Soapbox1 by Michele Dargan » Robin Strasser

Robin Strasser’s Hotline Has Some Surprising Revelations

soapbox1 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Has anyone listened to Robin Strasser’s recording on her hotline this week?
Because if you haven’t heard it – you gotta call.
It’s (212) 414-5300.
Call now.
You won’t believe some of the things that she says…Out Loud!
Strasser, who plays the indomitable Dorian Lord on One Life To Live, has been the talk of the internet soap world this week about her hotline message.

It’s different.
A bit kooky.
And rambling.
Definitely rambling.
She starts out by talking to her dogs and then says she never recorded a hotline message while picking up dog poop.
You see while she was recording the message, Strasser was walking her dogs in Central Park.
And throughout the rambling diatribe,she gets distracted several times by her dogs barking at other dogs, stops to talk to the other dog owners and loses her train of thought.
But the long-winded and sometimes distracted nature of the message is not the only thing that has soap fans buzzing.
It’s the content of the recording.
She talks a lot about the fact that she hasn’t been working much this summer.
And she doesn’t understand why she isn’t working, since Dorian just came off of a major storyline with the B.E. takeover —– and now, nothing, she says.
Strasser voices her displeasure – quite vocally – about the fact that she’s not been working and questions why the writers aren’t writing for her.
Now that’s a woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind, like her alter-ego, Dorian.
And I love Strasser’s portrayal of the hard-driving, scheming, take-no-prisoners character.
There have been other women in the role over the years, but, to me, Strasser is THE Dorian Lord.
On the hotline, Strasser also talks about a rumor that, apparently, has been on some message boards, although I’ve never seen it.
I’m not going to get into it here, because it’s a bit shocking.
So I’ll let you call and listen for yourself.
And there’s one other thing that made me really sad.
Strasser talks about one of her dogs who is very ill.
She thought the dog was going to die two weeks ago.
But the dog rallied and was still alive when Strasser recorded the message on Saturday and Strasser was very grateful for the extra time she had with her.
And all of us animal lovers understand and empathize with her.

One Life To Live – Simply Stupendous All Around!

soapbox1 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:00 +0000

One Life To Live has been so captivating and so action-packed over the past two weeks – I don’t know where to begin – it’s been that good!
On Friday, I wrote about Blair finally standing up to Todd and Todd beginning to get his comeuppance. (See blog below).
There was so much more to be said….However, writing when you’re jet-lagged is never a good combination and I was exhausted.
I had just returned from a week in Ireland – and kudos to Kara for her brilliant musings and for carrying the blog single-handedly in my absence.
And, of course I get back and begin to watch all the back eppys of OLTL – and each one better than the next!
So here goes – although late I feel the need to discuss.
First of all – there was Rex and Adriana’s wedding and “the punch heard ’round the world’ – not to mention the appearance by Brody.
A video is worth a thousand words. Watch below for all the fireworks.

There were lots of really good performances and side scenes leading up to the Bridezilla moment by Adriana (Melissa Fumero) – especially when it looked like Rex (John Paul Lavoisier) wasn’t going to show.
In addition to Fumero and Lavoisier being at their best – there were many other enjoyable, wonderful performances.
Loved the scenes with Talia (BethAnn Bonner) and Antonio (Kamar de los Reyes) sneaking off to be together and the priest finding them in a lip-lock in church.
And then there was Robert S. Woods as Bo trying to keep everything together in the face of impending disaster…Woods always delivers.
It was fun watching the many mood changes of Dorian (Robin Strasser) when at first she thought her plan to stop the wedding had worked – and then watching her as she realized it didn’t.
Kathy Brier is consistently good as Marcie McBain, and I particularly liked her scenes with Gigi (Farah Fath) as she tried to convince Gigi to tell Rex the truth – that he is Shane’s father.
And how about after the wedding – the Bo and Lindsay kiss? Finally!
But that was followed by the Bo/Lindsay and Nora/Clint confrontation, where Bo learned that Lindsay (Catherine Hickland) had fed Clint (Jerry Ver Dorn) the negative info about BE’s enemies.
Also good stuff!
Will Bo and Lindsay survive a second chance?
Or will Nora (Hillary B.Smith) get the revenge she so wants?
Some of the funniest and most entertaining scenes revolved around – who else, but David Vickers, Llanview’s most lovable scoundrel.
With Natalie (Melissa Archer), Jared (John Brotherton) and Nigel (Peter Bartlett) desperately trying to keep secret that Jared is not a Buchanan from the rest of the family, Vickers (Tuc Watkins) finds out the secret and – what else – blackmails them.
What Vickers doesn’t know is that he is the lost Buch heir.
To keep him quiet for awhile, Jared clocks Vickers on the head with a glass and carts him out to the stable to hide him until they figure out a plan.
Some really funny scenes in the living room, before Jared and Nigel are able to get Vickers to the barn.
Clint and Nora enter the room, with Vickers stowed behind the couch.
This is really funny! Check out when Nora sits on the couch and Vicker’s hand appears next to her! The comedic sides from all of the actors really shines in these scenes.

More good scenes with Natalie bringing breakfast to a hog-tied Vickers.
Even Whiskey weighs in on the scene.
Check out Whiskey’s ears as the horse looks at Vickers and tries to figure out what the heck he’s doing in her territory. Being a horse person and having owned horses, I know how funny horses can be with their expressions.

I think some of my favorite Melissa Archer scenes occurred in the barn as she tries to hide Vickers from Clint. She puts a horse blanket around the bound and gagged Vickers and puts him next to Whiskey. Then Natalie tap dances with words as she discourages Clint from going for a ride on the mare.

And there’s so much more going on….What about the jewel heist from Lindsay’s gallery? Will Ramsey finally get his due?
And then there’s Dorian….drugging Charlie (Brian Kerwin) and then pouring alcohol down the recovering alcoholic’s throat? I’m really not liking that twist, particularly because it’s going to bring Viki (Erika Slezak) heartache.
I guess we’ll have to tune in this week to see.

You Gotta Love Paris….Paris,Texas, that is, on One Life To Live

soapbox1 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:00:12 +0000

Anyone else loving the way One Life To Live has been interconnecting the Paris, Texas and Llanview, PA storylines and characters?
Because I am!
It is just amazing to me how head writer Ron Carlivati has turned OLTL 180 degrees in the right direction.
He is rectifying all the convoluted storylines set in motion by the previous head writer.
One of the main things he is doing is giving good substantive storylines to the OLTL vets, with Erika Slezak (Viki) a 35-year veteran out front in a wonderful, creative storyline of her own as a waitress.
Victoria Lord Davidson….heiress….newspaper publisher….former mayor….former Dean of Llanview University…
Waitress at the Bonjour Cafe in Paris, TX?
I love it!
It has been pure fun watching Viki interact with the new characters at the Bonjour – Moe, Noelle and Gigi….
Not to mention watching Viki slowly begin a new relationship with Charlie B. (Brian Kerwin) – who we now know is Charlie Banks…as in Jared Banks’ father.
That part, I’m not so crazy about.
Cause I’m not so crazy about Jared.
But that’s fodder for another day.
Getting back to the Paris, TX storyline – I really have loved everything about it.
The material has really given Slezak a chance to shine in a front-burner storyline – which has been long overdue.
Viki is also long overdue for a love interest and I really enjoy the chemistry between Slezak and Kerwin.
And watching Carlivati intertwining and connecting the Paris characters to Llanview has been a gift each day.
How about Dorian, Viki’s nemesis, overhearing that Jared is really Charlie’s son?
And the topper was on Friday’s episode, when Dorian saw the photo of Viki in the waitress uniform together with Charlie.
Priceless!
I can’t wait to see what havoc Dorian (Robin Strasser) will wreak with that information.
I didn’t see the Rex/Gigi connection coming…. I’m looking forward to the possibilities there.
I’m assuming that Shane, Gigi’s son, is Rex’s son…..but I guess there could be another twist.
And then there’s the whole Marcie babynapping storyline ending up in Paris.
I tell ya, I was on the edge of my seat watching Friday’s episode.
First, Michael was shot and then Viki discovered the photo of Marcie and Tommy and realized that the two were right under her nose at the Bonjour!
If Kathy Brier doesn’t get an Emmy nod after all the heartwrenching performances that she’s turned in….
Bottom line is that she so deserves one.
And when Marcie walked into the Bonjour and came face to face with Viki…..
Yeah.
Cliffhanger Friday.
Tune in today.
I sure will.