WHEN BROADWAY BABIES HIT THE SOAPS...

Kids on soap operas tend to have simple job qualifications: look cute, stand still, deliver your few lines as ungarbled as possible, then go "upstairs" and stay there.

Occasionally, a Hayden Panettiere (ex-Lizzie, GL), Andrea Barber (ex-Carrie, DOOL), Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH), Erin Torpey (ex-Jessica, OLTL), or Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky, GH) manages to break through and get some actual acting done. (For the record, even though consensus on the message boards is that he shrieks too much, I think ATWT's Dylan Denton (JJ) is pretty good, as well).

On the other hand, kids who act on Broadway need to sing, dance, and act -- live, in seven to nine shows a week. That takes a ton of talent and even more dedication and hard work. Which is why Broadway Babies tend to make outstanding soap kids, as well.

Both AMC's Lacey Chabert (ex-Bianca) and Tommy Michaels (ex-Tim) did time on the barricades of Les Miz.

Martha Byrne (Lily; ATWT) appeared on Broadway in Annie. The original Annie herself, Andrea McArdle, played Wendy on SFT from 1974-1977. (Guess she went from Searching for Tomorrow, to... singing about it).

And before she was a train in Starlight Express, a movie star wannabe in Grand Hotel, a promiscuous stewardess in Company, Barbra Streisand-lite in Funny Girl and barely clothed with Antonio Banderas in Nine -- not to mention the bra-on-her-face girl in Ally McBeal -- a fifteen year old Jane Krakowski was fiesty orphan T.R. on Search for Tomorrow.

Tune in to the AOL/PGP Classic Soap Channel right now to find out what happens when T.R., who is about to realize a lifelong dream of being adopted into the wholesome and loving Sentell family, learns that her real father is the evil Lloyd Kendall (hiss, boo....).

Warning: Don't be frightened by the leg-warmers, shoulder-pads and big hair little Jane is sporting in these episodes. It was the 80s, kids. Yes, young people actually wanted to look this way.