraling Down," and she'll appear as Georgia Stanton, the wife of a former all-star quarterback -- played by Golden Globe nominee Treat Williams -- who gets caught up in a sting operation with an underage prostitute.

"Getting to work on SVU has been an incredible experience," Chamberlin tells Soaps In Depth. "I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful each and every person there has been to me. Mariska [Hargitay], Danny [Pino], Ice-T, Kelli [Giddish], Andre Braugher and Treat Williams, who plays my husband, went out of their way to make me feel welcome and comfortable. I could tell a story about every person and their acts of kindness."

Chamberlin adds that the episode's gridiron backdrop a real eye opener. "The subject matter was something I knew nothing about until my audition. As a parent of a boy who will probably play contact sports as he gets older, I feel fortunate that being a part of this educated me."

Tune in to SUV tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 7, at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. But first, watch the preview clip below!

In the two years since GUIDING LIGHT ended, Robert Newman (Josh) has had a successful run in theater, traveling across the country performing in productions of beloved musicals like Annie, Man Of La Mancha and, earlier this year, Curtains. "Life goes on, and as a by-product, careers go on," the actor tells Soaps In Depth with a laugh. "Most of my time in the past couple of years since GL has been on stage. That's where I love to be. I've had a great run of some outstanding roles, and they've all been successful."

In his latest project, Newman is starring opposite Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh in Gypsy at the Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bristol, PA. "Gypsy is a musical that's been around forever. Tovah is the leading character, Mama Rose. She's the ultimate stage mother. She drives her two daughters' careers to the point where they end up walking away from her," explains Newman, who plays Herbie. "He signs on as the girls' agent/manager, and he's also pursuing Rose and looking to settle down with her, marry and have a family."

Read more after the jump!

This coming spring, the final days of The Wizard Of Oz star Judy Garland will be played out night after night on a New York stage, and Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan, GUIDING LIGHT; Mick, AS THE WORLD TURNS) will be a part of it! The Emmy-winning actor has joined the American cast of London's West End hit, End Of The Rainbow, which will make its Broadway debut in April. Pelphrey will play Mickey Deans, Garland's much-younger fifth husband.

Set in London in December 1968, Rainbow stars Tracie Bennett as Garland, who is about to make yet another comeback with a 5-week run at a West End theater. While Garland hopes that the shows will help her hold on to her star power, she struggles with strained personal relationships and a drug addiction that will ultimately lead to a fatal overdose six months later. Bennett received an Olivier Award nomination -- London's version of the Tony Awards -- for her run in the musical drama earlier this year.

While Pelphrey has been a part of many New York City plays in the past, this will mark his Broadway debut. End Of The Rainbow will have a pre-Broadway run at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis from January 28 through March 11, and previews will begin at the Belasco Theater in Manhattan on March 19. For more information, visit EndoftheRainbowBroadway.com.

Add Beth Chamberlin (Beth) to the list of GUIDING LIGHT alums to guest star on primetime shows! The actress has nabbed a plum part in an upcoming LAW & ORDER: SVU episode! Titled "Sprialing Down," Chamberlin appears as Georgia Stanton, whose former all-star quarterback hubby gets caught up in a sting operation with an underage prostitute. Golden Globe nominee Treat Williams will play Chamberlin's husband, Jake, and Andre Braugher will also guest star in the episode, which begins taping this week. Tune in on Wednesday, December 7, at 10 p.m. on NBC.

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS star Marcy Rylan (Abby; Lizzie, GUIDING LIGHT) is a mother again! The actress and her fiancé, Don Money, welcomed their second son into the world yesterday, November 3.

"He is here!" the actress announced on her Twitter page with a photo of her newborn. "8 pounds 13 oz & 20.5 inches. Pretty much the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." The couple -- whose older son, Jackson, turned 2 last week -- have yet to decide on a name for their baby boy. "Going to hang out with him & then decide. Names on the table are Levi, Ronan, Sawyer, Declan, Sam & Ryder. I have so much adrenaline I just can't sleep!"

Congratulations to the entire family!

Soap vet Brody Hutzler (ex-Cody, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Zachary, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Patrick, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) is returning to television for a guest starring role in The CW's RINGER! In the episode, titled "It Just Got Better," Hutzler portrays the spouse of one of the show's soon-to-be introduced recurring characters, a socialite with a connection to Siobhan's past. "I'm playing Jeffery Sheridan," Hutzler previews. "I have a wife named Greer, played Madchen Amick (DAMAGES, GOSSIP GIRL)."

Might the duo cross paths with the series star Sarah Michelle Gellar (Kendall, ALL MY CHILDREN), who is winning acclaim as both Siobhan and her estranged twin, Bridget? Tune in to The CW on Tuesday, January 10, at 8 p.m. EST, to find out! In the meantime, check out Season 2 of the Web soap THE BAY -- premiering this week at www.thebaytheseries.com -- where Hutzler returns as Press Secretary Kenneth Allen.

The hit Web series THE BAY returns with new episodes starting today, Thursday, October 27! "This season will center more on the Garrett family," executive producer/creator Gregori Martin previews. As regular viewers of THE BAY know, Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Sierra, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Katherine, GENERAL HOSPITAL) plays matriarch Sara Garrett, mother of Brian (Dylan Bruce, Chris, ATWT), Marly (Martha Madison, ex-Liz, GH; ex-Belle, DAYS), and Peter (Kristos Andrews). "This season is a little edgier and there's more glamour," reveals Martin. "The stories move a lot faster and our focus is on central characters."

There may be a wedding if Brian and Zoey (played by Taylor Stanley; Remy, ANOTHER WORLD) take the plunge. "Season 1 was about their engagement and now we're going to see whether or not the marriage will happen," Martin teases.

"Brian doesn't want to lose his fiancée," says Bruce, noting that his character's encounter with Isabella may come back to haunt him. "He didn't really do anything wrong. He was drugged, but he's still worried about losing Zoey."

New cast members this season include GH alums Jackie Zeman (ex-Bobbie) and Paul Satterfield (ex-Paul; ex-Spencer, ONE LIFE TO LIVE). Look for Zeman to play Sophia, the wife of Mayor Jack Madison (Nicolas Coster, Eduardo, ATWT; Robert, AW; Lionel, SANTA BARBARA), while Satterfield is replacing Joe Lando (ex-Jake, OLTL; Macauley, GUIDING LIGHT) as Lee. "Joe did two days with us," Martin shares. "We'll probably end up re-shooting his scenes for [our] TV [version], but they'll be on the Web."

"Sophia is a southern belle," Zeman shares. "I don't know exactly where we're going with her, but she's vivacious and fun. She loves life and her husband. Gregori's told me some people are not glad she's married to the mayor so maybe she's an opportunist? We'll see."

As for Lee, Satterfield notes that his alter ego and Sara have "been married three times. The third time was supposed to be the charm. Lee and Sara have a tumultuous relationship. Even though they're with different people they still have a strong connection. He's madly in love with her and always will be."

Zeman feels that Web soaps like THE BAY are the future of the genre. "People still love their soaps and their characters," she says.

Check out Season 2 of THE BAY beginning today at 3:15 p.m. EST at www.thebaytheseries.com. For a preview of the show's new opening sequence, click here.

Season Two of the popular Web series THE BAY is about to debut, but before it does, you can attend a fan event with all of the on-line sudser's stars! The event will be held at The Varsity in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 5, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $40 for THE BAY Fan Club members, and $65 for the general public, and will only be sold in advance. Finger food will be served, and a free beer and wine bar will be open until 10 p.m., with a cash bar for the rest of the bash. There will also be a raffle and silent auction. For tickets, visit www.thebaytheseries.com.

A helicopter gets hijacked on this week's CSI, and GUIDING LIGHT alum Johnny Messner (Rob) is behind it! In the episode titled "CSI Down," the actor plays ex-con Frank Cafferty, who is left for dead on a hillside and then transported via the medevac helicopter to a hospital. Unfortunately for Agent Brody, Cafferty isn't quite as dead as he seemed, because he hijacks the chopper with the CSI member on-board!

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS alum Vanessa Marano (ex-Eden) also guest stars in the episode as Frank's daughter, Samantha, who got mixed up with a gang. Tune in to CSI tomorrow night, Wednesay, October 19, at 10 p.m. ET on CBS!

Alina Adams has done it again! The New York Times best-selling author of AS THE WORLD TURNS and GUIDING LIGHT tie-ins Oakdale Confidential, The Man From Oakdale, and Guiding Light: Jonathan's Story, has just released her latest soap opera-themed tome, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule Of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments. The enhanced E-book -- which can be obtained by downloading the free Kindle app from amazon.com to any Internet-enabled device -- will allow readers to have a truly interactive experience as they read about 45 of daytime drama's greatest moments as voted on by industry insiders and fans alike.

"People sent me by E-mail, Facebook, and Twitter their memories of the scenes that meant so much to them. Then I went to the actors, writers, and producers who had been part of those scenes to ask them how they came together," Adams explains of how the compilation came together.

In the book, readers can hear Linda Dano recount playing Felicia's intervention on ANOTHER WORLD, Eden Riegel relate her memories of Bianca declaring her sexuality on ALL MY CHILDREN, Michael Corbett regaling the tale of David Kimble's death on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS by trash compactor and more... and then click on provided links provided to see video clips, leave comments, or find out what the actors are doing now. "You can read about the scene, watch the scene, and contact the actor and [share] your thoughts!" Adams enthuses. "In that way, the book will not become stagnant because all of those pages will be constantly updated."

Having spent 30 years watching all of the great serial dramas that have come and gone, as well as those still on the air, Adams promises that there will be a little of something included for every fan. "There's a lot of talk about where soaps went wrong and what can we do to fix them. Those are completely legitimate questions and things that people should be asking in order to save and reinvent the genre," maintains Adams, who has also penned a slew of mystery and romance novels. "But I also wanted to talk about what soaps did right and ask: what were these moments that really had people glued to their TV sets? Because sometimes we can learn a lot from [identifying] and emulating that."

Soap Opera 451 retails for $9.99 and is text-to-speech and lending enabled. You can purchase the book here, and find out more about the author at www.alinaadamsmedia.com. And to learn how her history as a soap fan led to a career in the industry, keep your eyes open for a Look Who's Watching feature in an upcoming issue of Soaps In Depth!

When THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS' John Driscoll (Chance; Coop, GUIDING LIGHT) decided to pop the question to his long-time girlfriend, Beth Nelson, he considered a series of venues. "I thought maybe I would propose on the beach, having her family come out and surprising her. Then I figured maybe we'd go back home to Virginia. Then I thought, let's go to New York to the restaurant we had our first date at," he shares with Soaps In Depth.

Yet when Nelson, who works for an air lease company, needed to go to Paris for an air show, the actor realized that he couldn't ask for a better location. "She was going to be there for four days, where she had to work one day," he says. "We decided to turn this into a mini-vacation. She had no idea, but I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, this is the perfect time to do it."

Read more after the jump!

Cable network CMT -- as in Country Music Television -- is making its first foray into made-for-television films this week with the movie To The Mat, starring GUIDING LIGHT alum Laura Bell Bundy (ex-Marah) and Rick Schroeder. Penned by Sweet Home Alabama's writer, To The Mat tells the story of a laid-back former wrestler trying to keep his clan's wrestling school above water, and the high-strung Wall Street consultant hired by his mother to help save the family's business.

"She gets this project in Georgia, thinks she is saving this prep school from financial ruin. She does it as a favor to her boss," Bundy tells Soaps In Depth of her alter ego, Janice, who immediately clashes with Schroeder's Aaron. "They have this animosity towards each other because he doesn't think she needs to be there, but his mother does, and she's getting married in three months and just wants to get out of there."

CMT hand-picked the Nashville native for the project, based on her popularity as a country music career. "They realized that their viewership likes to watch movies and I was so honored that they asked me to be in their first one," she shares. "According to some of their CMT statistics, my video "Giddy On Up" did very well for them. So they thought, our audience is familiar with her and she also happens to be an actress... I think that's how it all came about. I have a great relationship with the folks over there.

"It was fun, and I was the lead in the movie which I had never done before," she adds. "I am as literally in every scene. It was a lot of work. We shot the film very quickly. But Ricky is great. He thinks like a director because he has been in the business for so long. So it was really fun to kind of learn from him in that way."

To The Mat debuts on Wednesday, August 17, at 8 p.m. EST.

The early exit of Robin Strasser from ONE LIFE TO LIVE means that Llanview will be in need of a new mayor when Dorian leaves town... so the soap has cast GUIDING LIGHT alumna Wendy Moniz (Dinah) in the recurring role of Mayor Finn.

Since exiting GL in 1999, Moniz has had recurring roles on primetime series such as DAMAGES, NASH BRIDGES, BIG SHOTS and THE GUARDIAN. Look for the actress -- who is married to fellow GL alum Frank Grillo (Hart) -- to make her OLTL debut in September.

Daytime veteran Tonja Walker (Marie, GUIDING LIGHT; Nancy, PASSIONS; ex-Alex, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) will guest star in the Off-Broadway play You've Got Hate Mail on Friday, August 5. The comedy, performed every Friday night at the Triad Theatre in New York City, takes a hilarious look at sexting, lies and laptops. A kind of digital-age answer to A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, the story about an extra-marital affair gone horribly wrong is told entirely in E-mails.

"It's a riot," Walker tells Soaps In Depth, who will be pinch-hitting for playwright Jane Milmore in the role of Stephanie, the wife. "I've been asked to guest star on August 5, and then for more dates in September and October."

Milmore's co-writer, Billy Van Zandt (who also stars as Stephanie's husband in the play), says, "we've been fans of Tonja's work for many years. She has great comic instincts that are a perfect match for the way Jane and I write."

But the theater role isn't the only thing that Walker has cooking these days. She'll also appear in the upcoming independent films My Dog The Space Traveler and Excuse Me For Living, which has a star-studded cast, including SEINFELD's Wayne Knight and Jerry Stiller, Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan, GL; Mick, ATWT) and Melissa Archer (Natalie, OLTL)!

For more information on You've Got Hate Mail, visit www.youvegothatemail.com. Tickets are $30-$35 and can be purchased at www.smarttix.com.

Congratulations to GUIDING LIGHT stars Rob Bogue (Mallet) and Mandy Bruno (Marina), who are expecting their first child together! The newlyweds were married on March 26 in Mexico, making Bruno stepmother to her husband's two children, Zeb and Zoe, from his previous marriage. The couple revealed the news of their expanding family last week at the opening night party for Bogue's new Off-Broadway play, Manipulation. (For more information, visit www.manipulationtheplay.com.)

Expectant mom Marcy Rylan (Abby, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Lizzie, GUIDING LIGHT) has announced that her toddler son, Jackson, will soon have a baby brother to play with! "We are having another BOY!!," she tweeted yesterday, following a doctor's appointment. "Jackjack can't wait for his buddy to get here! We ended up having a 3D sonogram we didn't expect! Cried as soon as I saw that little face! We are over the moon!"

Due in the fall shortly after Jackson's second birthday, the new arrival will be the second child for Rylan and her fiancé, Don Money.

Although soap fans know Thom Christopher as a Daytime Emmy winner who's played the roles of ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Carlo/Mortimer, LOVING's Joe/Dante and GUIDING LIGHT's Dax, the actor is probably most recognized for his 1981 role as The Hawk on the cult television series BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY. This weekend, Christopher will reunite with series stars Gil Gerard and Erin Gray (Nicole, PORT CHARLES) at the Trek Expo at the John Q. Hammons UMAC Arena in Tulsa, OK. "Even during my soap opera fan encounters, fans always asked me about Hawk," he recalls. "BUCK ROGERS was my first TV series, and playing The Hawk was an exotic, creative, challenging role that caught on with the audience in such a short time -- beyond my belief!"

The series only lasted two seasons, but was a smash hit with science-fiction fans. "Everyone thinks that the character I played was on for the entire 37 or 38 episodes. It was only the last 13," says Christopher. "Nobody expected that kind of reaction in just 13 weeks. I attribute it to what the writers did in making him the outsider looking for some place to call home emotionally, physically, as this kind of isolated person. So I think that's what really caught on, and characters like that invariably do."

This weekend will mark the first time in years that Christopher, Gray and Gerard are together again. "The last time was about five years ago in Orlando at The Mega Con Festival," he notes. "It's going to be a nice reunion for us being together again."

Trek Expo, happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, is a science fiction convention held annually in Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.trekexpo.net. For more about Christopher, visit www.thomchristopher.info.

If you missed the nearly sold-out run of Follies at The Kennedy Center in Washingon, D.C., this month, you may get a second chance to see GUIDING LIGHT's Ron Raines (Alan) on the stage opposite the legendary Bernadette Peters! "Found out today about the move of FOLLIES to The Great White Way after our matinee," the actor tweeted yesterday. "Everyone is so excited. I think we'll be there in August."

Follies ends its D.C. run this Sunday, then the Stephen Sondheim musical will move to Broadway's Marquis Theatre in August for a limited run. If you missed Soaps In Depth's interview with Raines about the production, you can read it here.

Lauren Mayhew has tossed aside her former persona as GUIDING LIGHT's sweet little Marah in favor of indulging her inner rocker chick! In addition to acting, she's enjoying a successful career as the musical artist, Mayhem. "My music is an electric dance groove with an emphasis on live instruments -- especially electric guitar!" the singer/songwriter enthuses. "It's basically a grittier version of a dance record that you would hear."

Mayhem has been rockin' the Los Angeles club scene and recently had a video release party for new single, "Look Inside." Additionally, the performer is excited to announce that the song will be released on iTunes on Tuesday, June 15! "This corresponds with the date that my music will be featured on Oxygen Network's new Paris Hilton show, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO PARIS!" she reveals.

For more on the Mayhew's post-daytime career (including details about her new movie!), look for her Keeping Track feature in an upcoming issue of Soaps In Depth.

If you live in the Washington, D.C., area, there's a hot ticket in town: Follies, the Stephen Sondheim musical, is currently playing at The Kennedy Center, and it's a smash hit! The play stars Broadway veterans Bernadette Peters (Gypsy), Danny Burstein (South Pacific), Jan Maxwell (Lend Me A Tenor), Elaine Paige (Sunset Boulevard)... and GUIDING LIGHT's own Ron Raines (Alan)! "It's just been thrilling to be a part of it," Raines tells Soaps In Depth. "The talent it's brought out is just amazing."

First on Broadway in 1971, Follies follows a group of musical-revue performers reuniting at their former playhouse for one last bash before the crumbling theater's demolition. "It was inspired by two real theaters that were torn down, and parking lots were made in their space," explains Raines, himself a vet of The Great White Way (Chicago, Show Boat). "That's when a lot of the historical preservation [of theaters] started kicking in. But the play was inspired by that kind of action.

Read more after the jump!

Crystal Chappell (Olivia, GUIDING LIGHT) has been let go from DAYS OF OUR LIVES, where she's been playing the role of Carly since October 2009. "As I understand it, DOOL has decided not to renew my contract," the actress confessed on the Twitter feed of her husband, Michael Sabatino (ex-Lawrence), last night. "I'm sad but grateful for the opportunity."

The Emmy-winning actress returned to Salem within weeks of GL's end two years ago; she was already taping episodes at DAYS before GL even aired its final episode. Even while working at the NBC soap, Chappell was able to make her Web series, VENICE, a popular hit. Along with hubby Sabatino, Chappell is now writing a new Web soap, titled THE GROVE. "I made new friends and got Venice up and running thanks to you," she tweeted. "I wish DAYS much success. P.S. Not the new writers' decision... Onward!"

GUIDING LIGHT's Beth Chamberlin (Beth) has always been an advocate for fitness, even producing her own series of kettlebell workout videos. Well, now she's launching her brand new Web site, Beth Chamberlin Beauty, Health and Fitness!

The actress is also throwing a virtual launch party tonight, Thursday, April 28, from 7:00pm to 9:00 PM EDT. Just follow this link to attend, and if you'd also like to call in to take part in the chat, you can dial 646-200-0147 to talk to Chamberlin and her husband, Dr. Peter Roy, about their plans for the site.

To celebrate the launch, bcbhf.com will be releasing a free downloadable workout that Chamberlin created inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama. And it uses ordinary household objects to attain the same results as the kettlebells (adorable sleeping dog not included)! You can check out the introduction in the YouTube video above, then when the site launches, you can download the full video for yourself!

It's been nearly two years since GUIDING LIGHT stars Robert Newman and Kim Zimmer taped their final scenes as Josh and Reva, but the talented actors have been reunited on the stage in the murder-mystery musical Curtains! A co-production between Houston's Theatre Under The Stars and The Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey, the cast of Curtains wrapped up their Texas performances earlier this month and make their Garden State debut on Wednesday, April 27.

Soaps In Depth caught up with Zimmer and Newman as they rehearsed the musical-within-a-musical, which follows the unraveling of a Boston theater company on opening night after the leading lady is murdered. Newman stars as Det. Frank Cioffi, who is called in to solve the crime, and Zimmer (now ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Echo) is the show's brassy producer, Carmen. "It's got all that's involved backstage of putting on a Broadway show," shares Zimmer. "It's an awful show because the star is dreadful. She ends up being murdered, so the beautiful young ingénue has to step into the role, and she's brilliant. But murders keep happening. Robert plays the detective who comes in, who's also a frustrated actor who would love nothing more than to be a part of the Broadway show."

Read more after the jump!

Crystal Chappell (Carly, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; Gina, VENICE; Olivia, GUIDING LIGHT) has been named the newest Ambassador for the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), an organization which creates a safe and supportive environment in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth can reach their full potential. HMI offers these vulnerable teenagers and young adults aged 12-21 creative after-school programs, support services and referrals.

Chappell -- who played one half of GL's wildly popular same-sex supercouple Otalia during the end of the soap's run -- recently visited the HMI-run Harvey Milk High School in New York City. Through both her own efforts and those of her devoted fans, the institute has received hundreds of donations and in-kind gifts from individuals, and even Starbuck's coffee! The Emmy winner joins fellow Ambassadors including Tim Gunn, Heather Matarazzo, Mary-Louise Parker, Robert Verdi and B.D. Wong in raising awareness about HMI and their goal that no young person feel ashamed of who they are, and that each one of them deserves a safe, supportive space to grow and thrive. For more information on the Hetrick-Martin Institute, visit www.hmi.org.

Congratulations to LAW & ORDER: SVU stars Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann (Michael, GUIDING LIGHT) on becoming parents once again! The couple -- who have a 4-year-old son, August -- have adopted a newborn girl they've named Amaya Josephine. For more on Hargitay and Hermann's newest arrival, visit People.com.

Three of your favorite former soap stars are coming to the critically-acclaimed legal drama, THE GOOD WIFE! On Tuesday, April 5, Trent Dawson (Henry, AS THE WORLD TURNS) guest stars in "Wrongful Termination" as Edward Yellins, an employee of a beleaguered company who gets cross-examined by Michael J. Fox! Then, don't miss Jon Prescott (Mike) when he appears as the boyfriend of fellow guest star America Ferrera on Tuesday, April 12. GUIDING LIGHT's Paula Garces (Pilar) also appears in the episode, titled "Foreign Affairs." Finally, GL's Aubrey Dollar (Marina) checks in as a seemingly "interested" nurse who reaches out to bi-sexual detective Kalinda on Tuesday, May 3.

THE GOOD WIFE airs at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.

Before GUIDING LIGHT went off the air, Marina and Mallet had split up, but their portrayers will be partners for life: Rob Bogue and Mandy Bruno are now husband and wife! "We got married!!" an ecstatic Bogue tells Soaps In Depth of the March 26 nuptials. "On a beautiful beach in Playa del Carmen [Mexico], with lots of family and friends attending. The bride was stunning and the groom was blushing! And the weather was pristine."

This is the second marriage for Bogue, who has two children, Zeb and Zoe, with his ex-wife. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Marco Island, FL, is where any soap fan will want to be the weekend of May 14-15 -- it's the 13th Annual Soapfest Charity Weekend! For over a decade, daytime television's finest have headed to Southwest Florida to mix and mingle with guests and residents to raise money for local children's charities, including the Eden Florida Eimerman Center, an educational outreach service for autistic children. The weekend's festivities include the VIP "Night Of Stars" kickoff party, a celebrity bartending bash and the Cruisin' Boozin' and Schmoozin' sightseeing tour aboard the Marco Island Princess!

This year, celebrities scheduled to participate include:
John Driscoll (Chance, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Coop, GUIDING LIGHT)
Austin Peck (Rick, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; Brad, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
Terri Conn (Aubrey, OLTL; Katie, ATWT)
Tom Degnan (Joey, OLTL; Adam, ATWT)
Tom Pelphrey (Mick, ATWT; Jonathan, GL)
Jon Prescott (Mike, ATWT)
Billy Magnussen (Casey, ATWT)
Ellen Dolan (Margo, ATWT)
Stephanie Gatschet (Madison, ALL MY CHILDREN; Tammy, GL)
Walt Willey (Jackson, AMC)
J.R. Martinez (Brot, AMC)
Denise Vasi (Randi, AMC)
Thorsten Kaye (ex-Zach, AMC)
Eddie Alderson (Matthew, OLTL)
Kristen Alderson (Starr, OLTL)
Susan Haskell (Marty, OLTL)

For tickets, event schedules and more information, visit www.soapfest.com.

This summer, Web soap opera THE BAY continues to break new ground by taking their show on the road. "I like to describe it as THE BAY meets The Wizard of Oz," explains the series' creator/writer/director, Gregori J. Martin. "It's kind of a prequel to season two, which will begin in late September."

Titled FAR FROM THE BAY, the 8-episode prequel will debut in June and follows amnesiac Peter Garrett (played by Kristos Andrews) on his journey to The Big Apple to find Claire -- played by AS THE WORLD TURNS' Marie Wilson (Meg) -- the woman whom he mistakenly believes is his mother. "He runs into all these characters that help him get one step closer to finding her -- I cast a slew of veteran actors from daytime," Martin previews. "And then we did the first ever Web soap crossovers with EMPIRE and STEAMBOAT."

Look for familiar faces like ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Ilene Kristen (Roxy) and Tonja Walker (Olivia), ANOTHER WORLD's Anna Holbrook (Sharlene), GUIDING LIGHT's Michael O'Leary (Rick) and Miriam Colon (Maria), and ATWT's Agim Kaba (Aaron) to appear. Find the show at www.thebaytheseries.com.

As GUIDING LIGHT's Josh and Reva, portrayers Robert Newman and Kim Zimmer (now Echo, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) will forever have a place in soap history as one of daytime's supercouples. And this spring, the duo will reunite when they star in the musical murder mystery Curtains! The production of the Broadway hit is a joint venture between Houston's Theatre Under The Stars and The Papermill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ. The show will run in Texas at the Hobby Center For The Performing Arts from Tuesday, March 29, through Sunday, April 10, then head to New Jersey from Wednesday, April 27, through Sunday, May 22.

Curtains follows the unraveling of a theater company on opening night, shortly after the leading actress meets an untimely death. Newman stars in the production as Detective Frank Cioffi, a musical theater fan who takes on the case and finds himself dealing with egos and eccentricities, more dead bodies than he bargained for, and a budding love affair. Meanwhile, Zimmer stars as brassy Broadway producer Carmen Bernstein.

For tickets to see Curtains in Texas (starting at just $24), visit www.TUTS.com, or call (713) 558-TUTS. For the show's New Jersey performances, visit www.papermill.org, or call (973) 376-4343.

A GUIDING LIGHT fan favorite will be shining on the stages of Broadway this spring! Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny) has joined the cast of the new musical The People In The Picture! Set in 1970s New York City, the play tells the story of Bubbie, now a grandmother, but once the darling of the Yiddish Theatre in pre-war Poland. Although granddaughter Jenny loves hearing her stories, Bubbie's daughter, Red, will do anything to avoid memories of her childhood in Warsaw.

Stewart has previously appeared on Broadway as Perchik in Fiddler On The Roof and as Christian in Cyrano: The Musical. The People In The Picture will make its world debut at Studio 54 in New York City. Previews begin Friday, April 1, and the show officially opens on April 28, with a limited run through June 19. For ticket information, click here.

GUIDING LIGHT's Tina Sloan (Lillian) has a bit part in the movie of the moment, the Oscar-nominated thriller Black Swan, as a wealthy ballet patroness. But the actress says that her new film, an independent drama titled Happy New Year, hits very close to home. In it, she's Grace, the mother of an injured Marine, Sgt. Cole Lewis (played by Michael Cuomo), who faces the physical and emotional scars left by his time in Iraq while connecting with others at a rundown veterans hospital. "My own son had been in Iraq, so all the fears I'd had for [him] I was able to use in this," Sloan confides. "I'd never done work like this in my life because Cole loses his leg, and he's probably going to lose the other leg..." Sloan is proud to have been a part of this picture and has genuinely high hopes for its success. "It's the kind of movie that could win everything if it gets the right marketing," she enthuses. "It's just brilliantly done."

Fellow GL alum David Wolos-Fonteno (Charles Grant) also stars as Gunny, another injured vet whom Cole befriends in the VA hospital. Happy New Year will make its world premiere at the South By Southwest Film Conference & Festival in Austin, TX, running Friday, March 11, through Saturday, March 19. Another film making its world premiere at the festival is 96 Minutes, a drama about a terrifying carjacking starring Brittany Snow (Susan, GL). For schedules and screening times, visit www.sxsw.com. Check out the trailer for Happy New Year below.

And baby makes three! Congratulations to ONE TREE HILL star Bethany Joy Galeotti (Michelle, GUIDING LIGHT), who recently welcomed her first child with her husband, musician Michael Galeotti! "Michael and I are pleased to announce the arrival of our beautiful girl, Maria," the actress posted on her Web site's blog earlier today. "I'll probably be MIA from my blog for a few weeks as we adjust to life with our girl, but I'm hoping to bring in a few "guest editors"! Bless you guys and thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!"

The actress and her husband -- who is a member of the band Enation along with GENERAL HOSPITAL star Jonathan Jackson -- married in 2005. Congratulations to the happy family!

Former GUIDING LIGHT sweetheart Brittany Snow (Susan) is busy playing Kathy Bates' assistant, Jenna, in the new NBC legal drama HARRY'S LAW, airing Monday nights at 10 p.m. But on Monday, March 7, Snow will grace primetime television a second time, when she visits the new CBS comedy MAD LOVE!

In "Little Sister, Big City," Snow guest stars as Julia, sister to Kate, played by series star Sarah Chalke. When Julia makes her first visit to New York City, an overprotective Kate seems to forget that her youngest sister is no longer a little kid, and the rest of the gang gets caught up in an argument between the siblings. MAD LOVE -- which also stars Jason Biggs (Pete, AS THE WORLD TURNS) -- airs at 8:30 p.m. EST.

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