Nelson Aspen Thrills at Sold-Out Don't Tell Mama Show, With Special Guest Anita Gillette

Nelson Aspen and Anita Gillette at Don't Tell Mama on October 2, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen

International entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen performed at Don't Tell Mama in New York City on Friday night for the first time in nearly 30 years. He brought back the music director from his '80s show, Gerry Dieffenbach, and created a fantastic night of music, comedy and showbiz scoops.

From his performances of everything from "Herb the Verb" and "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" to "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together" and "Love Is All Around" (Theme Song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Aspen packed the evening with pop culture references that made the crowd cheer with laughter and joy. The audience absolutely loved singing along to "Three's Company, Too"!

Aspen's special guest was the Tony nominated Anita Gillette (Mona the mistress in Moonstruck, Tina Fey's mother in 30 Rock et al). Three decades after they met working on Search for Tomorrow, Aspen brought Gillette on stage for a story about working with Ethel Merman in "Gypsy" on Broadway, and a showstopping number that proved why she's the best cabaret performer in New York. Note: Gillette will next play Nick Offerman's mother in a Huntington Theatre Company production of "A Confederacy of Dunces" in Boston.

One of the packed room's favorite moments was when Aspen sang "You Take Me Away (to Another World)," with Dieffenbach playing Crystal Gayle to his Gary Morris during the chorus of the Another World theme song. It received extra loud cheers from the large assemblage of former Another World staffers who reunited to attend the show.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Elvera Roussel, Anita Gillette, Denise Pence & Victoria Mallory

With THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, many fans have been remembering Victoria Mallory and her portrayal of Leslie Brooks, and asking what she's up to now. Last Wednesday, she performed at a staged reading of "Good Girls Only," a Rehearsal Club Musical produced by GUIDING LIGHT alum Denise Pence.

Also in attendance that night were two other soap alums: Elvera Roussel, who starred as Hope Bauer Spaulding in GUIDING LIGHT, and Anita Gillette, who played roles in THE EDGE OF NIGHT and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW.

Photo: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

WLS Interview Archive: Denise Pence

Earlier this year, We Love Soaps spoke with GUIDING LIGHT fan favorite Denise Pence about her role as Katie Parker in the beloved classic soap, her career and more. You can read the interview in two parts.

Part 1 - Pence recalls joining the GUIDING LIGHT cast in 1977 when the show was still a half hour in length, Katie's weight gain storyline and other memories from her first few years.

Part 2 - Pence shares her thoughts on how the transition of the writing team from the Dobsons to Douglas Marland impacted Katie, her decision not to move to AS THE WORLD TURNS, and auditions at ANOTHER WORLD and ONE LIFE TO LIVE after she left GUIDING LIGHT.

INTERVIEW: Denise Pence Reminisces About Her Time At GUIDING LIGHT (Part 2)

In the latest installment of our series highlighting the many special performances preserved in the various Soap Classics DVD collections, We Love Soaps visits with Denise Pence, still fondly remembered for her eight year run as Nurse Katie Parker on GUIDING LIGHT, which started 35 years ago.

(continued from Part 1)

When the Dobsons left GUIDING LIGHT to write AS THE WORLD TURNS, Pence almost switched soaps as well.

"When the Dobsons were leaving and Doug Marland was coming in," Pence explains, "there was talk of this character that was a 'Denise Pence type' on AS THE WORLD TURNS and they asked if I would be interested in going over.  My comment was, 'I'd love to see how a new writer would write for me.' I had such a great track record on GUIDING LIGHT and I'd had so much fun up until that point. I thought, 'A new writer, let's see where I go with this.' "

INTERVIEW: Denise Pence Reminisces About Her Time At GUIDING LIGHT (Part 1)

In the latest installment of our series highlighting the many special performances preserved in the various Soap Classics DVD collections, We Love Soaps visits with Denise Pence, still fondly remembered for her eight year run as Nurse Katie Parker on GUIDING LIGHT, which started 35 years ago.

Denise Pence joined the cast of GUIDING LIGHT in 1977 when the show's head writers, Bridget and Jerome Dobson, created the character of Katie.