By:SUSAN LIN
"The grass is greener on the other side." And by a lot.
Look at the life of Wallace Kurth, who plays multi-millionaire Ned Ashton on television's "General Hospital." Kurth's bill-paying job, which he's had now for 10 years, consists of two or three days per week on the set. And once he gets called in, he works anywhere from two to 10 hours -- though closer to the two. "Sometimes you're only in one or two scenes," the soap-opera star explains.
"Like my father said," Kurth quoted, "'It's probably one of the better paying part-time jobs.'"
Nor is he complaining about the extra work he does on the four or five days he's off during the week. This Saturday night, the dashing actor will be making a personal appearance at the Brokerage Comedy & Music Club in Bellmore.
Kurth won't be doing a comedy routine, but he promised, "We'll have a heck of a lot of fun. It'll be like a living room setting. I'll be sitting down, talking about me, talking about the show. Then we'll do a meet-and-greet. I can sign autographs."
Saturday marks the fourth or fifth time Kurth has been featured in what the Brokerage calls its "Soap Stars & Comedy" nights, said Gary Smith, the owner and a booking agent of the Brokerage. Smith started these shows in 1994 and has been having them every few months since. "They're very popular," he said.
Of course, it probably helps that Wally's Friends, a fan club presided by Marcia Seader of Merrick, is in the next town over. "We used to have these gatherings every August, but I haven't seen them for a while and I'd love to say 'hi'," Kurth said.
In Saturday's "Soap Stars & Comedy" show, Smith said Kurth will probably "give the people a little inside information; not a lot but a little bit, and then they do a lot of questions-and-answers."
Although the featured guest, Kurth won't be the only one on stage that night. Long Island comedienne Carie Karavas will open the show with a half-hour routine, and Smith said, "She's a really strong comic. Not all the girls are that strong, you know what I mean, but she is." And comedian Lenny Marcus will be on and off stage as the evening's emcee.
During the get-to-know-him shows, one question Kurth said audience members often ask is whether that's actually him singing in "General Hospital." (So as not to offend his blue-blooded parents, Ned Ashton masquerades under the name "Eddie Mane" at gigs with his rock band.)
"Yes, it's really me," said Kurth. In fact, like his character Ashton, Kurth also is a rock musician on the side. When not working his day job, he and friend Christian Taylor head up Kurth & Taylor, a five-piece band that's been around for ten years. The group's last show was early April in Pittsburgh. "Once a month we do a concert. I can't do more than that," he said.
In "Soap Stars & Comedy" shows, audience members also often ask him if his daughter on "General Hospital" is actually his daughter in real life. Kurth believes people ask that because in real life he's married to co-star Rena Sofer, who played one of his former love interests in the show.
"No, she's not my real daughter," said Kurth, who lives with his family in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. His daughters are actually Rosabel and Meghann.
As for Saturday night, Kurth says he'll be "interacting with the audience the whole time." One thing not to ask him, though, is what's going to happen in the next episode of "General Hospital."
"They don't let us know that much," he said. "I have a little bit of an idea what's going to happen [Ned might be breaking up with his wife], but they don't like to tell you too much because things always change."
Just Wally
"Soap Stars & Comedy" show
(also featuring Long Island comedienne Carie Karavas)
The Brokerage Comedy & Music Club
2797 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore, (516) 785-8655.
Saturday, April 21, 7:30 p.m.
$26 + 2 drink minimum
