When it comes to soap operas, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” ranks as a longtime dispenser of juicy plots.
To celebrate that history, the “Soap Opera Festival” will salute the show at 4 p.m. EST Nov. 12 at Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich.
The event, which kicks off at 4 p.m. local time, will give fans question-and-answer time with stars of the daytime drama. The cast members are set to interact with followers and offer tidbits about what goes on behind the scenes of their popular series.
“The Young and the Restless” has run for more than 40 years on CBS.
During that time it has cultivated more than one generation of followers who are eager for an in-person experience with the likes of Jason Thompson, who portrays Billy Abbott.
“It’s always fun to kind of meet new people,” Thompson said in a phone interview this month. “I’m really excited to kind of get out there and meet the people that support our show.
“It’s a time to kind of sit up there and just be ourselves and tell funny stories from behind the scenes. It’s just a great opportunity to hear what people are feeling and how they’re thinking.”
A 39-year-old Los Angeles resident, Thompson has a character with colorful traits in Abbott.
“He’s a little bit reckless in a way, but I think deep down he’s got a heart of, like, tarnished gold,” Thompson said.
Although he has only been part of the cast for less than a year, Thompson can sense what has made “The Young and the Restless” a consistent ratings king.
He likens the program to a “well-oiled machine” which has “focused and professional” people working on it.
“They’re just having a good time doing it,” the actor explained.
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Premiering in March of 1973, “The Young and the Restless” centers on friction, romance and dreams in Genoa City, a fictional Midwest metropolis.
The lives and loves of various families are well known to Y&R fans.
Abbott, Newman, Baldwin, Chancellor and Winters are clans that have provided the delectable twists and turns over the decades.
Saturday’s soap fest affords a way of “promoting what’s coming up,” according to Thompson, who is scheduled to be joined by fellow cast members Kristoff St. John, who plays Neil Winters; Gina Tognoni, who plays Phyllis Abbott; and Amelia Heinle, who portrays Victoria Newman.
“She’s got a couple of sides to her personality that people might enjoy watching,” Heinle said. “She’s a businesswoman. She’s feisty sometimes.”
Heinle noted that her character is the “love interest of Billy Abbott,” whom Thompson plays.
“They sort of have a Romeo and Juliet story going on,” said Heinle, who played Mia Saunders on ABC’s “All My Children,” another venerable soap opera which ended its tales of Pine Valley in 2011 after premiering in 1970.
Heinle has guest-starred in the prime-time series “CSI: Miami” and “Ghost Whisperer,” while also notching feature-film work, but acting in daytime dramas is a much different experience.
“It’s a totally different ballgame,” the 43-year-old New Jersey native said. “It’s a very fast pace. They challenge us that way to get a lot taped in one day. We usually do a show, if not two, in a day.”
A 12-year veteran of “The Young and the Restless,” Heinle said she was amazed at colleague memorization abilities during her early days with the show.
“I couldn’t believe how quickly they could get something memorized,” the actress recalled.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Trib.
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‘Soap Opera Festival’
Where: Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino Resort, 11111 Wilson Road, New Buffalo, Mich.
When: 4 p.m. EST time Saturday, Nov. 12
Tickets: $40; minors must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older; minors younger than 5 not permitted
Information: 866-494-6371, www.fourwindscasino.com