'General Hospital' Fan Favorites Returning for 60th Anniversary Celebration
General Hospital has a special celebration planned as it closes in on its 60th anniversary. The long-running ABC soap opera will kick off its milestone programming at the end of March with a special episode tribute to the late Sonya Eddy, who played head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the series from 2006 until her death this December.
General Hospital's 60th-anniversary celebration was announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour during a panel including executive producer Frank Valentini, and stars including Genie Francis (Laura), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristina Wagner (Felicia), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Donnell Turner (Curtis), Nicholas Chavez (Spencer), and Tabyana Ali (Trina).
In addition to the tribute episode to Eddy, General Hospital is bringing back the Nurses Ball the week of April 3, the charity gala dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness that first debuted in June 1994 and has continued on in 15 iterations, the most recent of which was in August 2020. The celebration will continue with returns from General Hospital favorites including Jane Elliot, who will reprise her role as the beloved Tracy Quartermaine.
On April 1, the network will celebrate its longtime fan-favorite soap in real life by presenting the cast and crew with a stage dedication on the Prospect Studios lot, which is where General Hospital is filmed. "Every year is an accomplishment to stay on the air, to be relevant and to be something that people talk about and care about," showrunner and executive producer Valentini told reporters Wednesday, as per Deadline.
General Hospital has certainly maintained its relevance, bringing home five Daytime Emmy Awards in 2022, including one for Outstanding Drama Series – the show's 15th win in the category. The soap also stars Finola Hughes, Nancy Lee Grahn, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright, Kirsten Storms, Dominic Zamprogna, Maura West, Chad Duell, Roger Howarth, Michael Easton, Eden McCoy, Cynthia Watros, Katelyn MacMullen, Sofia Mattsson, Amanda Setton, Brook Kerr, Avery Kristen Pohl, Cameron Mathison, Charles Shaughnessy, Tajh Bellow, Tanisha Harper, Robert Gossett, Josh Kelly, Gregory Harrison and Evan Hofer.