RomaDrama Christmas 2022, a pre-Christmas present

RomaDrama Christmas, the much anticipated event, took place last weekend in Chicago at the Drake Hotel. So I flew to the United States, not to celebrate my birthday (although I kind of did…) but to attend it and report back to you. Trust me, it was magical!

What is RomaDrama ?

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, RomaDrama®Live! hosts events to create moments between celebrities and their fans, especially the Hallmark Channel stars. Their last event took place in June in Palm Beach and was a huge success. 

This time, the two founders Gabrielle Palmer and Sara Lunsford have put together a Christmas-themed convention in record time. And the immense popularity of the movie “Three Wise Men and a Baby” helped speed up the process. Driven by Dara (Dear Hallmark) who was able to rally fans around her and make RomaDrama Christmas happen. Power of social media, guys!

Actors Ryan Paevey, Colin Egglesfield, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell were present. But also the actress Brooke D’Orsay and the two directors Terry Ingram and Ruby Munro. Andrew Walker joined in via videoconference from Vancouver.

RomaDrama Christmas, Day 1

After a sleepless night, a 4am departure for the airport and a stopover in New York, I finally arrived at the Drake Hotel around noon and was ready to start this weekend. I checked into my room, dropped off my suitcase and headed straight to registration to get my pass and learn more about the two-day event. Once I got my wristbands and beverage coupons, I met Kim and Kat to get to know them in their gorgeous room overlooking Lake Michigan.

The Christmas Gala

We left each other to get ready for the evening’s gala. But I was so tired that I fell asleep on my bed and woke up right at the time of the festivities’ beginning. Too late for a sophisticated hairstyle, I straighten my hair, put makeup on and head downstairs to the reception hall as quickly as possible. The setting is stunning with many chandeliers on the ceiling, the red carpet area in one corner, tables to sit at and several rows of seats in front of the screen. The actors are doing live interviews with different media and podcasts on the red carpet. In the adjacent room, there is a hot buffet for dinner and two bars for drinks. All participants followed the dress code and looked glamorous.

Around 8pm, the movie ‘A Fabled Christmas’ is screened as a premiere. Then the two lead actors (Brooke D’Orsay and Ryan Paevey) and the director (Ruby Munro) take part in a Q&A session. Tyler Hynes is the first to take the microphone and ask a question. We learn the film was shot in 15 days in the middle of a heat wave. And the two actors, who had never worked together, shot the final kissing scene on the second day.

It is then time to mingle with the guests (conversations and pictures). Some groups naturally form around them and some waiting lines are created. I enter the one to talk with Paul, because Tyler’s line is already too big. After about 20 minutes, it’s my turn and my first thought is how tall he is. Then we start chatting about Vancouver, where he and I live (well me only few months a year) and about Canada and France. He makes jokes while keeping an ultra-serious look. This could be destabilizing for many, but it makes me laugh a lot. I look at his blue eyes and I can’t help but think that he’s really handsome while he asks me if I would like to teach French to his son. Yes Paul I would! We take a picture and I sadly give up my place to the next person. Ryan, Colin and Brooke are in the room next door. I finally get in Tyler’s line, I have a thousand questions I would like to ask him. It doesn’t move much, because this man takes his time and is absolutely not the kind to rush his interlocutor for the following one. At 11pm, the hosts finally impose to cut the fun short and take only one photo to satisfy everyone and end the evening. I still manage to approach him (I expected him to be bigger and taller, sorry I have this thing with height). He quickly picks up on my accent and tells me that his mother is French Canadian, but that he doesn’t speak French. Well, that’s too bad for my interview’s idea. I ask him the first question that has been burning in my mind for weeks: Does he manage his own social media accounts? He looks surprised and answers me right away “Yes of course, why?”. Because I have been wondering how he finds the time in a 24 hour day to be so active. From liking comments, stories, tweets and posts, reposting and responding to them and creating content to publish. That’s digital strategist for you!

Few people are still wearing their high heels at the end of the evening, sitting at the tables or on the chairs chatting. I go back to my room for a well-deserved rest around midnight.

RomaDrama Christmas, Day 2

Grown up brunch with Santa & elves

I’m not a morning person at all, so having to come downstairs at 8am for breakfast is a little difficult for me. I head to the screening of “Three Wise Men and a Baby” and the Q&A panel with the cast and director. Terry Ingram, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell are in sweatpants and socks, cardigans and pajama pants. The entire room also follows the theme with PJs or onesies. Andrew Walker is held up filming in Vancouver, but he participates all morning by videoconference from his hotel room. He is wearing his elf costume but his top is wide open, OK Drew! If you also wondered why Tyler was doing squats while holding the baby in the movie, it was Kimberley Sustad’s idea. She did this to calm her child down when he was colicky. Andrew and his wife did the same with their son Wes, but it was more about working out. The viral video of the three boys walking out of their trailer as elves was obviously Tyler’s idea. It wasn’t premeditated at all, it just came to him suddenly while heading to set.

I help myself to the brunch buffet before enjoying the movie. The food is excellent! There is a hot chocolate station with all kinds of toppings, plus booze. Coffee and Baileys please. 😏☕️ You can hear Andrew making himself a smoothie every now and then, and it makes me smile. The whole thing is surreal.

Tyler and Paul ask us how we would like to watch the movie: one shot with commentary and anecdotes at the end or pausing each scene for live commentary. The crowd is unanimous to watch the movie in parts with live commentary. A few people present (less than a dozen) have not yet watched it. Andrew often laughs by himself out of sync, he only sees the stage and the screen on his computer apparently. As for Tyler, he looks at the audience and observes their reactions as they go along. This is definitely my favorite moment of the weekend. I can’t explain it, but it was like sitting in my living room with my friends and watching TV – it really moved me. I didn’t feel like the actual actors of this movie were in front of me. During the end credits, Paul, Andrew and Tyler took the floor to thank everyone for their endless support, they also shared that it was a very special and unique experience for them to watch the movie with the fans. Their voices were a bit shaky.

We then have the chance to watch some bloopers and deleted scenes, one of which takes place in the ice rink and would have deserved its place in the movie. Another wacky one of Taylor changing the baby in the grocery store bathroom. Tyler reveals one last surprise for the public: “Welcome in Tyler’s telephone”. It’s his personal videos taken during the shooting and many of them have never been published. It shows, among other things, the three of them rehearsing their Nutcracker dance and its progress. It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Not the dance scene itself but the very serious process of creating the dance with mouth noises to beat time. Please let’s give credit to Paul who came up with the final Christmas tree figure. We also see work sessions with Kimberley Sustad in which everyone struggles to stay focused. It’s funny and confirms what we already knew, that the four of them are very close.

After a break, Paul and Tyler come back in the room dressed as elves. They wear the exact replicas of the costumes from the movie to take a picture with every single person there. Colin, Brooke and Ryan also position themselves to take a group photo after them. Once again, I am admiring their patience as I see the line forming. They are going to be standing there for a minimum of an hour with smiles on their faces.

The Meet and Greets

The afternoon is dedicated to meet and greets. We are divided into four groups, the first two groups go to a smaller conference room. The other two (including me) have a couple of hours to spare. When it is our turn, we are seated at round tables of ten. Each guest spends 20 minutes answering any questions the fans ask.

It’s another opportunity for photos and autographs within the time limit. Sometimes the conversations are rambling and surprising, as everyone wants the chance to share something personal with the actor or actress. Ryan Paevey talks about his last filming in Hawaii on a naturist beach, his childhood on the Californian coast surfing and his life in San Diego. Brooke D’Orsay shares her favorite roles, her studies in film, the fact that she didn’t know anyone in the industry and her affection for Jonathan Bennett. Tyler tells how he gets fan mail at his mother’s home and reads them all, that he’s not interested in directing a movie for Hallmark right now and that two most important things to him in life are: “Meet good people and make good things.” By the last round, we feel the end of the weekend coming on and the schedule isn’t really on track anymore. Paul stays almost 40 minutes chatting with us. He reveals more details about his writing process and the obstacles he faced in getting his script accepted by Hallmark. He had to rewrite some scenes up to ten times, and finding the connection between the baby’s mother and Luke took about three weeks of thinking. It was fascinating to talk with him. Anyway, I am telling you, Paul Campbell is the highlight of my weekend!

The event was over an hour and a half ago, but all still gave a lot of themselves. Most are heading home the next day to various parts of Canada and are hoping to enjoy their last night in Chicago.

My thoughts on the RomaDrama Christmas

First of all, I think it is important to point out once again that Gabrielle and Sara had less than a month to plan this convention. It was quite a miracle, because aside from a little confusion at registration and some delay in the schedule (like all events), there were no incidents.

Ten years ago, I was attending many conventions in France, it was the beginning of them in Europe. The public was young and there was a lot of competition trying to get the actors’ attention. I have never felt such a warm and friendly atmosphere as this one. There were about 200 attendees, which is small for a fan convention. The atmosphere was intimate and the closeness with the guests was great. I guess meeting your idol in this setting can only be something special. I didn’t really know what to expect because I was conscious of Tyler Hynes’ huge popularity online. So I was curious about it. One thing is for sure, the #Hynies welcomed me with open arms. Kat, Kim and her mom Sandra took me under their wings and gave me the rundown on everything I needed to know. I then met Vanessa, Jodie and Katherine with whom I spent the Gala evening. I chatted with Dara who I was looking forward to meeting. Everyone was very friendly and laid back, it was very nice.

What about the guests?

I always prefer to imagine the worst so I won’t be disappointed. I tell myself that they are certainly pretending and are sweet on the outside. But I was caught out at my own game, because they are really humble, approachable and available. Paul is so hilarious with a dry sense of humor, and I personally love it. He seems to be the most human of all, very honest in his answers and unfiltered. I still can’t believe how patient Tyler is, he’s definitely the most sought-after of all. He takes the time to have a chat with everyone, take all the pictures he can, autograph all the materials given and answer all the unexpected demands. The guy was obviously going over and beyond his contract! I didn’t think it was still possible to be this nice in 2022. Brooke is so cute and sweet that it can’t be either. Every guest was thoughtful and lovely, no one looked like they were trying too hard. Even through a screen, I was instantly endeared to Andrew who seemed to be living his best morning. Could Hallmark really be an enchanting parallel universe? I want to say yes and believe in the magic of Christmas.

Is it worth it?

I am still amazed and charmed by RomaDrama Christmas, yet I had no expectations and was there as an observer. Congratulations, Gabrielle and Sara, for the wonderful job you did and many thanks to all the guests for their kindness.