'General Hospital' stars say annual Nurses' Ball boosts camaraderie

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The stars of "General Hospital" are stepping out of their clinical setting this week for the Nurses' Ball. Cast members say the annual event boosts camaraderie on the set.

The music-filled event is a show-within-a-show. For the actors, the best part of these episodes is the fact that the entire cast gets to work together.

"For me, selfishly, it's a fun week. You get to hang out with everybody and then you know, in the long run the audience gets what they want, too. It's just a week of kind of fun and shenanigans," said Jason Thompson, who plays Patrick Drake.

Actress Nancy Lee Grahn, who plays Alexis Davis, likened the event to a type of getaway trip with the cast.

"It actually does wind up building a lot of cast camaraderie, kind of like going away to sleep-away camp with a bunch of people, because you know, you really are stuck in uncomfortable clothing, high-heeled shoes, lots of hairspray, dangling earrings for a very, very long time," Grahn said.

"We're all here in the same room together and maybe you get to run into people that you don't work with or maybe you run into people who are no longer here but were brought back," said Ryan Paevey, who plays Nathan West. "It's kind of cool how it just mixes."

Actor Bradford Anderson said the Nurses' Ball is like "living history."

While there is a lot of fun to be had, there will still be plenty of drama.

"Well, there will be a big story revelation during the Nurses' Ball this year, and in addition to the singing and dancing, they'll be a lot of surprises for the audience and a lot of answers to questions that they've been waiting, for months, to have answered," said Frank Valentini, the show's executive producer.

"Last year, Sonny cheated on me. This year, I'm pregnant with another mobster's baby. I mean, I bring the drama every year to the Nurses' Ball," Grahan said.

Also bringing the drama is actress Lynn Herring, who plays Lucy Coe.

"Let's just say, there is an almost-reveal that will knock your socks off," Coe said.

"General Hospital" airs every afternoon on ABC.