It's about time that Jessica returns to the show in some form or other. As we all know, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has left to pursue other acting projects and her part has been recast with an actress named Jade Harlow. I hope that now the character will have more a storyline despite the fact that this will remain only a recurring role for now.

James Reilly was the surprise guest on Happy Hour with Julian Crane. He had lots to say about the upcoming summer in Harmony. He described events as "explosive." I can't wait to see what happens.

Did you know McKenzie Westmore's father was the one to create the Luis mask? Well, the Westmore's have been know in Hollywood for years as make-up experts. I loved watching Julian goof with that mask just before Sam walked in. I was cracking up! Or the way he was studying the thing under a looking glass just as Sheridan came in. Julian really needs to get rid of that thing. It may very well prove to be his undoing!

So, what's the haps with show? Turns out that Kay's plans to ruin the prom for Miguel and Charity could very well blow up in her face leaving Miguel to question her motives and her actions. Some "best buddy," huh?

Rumor has that a major female character on the show could become seriously injured during Ethan and Gwen's wedding. Could it be Ivy, Sheridan, Gwen or Theresa? It is suggested that one of these ladies gets hurt when one of them gets caught in the crossfire when Roger and Pierre come after Sheridan. My guess is that it would be Theresa because then Ethan would get all freaked out and the wedding would be put to a halt for a while if not for good (at least that's what I'm hoping for).

Speaking of that song, I would love it if someone could send me a sound WAV of the song minus the Whitney and Chad banter that I think so rudely interrupted it. I would be forever grateful! Just send it via the email address listed above.

Ethan Goes to the Prom: Travis Schuldt (Ethan) goes to the prom! Yes, you heard correctly. Travis will be attending the prom of Amy Wong, the winner of the Soap Opera Digest/Passions Prom Contest. Amy is in for an exciting night--her dress is being designed by Passions' costume designer, Julie Rae Engelsman and she will be having her hair and make-up done at a local salon. But of course, the best part will be the arrival of Travis, Amy's favorite Passions' star, at the prom. And, as an added treat, Theresa and Ethan's song, "Kiss Me" (written by Lindsay Korman) will be played at the prom on May 26.

Happy Hour: Special Announcement: Spend Happy Hour with Julian Crane! On May 10, 17, 24, and 31 at 9pm ET/ 6 pm PT, Ben Masters will be joining us to serve up his usual doses of charm and wit! Also on the menu-- each week will feature a suprise mystery guest who will be joining us for the second half hour. (If you guess the mystery person correctly, you could win a special Passions prize)! And make sure to come prepared--the topic of the first Happy Hour is "Dear Julian." Ben (or is it Julian?) promises to deliver all sorts of helpful advice!

Passions is getting lots of magazine press lately, what with Galen Gering in People Magazine, Travis Schuldt in Popstar, and Lindsay Korman in Pageantry Magazine. I think all this attention is great! The more people know about Passions, the more they are likely to watch it.

More on that casting info I mentioned last week. Rumor has it that two males will be cast. One as Noah Bennett, the other as Ethan's younger brother. Sources indicate that when Ethan turns out to be Sam's son, Julian has his younger son return to Harmony to take his rightful place as the Crane heir.

Passions is also looking to cast an actor in his fifties to play the real Martin Fitzgerald. Actors are also being auditioned for the part of Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald. And possibly a teenage girl for the recurring role of Paloma, Theresa's younger sister. It will be nice to finally see the entire Lopez-Fitzgerald clan reunited.

There's all kinds of rumor and speculation going on. It is said two characters may get killed off in early summer. Who and why? A Harmony teen may get raped! Turns out Faith may not be dead after all. I'm not surprised. We all know what happens when a person in a soap dies but the body is never found.

It is also rumored that Hank is the thief that's going around Harmony. That would explain how he got all that money. I sort of figured he was a thief way back in October. Sorry to any of you Hank fans out there (are there any?), but I can't stand this guy! He's always got such a smug expression on his face; it makes me want to slap the taste right out of his mouth! Just had to get that out!

An alert viewer spotted Don Swaby (Chad) in a recent Census 2000 commercial, saying he looked pretty good in it. Too bad I missed that one! Thanks for that little tidbit, Zoe!

I want to thank all you readers who have sent me great info and feedback for this column, esp. Slyvia who has emailed me some great material to work with. I also want to thank all the devoted fans who take their time to create and run all the wonderful Passions sites all over the web. I couldn't write any of this stuff without any of you guys!

Lots of lip-locking going on in Harmony right now! Just look at Luis and Sheridan. Hank and Sheridan. The upcoming kiss between Ethan and Theresa.

And there's lots going on at that jazz club. Eve and Julian both end up there. Not to mention Chad meeting Crystal there. Who else will wind up there? Someone's sure going to end up singing the blues for sure!

Ethan and Theresa go on a romantic carriage ride; Luis comes home only to find he's been suspended from work without pay! Poor guy. I hope he and Sheridan manage to somehow work things out soon.

How do you make a martimmy?: Is there something you've always wanted to ask Soap Opera Award winner Josh Ryan Evans (Timmy, Passions) -- besides how to make a Martimmy, that is? Well, here's your chance! Email your queries to SODlive@aol.com by May 23, then stay tuned to SoapDigest.com for his responses to this Interactive Q&A.

LATER TODAY: Galen Gering (Luis), James Hyde (Sam), Brook Kerr (Whitney), Lindsay Korman (Theresa), Molly Stanton (Charity), Jesse Metcalfe (Miguel), Travis Schuldt (Ethan), Dana Sparks (Grace), Donn Swaby (Chad), Kim Johnston Ulrich (Ivy) and McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) will appear in a live fashion show on Friday, May 19 on LATER TODAY on NBC. Check local listings and tune in to see your favorite Passions stars!

Daytime Emmys: Last year's Outstanding Lead Actress SUSAN LUCCI (Erica, AMC) will host this year's Daytime Emmy telecast, ABC Daytime President ANGELA SHAPIRO announced April 17. "Everyone shared in the thrill of Susan's unforgettable Emmy victory last year," noted Shapiro of the exultant end to Lucci's 18-year losing streak. "The celebration will continue as Susan brings her grace and charm to this year's festivities." Host Susan Lucci (Erica, All My Children) will be joined by an all-star lineup of presenters on the 27th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, slated to air live from New York City's Radio City Music Hall on May 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Several GH actors will pass out statuettes, including A Martinez (Roy), Jaclyn Zeman (Bobbie) Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Jacob Young (Lucky) and Colton Scott (Nikolas). From AMC: Finola Hughes (Alexandra), John Callahan (Edmund), Vincent Irizarry (David), Kelly Ripa (Hayley) and Mark Consuelos (Mateo). From One Life to Live: Linda Dano (Rae), Kassie DePaiva (Blair), James DePaiva (Max), David Fumero (Cristian) and Erin Torpey (Jessica). From Port Charles: Kimberlin Brown (Rachel), Jon Lindstrom (Kevin), Julie Pinson (Eve), Lynn Herring (Lucy) and Kin Shriner(Scott). From As the World Turns: Martha Byrne (Lily/Rose), Jon Hensley (Holden) and Paul Leyden (Simon). From The Bold and the Beautiful: Winsor Harmon (Thorne), Bobbie Eakes (Macy) and Sarah Buxton (Morgan). From Days of Our Lives: Alison Sweeney (Sami), Matt Cedeno (Brandon) and Austin Peck (Austin). From Guiding Light: Kim Zimmer (Reva), Robert Newman (Josh) and Mark Dobies (Noah). From Passions: Liza Huber (Gwen), Juliet Mills (Tabitha) and Josh Ryan Evans (Timmy). From The Young and the Restless: Peter Bergman (Jack), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) and Eileen Davidson (Ashley).

NBC Experience: Passions stars LIZA HUBER (Gwen), JULIET MILLS (Tabitha), and TRAVIS SCHULDT (Ethan) will be at the NBC Experience at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City on Thursday, May 18 at 4pm for an autograph signing.

Blondies: Thursday, May 18, 2000 - Blondies, 212 W. 79th Street, New York - The Cast of Passions will be hosting a party (they'll all be in New York for the Daytime Emmys on Friday, May 19). Proceeds benefit STRANG Cancer Prevention Center, a non-Profit Institute Affiliated with The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Admission is $20 and open to the general public, must be 21 to enter the club. McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) and Galen Gering (Luis) will be among the other Passions cast members hosting the party. This information is from: www.galengering.com/

NBC Experience: JOSH RYAN EVANS (Timmy, Passions) will be at the NBC Experience at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City on Wednesday, May 17 at 4pm for an autograph signing.

Rumor has it that sometime in June, Ethan and Theresa may be sharing their first real kiss. This is good news, but I hope it happens sooner. After all, this is May Sweeps!

Sources say a casting call has gone out for two three-year contract roles on Passions. One is for an attractive male who can play from age 18 to 22. The other is for a pretty blond female to play the spoiled, daddy's little girl type. It is my guess that these characters may be Sam and Grace's son, Noah, and that the girl may be one of Ivy and Julian's daughters.

A non-contract role is also coming to Passions. The part would be that of a young male classmate of Miguel and Kay's. This is all I know for now regarding this casting information, but be assured that I will let everyone know anything more when I hear it.

There sure is a lot going on at nbc.com/passions Learn about how you can be involved in the NBC Soap Opera Festival online. As we all know, Tabitha plans to make Harmony High's prom the prom from hell, but you can help decide what the prom night's theme will be by going online at NBC's passions site and voting. And while you're there look under the Passions News section for times and listings of Happy Hour with Julian Crane. Be sure to catch up on all the latest Passions news and appearances.

Lots of secrets are being exposed this week. A major secret from Eve's past (and there sure is a lot of them, isn't there?) comes to light. And Hank has to do some fast thinking when Pilar catching him with a huge wad of cash!

The Luis/Sheridan/Hank triangle starts to heat up as both men vie for Sheridan's affections. Will this mean that Luis and Hank's long friendship is headed for ruin?

ICARUS'S MOTHER: Travis Schuldt (Ethan) makes his Los Angeles theater debut in Sam Shepard's ICARUS'S MOTHER presented by The Lone Star Ensemble. Three performances only: Sunday, April 30; Sunday, May 7 and Sunday, May 14 at the Bitter Truth Playhouse, 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA. For tickets call (818) 755-7900.

Mother's Day Weekend: Josh Ryan Evans (Timmy), Galen Gering (Luis), James Hyde (Sam), Dalton James (Hank), Brook Kerr (Whitney), Lindsay Korman (Theresa), Ben Masters (Julian), Jesse Metcalfe (Miguel), Juliet Mills (Tabitha), Tracey Ross (Eve), Donn Swaby (Chad) and, Rodney Van Johnson (T.C.) will be at Universal Studios Hollywood on Mother's Day Weekend Saturday, May 13 for a Q&A and autograph signing. Check for showtimes at the Park!

Daytime Emmy Awards: Eva Tamargo Lemus (Pilar), Taylor Anne Mountz (Kay), Dana Sparks (Grace), and Kim Johnston Ulrich (Ivy) will serve as presenters at the Daytime Emmy Awards Creative Arts Division on Saturday, May 13 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, CA.

Ratings Report: Seven of the 10 soaps saw ratings growth among women 18 to 49 for the week ending April 28. General Hospital led the pack again, B&B and ATWT held steady, and poor Passions dropped a bit. Among all viewing households, GH inched into second place, while Days sank into a tie for fifth place. Passions and B&B suffered losses, while GL experienced a small ratings surge.

The Romance Club: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED! Lindsay Korman (Theresa) and Travis Schuldt (Ethan) will chat together on Thursday, May 11th at 7:00 p.m. (PST) for "The Romance Club" in association with Oprah Online (AOL). For more information go to www.theromanceclub.com. The romance club is a member of the passions central webring, so please support them by going to the chat.

Happy Birthday: Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay/The Witch Doctor)'s birthday is May 11.

She's B-a-ack: LIZA HUBER (Gwen)'s five-week spring break concludes on May 10 when she returns to the role of Gwen on Passions.

Casting News: Actresss and recording artist Brenda Epperson Doumani has been cast in the guest star role of "Crystal". Doumani, known for her role as "Ashley" on The Young and The Restless from 1988 to 1996, will use her vocal talents in her role on Passions. The character of "Crystal" plays a key role in Chad's search for his past. Her first air date is Wednesday, May 10.

Hispanic Film Festival: Eva Tamargo Lemus (Pilar) is a confirmed presenter at the IV Annual Hispanic Film Festival of Miami, in Miami, FL from May 3 - May 8. During the week, Spanish language films will be screened, including "The Silence of Neto" in which Tamargo Lemus plays the lead character "Elena." Visit www.hispanicfilm.com for more details about this event and ticket information.

Charity Golf: Dana Sparks is playing the "Cardservice International Charity Golf Classic" benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation on Monday, May 8 at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Special Announcement: For Passions fans in New York: Due to the televised funeral of Cardinal O’Connor, Passions will air at 12:00 p.m. on WNBC, Monday, May 8th, instead of the regular time.

Charity Basketball Game: JASON COOK (Shawn, Days), JASON-SHANE SCOTT (Will, OLTL), PAOLO BENEDETI (Jesse, GL), DON JEFFCOAT (Joey, OLTL), JESSE METCALFE (Miguel, Passions), TERRI CONN (Katie, ATWT) and KRISTINA SISCO (Abigail, ATWT) will play in a charity basketball game at Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappinger Falls, NY to benefit Soap Opera AIDS Response on May 6th. Doors open at 12:30pm; the celebrity warm-up takes place at 1:30, and the game begins at 2pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling 914-255-3685.

Happy Birthday: Ben Masters (Julian Crane)'s birthday is May 6.

Passions Chat: Tuesday, May 2 - 9:00PM EST Duration - 60 minutes Join us on Tuesday, May 2nd at 9:00 PM EST to chat with Jesse Metcalfe (Miguel Lopez-Fitgerald) from NBC's "Passions." Brought to you by NBC.com and Talk City.

Wedding Bells: Passions heartthrob GALEN GERING (Luis) tied the knot earlier this year with his longtime girlfriend, actress Jenna Hudlett. Check out next week's Soap Opera Digest (issue date May 2) for the inside scoop on his unconventional nuptials.

Casting News: Marita De Leon is joining the cast of Passions in the recurring role of Tina Alvarez, a Boston police officer. Marita played Joanie Garza on "The Young & The Restless" from 1996 to 1998 and was also a recurring guest star on CBS's "L.A. Doctors." Marita's first airdate is Tuesday, May 2.

Popstar Magazine: Check out the May/June 2000 issue of Popstar Magazine (on sale now). Travis Schuldt (Ethan) is featured along with a pin-up.

Pageantry Magazine: I was sent this information by a fan so, I'm not positive of it's authenticity, but you should check it out. Check out the fall 2000 issue of Pageantry Magazine for an article featuring Lindsay Korman (Theresa). She definitely knows how to get press!

Father Can't Cope: MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD (ex-Jessica Bennett, Passions) has been cast as Scott Bakula's daughter in the FOX pilot Father Can't Cope, reports Variety.

M&M's: I don't know how many of you have noticed this, but if you look at the M&M commercial (the one where the "girl" M&M is walking down the street and everyone is whistling and saying 'I'd like a piece of that,' and things like that) very carefully you will see Owen Bush (Orville).

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