Soaps In Depth
August 6, 2002
News

Live Shows, Hawaii, Musicals: What Will Be OLTL’s Next Surprise?

After a week of live episodes, a Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series, a lush location shoot in Hawaii and a musical Fourth of July extravaganza, what could ONE LIFE TO LIVE possibly do next to top itself? One star laughs, “Don’t ask!”

The In Depth Story: Of OLTL’s recent rash of ambitious ventures, Catherine Hickland (Lindsay) says, “Well, we are always pushing the envelope.” The songstress then adds with a laugh, “But we can’t leave [executive producer] Gary Tomlin alone in his office for too long because you don’t know what is going to go on in that mind!”

Hillary B. Smith (Nora) couldn’t agree with her castmate more. “I’m not giving Gary any ideas,” she quips. “He’s just killing us!”

All kidding aside, the veteran performers couldn’t think of a better time to be front-and-center on the critically-acclaimed sudser. “The technical challenges have been really fun, and the place is a happier one to work in,” Smith observes. “And humor is allowed in the scenes now. That is nice because those of us who have a natural tendency to infuse humor have finally been allowed to.”

As for Tomlin’s next trick, both actresses are open to anything. “I like to read the script and be surprised sometimes,” says Smith. The only way to keep up with the frantic pace, explains Hickland, is to take things one day at a time. “I can’t even take my mind there,” she attests. “You have to compartmentalize and only focus on one thing. I’m down to one minute at a time!”