=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 4, Issue 2 - February 2, 1992 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES LES MISERABLES FEATURING DEBBIE GIBSON - Andrew Shurak LES MISERABLES OPENING NIGHT REVIEW - Michael Scheele LES MISERABLES 1/8/92 MATINEE - Norman Eliaser LES MISERABLES 1/18/92 & 1/19/92 - Matthew Jung CONGRATULATIONS TO DEBORAH - Jonathan Bradshaw DEBBIE DOES BROADWAY - Steve Burstall DEBBIE RECALLS AUDITIONS PAST - J. Lubin STARLIGHT WISH COME TRUE - Dina Shimoyama TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS - Matthew Jung RECORDING CAREER ON HOLD FOR NOW - Constantin Caroutas DEBBIE GIBSON STALKER CASE - Terry Carroll THE BTL LOUNGE IS NOW OPEN - Jonathan Bradshaw DEBWATCH CLOSING REMARKS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DISCLAIMER =- This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Ann Gibson, Gibson Management Inc. (GMI), the Atlantic Recording Corporation, or any organizations to which members belong or represent. All songs by Debbie Gibson are copyrighted by Deborah Ann's Music (ASCAP) or Possibilities Publishing (ASCAP). Between the Lines operates on a non-profit basis. Distribution is permissible only under the condition that no part of it will be used for profit. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- Due to popular demand, the original logo designed by Renee' Campbell and used since BtL 1.4 has returned. Please welcome our newest moderator, Samuel Lau. He will be helping out with the proofreading of BtL. At the end of 1992, Matthew Jung and Sandy Chen will probably retire, but Felix Ng and Samuel Lau will probably stay on. Both Felix and Sam are in the process of "learning the ropes" and hopefully they will be able to moderate BtL for years to come. When Matt and Sandy do retire, we will be looking for another moderator who will be able to maintain the mailing list at their site. Anyone who is interested may contact Matthew Jung. We encourage you to write articles about Debbie Gibson whether raving or critical. Please keep your articles original. If you intend to transcribe an article from a magazine or newspaper, please notify Matthew Jung first before proceeding. He and the rest of the moderators will decide whether it is appropriate to include such submissions for BtL. To submit articles, please email them to Matthew Jung. Felix will now accept handwritten submissions too. Please try to be as neat as possible; we won't be able to use them if we can't read them. We reserve the right to edit such submissions. To submit articles by postal mail, please send them to: BETWEEN THE LINES c/o Felix Ng 2137 Qualicum Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5P 2M3 CANADA You may also submit articles on floppy disks (3.5" or 5.25" double or high density) by mailing them to the above address. Disks must be in MS-DOS and ASCII format. To submit articles by Fax please call: Fax: (604) 322-5936 BtL is now available through postal mail for the cost of postage and paper. Rates are subject to change since some BtL issues can be twice as long as others. Canada $1.25 Cdn. United States $1.30 U.S. International $2.50 Cdn. Please make a cheque or money order payable to Felix Ng and mail it to the postal address mentioned above. We are not responsible for cash lost or stolen in the mail. -= BtL moderators =- Matthew Jung : ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu mjung@bloom.ucdavis.edu myjung@ucdavis.bitnet Sandy Chen : ez003229@othello.ucdavis.edu Felix Ng : fng@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca Samuel Lau : laus@cpsc.ucalgary.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LES MISERABLES FEATURING DEBBIE GIBSON =- Andrew Shurak (ajs@gcm.com) January 9, 1992 Now back in NYC after four miserable years in Pittsburgh, I convinced a current attendee of my alma mater, Carnegie Hell-on U, to see with me Debbie "Play The Field, Just Like My Heartthrob W. Axl Rose" Gibson in a production of Les Miserables on Broadway. For diehard Debbie fans who hate having to think critically about theatre (come on, raise your hands), this experience may not be for you. Debbie does not even appear until near the end of the first act and is DEAD less than fifteen minutes into the second - not like one of her marathon concerts. But what she leaves out in time, she makes up in effort. Debbie's popularly trained voice was a strong and positive contrast to the other actors - while they had strength and power from using operatic techniques (clouding the words they were singing at some points), she had a clear and inhumanly resounding voice that, at one point, echoed throughout the theatre for several seconds! This was during her show-stopping solo "On My Own," which she did on tour. She also sang in part of several songs and did some acting near the end of the first and start of the second act, plus a duet while she was dying in the arms of the man she loved, but who did not love her. Her character, Eponine, is in love with Marius the rebel, but he only loves the mysterious Cosette. Eponine saves Cosette from being robbed and plays matchmaker for the two on Marius' request, but dies sadly without his love. Of course, all of his other rebel friends die within a half hour, so we see that clearly his horoscope for this day must have been tragic. For those fashion conscious BtL readers (we all know who you are), Debbie was wearing a plain peasant dress and had black hair in the bangs style. I thought her clear and powerful voice was a highlight of the show. For those of us who aren't learned in obscure foreign drama, Les Mis is a play about an ex-con who is given a chance to turn good and gets entangled in many people's lives while trying to keep one step ahead of his parole officer hunting him, the cold arm of the law Javert. It takes place in early 19th Century France. Joe Bob says: Three stars out of four, weak at the end. Three hours and twenty minutes long! Errata: The theater it is playing at is on 45th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It is easily accessible by many trains (like the F, R, and 1/2/3/9 among others), but make sure you wander the right way after the show at night. There is a $9 discount for student ID on tickets; the last four rows are $25 before discount. These seats sometimes make it tough to see facial expressions, but that's life. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LES MISERABLES OPENING NIGHT REVIEW =- Michael A. Scheele (no current email address) January 11, 1992 The long running musical added a new member to its cast this Tuesday evening; pop singer, Debbie Gibson. It was hard not to notice that this night was out of the ordinary. Television cameras were in the back of the Imperial Theater to record moments of the new cast member's performance. Notables such as Donald Trump were in the audience to see Miss Gibson's Broadway debut. Friends, professional acquaintances (such as Chris Cuevas), and of course, family of Miss Gibson were there to provide support. This ensemble took up a majority of the center orchestra section as well as considerable portions of the adjacent sections. Make no mistake, to Gibson, this was a friendly audience. Though Gibson's character, Eponine, was not a lead role, she stood out - making the most of her part. The remainder of the cast, most veterans of the stage, performed professionally and seemed not to take special notice of the Long Island singer. Special praise from this reviewer goes to the actors portraying Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and the Thenardiers. The quality of the set was good; it was used to good effect. It was a tight production, as one would expect of a long running musical. Attention to detail was always evident; lighting was well managed and visual symbolism was utilized effectively. Tonight's production illustrated why _Les Miserables_ has an enduring worldwide popularity - excellent material, excellent production, and excellent casting combine to provide the audience with a memorable evening. By now, one expects this reviewer to get to specifics about Miss Gibson's performance. For an actress away from the stage for a number of years, her Broadway debut was impressive. Her singing was stunning in purity, perfect in pitch, and breathtaking in power. There were occasional hints at her singing persona, especially singing "On My Own" - sometimes, her singing mannerisms were more well suited for the concert venue than for the theater, but her singing was impeccable nonetheless. Some theater goers might find the lack of vibrato in her voice unusual, but her renowned perfect pitch singing rendered it unnecessary. In a live setting without amplification, Gibson is at her best [note that the reviewer was in a front row seat]. This confirms what her fans have known all along, that she has one of the most beautiful, captivating voices around today. As far as the other aspects of performance, she availed herself quite well. Her ability to convey emotions physically was good and those familiar with her videos may recognize the looks of despair and joy from time to time. In addition to Eponine, Gibson played a number of roles in the ensemble. Particularly disturbing to this reviewer was the early scene of the whores; the irony could not have been greater. To sum it up, Gibson did a superb job as Eponine; truly worthy of the Broadway stage. Many critics will doubtlessly scoff at the idea that a pop singer could do credit to a classic role in a beloved play, but the young woman has proven that this role is not an ego trip; she deserves to be on that stage. Deborah Ann Marie Gibson has every reason to be proud of herself - she has superlatively succeeded at a task that has been a long held dream to her. I, for one, wish her a successful and rewarding run. End of the relatively objective review. The following is a bit of unbridled subjectivism, bordering on hyperbole: Her dulcet voice offers tan opportunity to hear a glimpse of Heaven that has the power to move beyond words. To paraphrase a line, "to witness Deborah on stage is to see the face of God." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LES MISERABLES 1/8/92 MATINEE =- Norman Mitchell Eliaser (ne05+@andrew.cmu.edu) January 19, 1992 Broadway, January 8, 1992. 2:00PM. My friend and I were staking out the Imperial Theater on 45th Street between Broadway and Eighth Ave. We had obtained tickets (at a student discount) for the matinee performance of Les Miserables (which doesn't mean the happy people). There was a character in the play named Eponine, who was allegedly to be performed by the illustrious Deborah Ann Gibson. Anyway, that's what we had heard. The stagebill confirmed our suspicions. She was in fact to play the role. She did. A major question to ponder in the selection of actresses for this play was whether to discriminate on the basis of the spelling of middle names. Evidently, this never was a question. Melissa Anne Davis played Cosette. "How was the play?" you ask? The play was awesome. "Who's the lead?" You want to know? Jean Valjean was played marvelously by Mark McKerracher. There were two acting performances which were more notable for me. The inspector trailing Valjean, Javert, was played by Richard Kinsey. He absolutely glowed in his role. "How large a role did Debbie have?" Why do you keep asking me these questions? Anyway, Eponine was present in the middle of the play...not as long percentage-wise as a Debbie fan would want. Eponine is a girl who grew up with Cosette, the girl Valjean adopts as his own. The two knew each other before Valjean came on the scene--at that point Eponine was treated as a princess by her parents, who were also in charge of Cosette. Cosette was treated in the same manner as Cinderella... The grown Eponine was no longer the happier. Valjean had taken very good care of Cosette, and Eponine's family wasn't quite as happy. But what's the big thing with Eponine? She's got a friend, Marius (John Leone), whom she is in love with. He doesn't know she's interested. He sees her as a best friend--that's it. So, this leads to Debbie's big solo song "On My Own." Listening to Debbie on "Where Have You Been," a fan might interpret her feelings as depressed, dejected, and disgusted. I felt that she had a problem conveying jealousy. After seeing Deb at Les Mis, any doubt that she could express the emotion should be erased! A whopping performance of emission of jealousy might be sufficient to describe how well she did. I'm very pleased to watch her growth as an artist. Artistry was also shown to a great extent in her shorter song bits. Her interactions with John Leone's Marius were heartfelt, and she truly seemed comfortable on stage. A Deb-highlight other than the solo was her warning cry to Jean Valjean and Cosette. Approximately 10 seconds of Debbie screaming a vowel sound, followed by a reverberation lasting another 5 were spectacular. The one mistake we made was not sticking around afterwards for autographs. It's my friend's fault ;-) If you're going to be in NYC soon, get tix, and see Les Mis--not just for Debbie--the whole cast was superb. If you get Wednesday's matinee with the student discount, it's only $16.00." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LES MISERABLES 1/18/92 & 1/19/92 =- Matthew Jung (mjung@bloom.ucdavis.edu) January 22, 1992 There were some who thought I was crazy for wanting to fly out to New York all the way from California to see Deborah in Les Miserables. I say to those people that they are crazy for not wanting to fly out with me. Deborah was absolutely incredible in the role of Eponine. Here we see a totally different aspect of Deborah's talent. For the past few years, we have seen her talents live in concert and we have seen some attempts at acting, but we have not seen the integration of the two until now. Watching her perform in one of the most popular and respected musicals on Broadway is an experience that I will never forget. On Saturday, January 18th, I sat in the front row of the rear mezzanine portion of the Imperial Theater. These seats were kind of far back, but there were no people in front of me to provide any form of distraction. On Sunday, January 19th, I sat near the rear center of the main floor. Physically, this was closer than upstairs, but there were distractions such as a child asking her parents from time to time what was going on. There was also a man who sat next to me and had to find parking so he didn't arrive until one of Eponine's parts which caused me to miss a few seconds of Deb on stage; thank goodness I already saw it the night before. The sound was excellent and was much better than most of the venues where I've seen Deb's concerts at. For some reason, her voice can sound too high pitched in some venues and I'm not sure if it is the fault of her sound people or the venues themselves. Here, her voice was beautiful and crystal clear with the hint of sweetness which I love so much. The reverb that some people have been talking about was not natural though because acoustically the theater doesn't really echo. Through the excellent sound system at the Imperial Theater, the pros did a good job of simulating it, especially in the climatic part of "On My Own." After "On My Own," the entire crowd on both nights gave Deb hearty applause just as they did with some of the other excellent solos by other cast members. It was such a proud feeling when about 3000 people each night, many of whom were probably not Debbie Gibson fans, paid Deborah such respect. Such applause was well deserved because she was not just singing it like she did on tour, but rather feeling every moment of it. Deborah was on par with all the other actors and actresses. It should be no surprise since she has done musical theater for more years than pop music. The character of Eponine enables us to see a wide variety of emotions which Deb conveys quite well. We get to see the frustration that Eponine feels when she throws Marius' books on the ground when he fails to realize that she loves him so much. We also get to see a momentarily happy Eponine when Marius puts his arms around her; in contrast a split second later, we see a "sadder than sad" Eponine when she realizes that Marius' lovesick words were meant for Cosette and not for herself. Les Miserables has given us the opportunity to view Deborah in many emotional states, some of which we haven't seen before. Les Miserables by itself was a great show which grips your attention and does not let up. The intermission is almost unnecessary because the three hours go by even faster than a regular 100 minute Debbie Gibson concert. The show itself is well worth seeing even if Deb is not in it. But the fact that Deb is makes it extra special since it is a dream come true for her and us. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONGRATULATIONS TO DEBORAH =- Jonathan Bradshaw (jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) January 22, 1992 I'd like to suggest those people who have seen Les Miz send Deb either a card, letter or whatever expressing your feelings about her and the show. I will be writing a letter of encouragement and congratulations for an incredible performance. As fans of Debbie Gibson, we should indicate we are just as proud of her theatre career as her musical one. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE DOES BROADWAY =- Steve Burstall (hnr_443854@emunix.emich.edu) January 16, 1992 From the "Way, Way Out" section of the Detroit Free Press, dated January 10, 1992, I bring to you an article about Debbie and Les Miz: DEBBIE DOES BROADWAY Career crisis alert: Debbie Gibson is so far from hip, she's taking a role in your mom and dad's favorite musical "Les Miserables". The former teen idol is making her Broadway debut this month as Eponine, a French girl who gets shot during a 19th-century student revolt. Gibson will spend three months singing the show's big hit love song, "On My Own", then presumably try to revive her flagging[sic] career. Gee, this is the worst thing that has happened to her since she was romantically linked with Vanilla Ice. (in the article there is a picture of Cosette with Debbie's face on it) Remarks: Give them an inch and the Detroit papers will have fun with any artist or politician who is on the down side. This time Debbie is it. Actually Michigan has never been very receptive to Debbie. It's hard to when the artists that have come from Michigan (e.g. Ted Nugent, Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Rhythm Corps, etc.) are geared more towards the rock-n-roll than to pop. I really don't think that Debbie will ever do well in Michigan, no matter what she does. To tell you how she did on her last concert in Michigan, she started out with Pine Knob Amphitheater (about 5000 people that can be held) to ClubLand, a 500 persons club, and even that didn't come close to filling out (I had a previous engagement the day of her concert so I didn't go). So Debbie doing Les Miz will not even come close to her being accepted to any Michiganians, even if they remember that she did Les Miz. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE RECALLS AUDITIONS PAST =- J. Lubin (0001169382@mcimail.com) January 27, 1992 Taken from Prodigy Online Service: Singer Debbie Gibson, who first auditioned for a Broadway show at age 6, finally landed a role 15 years later. She debuted Jan 7 as Eponine in Les Miserables. In those 15 years, besides doing a lot of auditioning, she has also sold millions of records. Her 1987 debut album, Out of the Blue, sold 3 million copies and made her famous as a singer. Her 1989 follow-up, Electric Youth, sold 2 million. Anything Is Possible, in 1990, sold 1 million. But she says diminishing record sales weren't the reason she auditioned for Les Miz. Through the years, says Gibson, she has auditioned for many Broadway parts. While she doesn't even remember all her auditions, she does remember trying out for Annie. "The first time, I was 6. It was for one of the orphans. You had to sing Happy Birthday. If you got a callback you could sing Tomorrow. I auditioned several times. "When I was 11 I was down to the last 10 girls for Annie. I was too tall at the time. I wore baggy pants and bent my knees. But they caught on and threw me right out. It was kind of depressing. I never got to play Annie." Gibson, who grew up in Merrick, Long Island, says that the first time she visited a Broadway theater, it was to audition, not to see a show. "The first show I saw was Annie, she says. "I was 7 or 8. I kept thinking, 'Am I dreaming? I can't believe I'm here seeing a Broadway show!'" Over the years, she kept on auditioning. Recalls Gibson "For Evita, you were supposed to have dark hair. I went anyway. I auditioned for Starlight Express. That looked like a scene from Funny Girl. I was on roller skates. I couldn't skate to save my life. I never even got to sing my 16 bars on that one." "There was a show that closed in previews, Surf City, where I was called back 11 times," says Gibson. "It was Beach Boys music. It seemed like a good idea." Gibson auditioned for Eponine before Les Miz opened in 1987. Now that she's 21, Gibson thinks she was too young to play Eponine then. But, she adds, "I'm ready now." --adapted from an AP story Copyright 1992 Prodigy Services Company. All Rights Reserved. [Editor's Note: An article very similar to this was published in the January 7th issue of USA Today on page 1D] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= STARLIGHT WISH COME TRUE =- Dina Shimoyama (dina@ISI.EDU) January 31, 1992 Here's something from the most recent edition of the Starlight Foundation's newsletter: "Dave, an 18-year-old quadriplegic, had the most exciting experience of his life as he met Debbie Gibson in Toronto this summer. Dave and his family had dinner with Debbie, her crew and band, and then were her guests at a performance. Debbie went out of her way to make certain that Dave was delighted and by the smile on his face, we can see that he was!" Note: There is a picture of the two of them. Her hair is still short, and she has no makeup on. She looks very young, and I didn't recognize her until I read the caption. She has on a tie-dyed T-shirt with a peace sign on it, and she is carrying a doll that says "I love you." Dave really does look happy, and it's a really nice picture. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS =- Matthew Jung (mjung@bloom.ucdavis.edu) January 7, 1992 A new Debbie Gibson song was broadcasted over WHTZ (Z100) in the New York area during the 1991 holiday season. No title was announced before or after the song since it was mixed in with other Christmas songs. I'd be interested to know if others have heard it elsewhere. Unlike "Silent Night," which sounded like it was from a demo tape, this new song was fully produced. The new song itself is slightly longer than "Lost in Your Eyes." Below are the lyrics which I transcribed: Christmas songs are playing, but not for me. Why does everything seem so out of place? Everyone thinks this is a merry time for all and to see the frozen tears upon my face. Someone take me home for Christmas so I won't be alone. Let me have a family to call my very own. And then I'll feel the joy that they're all singing of. This Christmas just give me someone to love. I was too small to remember, though I cried out loud. I wish they would write or call me, I guess they're just too proud. People make mistakes, though the heart sunk to the ground. I'd gladly open my arms if they'd only come around. Someone take me home for Christmas so I won't be alone. Let me have a family to call my very own. And then I'll feel the joy that they're all singing of. This Christmas just give me someone to love. All year came and went. I held my hopes up high. But now I need you bad. If ever there was a time. It's just once that we live. We take so much, why can't you give? So someone take me home for Christmas, so I won't be alone. Let me have a mom and dad again, someone to call my own. And then I'll feel the joy that they're all singing of. This Christmas just give me someone to love. Like some of the Mood Swings songs from the _Anything is Possible_ album, this one is kind of depressing and sad. Since some of my favorite Debbie Gibson songs happen to be the depressing and sad ones, I took a liking to this one immediately. In an interview in the New York Daily News not too long ago, Deb said she had the desire to adopt children in a few years. Notice the coincidence with how she put her own baby picture on the Christmas postcard sent out to all the DGIF members. Deb, being a person who loves to drop hints, may indicate just how serious she really is with this song. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= RECORDING CAREER ON HOLD FOR NOW =- Constantin Caroutas (cc433336@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu) January 23, 1992 There is a picture of Debbie Gibson as Eponine on page 10 of the January 25th issue of Billboard magazine. The picture accompanies an article about trying Broadway (not a review). Here's an interesting excerpt from the article: "Her three-month run in "Les Miserables" may be followed by another two months in the London cast, so her recording career is temporarily on hold. But Gibson says she has already written all the songs for her next album, and will complete it after her stint in the musical." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON STALKER CASE =- Terry Carroll (tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com) January 28, 1992 Here are excerpts from the Court of Appeals decision that sent back Pelfrey's case for resentencing: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Defendant-Appellee v. RICHARD C. PELFREY, Plaintiff-Appellant. NO. 90-3731 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT Filed December 16, 1991. The defendant was born in 1952. The first indication of a mental problem, as far as we know, dates to 1976, when the defendant spent a month in a U.S. Navy hospital for what was diagnosed as "schizophrenia, paranoid type." The defendant was married in 1977, and he and his wife now have four children. In April of 1988, a few months before his 36th birthday, the defendant started writing fan letters to a teenaged singing star named Debbie Gibson. Concerned about the increasingly amorous tone of the letters, and believing that they came from a teenager, Ms. Gibson's father telephoned the defendant's home in Barberton, Ohio, in an effort to let the defendant know that his attentions were unwelcome. After speaking with the defendant's wife, Mr. Gibson talked with the defendant himself and told him to forget about Debbie. The defendant interpreted the call as a sign that Debbie Gibson was in fact interested in him. Hoping to see her in person, he drove from Barberton to a town in New York state where the Gibson family owned a house. The house was rented to other people, and Debbie was not available, but the defendant refused to believe that she did not live there. He continued writing letters to her, but the letters now evinced considerable hostility; the defendant threatened to get even with the Gibson family for refusing to let him see Debbie, and he spoke of blowing up the Gibsons' house. The Gibsons relocated their tenants as a safety precaution and alerted law enforcement officials in the Barberton area to the defendant's bizarre behavior. Deputies from the local sheriff's office went to the defendant's home, at which time they apparently learned from his wife that there were a number of weapons in the house. (The wife later told the court that there had been three rifles and a handgun in the residence for ten or eleven years, but by the time of the defendant's plea hearing the weapons had been turned over to a relative who was a police officer.) Sheriff's deputies arrested the defendant in August of 1988 and put him in jail over a weekend, hoping that this would bring a halt to the correspondence. It did not. The defendant continued to write, blaming Mr. Gibson for the humiliation of the arrest and making what the presentence report describes as "glib death threats," along with "pledges of love and devotion for Debbie." Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed the defendant at his home on May 26, 1989, showing him letters in which he had threatened to blow up the Gibson house. A letter dated May 19, 1989, part of which was read to the court at the sentencing hearing, said among other things that "everyone in that house will die. I told you where I was heading, Hinckley and Charles Manson." The defendant told the FBI agents that he had made the threats to frighten the Gibsons into paying him money "for all the trouble they had caused him." The agents warned the defendant to stop writing letters. The defendant's wife had him placed in a Veterans Administration hospital for five days in the early part of June, 1989. The diagnosis made at this time was consistent with that made at the Navy hospital in 1976: "Paranoid schizophrenia, chronic with acute exacerbation." On September 6, 1989, the defendant wrote a seven-page letter to Mr. Gibson. This letter, which was the subject of the charge to which the defendant ultimately pleaded guilty, expressed both disappointment in Debbie's failure to respond and hatred of Mr. Gibson for embarrassing the defendant and his family. Debbie was scheduled to appear at the Blossom Music Center, near the defendant's place of employment, on September 13, 1989, and the letter stated with reference to this appearance that "I will not permit Debbie to perform. I will die or Debbie will die." FBI agents went to the defendant's home on the day of the Blossom performance and were told that the defendant was not there. His wife said she did not know how to contact him. The defendant was arrested at work on the following day. On motion by the government, the court ordered that the defendant undergo a psychiatric examination. He was sent to the Federal Medical Center at Springfield, Missouri, and was kept there for almost three months. The government told the court at the sentencing hearing that the medical center took away the defendant's letter-writing privileges, but he nonetheless managed to send letters to Debbie Gibson from Springfield. The clinical staff at the medical center finally concluded that the defendant suffered from a "delusional paranoid disorder, erotomania type," but expressed the opinion that he "is presently competent to stand trial and was not suffering from a severe mental disease or defect that caused him to be unable to appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts." At a hearing following his return to Ohio the defendant stipulated to the report from the medical center; the court found him mentally competent to stand trial, and bond was set at $10,000 cash. The defendant subsequently waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a one count information charging him with the violation of 18 U.S.C. s. 876. On motion of his counsel, the defendant's bond was then reduced to a $5,000 cash or $10,000 surety bond. The court explained that the bond was subject to being withdrawn if there were any more letters, and the defendant said he understood. The court also explained to the defendant that the matter was being referred to the probation department for a presentence investigation. On June 27, 1990 -- the same day that the probation officer completed his presentence report -- the defendant's bond was revoked, at the government's request, because the defendant had written yet another threatening letter. This one, according to the government, threatened FBI agents and police officers as well as Debbie and her father. Again the defendant was arrested. At the time of this arrest he was found wearing attire that was, we gather, somewhat unusual for a man. The presentence report submitted by the probation officer at the end of June calculated the guideline range at 10-16 months, as stated above, but also alerted the defendant to the existence of "FACTORS THAT MAY WARRANT DEPARTURE." In this connection the report stated that "the defendant's amorous obsession with a media figure presents a factor which does not seem to be taken into account by the Guidelines." This language was repeated in a revised presentence report prepared after the defendant made certain objections to the original report. On the afternoon of July 17, 1990, one day before the sentencing hearing, the government filed a motion requesting an upward departure. Counsel for the defendant was told about the motion by telephone at the time it was filed, and she received a copy a few minutes before the start of the hearing the next day. During the course of the sentencing hearing the court heard an extensive statement by a private security consultant whom Debbie Gibson and her family had retained. The consultant told the court, among other things, that the family had incurred expenditures of almost $50,000 as a result of the defendant's conduct; that the defendant's letters, his visit to Debbie's home town in New York, and his behavior when Debbie was scheduled to perform at Blossom Music Center all suggested "dangerousness to . . . Debbie Gibson, her father, to people who might intervene;" that media figures receive a lot of threatening communications, and when such communications are coupled with "stalking" activities they produce -- and are designed to produce -- fear and anxiety; and that the defendant's conduct was particularly troublesome because it had continued notwithstanding the intervention of law enforcement officers and the courts. After completion of the security consultant's statement, the court heard argument from the government in support of its motion for a departure. The government reminded the court that the defendant had written over 100 letters to the victim, that neither incarceration nor warnings from the court had deterred the defendant from writing, and that the final letter -- the one that led to the revocation of the defendant's bond -- had expanded the threats to include FBI agents and police officers. The defendant's counsel then addressed the court, noting that there had been no threatening communications until after the defendant's visit to New York and emphasizing that the defendant had not made any attempt to see Debbie Gibson during the period when he was out on bond. Counsel pointed out that the defendant had already been incarcerated for some seven months, and she argued that an upward departure would not be appropriate on the basis of one post-conviction letter. With respect to the defendant's mental condition, she said that although she believed there was evidence of a problem that "needs some attention," the defendant had instructed her not to pursue this matter because he did not want to wind up in Springfield again. She also said that the defendant had asked that the details of his attire at the time of his last arrest not be placed on the record. [Editor's Note: If you would like the rest of the appeal, you may ask Terry to email it to you. However, it's mostly legalese, and will probably bore you if you're not a lawyer or law student.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THE BTL LOUNGE IS NOW OPEN =- Jonathan Bradshaw (jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) January 22, 1992 Well, there may be no such thing in this world, but who says we have to live in this world. I'm talking about VIRTUAL REALITY. If you are on the Internet and have access to the TELNET command, then you are on your way to a new way of communications. How would you like to be able to "chat" electronically with other BtL fans in real-time? That is what is going on RIGHT NOW with fans from as far away as Sweden! How about actually creating your own fictional character and your own room and possessions in virtual reality? You may be aware of the ability to chat online between people who are on the Internet but this is just the beginning. In virtual reality you not only chat with other people, but you can create an environment. People actually feel like they are playing a text adventure game. The difference is that the other people are actually online with them. You can look at rooms, posters, magazines, and at other people and even make your own. Sound interesting? Read on... The members of BtL have created a virtual reality lounge. This is located on a MUCK called Time Traveller. To join our party you simply need to type TELNET betz.biostr.washington.edu 4096 or try TELNET /PORT=4096 128.95.10.119 if it doesn't work. The 4th floor BtL lounge is a restricted area and you will have to be told by a BtL member online how to access it. If you are having problems or to find out how to enter the BtL lounge inside Time Traveller, send email to jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu and I'll try and help you out. We have had quite a few members of BtL online and would like to see many more. Don't be upset if when you login nothing makes sense. It takes a while before you can adjust to the idea of virtual reality. I hope to see you online soon. Recent online discussions have included the Les Miz trips, reviews and general chit-chat about Deb. You can find me online most evenings (EST) using my alias "Rimmer" (the hologram). Type PAGE RIMMER or MAIL RIMMER to page me or leave me mail. "There is a world of endless resources. There is a mind full of outrageous dreams. There is a place where the two meet. Anything is possible" ... IN VIRTUAL REALITY! - Deborah Ann Gibson (slightly updated) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- Debbie appeared a number of times on TV in January due to interest in her stint as Eponine in Les Miserables. Here are the major appearances. 01/08/92: CNN SHOWBIZ TODAY Interview and profile segments that provided background on Debbie and her experiences with Les Miserables. Featured excerpts of Debbie performing in the play. Deb said that she had seen the play 3 times before, adores the music, and loves the character (Eponine). According to Deb, performing in Les Miz is a very different experience (than doing concerts) because she has to be careful with every little detail; she doesn't want to mess up something that someone else wrote. Deb said that she is also working on her next album, which she wants to be finished with by Summer. 01/09/92: ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT Showed brief clips of "On My Own," Eponine climbing down from the barricade after getting shot, "A Little Fall of Rain," and coming out for applause with Susan Carson (Fantine) from the opening night (1/7/92) show. Also showed part of a rehearsal where Eponine sings with Jean Valjean and Fantine during the finale. Deb said she had to prove herself to the cast, but that they have been supportive since the beginning. 01/10/92: GOOD MORNING AMERICA Interview with Charles Gibson (no relation). Deb wore a black beret and a light green sweater. Featured excerpts of Debbie performing in Les Miz; this was the first time that Deb saw recorded footage of herself from the play. Deb said that she had auditioned for the part in 1986, but didn't get it. They talked about what would have happened with her career if she did get accepted back then. But, they agreed, things worked out well in the long run now that Debbie has become a successful pop star. 01/17/92: REGIS AND KATHIE LEE Two part appearance. First part featured an interview with R&KL. Deb wore a green jacket-suit. Again, Deb states that Broadway is very different from doing concerts; she has to perform 8 times a week now. Although she had only been doing the show for a little while, Deb said that she had learned more in these 1 1/2 weeks than ever before. Deb told R&KL that she sang "On My Own" in her tour last year, and was invited to reaudition for the part by Richard Alexander. She talked about her tour stop in Southeast Asia (everyone was excited because a volcano had erupted a few days prior to their arrival at Manila). In the 2nd part of her appearance, Deb sang a shortened version of "On My Own" (no prologue and some verses missing). 01/27/92: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS Deb co-presented the Favorite Dance Artist award to C&C Music Factory. She was wearing a short, black, sleeveless dress that was silver at the top and on the straps. Her hair had been cut since her appearance on Regis and Kathie Lee and now she looks exactly like she did a year ago. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- According to Nimet Damji, Deb is on page 94 of US (Feb 92) magazine and page 80 of People Weekly (Feb 3, 92). Check it out! Reviews of the upcoming Atlantic City concerts are appreciated as well as Deb's first serious national TV acting debut on Street Justice. More reviews of Deb in Les Miserables are also welcome. The next issue of BtL probably will be released on March 2nd so please get your submissions in by February 29th at noon PST if you want them to be in that issue.