GH’s Burton & Duell Head To NY!

Details have been hammered out for GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Steve Burton (Jason) and Chad Duell (Michael) to step in for co-star Maurice Benard (Sonny) after the actor had to cancel several East Coast appearances this coming weekend due to a health issue.

As Soaps In Depth previously reported, Benard had already boarded a plane bound for Orlando for the first of his East Coast appearances when the actor — who has publicly confessed to a severe fear of flying as a result of his bipolar disorder — began to feel claustrophobic and suffered a panic attack. “He doesn’t want to disappoint his fans. He’s not that guy at all,” Burton says of his good friend. “He would never do something like this unless it was really, really serious. I’ve worked with those clubs for a long time. I talked to the guys at the clubs, and said, ‘I’ll fill in for him if you guys still want to make something work.’ We got the ball rolling.”

Although event organizers initially announced that Benard was rescheduling his NY, NJ and CT appearances for the weekend of July 15, those dates have not been confirmed. But we’re told the Emmy winner does plan to reschedule for the same clubs. (Benard’s appearance in Flordia has been cancelled altogether.)

Fans have the option of either holding on to their tickets for Benard’s future appearance, or transferring their tickets to see Burton and Duell this weekend at the following locations this weekend:

Saturday, January 8
Governor’s Comedy Club
90 Division Avenue, Levittown, NY
(516) 731-3358
Showtime: 10:00 a.m.
Tickets: $129.00 includes meet and greet

Saturday, January 8
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club
520 Arnold Avenue, Point Pleasant, NJ
(732) 899-3900
Showtime: 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $115 includes meet and greet

Sunday, January 9 (originally planned for Friday, January 7)
Treehouse Comedy At Marissa’s
6540 Main Street, Trumbull, CT
(203) 268-5857
Showtime: 11:00 a.m. VIP; 12 noon show
Tickets: $115.00 VIP ticket plus $10 minimum; $75.00 show only
Buffet available for $20