Van Hansis Interview, Stage Pictures

Luke was on As The World Turns again today, though not really in his own story. His cousin (and former beard) Jade returned to town and Luke was immediately embroiled in her drama, just like the last time she blew into town.

This time around, Jade is running from the law and showed up to ask Luke for enough money to help her disappear for good. Luke agreed to help her but called Lily on the sly and together the two of them convinced Jade to turn herself in to the Oakdale P.D. and get the pesky charges for armed robbery dismissed. It seems Jade was with the wrong guy at the wrong time and now the police think she helped him rob a convenience store.

Instead of dismissing the charges, though, they're extraditing Jade back to Florida, where she probably won't get bail since she's already proven to be a flight risk. This left a dejected Luke telling Lily that even when he tries to do the right thing, he messes it up.

I'm glad Jade is back because Luke needs a confidant and Jade, for all her faults, was always there for him in that way. Well, except for when she was blackmailing him over his sexuality while he was still closeted. But, hey, nobody is perfect, right? Since it looks like they're also introducing Jade's long lost biological father, though, she may be more involved in her own story than in Luke's.

Meanwhile, Van Hansis has given an interview (which does have some minor spoilers about New Year's Eve and Noah's ex Maddie's return) to Michael Fairman. Van puts my fears about Brian being the show's latest psycho further to rest:

MICHAEL:

Is it “ATWT’s” intent to show Brian’s confusion over his sexual identity? He is not going to be ‘creepy’ towards Luke, is he?

VAN:

I don’t think that’s where they are going. Of course, there are some uncomfortable aspects of this story, but it’s not going to be about this older lecherous man going after this younger guy. He is not a bad guy and that was not the intention for the character. I think his confusion might be
perceived as this, because he is lying to himself and he is lying to other people. I don’t
think he is being malicious at all.

Van also had this to say, about Prop 8:

MICHAEL:

Luke and Noah’s story is all the more compelling now with the recent passing of “Proposition 8” that bans gay marriages. What are your thoughts on that, since you play a gay character on the show?

VAN:

I think that whatever my job is, as playing a gay character or an accountant, my feelings are the same. It is not right to limit people’s options they have in life. I think it’s incredibly un-American to do something like that. Proposition 8 passing was really kind of a blow to what America should stand for.

You've got to love Van!

It looks like Luke & Noah will have some story coming up, though apparently not anything too heavy for a few months, since an official ATWT spokesperson told the interviewer the following:

“I can tell you that Luke and Noah at the beginning of March are featured heavily and they will continue to have storyline. They will have front and center story and we are committed to telling their story.”

Van's new musical Dance Dance Revolution, discussed here in The Village Voice, is ending its run this Saturday and in honor of that, I wanted to post a picture that I came across of him in costume for the show, in which he plays a character named Wiggles.

Can I just say again how jealous I am of everyone who got to see Van singing and dancing around in those short shorts? In fact, here's another shot to show what I missed. Van is on the right:

The next time Van does something on stage, I'm totally going to New York.