=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 4, Issue 4 - April 13, 1992 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES REVIEW OF JO BETH TAYLOR'S _99 REASONS_ - Archie Medrano YET ANOTHER LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN - Shaun Stuart ATLANTIC CITY REVISITED - Michael DiBiasio REQUEST FOR PREMIERE RADIO PROGRAM - Patrick Colcord BRIEF LES MIZ REVIEW IN MAGAZINE - Richard Pacheco LES MISERABLES REVIEW - Chris Backa CBS THIS MORNING - Myra Wong BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH DEB - Norman Eliaser NEW YORK STATE OF MIND - Peter Blomgren - Myra Wong DEBWATCH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 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 =- Please welcome our newest moderator, Myra Wong. She and Felix Ng represent the next generation of BtL moderators who will ultimately replace Matthew Jung and Sandy Chen. We'd like to thank Samuel Lau with all the help he has given us with the past two issues. He was one of the best BtL proofreaders ever. We wish Sam the best of luck in his future endeavors. Before you submit your articles, please PROOFREAD them. Remember that more than 160 people receive BtL via electronic mail. Also, keep your articles original. If you intend to transcribe an existing article, please notify Matthew Jung first before proceeding. He and the rest of the moderators will decide whether it is appropriate for BtL. Copies of submissions should be sent to all moderators. We reserve the right to edit 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 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 format and the files must be in ASCII form. All other postal submissions must be typewritten so that Felix can scan them. To submit articles by FAX, please call (604) 322-5936. BtL is now available through postal mail for people who do not have access to electronic mail. Prices are at cost and are subject to change: 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. For those of you interested in joining the "bouncing" version of the BtL mailing list, please send email to Matthew Jung. The supplemental list is for the fans who like to discuss Debbie Gibson and her music on a frequent basis. For those of you interested in joining the BtL lounge on Time Traveller, please send email to Jonathan Bradshaw (jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu). This is where fans can discuss Debbie Gibson and her music in real time with other participating fans. Debbie Gibson GIFs (these are computer graphics files) and BtL back issues are available via anonymous FTP at cs.uwp.edu. For instructions on how to use FTP, please ask one of the moderators. -= BtL moderators =- Matthew Jung : ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu mjung@bloom.ucdavis.edu myjung@ucdavis.bitnet Sandy Chen : ez003229@othello.ucdavis.edu Myra Wong : mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu Felix Ng : a1430001@bcit.bitnet =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= REVIEW OF JO BETH TAYLOR'S _99 REASONS_ =- Archie Medrano (archie@teetot.acusd.edu) March 27, 1992 Actually, a "REVIEW OF JO BETH TAYLOR'S _99 Reasons_" is misleading. Since BtL only considers reviews on Debbie-related songs, this is all you will read. Anyway, here it is... (Please note that this review reflects only my own opinions.) I. Voice: like Debbie's and Tiffany's combined II. Tracks: (Total time: 52:10) 1) 99 Reasons (4:13) 2) You Got a Good Thing (4:23) 3) Slow Jam (4:59) 4) * Worth My Time (4:27) 5) You Don't Own Me (5:05) 6) * Snatched Down (4:00) 7) If This Isn't Love (4:12) 8) * Have Things Changed (3:55) 9) Every Step of the Way (3:25) 10) * Everyone's Not Me (3:49) 11) Fingers Crossed (4:13) 12) * The Ways of the World (5:12) (* - written by Deborah Ann Gibson (EMI songs)) III. Categories: = Upbeat: 1-2, 4-6, 9-12 = Slow: 3, 7, 8 IV. DG Credits: 4) Worth My Time Produced & Arranged by Deborah Gibson for Gibson Productions Inc. Drum & Keyboard Programming: Deborah Gibson & Andy Zulla 6) Snatched Down Produced by Deborah Gibson & Jellybean for Gibson Productions Inc. & Jellybean Productions Inc. Arranged by Ed Terry, Jellybean & Deborah Gibson Background Vocals: Jo Beth Taylor, Debbie Gibson 8) Have Things Changed Produced & Arranged by Deborah Gibson for Gibson Productions Inc. Keyboards & Piano: Debbie Gibson 10) Everyone's Not Me Produced & Arranged by Deborah Gibson for Gibson Productions Inc. Drum, Keyboard Programming & Piano: Debbie Gibson Background Vocals: Debbie Gibson, Keeth Stewart 12) The Ways of the World Produced & Arranged by Deborah Gibson for Gibson Productions Inc. Additional Keyboards: Debbie Gibson Background Vocals: Debbie Gibson, Keeth Stewart, Jesi Forte Co-Executive Producers: Deborah Gibson & Diane Gibson Debbie Gibson appears courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. "Special thanks to ... Deborah "DIVA" Gibson ... all my love to Deborah & Diane - thanks for taking a chance with me - I won't let you regret it! Thanks for all your caring & hospitality & your friendship when I needed it most. Friends Forever Mama Di & Deborah Girrrlfriend - I luv ya!" "Jo-Beth - Check out the body on #29! (Told you I'd write that!) You-ee did it... came from Down under & are headed 4 the top! Thanks for adding the special JBT touch to my tunes! I love you. Now go out there & chirrrrrp!!! Love, Deborah" V. Comments: 4) Worth My Time This song reminds me of the kind of songs Debbie had on the _Out of the Blue_ album. I love the live horns. 6) Snatched Down This song reminds me of "Electric Youth." I love this song, especially the introduction (chant) and the second bridge ("What to be, what's been, what's out, what's in, don't you come on in looking like homemade sin"). 8) Have Things Changed This is a good ballad. It can be compared with "Lost in Your Eyes" in some ways. It is similar to LIYE in the live piano & vocal but with another instrument on the first two verses & chorus. Then bass comes in at the third verse. There is also a sax break as in "Foolish Beat" and "No More Rhyme." 10) Everyone's Not Me This song has the same "feel" as "Don't Flirt With Me." It also reminds me of Ana's (Debbie's) "Friendly." 12) The Ways of the World This is my ultimate favorite song on this album. It has a great introduction with three parts: (a) wind, helicopters, singing children, police sirens; (b) pleasant sound similar to the introduction to Madonna's "Cherish"; (c) marching beat. The lyrics are kind of funny, but they tell the truth of "the ways of the world." This song also has a great ending: marching beat with Debbie "preaching." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= YET ANOTHER LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN =- Shaun Stuart (XSSTUART@FULLERTON.EDU) April 7, 1992 As some of you may know, D.G.I.F. was offering a special Easter/Passover basket for sale through a florist shop called The Occasional Basket. This offer included a basket, candy, an autographed picture of Deb from Les Miz, and a stuffed teddy-bear wearing a t-shirt with the D.G.I.F. logo on it. The problem is that they sent out the flyers for this via bulk rate mail which can take several weeks to arrive. It would seem that they sent them out sometime around the end of February/beginning of March. The deadline for ordering the baskets was March 15th. The flyer said that The Occasional Basket needed to receive a check by this date (alternatively, you could call in an order and charge it to an American Express card, but not Visa or MasterCard). I found out about the offer through a friend who received the ad on the 9th of March, at which time I posted a notice to the immediate release list of BtL. No one on BtL had received any information about this. It was not until about two days later, when Bill Jackson finally received his flyer, that we got more information about this offer. Obviously, this left almost no time for us to mail a check to New York. Fortunately, Karen of The Occasional Basket said payment could arrive a few days after the deadline as long as a basket was reserved before then. Felix Ng sent a facsimile to The Occasional Basket and found out that the flyers were only sent out to "The Parents Of" members 21 years old and younger, but that still didn't explain why some people hadn't gotten their flyers. For instance, Myra Wong received her flyer at her Berkeley address on March 27th. This whole incident pushed me over the edge with D.G.I.F. In the past, I have sent them several letters asking for an issue that I have not received and I have yet to receive a response. After starting off in black and white, the D.G.I.F. magazine was printed in color for one year, and now it is back to black and white. The magazines are sent out bulk rate and often arrive with information that is out of date. Yet the price of membership has risen by 30%! I decided I was tired of being treated as some annoyance that has to be put up with as a necessary evil, like some buzzing fly that refuses to go away. The result was the letter below which I mailed to the fan club coordinator, Ms. Jan Conigliaro. I ask you to use this letter as a guide and send her a letter with your pet grievances. As I have said, Debbie is not too popular right now and we, the loyal fans, shouldn't be treated as we are. Also, it is my personal opinion that Debbie farms out too much of her career to members of her family and as such, she ends up with people doing jobs that they are not suitably qualified for (the running of the fan club being one example). In my letter, I not-so-subtly suggested that perhaps the fan club should be turned over to a professional agency which handles this sort of thing. You might want to omit this part. You may also want to mention that you realize that the flyers were only sent out to people 21 years old and younger, and if you fall into this category, please mention it. I happen to feel that the distribution scheme is also wrong since it eliminates those of us who could purchase the basket as a gift to others (or ourselves). However, I didn't know about this until after I mailed the letter. You may want to mention your views on it. As always, keep your letter polite and business-like. No flaming hate mail please. We want to be taken seriously. Oh, and for those of you who missed out entirely, D.G.I.F. will be selling the bear with the monogram in the next issue of the magazine. ------- Jan Conigliaro, Fan Club Coordinator D.G.I.F. 375 N. Broadway, Suite 201 Jericho, NY 11753 Dear Ms. Conigliaro, March 10, 1992 I have noticed an alarming trend in the operations of D.G.I.F. While subscription rates have increased, the quality of benefits has decreased. Case in point: D.G.I.F. recently sent out ads for an Easter/Passover basket that could be purchased. The deadline for orders was given as March 15th. As of this date, I have not received my order form/ad. I found out about this only through friends who had just received theirs. The mailing was sent out bulk rate. Apparently, D.G.I.F. does not fully understand the amount of time it takes for bulk rate mail to be delivered. While locally, it may be delivered in a few days, mailing to an address across the county can take up to 6 weeks, thus insuring that many people will receive their ad after the deadline for placing an order. This not only angers the members, but hurts business for D.G.I.F. by taking away potential sales. Similarly with the D.G.I.F. magazines, which are also sent out bulk rate. It is common for members in Europe to receive their issues up to a full month before members in the United States. The magazines are also no longer in color, as they were for a full year, but back to black and white. Further, customer relations are very poor. I have written many times asking about obtaining a back issue that was never sent to me. I received no response. I understand that they may not be available, but a reply indicating so would be helpful. The rates for membership were raised to $13 for renewal from $10. That's a 30% increase in cost. And what have we gotten in return? No more color magazines, magazines with information on "upcoming" events that happened months ago, and mail that arrives too late to be useful. As sad as it may be, it is a fact that Debbie Gibson is not as popular as she once was. But those fans who remain in her fan club throughout these dry times deserved to be treated better than this. If the current management is having difficulty operating D.G.I.F., then maybe thought should be given to switching to a business that runs fans clubs professionally. Sincerely, Shaun Stuart D.G.I.F. #2696 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ATLANTIC CITY REVISITED =- Michael DiBiasio (MDIBIASI@umaecs.bitnet) April 4, 1992 It was great to see the detailed reviews of the Atlantic City shows in the last issue of BtL. I managed to attend these shows myself but didn't have the mental clarity during the show nor the time afterward to write such a review of my own. Besides, I think the two included by Patrick Colcord and Ray Wilmott were quite accurate for the most part. My only disappointment lies in the fact that two issues that I thought were important that weekend were hardly mentioned in their articles. These were things observed more from a fan's (as opposed to a concert reviewer's) point of view, so I thought it might be a good idea to share them here. First is the issue of camera use. Patrick mentioned a bit about there being some confusion as to why they could not be used. The three sources of information I consulted about this were Julie Casimano (D.G.I.F. person & Buddy's mom), a Sands' security person who worked all three shows, and Diane Gibson (information from her was obtained through John Andrini, who had just talked to her prior to me talking to him). The results were as follows: 1. Julie C. told me (upon asking her) that cameras were fine with them as long as the hotel did not mind. 2. Security said that they had direct orders from Debbie's management (I'm assuming this means GMI) that no cameras were to be allowed. As a result, cameras (and tapes) were confiscated very aggressively throughout all shows. This is almost the opposite of what happened in AC last summer where photos were taken in abundance without any action by security. When questioned about the change in policy, the security officer replied by saying that they confiscate according to the performer's wishes (i.e. the manager's wishes) only, not according to any pre-established hotel rules. Although there would be no reason for him to lie about this, validity was added to his story after Saturday night's shows, where two press photographers (one using a flash) were taking pictures constantly. I asked the guard about it after the show, and he said that at the last minute they showed up (they were supposed to come on Sunday). He then said that they were actually going to be lax about confiscating cameras (film) on Sunday because in his eyes, there was no way they could go around confiscating cameras if the professionals were taking pictures (with flashes) left and right. 3. According to Diane, GMI is the reason for the "no picture" policy. She said that GMI has learned of at least two people who have been selling concert pictures for profit (ads were found in a popular record magazine) at a high volume level. To prevent this, GMI was forced to prevent any pictures. The idea of having D.G.I.F. take pictures and sell them through the fan club was turned down because they wouldn't feel right selling pictures to fans for money (let alone other fans doing it). She appeared slightly sympathetic, but gave the impression that she was left without any other options. So, form your own opinions. It seems to be clear that it was GMI's policy that pictures were not allowed. The unfortunate thing about this is that there would be no reason for a change in this policy in the future, unless we as fans could prove that all selling of pictures had stopped (not an easy task). Trading of pictures, according to Diane, was perfectly ok with them. It was the ads in the magazine (and corresponding "for sale" lists) which forced them to adopt their policy. The other thing I wanted to say about the weekend was that Deborah was about as generous to her fans as one could hope for. To understand what I mean, it is necessary to know a little about the Sands' seating policy for its general admission shows. Those who spend thousands at the casino (the high rollers) or who are privileged in other ways have reserved seats. This means that an area extending across the center of the stage and several tables back was off limits for her typical fans that weekend. Nevertheless, we waited in line outside the Copa room for hours before the show started (on Sunday, 11:30 A.M. for the 8 P.M. show) for the best seats possible. When they eventually let us in, we were taken in small groups to tables up against the stage, but on the far left and right. A half hour to a few minutes before Deb came on, the reserved people trickled in and filled in the reserved area. While this alone could have ruined the show (some fans had almost a complete side view of her as the stage was rounded), Deb was sure to not let it happen. As soon as she came on each night, both corners would erupt with cheering, clapping, and screaming, and from this, she knew where her fans where. While some of her choreographed songs ("When I Say No," "Electric Youth," etc.) put her at center stage to perform, she definitely took advantage of almost every other opportunity to come over to the sides. One fan, who came late on Friday and had to sit at the back, commented that the amount of time and attention she paid to the sides of the stage (where we all were) was incredible. When she was in the center, he said, Deb performed out towards the center of the audience. When she went to the sides (a habitual process throughout each show), she performed down and at us. Each night, she took almost all of our flowers, cards, napkins (with notes), etc. The only ones she didn't get were most often held out when she was coming by quickly in the middle of a dance number, so keep this in mind for your next concert! There were also many short verbal exchanges between Deb and her fans in between songs and at other times. Personally, my favorite part of the weekend was on Sunday, when she let a small group of us sing the chorus to "Only in My Dreams." She did this in the same fashion that she did for "Anything is Possible" while on tour, except the show atmosphere (as opposed to concert atmosphere) made it seem more personalized. The fact that she did not make any public appearances to sign autographs, etc., was really not that much of a disappointment. She had been meeting a lot of us recently anyway, as she said: [talking about Les Miz]: "...and I know many of you have come to see it, because I've..uh..seen you around." That was rather funny to a lot of us. Other than the shows, there weren't any major events that weekend that I was aware of. Chris Cuevas, whose performances were the best I've seen by him, was spotted around the hotel and local nightspots a few times. He had an autograph session at the Sure Mall on Saturday (I think that's the name) with a local top 40 radio station. They were doing brief broadcasts from that location to promote Chris and his shows with Deb that weekend. Many fans attended this, and Diane and Mike Portnoy were there to watch over us with close eyes like they usually do. The local hotels undoubtedly knew of our presence that weekend also, as several employees would comment "Those are Debbie Gibson's fans!" to each other whenever we travelled in groups of five or more. Unfortunately for them, we packed some of their rooms fairly densely and kept our costs down as a result. This turned out to be necessary, though, as the tickets to the shows were $35 each. That's all. Just another view of the events at the weekend for those of you who are interested. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= REQUEST FOR PREMIERE RADIO PROGRAM =- Patrick Colcord (Beaverton, Oregon) March 16, 1992 In BtL 3.10, an article was written by Constantin Caroutas about an advertisement in the August 3rd, 1991 edition of Billboard. It was from a company called Premiere Marketing Promotions that, at the time, was in charge of promoting the One Step Ahead Tour at radio stations in cities that Debbie was playing in. The radio stations and the cities they're in are as follows: WEGX-FM KDWB-FM WBEC-FM WFLY-FM Philadelphia, PA Minneapolis, MN Lenox, MA Albany, NY WKRZ-FM CFTR-FM WHTQ-FM WEGX-FM Wilkes-Barrie, PA Toronto, Ontario Syracuse, NY Atlantic City, NJ The program should have played sometime between July-September of 1991. If anybody has heard this interview and maybe taped it, I would certainly like to know. I've been trying to track this interview down since last August with no success. It is something that I'm sure everyone would like to hear. It was a one-hour interview with Debbie and Chris as a "Tour Radio Special" to promote that city's upcoming concert date. Please email Matthew Jung or Felix Ng if you or someone you know has a copy of this show, if indeed it ever ran. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BRIEF LES MIZ REVIEW IN MAGAZINE =- Richard Pacheco (S11857RP@umassd.edu) April 2, 1992 For anyone interested, in the April 4th issue of Entertainment Weekly, there is a VERY short review of LES MISERABLES. It appears on page 15. Here is what it says, LES MISERABLES The great big, singing-dancing version of Victor Hugo's novel, set against the French Revolution, is in its sixth year. Debbie Gibson, who joined the show in January, makes an impressive Broadway debut as the lovelorn waif Eponine. Hey Tiffany, maybe there's an opening in Phantom. (TC) A The A was their rating of it. There was no picture either. Just figured everyone would be interested. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LES MISERABLES REVIEW =- Chris Backa (csc3csb@hofstra.bitnet) March 29, 1992 I saw the March 7th, 2 P.M. show. It was incredible, better than I thought it would be. Debbie's performance, what can I say? It was excellent, of course. Her two major songs "On My Own" and "A Little Fall of Rain" were both excellent. Did anyone else notice that Debbie's character was the only one who bled after being shot? Also, if you have the Les Miz booklet, Debbie can be seen as one of the 'Lovely Ladies.' Her duets with other cast members were also excellent. The actor who played Valjean had one awesome voice. The actor who played Javert was also great. [Editor's Note: Matthew Jung has the souvenir booklets before and after Deb's pictures were added. The whore pictures are exactly the same in each edition and Deb does not appear to be in them.] My dad and sister went with me. My dad thought the play was excellent, and was surprised at how well Debbie can act and sing. He has never seen her perform live; this was really the best way to see her perform. My dad really liked Deb's solo "On My Own," and Valjean's song "Bring Him Home" that he sang to Marius before the fight at the Barricade. I found out that the actor who played Marius graduated from Hofstra University, like I did. Anyway, there is a scene where Eponine, Marius, and Cosette sing together. Well, Marius' voice went flat and Debbie had to quickly compensate so they sounded in tune again. Debbie saved the song. There were other Debheads at the play such as a little girl sitting next to me. She got very upset when she saw Eponine get shot on the barricade and the body get carried off stage. She kept saying "They shot Debbie." She was crying. Her mom tried to tell her "Debbie is only acting." The little girl was relieved when Debbie made her appearance at the end of the play. Overall the play was excellent with or without Debbie. The story itself was very powerful. I bought the original cast album and the original actress who played Eponine did not sing as well as Debbie. On the album, "On My Own" had a lot of words that were unclear compared to the way Debbie sang it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEB ON CBS THIS MORNING =- Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) April 4, 1992 On the fifth anniversary of Les Miserables' Broadway opening (Thursday, March 12, 1992), Debbie Gibson appeared on the television show, "CBS This Morning." Debbie appeared at the end of the show from 8:48 to 8:55 A.M. PST. Clips from Les Miserables, including scenes with Debbie, were shown throughout the show, before and after commercial breaks. The last clip shown before the segment with Debbie was from "A Little Fall Of Rain." One of the hosts, Harry Smith, interviewed Debbie very briefly. Here is a transcription. (HS = Harry Smith, DG = Debbie Gibson) HS: Currently appearing in the New York production is pop star Debbie Gibson. And Debbie Gibson joins us this morning. Good morning! DG: Good morning! HS: Is this a dream come true? Because I read that you actually auditioned for this five years ago when the play first came to Broadway. DG: Yes. At the time I was doing some theatre and TV commercials, so it was like one of the auditions I came in. And I went and I got called back a few times and then I didn't get it. And about a year later, started recording with Atlantic Records. So it all ended up working out for the best. HS: Must be a dramatic difference though from - you're used to playing in front of twenty thousand screaming people at once. The theatre is much much more intimate. How is it different? DG: It's kind of nice because people are really paying attention, you know. Sometimes in concert, people are screaming so much you want to say 'listen to me!' (laughs) HS: 'These are real words I'm singing...' DG: Yeah, yeah, it's really nice, you know. I really felt the difference between the two when a couple of weeks ago I went and played a couple of shows in Atlantic City for a few nights during the run. To switch gears back and forth - that's when I really felt the difference. But, you know, I love both areas, so I'll hopefully continue to do both. HS: Which song are you going to sing for us? DG: "On My Own" - which will hopefully sound OK with the morning frogs in it. (laughs) HS: With or without frogs, I'm sure it's gonna sound great. Thanks very much for coming by. DG: Thank you! HS: ..really appreciate it. DG: Ok, thanks. Debbie then sang a shortened version of "On My Own." The first, second, and sixth verses were left out. This version was not as jolting as the one on "Live! With Regis And Kathie Lee" in which the fourth verse was left out. I thought that this particular performance was excellent, even with 'the morning frogs.' Apparently the acoustics of the studio made a difference. I also thought that the camera angles and the split images really captured Debbie's performance well. I wish all these morning television shows would allow more time with Debbie. This was an extremely short interview and "On My Own" still had to be shortened. I would have liked to have heard about the London role and her fourth album. And just once, I'd like to hear all eight verses of "On My Own." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH DEB =- Norman Eliaser (ne05+@andrew.cmu.edu) March 29, 1992 After Les Miz last Wednesday (3/25), my friend and I saw Debbie. Roughly, this was the conversation I had with her: N: Deb, my friend and I got you this shirt (handing her a NYC t-shirt, with "Deb, Anything Is Possible! Love, Norman Eliaser and Rob Lebowitz" and two cartoon heads that Rob drew on it). D: Thanks (broad smile, taking shirt, and proceeding to take a playbill and pen from a little kid who wanted an autograph)! N: (Standing around while others get autographs, and Rob tries taking pix with both me and Debbie in them) You were great! D: Thanks (giggles) [I think thanks is her favorite word] N: (Handing her playbill) D: (Looked at my t-shirt, starts signing playbill, double-takes, realizes that the t-shirt has a song quote from her on it "Busy life Not enough time to look in the mirror" from "Who Loves Ya Baby?") Good shirt! (REALLY BROAD SMILE) [She was really flattered by the shirt I was wearing--I think it was more of a compliment to her than either the shirt we gave her or the "you were great" comment.] N: It's appropriate... D: Yeah! N: ...for college. D: Yeah (hands back playbill, and takes someone else's). N: Do you know if you'll be playing "Fallen Angel" at one of your concerts soon? D: (Giggle) I don't know (giggle) N: Thanks D: You're welcome. N: Thanks for the inspiration. D: (Smiles) Thanks. (Now Rob went for her autograph, giving me the camera) ---Norman Eliaser, reminding everyone that "Anything Is Possible." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= NEW YORK STATE OF MIND =- Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) Peter Blomgren (f89-pbl@nada.kth.se) March 20, 1992 When we heard that Deborah would appear in Les Miserables on Broadway, neither of us dared to believe the possibility of actually going there in person to see her play Eponine. But on Friday, January 17th, there we were, having flown a total of 9,000 miles from California (Myra, accompanied by BtL moderator Matthew Jung) and Sweden (Peter, accompanied by a bad conscience for skipping classes). We met at Newark airport and proceeded into the Big Apple. At 8:00 P.M. we arrived at the Marriott Marquis, which was right in the middle of Times Square, and only two doors down from the Imperial Theatre. Later that evening, around 11:00 P.M. local time to be specific, we waited for Deborah to emerge through the stage door of the Imperial Theatre after that evening's performance. We were not the only ones waiting for her. A few people who had seen the show were also waiting (a small, devoted gathering of fans you might say). Approximately fifteen minutes after the show ended, Deborah came out with her face made-up and all bundled up in a scarf, mittens, Les Miserables hat, and her Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary jacket. She greeted her admirers and spoke to each one briefly, occasionally signing an autograph. When it was our turn, Matthew handed BtL 4.1 to her and introduced us. We both shook hands with her, and she asked how we were doing. We told her that we would be seeing the show the next night, and said good night as she got into her red Cadillac. On Saturday morning we met fellow BtL member Jonathan Bradshaw. He and Matthew went off to explore the intricacies of the Long Island Rail Road and the effects of walking long distances in the cold. We, belonging to a more sensible breed of people, had other plans for the day. At noon we met with a common friend, Jennifer Yeko, and Jennifer Mussi whom Myra knew. The four of us went out for a bite to eat at the newly opened Planet Hollywood, the hip, movie-based, Hard Rock Cafe type restaurant. Coincidentally, Deborah had her Les Miserables opening night party there. After lunch we wandered around a bit and visited Radio City Music Hall where Deb performed in 1988 on her Out of the Blue tour. Around four o'clock we had to say goodbye to the Jennifers, who unfortunately were not joining us for Les Miserables that night. We then headed back to the Marriott Marquis in order to get ready for the show. We attended the Saturday night and Sunday matinee performances of Les Miserables. Deborah was, to quote a random non-fan, "awesome!" Theatre is where her acting comes across best; her display of emotions, including teasing, love, and frustration with Marius, the man she loves, makes Eponine a quite memorable character. Deborah's unquestionably good acting, combined with her outstanding perfect pitch singing, makes it clear that she belongs on the Broadway stage. No doubt about it! The most memorable part of Les Miserables, from a Debbie Gibson fan's perspective, was Deborah's breathtaking solo, "On My Own," which was filled with these mixed emotions discussed above. In other songs such as "In My Life," "A Heart Full of Love," "One More Day," and particularly in the tragic duet "A Little Fall of Rain," Deborah's voice shone above the others, especially in the beautiful harmonies. Throughout the whole play her dialogue was sung strongly and was very believable. Her warning cry at Jean Valjean's gate was quite amusing; we never thought we would hear Deborah scream like that! Neither of us spotted Deborah playing any other parts such as a factory worker or a "lovely lady" at the performances we attended. However, we must say that we were relieved we did not see her in the latter role. After Saturday's performance, we, along with Matthew and Jonathan, waited again at the stage door. When Deborah came out, she signed a few autographs and chatted minimally. She said she was in a rush and had to go because it was so cold out, and it was! Brrr! Before she left we had a chance to compliment her on the show, to which she replied, "Thank you!" That night, as she sat in the car, she glanced out the window and smiled at us. On Sunday morning we met up with Bob MacDowell, Ray Wilmott and David Stoeckl. We were all planning on attending the show that afternoon. It was great to meet so many of Deborah's fans all at one time! We got to know each other a little bit over a gourmet lunch at McDonald's. We talked about Debbie, her music, and Les Miserables. Before we knew it, it was time to go to the show. After Sunday's performance, we waited. And waited. And waited. We were informed that People magazine was conducting an interview with her and we could see numerous photographic flashes in an upstairs window. Finally, after about an hour, Deborah came downstairs to greet her frozen fans who had waited so patiently. We looked on as Ray and David, among other fans, talked to her. Unexpectedly, instead of getting into the car, Deborah and her assistant said goodbye to all of us, darted down the sidewalk and turned the corner! This rather amusing sight marked the end to the Les Miserables portion of our New York adventure. After having warmed up and eaten a bite at a restaurant across the street - no one wanted to go farther than necessary in the cold - we said goodbye to our fellow BtL members and went back to our hotel room. That night, suffering from separation angst, we stayed up way too late, talking about everything we had experienced together. The next morning, after Matthew left to catch his flight back to California, we went out to take one last look at the theatre and of the pictures of Deborah/Eponine before heading out to the Newark airport, where we parted at a quarter to six... Myra: It seems that every season brings me a new 'Debbie Gibson weekend.' This winter was no different. I could not imagine missing Deborah's debut on Broadway ("I told you I'd do it, told you I'd do it!"). Eponine was her dream role since she auditioned for the original cast over five years ago. Now she is part of the current cast celebrating the five year mark. As in Deborah's reply to my question in D.G.I.F. 4.2, she has brought me my first theatre experience. Surprisingly, I have discovered that I truly love the musical, Les Miserables, and of course Eponine is my favorite character. As with every one of these special weekends, it was wonderful to spend time with other Debbie Gibson fans (seeing old friends and making new ones). I could have never done this alone or made so many wonderful memories. Most of all, seeing Deborah on that stage singing and acting to her potential was worth every single mile, minute and cent! --- "In my life, there is someone who touches my life..." Peter: Well, what can I say? Anything is possible... if you are crazy enough! Seeing Deborah in Les Miserables was really a "kick." I wasn't into musicals before, but I sure am now. It's funny how Deborah brings us together -- I've met some of the people I consider to be my very best friends thanks to her. And somehow, deep down, I have a feeling the best is yet to come... --- "When everybody else is sleeping I think of [her] and then I'm happy With the company I'm keeping..." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- Here's a summary of the significant TV appearances that Deb made since the last issue of BtL: 03/12/92: CBS THIS MORNING Deb appeared at the end of this two-hour morning type show to discuss the 5th anniversary of Les Miserables on Broadway. She was interviewed very briefly and then sang a shortened version of Eponine's "On My Own." See Myra Wong's article for details. 04/08/92: SALLY JESSE RAPHAEL The topic was about conceited teenage daughters. Diane and Deb were there to give advice to the mothers and conceited daughters since they don't have such a problem despite all the success. An article with more details will appear in the next issue of BtL. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS =- Q. Ray Wilmott (wilmott@remus.rutgers.edu) I was just reading a few older D.G.I.F. issues. One mentioned Deb wanting to record Spanish versions of future singles released in Spanish-speaking countries since it's her favorite foreign language. Since that was written over two years ago, has she since released anything in Spanish overseas? A. Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) She hasn't released anything in a foreign language yet. However, in a 1988 MTV International clip, she spoke high school level Spanish and sang a bit of a song called "Quiero Bailar" (I Want To Dance). She also sang a couple of lines of "Lost In Your Eyes" in Portuguese at the Rock 'N Rio II festival. Deborah seems to have a good mind for languages. In Japan, she spoke quite a few lines of Japanese to the audience very confidently. Q. Ray Wilmott (wilmott@remus.rutgers.edu) In one of the old D.G.I.F.'s, Deb said that she was "proud to recently be part of Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" video. What sort of "part" did Deb play in it? A. Peter Blomgren (f89-pbl@nada.kth.se) Celebrities are shown hanging out in a studio waiting for "The King of Pop" to show up. They sorta just do what celebrities do best(?) - mingle. Deborah appears twice. The first appearance is 4-5 seconds long and she's discussing with someone what she might do in the video. The second appearance is even shorter, only 2-3 seconds; this time around she's singing a line {more like a word} from the song, "...Liberian Giiiiiirl." At the end, Michael himself comes down from the ceiling, riding one of these camera cranes (whatever they're called) used at video shoots, saying "Ok everybody, that's a rap!" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- D.G.I.F. volume IV, issue 2 has been released. According to Rich Soto, Deb will be doing London, but it's unknown when she will make the engagement. Immediately after Broadway, she's going to work on recording the new album. Debbie will be appearing on the International AIDS telethon this summer. It will be a television broadcast worldwide to about 3.5 billion people. It'll be conducted from London, New York, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. This information was taken from USA Today (4/8/92). According to Thomas Masters on Prodigy, Deb is an Honorary Chairperson for Walk America '92. Michael DiBiasio called the March of Dimes Walk America number in NYC. He found out that the event takes place on the last Sunday in April (April 26th this year) and is highlighted by VIP speakers from 12 to 1 P.M. in Central Park. Unfortunately, it looks like Deb will not be there. She was asked, but declined to commit to the event because she may be in London doing Les Miserables. Any information about this is appreciated. BtL 4.4 was originally much larger, but we decided to defer some articles until later. Those articles will appear in BtL 4.5 which will be released later this month on April 27th. Note that the deadline for submissions to be considered for BtL 4.5 is noon on Friday, April 24th. Any submissions received after that will be included in BtL 4.6 which will most likely be released in late May.