=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 8, Issue 6 - July 30, 1996 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES INTRO BY TAMMY SOUZA - Tammy Souza INTRO BY JEREMY LAPUS - Jeremy Lapus INTRO BY RON OWENS - Ron Owens D.G.I.F. HOTLINE - BEFORE & AFTER - Raymond Wong/Kazuto Okayasu POST-CONVENTION SURVEY - John Race WE LET OURSELVES "GO" - Al Cresci I NEVER KNEW ME A BETTER TIME - Christine Rudakewycz CLOSING REMARKS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DISCLAIMER =- Between the Lines (ISSN 1201-4826, electronic publication ISSN 1201-4834) operates on a non-profit basis. Distribution is permissible only under the condition that no part of it will be used for profit. "Between the Lines" and "BtL" are trademarks of Between the Lines. Copyright 1996, Between the Lines. This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Gibson, GMI Entertainment, Inc., Electric And Musical Industries (EMI), or any organizations to which members belong or represent. Opinions expressed in Between the Lines are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire forum. All lyrics by Debbie Gibson are copyrighted by Deborah Ann's Music (ASCAP) or EMI April Music, Inc./ Possibilities Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- Between the Lines has a central account and e-mail address. Please send all administrative requests and submissions to: BtL@btl.org To submit articles by postal mail, please proofread and send them to the postal address listed below. Submissions should be typed or written legibly. To submit articles by FAX, please call (604) 322-5936. We reserve the right to edit, defer, or reject submissions without notice. Submissions become the property of BtL. BETWEEN THE LINES 2137 Qualicum Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5P 2M3 CANADA For those of you who do not have access to electronic mail, you may subscribe via postal mail. Issues are printed with a laser printer which allows six pages of text to be printed on both sides of one sheet of paper. Back issues are also available on one MS-DOS 3.5" or 5.25" high density disk (please specify disk format when ordering). Prices are at cost and are subject to change: Canada $4.25 Cdn. for 5 issues / $2.50 Cdn. for back issues on disk United States $4.25 U.S. for 5 issues / $2.50 U.S. for back issues on disk International $6.00 U.S. for 5 issues / $3.50 U.S. for back issues on disk 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. Issues are always mailed via first class. BtL t-shirts are available for $7.50 U.S. plus shipping costs. Please send e-mail to BtL@btl.org for more information. -= BtL moderators =- Myra Wong : mkwong@btl.org Felix Ng : fng@btl.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY TAMMY SOUZA =- Tammy Souza - Massachusetts (TSOUZA@mmt.com) June 25, 1996 Hi Deborah fans. I recently got on the 'net and found the BtL newsletter. I am thrilled there are others like me. People around me think I'm nuts for liking someone so much. I got hooked on Deborah because I longed for music that spoke from the heart. I thought I was nuts at first too because being a freshman in a technical high school, the last thing people wanted to hear was _Out of the Blue_. I am incredibly into music and Deborah's style hits home. I attended her Electric Youth concert when I was 14 and I will never forget the event. I couldn't believe that I was actually listening to her live. She was outstanding, and I wish she would come around again. Along with many others, I must face criticism from people who think she is just a flash in the pan from the 80's. They don't understand how positive her music is and how talented of a musician she really turned out to be. Being a 22 year old, sometimes people think I'm out of touch with real music, but I confirm my good music belief by telling people I like artists like Barbra Streisand and some show tunes like "Cats" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." I love the music that makes you cry, and although a lot of Deborah's music is upbeat and fast, her slow ballads cut right through my heart. One point I'd like to make real fast is the fact that I live in a small town in Massachusetts. I find it real peaceful, but lacking in the department of entertainment. Deborah came around once and I of course went to the show. However, I cannot go to the convention and I cannot drive to New York one day to find her. I am stuck hoping someday I will meet her as most fans are. I just want to thank her for sticking to her guns and for not listening to the press about her style. As a youngster I collected the pictures of her and I was a freak about it. Now I find I get BtL issues and I listen to her music just about every day, but I have found I now listen to a variety of other music including Country. I found a lot of talented artists out there, and even though I sing, I would never want to live in the limelight Deborah faces each day. There is another story to tell about Deborah, but I believe it is something special. However, I will say that I hope Deborah reads this and realizes how special she is and how many people admire her for her determination and drive that keeps her going each day. Somehow we all must smile throughout the day and because of Miss Gibson, I smile more often.... Thanks Deborah. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY JEREMY LAPUS =- Jeremy Lapus - Quezon City, Philippines (lapus@cyber.cyb-live.com) July 12, 1996 Hello there, fellow Debbie Gibson fans! My name is Jeremy Lapus from Quezon City, Philippines. I am 20 years old and currently taking up fine arts with an industrial design major at the University of Santo Tomas. Currently, I'm in my third year at this course. I've been a devoted fan of Debbie Gibson ever since "Lost in Your Eyes" was released. At that time, I thought it was a great song. Then when my sister bought a cassette copy of _Out of the Blue_ and _Electric Youth_, I listened to them, and I realized how beautiful her songs were. Since then, I've bought every single one of her albums and as many souvenirs as possible. Until now, I still have this huge door-sized poster of the Debonair One. I have yet to actually meet her in person, but when she visited Manila on August of last year, I got the chance to talk to her on the phone. We talked for around three minutes, and I must admit she is a really sweet person. Aside from being a Debbie Gibson fan, I also collect Japanese animation (best known as anime) and comics (known as manga). Sometimes I even compare Debbie to some anime characters! She kind of reminds me of Belldandy, the main character of "Oh My Goddess!" You guys should watch this series. It's available at your local videostores. Anyway, I'd like to thank Miss Gibson for the beautiful songs she's written over the years. If you'd like to know more about me -- whether it's Debbie Gibson, anime, or any other topic in mind, you can e-mail me. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a quote from Belldandy, the Goddess of the Present: "The goddess of victory does not smile on one who only thinks of winning. That's because the goddess of victory smiles on those with burning hearts." Well, I have to go. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, Jeremy Lapus Trina =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY RON OWENS =- Ron Owens - Australia (ronnie@fan.net.au) July 2, 1996 Hi to all Debbie Gibson fans and especially to Karen and Debbie. Firstly I always knew that one day I'd be writing something like this. My name is Ron and I have dedicated a large proportion of my life to promoting acts such as Debbie and Tiffany. I first became involved through a company called Showbiz Video, who were distributing new talent to nightclubs etc. I first met Debbie in Brisbane, Queensland Australia in 1989 when she toured here with her band. In about three weeks after first hearing "Only In My Dreams," I was totally amazed by the clarity and vocal range Debbie possessed. Two weeks later I teamed up with WEA records (the two lovely Lindas), and a local record company representative. You see there was a fair bit of interest in Debbie Down-under, but very, very little actual promotion. I set about changing all that, and technically we all kept pressuring WEA until they did something. I also had access to playlists of nightclubs right across the country, so with very little argument, from anyone Debbie was added. The highlight for me personally came when Debbie actually toured and I was able to witness firsthand the performer, that we all know Debbie is. I had arranged to be front row, with the help of record industry officials. I had the opportunity to mix with the band and have autographs signed. Never did anyone mention who I was, because until now, that's the way I wanted it. I recently returned from the U.S.A., I mean how else was I going to get a copy of _Think With Your Heart_? On a more serious note Tiffany still releases the odd album, only quite a space apart (except for the two recent releases). Debbie always has something happening. The joy that her music has brought into my life and the strong values that she stands for, make me ever more determined to do whatever one can do to help this multi-talented performer. In closing, I and Australia love you Debbie, please come and visit us again soon. You are more than welcome. Regards Ron =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= D.G.I.F. HOTLINE - BEFORE & AFTER =- Raymond Wong - Hayward, California (negativl@best.com) June 28, 1996 Kazuto Okayasu - Irvine, California (kokayasu@uci.edu) July 16, 1996 Debbie Gibson recorded two substantial messages on the D.G.I.F. Hotline (212-803-5425), one before and one after the convention. June 28, 1996. Transcription by Ray Wong. Hey everyone, it's Deborah! I am sitting here at the office, autographing things for the convention! I'm so excited! (um) We're putting together a great day. I'm really looking forward to it, and (um) it's going to be filled with a bunch of surprises, and (um) the show is going to be a lot of fun. I'm trying to do a couple of songs that you guys always request to hear that I have never done live, or that I've done more infrequently, AND there's some really, really big news I'M NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT YET, NOT EVEN TO YOU GUYS! (um) 'Cause I know you all have really big mouths and you're all over the Internet and you know, who knows who'll hear about it so I have to wait, (um) unfortunately, probably another week or so, (um) but keep checking because I will let you guys know first. (umm) I'll just say that it has something to do with a (mm) a musical, something to do with being on the road, and I guess I've said too much already, to coin a phrase. Wasn't that a line in Grease? (laughs) Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing you all and (umm) I don't have any technical things to tell you about the convention, but I'm sure Karen has told you all what you need to get in by when and all that kind of stuff. So (um) hope you're all enjoying the summer and I will see you all really soon. Bye-Bye! July 15, 1996. Transcribed by Kazuto Okayasu. Hey, it's Deb. [clears her throat] If I sound tired, it's because I'm recovering from all your energy coming at me at that Convention. Um, I had a blast, and I know that everyone here in the office had a blast, although they're kinda exhausted, too. Um, it was really great to see everyone, and you guys were just great, and everyone commented on how respectful everyone was during the show. No one got crazy, and, um, so hats off to you! Um, and I just had so much fun doing that concert. It was great. I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the art contest and all that kind of fun stuff, and, um I know that my band enjoyed themselves, and well, what else could I say? Mom, do you have any words to add? [Diane: "Not today."] Oh, not today, tomorrow. I know my mom wants to leave a message on the Hotline, so tune in for "Diane's Greeting" tomorrow or the next day. Alright, hope everyone's doing well. Catcha later! Bye. [Editor's Note: As of this issue date, Diane had not yet left a message on the hotline.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= POST-CONVENTION SURVEY =- John Race - Binghamton, New York (JRACE36577@aol.com) July 15, 1996 Hello everyone. Well, my name is John Race and I am a huge Deborah Gibson fan. Most of you either met me at the D.G.I.F. Convention on July 13, 1996, or on the London, England trip to meet Deborah and see her perform in Grease the week of January 18-24, 1994. For those who don't know me, I'm 25 years old and have been a huge Deborah fan since the beginning, although I got into the fan club in 1992. I would like to take an opportunity to ask some questions to those of you who went to the convention. Although, if you didn't go to the convention, and you would like to answer some of these questions you may. Please let me know that you didn't go to the convention so that I can put your answers in a second set for people who didn't attend, but would have liked to have attended. 1) What was your favorite thing about the convention? 2) What was you least favorite thing about the convention? 3) What would you like to have more of at the convention? 4) What would you like to have less of at the convention? 5) Is there anything that you think was missing from the convention? 6) What was your biggest complaint about the convention, if any? 7) Would you rather have less people attend or a bigger facility? 8) Would you like future conventions to be held at a different location? 9) Do you think that the whole convention day was rushed, or just certain activities (such as the meet-and-greet)? 10) Do you think a two-day convention would have been better than just one day? 11) Do you think the fans had were deprived by the fact that they couldn't spend more time with Deborah on an individual basis? 12) On the otherhand, do you think Deborah was deprived by the fact that she couldn't spend more time with the fans on an individual basis? 13) D.G.I.F. had some bizarre awards at the convention that they were handing out to attendees. Is there any other bizarre awards that you can think of that could have been given out? Please e-mail me with your answers at: JRACE36577@aol.com Or send your answers by postal mail to me at the following address: John Race 6 Division Street Binghamton, NY 13905-3809 U.S.A. Please try to send this back before August 20, 1996 so that the results can be printed in a future issue of BtL. If you have more comments about the convention, please include them when you fill out this questionnaire. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= WE LET OURSELVES "GO" =- Al Cresci - Pistacaway, New Jersey (ACresci@aol.com) July 18, 1996 Hi everyone, Before I tell you my account of the Deb-Con weekend, I am reminded of that old episode of "The Honeymooners" where Ralph says to Norton about the Raccoon Convention, "Let yourself GO for a couple of days." Well that about sums it up for the past 5 days, 2 days before the convention, Saturday and the 2 days after the convention. All of us really let ourselves GO for a while, we met Deb, saw a fantastic show which was perhaps the best Deb show ever, and met new and old friends we will cherish forever. Can it get any better than that? For me, it started some weeks ago when my good friend from New Jersey, Christine Rudakewycz, thought it would be "so cool" to drive to Cape Cod and pick up Britta Reida, a great friend of ours. I don't need to tell you about the famous Britta, we all love her, don't we? We set out Thursday morning at 6:00, laughing and playing Deborah's music all the way to the Cape. We arrived at her house at 12:40 P.M. and were welcomed by Britta and her mother, Cindy. We took a fast tour of the house: I especially wanted to see the headquarters of "BritSkye@aol.com" and her room which can brag of having several Deb-shrines. Then the three of us ate a wonderful lunch consisting of chicken and beef kabobs on the grill, rice and watermelon. Then for dessert, we had homemade cupcakes, one of which had a candle to celebrate my birthday which has just passed, and Cindy's famous homemade deep dish peach pie, which was delicious. What a nice visit we had at Britta's! Then we re-packed the car and set our sights for New Jersey. You can only imagine what fun the three of us who have become so close over the last year, had as we told Deb stories, laughed, and sang. In fact, I have much of the car fun captured on video tape!! We arrived back at New Jersey at about 8:00. From there, we went to the Sheraton and met Misty Cochran and her mom, Carol. All of us had dinner together at T.G.I.Friday's on Route 17. Misty went back to the hotel and Britta stayed at Christine's. I got home about midnight, so it was a long but a very exciting and fun-filled day. Friday, we spent the entire day visiting Deb landmarks, including the old house on Sterling Ave. in Merrick. Then we ate lunch at Galleria Pizzeria, Deb's old hangout. They have great pizza there. Britta and I went for the type of pizza that had a lot of oregano and garlic. Any cars driving along the Southern State Parkway probably could smell us. Much to our delight, there was a picture of Deb on the wall at Galleria that was probably taken during the Electric Youth era. Tommy, the owner when asked by Britta if Deb still frequents the place, said that she visits there twice a week, or so. (Okay folks, don't descend on Galleria waiting for Deb, but if you do, check out the pizza!!) Saturday, THE BIG DAY, got underway at 10 A.M. with registration. Each of us received a name tag with a color sticker on it to determine when you take part in the meet-and-greet, a set of D.G.I.F. Convention dog tags to wear (Deb's idea), and an official program. Meantime we met up with Sara Gauchat, Myra Wong, Felix Ng, Michael Christopher, Elena Jarvis and so many more people that I lost count. Karen started the program by telling us what to expect. We all filled out cards entering ourselves in the Trivia Contest. We also wrote a question on a card for Deborah to answer during the question and answer period which would follow. During the Trivia Contest, many different types of questions relating to Deb were asked. Most of them were easy but a few were very difficult. Christine was chosen to "Come on down" a la "The Price Is Right," to participate but was unable to answer the question. Her question was to name the jazz club where Deborah occasionally performs. Christine guessed the Bottom Line, which is a well-known NYC jazz club. I doubt if anyone but the person who submitted that question knew that the Iridium is the name of the club. Later in the contest, all the lights went out due to the storm that was raging outside. I really thought that it was staged by D.G.I.F. to bring Deborah on stage in the convention room. But it was not planned. Afterwards the lights came back, then they went out again. This time it lasted for nearly 45 minutes. Thank goodness nothing was spoiled on account of it. After the Trivia Contest, Keith "Stepp" Stewart and Buddy Casimano appeared and answered questions, then Deb appeared and continued answering questions until about 1:00 P.M. We then took our lunch break. At about 3 P.M. we came back to the convention room. All kinds of things were happening there. Four televisions were set up, one in each corner of the room with various Deb videos. One had music videos, another had highlights of her Southeast Asia tour, another had the House of Blues show from last year and the other showed her appearance on "Step By Step." The walls were covered with various Deb collages. D.G.I.F. did an excellent job with these. There were also sales of various Deb related items, old albums, CDs, imports, etc. You paid for these by purchasing "Deb Dollars", and then buying the item with the Deb Dollar amount. A raffle sale took place in the center of the room. Tour jackets and pottery items made by Deborah were being raffled off. Just behind that area was a large banner on display where everyone was given the opportunity to sign it for Deb. Finally in the front of the room, Deb herself was there signing items and meeting the fans. This was accomplished in groups according to the color of the sticker that was on the name tag, blue, green, red and gold. They were supposed to have a line-dancing lesson and a chat with Diane, but both were canceled because of the length of the meet-and-greet. The afternoon finally ended at 6:00 P.M. After supper at about 7:45 we were led into another large room for the concert. I tell you, Deb and D.G.I.F. went all out for this show. It was AWESOME!!!! The highlights for me were Deb walking around the room singing a country song and at one point, singing directly to ME, and later at the end of the show during "We Could Be Together," Britta and Misty were on stage with her and she also held Christine's hand, because they were able to move from the table we were sitting at, to the front of the room. Wait until you see the video that D.G.I.F. is going to make available!!!!! Well, the show ended at 10:45. It was obvious that Deborah was exhausted but really didn't want to leave. All of the fans said goodbye to one another and most of us left at about 11:30 P.M. The next day, I met Christine and Britta at the hotel at 7:30 A.M. I got there a few minutes earlier and decided to walk around the concert room. The room was still in dire need of cleaning. You could tell a BIG event occurred the night before. To my delight, I found actual stage and band directions along with a printed copy of the playlist for the concert, even some music that was scribbled out by one of the band members. In the convention room I found a box of Deb Dollars. All of this was about to be thrown out, so I decided to do the hotel a favor and remove these items myself. Wasn't that nice of me? I was thrilled to get these momentos!!!!!!!! I divided the Deb Dollars among Britta, Christine and Misty. We said goodbye to Misty and Carol. Christine and Britta went with me to my church in Brooklyn where I play and sing every week for services. I told them however, that in no way could I top the show they had seen the night before! After services, we went to Manhattan. Our first stop was Balducci's. Then we went to the South Street Seaport. I'm sure all of you know why we went to these places. Then we went back to my house in New Jersey. Later I dropped them back to the hotel. Monday morning, we all met at Christine's house. Christine took us on a tour of the Chem Labs at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she is working on research projects this summer. It is obvious that she is a genius, but we all knew that for some time. After all, she is a Deb fan! Then we drove back to Cape Cod and stayed at Britta's for a while. It was very hard for Christine and I to say goodbye to Britta. (How do you say goodbye?) But we know the three of us will meet again. Actually the five of us, Misty and her mom, too! Then it was time to go back to New Jersey. We arrived at Christine's house at 11:00 and I got home at about 12:15 A.M. Of course, I just had to watch the video I made and didn't get to sleep until about 2 A.M. It was an unbelievable five days of fun and excitement!! I think all of us, especially many of the out-of-towners owe a great deal of thanks to Christine. She acted as the hostess of the convention. She spent countless hours giving the out-of-town participants information on hotels, restaurants and places to visit. She constantly drove people from the airport to the hotel and as of this writing still has a few people who will be brought back to the airport. I hope I'm not embarrassing her too much, but I must say that Christine is the type of person who would do anything to help a friend. In my opinion, she typifies what Deborah is all about in her music and her outlook on life. For all of us, THANK YOU, CHRISTINE! Yes, we all let ourselves "GO" for a few days. I can't remember when I had a better time. I not only enjoyed meeting Deborah for the unbelieveable 11th time, but loved meeting all of the other fans, including my on-line friends. July 11-15, 1996 will be five days I will never forget!!! Sincerely -- Al :D =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= I NEVER KNEW ME A BETTER TIME =- Christine Rudakewycz - Clifton, New Jersey (crudakew@attila.stevens-tech.edu) July 18, 1996 Dear Deborah, Hi!!!! How are you? I am STILL on an emotional high from this past weekend. I can honestly call July 11-15 the best five days of my life. In a way, it has everything to do with you. But in reality, meeting you for the 9th time, although it was nice, is certainly not my most vivid memory of this incredible, unbelievable experience. Here is my story. ****************** When the convention information was finally confirmed in late April, I was elated. The Sheraton in East Rutherford! A full TEN MINUTES from my house!!! Life couldn't have been better. I immediately put myself to work. Being the "local authority", I picked up area train schedules, bus schedules, brochures, and maps. I highlighted the maps--"my street", "The Sheraton", etc., and marked on the schedules the best routes to New York. I packaged everything and mailed it out to 5-10 of my on-line friends who would be attending the convention. Later on, I drove to area hotels, inquiring about their rates and picking up more brochures. I pulled out three area telephone books, copied down the complete list of hotels, motels, and inns, and posted the information to all my friends. I made a reservation for an overseas friend at a motel cheaper than the Sheraton. I began to make plans to pick up friends from Newark and JFK Airports. I also approached my parents, and spoke very gently, "Mom, Dad...there's going to be a Debbie Gibson convention right HERE at the Sheraton, and, I was wondering...would you mind if I invite a few friends to stay over here, because we're SO close, and they're coming from SO far away, and it would save them SO much money?" They said YES! Well, they said yes provided that all the guests be female. Which was fair, I suppose. YES! I immediately made the offer to several female friends. I know that all of you understand the friendships we have created and strengthened over the computer. It's truly astounding how close we have all become, regardless of age, geography, or length of Deb-association. One of my best friends is 42-year-old Al Cresci, an elementary school vice-principal and church organist. He lives in Piscataway, New Jersey, about an hour's drive from my house, and we've met fairly frequently. Another best friend is 17-year-old Britta Reida, THE Britta, who EVERYONE knows and loves, including Deborah, I'm sure. Britta lives in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I'd only met her once, last March over my spring break. "Convention Fever" hit me full-swing on June 28, when I drove to JFK to meet the first of the convention-goers, Marko Hoven from the Netherlands. We had never met before, and this was my very first airport pick-up, so I had no idea how these things work. I didn't think to bring a sign to wave, so that Marko would be able to locate me. However, it wasn't a problem--I was wearing my black "Electric Youth" t-shirt, so Marko found me rather easily. It was getting closer and closer to Convention Time...I could not wait!!!! I spent the July 4th weekend at the Jersey shore with friends (non-Deb fans, unfortunately, although they admitted to liking the song "We Could Be Together"). I drove from the shore to Ken Gebauer's house. Ken, a fellow Debhead, had picked up Myra Wong and Felix Ng from Newark Airport that evening. Myra would be staying at my house for the week prior to the convention, so she piled her stuff in my car, and we headed home. Once Myra settled in, my mother approached me and whispered, "Ummm, Christine, exactly how many people will be staying here this weekend?" I smiled broadly and somewhat hesitantly when I replied, "Seven or eight, depending on the night." My mother's eyes widened as she asked, "And I *agreed* to this?" I gleefully reminded her of our conversation back in April, and she rolled her eyes. She predicted that she would not be enjoying the weekend very much. My 18-year- old sister, another soul without any musical taste, declared that she would be spending the weekend at a friend's house, as far away from home as possible. That Thursday, July 11th, was Day One of our Adventure. My friend Al arrived at my house at 5:30 A.M., and by 6:00 we were off for Cape Cod to pick up Britta!!! The over-4-hour drive seemed far shorter, with Al videotaping part of our journey, and both of us chatting, laughing, and playing music nonstop. (Guess what music?) Britta's family was just as warm and receptive as they had been last March. After eating lunch, we headed back to New Jersey. Britta was also staying at my house. She left her bags downstairs, next to Myra's. We then drove to the Sheraton to pick up Misty Cochran and her mother, and all five of us had dinner at T.G.I.Friday's. Next on the agenda was picking up Kazuto Okayasu at Newark Airport at midnight. (Yes, midnight! And why not? It's 20 minutes away, and what did you think we were going to do--sleep?) This time, I was prepared! Yes! Earlier in the week, I had taken four neon posters--pink, yellow, green, and orange--and taped them together, in the shape of a cross. I had planned to write, in large and elaborate letters, "DEBBIE GIBSON FAN CLUB CONVENTION 1996." It was going to look beautiful! However, I postponed drawing the message until Thursday night, when, after dinner, I would've had plenty of time to complete the project. But at T.G.I. Friday's, with Al, Britta, Misty, Misty's mother, and I all chatting away, all excited about the upcoming weekend, all planning every single moment...well, we stayed later than I had thought. We got home, and I went to my room to get my "art box" which is filled with everything that the Crayola company ever made, and MORE. Britta and I sat on the floor downstairs with the mega-poster, and at that moment I looked at the clock. It was 11:30. "Um, Brit," I began, "If we're picking up Kaz at midnight, we gotta leave in...um...five minutes, and that's sorta pushing it." Not to worry though! "Okay. I'll write DEB, you write CON, I'll write 19, and you write 96!" It wasn't what I had hoped, but, for the moment, it would have to do. I vowed to make another, better poster the next day, when I'd be picking up a LOT of people. Just as we were about to leave, Myra returned from her day of sightseeing New York, and decided to join us. I was very happy, because Myra knew what Kaz looked like, and neither Britta nor I did. Sure enough, the poster was not necessary--Myra found Kaz immediately. Back home, Myra, Britta, and I laid out our sleeping bags downstairs (I was NOT going to sleep in my bed that night!) and talked for a while. I decided to start my letter to Deborah, which I'd give her on Saturday. After completing two pages (which was about one-tenth of what I wanted to say!), I suddenly began to feel overwhelmingly tired, and I realized it was 2:30 A.M. Hmmm....what to do? I wanted to stay up all night to finish writing. But, I knew I'd be getting a very limited amount of sleep on Friday night. And, if I didn't sleep Thursday night as well, I'd probably fall asleep at the wheel on Saturday, and cause an accident, and be in the hospital, and--this is the worst!--MISS THE CONVENTION! I could NEVER allow that to happen. I reluctantly allowed myself to fall asleep, thinking that Deborah would read about my escapades in BtL instead. We woke early the next morning, tired but very excited--the convention was a day away!!! As soon as Al arrived, we all piled into my car, picked up Misty and her mother, and headed for Long Island. We were leaving late enough to beat the morning New York City traffic, or so we thought. The George Washington Bridge was no problem, but at the Whitestone Bridge, we came to a dead halt about half a mile from the toll booths. Uuuggghhh, traffic. Our groans soon turned into smiles, however, when we realized what a golden opportunity this was! Yes! Because, whenever you are stuck in traffic, what should you do? You guessed it--roll down the windows and blast "Dontcha Want Me Now?" at full volume! We danced in the car as the music was blasting, and yes, we received interesting looks from other travelers. At one point, when we were all singing along, Misty leaned out the window and yelled "Dontcha want me now?" to some guy, pointing to herself. I commented, "Misty, ummm, I don't recommend doing that in New York City." Nothing exciting happened, but we were all having tons of fun. We repeated the song three times before reaching the toll booth. Merrick was very nice. I parked the car on Sterling Ave., and we got a good look at #1684. Afterwards, Al and Misty's mother remained behind while Misty, Britta, and I walked on the Calhoun H.S. track. We walked past the "No Trespassing" sign directly to the high school, which was conveniently open due to summer school. Fortunately, all three of us are teenagers, so we were able to "blend in" quite easily. We walked around, took some pictures, then headed out the front doors. Britta wanted a picture of each of us standing by the official "Sanford H. Calhoun High School" title, so we took turns at the camera. I had seen a girl sitting by the front door, but didn't think much of her until she approached us rather cautiously and asked, "Excuse me, if you don't mind my asking, why are you taking pictures of my school?" Misty, Britta, and I looked at each other and collapsed into giggles. Should we tell the truth, or make up a zany story? The girl looked quite puzzled, and asked, "Are you coming here next year?" Britta finally spoke. "Ummm....Debbie Gibson went here." The girl looked even more puzzled. "Oh....sorry, we weren't in school together." We then explained that there was a convention nearby, only one day away! She looked semi-interested. "So, are you from around here?" We collapsed into giggles again. Misty: "Tennessee." Britta: "Cape Cod." Me: "New Jersey." The girl's eyes widened even more, and she took a noticeable step backward. "Oh....so you're *serious fans*." She glanced away, and seemed very relieved to see a car pull up. "Well, it was nice talking to you--there's my ride!" She hopped in the car, and the driver yelled out, "Get me a t-shirt!" The three of us couldn't stop laughing. We walked back toward Sterling Ave. giggling all the way. Britta took a picture of the "No Trespassing" sign, and stopped along the way to pick up "Calhoun souvenirs"--a pen lying on the ground and a blue ribbon lying in the bleachers. Our next stop was Galleria Pizza, which was good timing, because it was around 1:30 and we were all hungry. It was interesting to see a photo of Deborah on the wall....it wasn't autographed, but a photo of Chris Burke (a Down's Syndrome actor from _Life Goes On_) WAS autographed. So, I strolled over to the pizza man, and said, "Hi! I'll be seeing Deborah tomorrow, so if you have any extra pictures, you can give me one and I'll have her autograph it for you." He seemed very amused, and I told him all about the convention. He didn't give me a photo, but said, "When you see Deborah, tell her that Tommy from Galleria Pizza says hi!" [Note to Deborah: I never got a chance to talk to you at the convention, because everything was so rushed that I thought I'd get yelled at if I tried to talk to you. So, here it is officially: Tommy from Galleria Pizza says hi!] We had to hurry, because I wanted to leave Merrick by 2:00-2:15 to be home an hour later. I BARELY had time to drop everyone off at the Sheraton and at my house before speeding over to Newark Airport with Britta (and our neon poster!). My first pick-up was Michael Christopher. He was arriving at 3:50, and that was EXACTLY when Britta and I arrived at the Delta gates. We raised the poster, and Michael spotted us rather easily. The fun began, though, walking back to my car! Britta and I pranced around, waving the poster and yelling "DEBBIE GIBSON FAN CLUB CONVENTION TOMORROW!!!" at the top of our lungs, so that everyone at Newark Airport would be filled with this joyous news. (Al and Michael, in the meantime, stayed about 25 feet behind us, so every once in a while, we turned around to yell, "HI AL!") We suddenly had a host of brilliant ideas--we'd print out flyers to distribute to people at the airport! We'd tape posters on my car and rename it the Debmobile! We'd wear signs on our backs! Alas, we had no time to do any of this. (But, we're keeping this on record for next year!) The second I dropped Michael, Britta, and Al at my house, I had to speed back to Newark for my next pickup. This is how I spent the rest of the day until about 7:30 P.M. When I finally had a few minutes of time to actually go inside my house, I was greeted by a roomful of people who'd driven in from Boston and Pittsburgh, friends who would be spending the night, and Saturday night too. I was so happy to see them! "Clair, it's so nice to meet you! Everyone, this is Chskialta@aol.com!" Andrea, Amy, Xenia (a non-Deb fan..an exchange student staying with Andrea), Dawn...it was so good to see them all. We talked nonstop, watched Deb videos, played Deb music, all while I was TRYING, unsuccessfully, to eat dinner. At 10:00, Clair and I left for Newark for my last pickup of the day. We were running a little late afterwards, so instead of dropping Tan Vo off at the Sheraton, we headed straight to the Lincoln Tunnel to pick up Misty, Britta, and Misty's mother. They had just seen Les Miz, and were expecting me outside the Imperial Theatre at 11:20. I parked the car at *exactly* 11:20, and ran outside with (of course!) the neon poster, holding it up high! They had no problems spotting me! As much as I would have LOVED to stay up all night and join the party that was going on in my house downstairs, I HAD to go to bed the minute I got home. I was getting up VERY early the next morning, and was so tired from running around for two days that I could barely walk. Saturday morning came far too soon--I needed 4 more hours of sleep! I drove to New York to pick up Sara Gauchat, then drove directly to the Rutherford train station to pick up Brandon Fox and Dave Lemons. We all arrived at the Sheraton at 9:45, and the party began! I will not go into details about the convention--this article is far too long already, and I'm sure that other people will provide many details about the entire day. I'll just say that it was the best Deb performance I have EVER seen, and I've seen 11 of them! After the concert, I drove James Minter to the Plaza Motor Inn, and Sara Gauchat back to Hoboken so she could hop on the PATH train going back to New York. I couldn't even sleep decently THAT night--I wanted to go to Sunday Mass with Al, who is a church organist. I wanted to hear him play and sing! Al plays and sings at three churches in Brooklyn. Britta and I ended up hearing Masses in English, Spanish, and Latin. It was certainly a new experience for me! I was very impressed with Al's talent. I was equally impressed with his ability to sneak in a few lines of "Shake Your Love" in the middle of a church hymn! Al also took the time to play "One Hand, One Heart" before one of the services, hoping that everyone would be suffused with the joys of this beautiful melody. Afterwards, we took the subway to Manhattan, and visited Balducci's and South Street Seaport. Then, we were off to Al's house for pizza! At this point, I have to tell you about Al's wife Liz. Liz is not a Deb fan. In fact, she uses every possible opportunity to tease Al about his musical preferences. Once, when Geordan Riordan left a message on their answering machine, Al came home to find Liz smiling sweetly at him. "Al, you got a *phone call*!" By the tone of her voice, Al knew that it had something to do with Debbie Gibson. "Christine called?" he asked. "Nooooo." "Britta called?" "Noooo! GEORDAN called! From the DEBBIE GIBSON FAN CLUB! Oooooohhh, so EXCITING! Let's listen to the message! Let's listen to it AGAIN and AGAIN! Why don't I make you some cocoa? We can all sit around the table and listen to the message! And I'll make cookies too! Oooooooh, this is the LIFE!" It's really funny how Al imitates her. Britta and I were on the floor, laughing hysterically. And he imitated "Why don't I make you some cocoa?" in a very high-pitched voice, placing the accent on co-COA. We soon called ourselves the "Cocoa Club." Back to my story. We arrived at Al's house around 7:00, and Liz ordered the pizza. A while later, as we were eating, Al purposely made a comment about Geordan. On cue, Britta exclaimed, "Oooooohhhh, Geordan!" I added, "From the FAN CLUB!" We both squealed with delight. Liz just rolled her eyes, and Al tried very hard not to burst out laughing. (He forgot to exclaim "Let's bring out the cocoa!") I actually slept eight hours that night. Yes--there was no one to drive to the airport on Monday morning! I did have to drive Britta back home to Cape Cod, but there was no rush with that. We had a leisurely breakfast (my mother NEVER lets anyone out of the house without breakfast!), and I actually READ THE NEWSPAPER. Al came by, and the three of us first drove to Hoboken, so that I could give Al and Britta a tour of my school, Stevens Institute of Technology. I showed them the campus, including the chemistry lab where I do my summer research. (I had taken three days off from work, and I was completely honest with my co-workers as to why I was taking three days off from work, even though I had a feeling they would laugh hysterically, and they did.) We left Hoboken around 10:30 and headed for Cape Cod. We arrived later than we expected, since we had a nice, leisurely lunch at Mystic Seaport. Britta's family was once again warm and receptive. Her mother served us delicious strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. We had fun relating all the stories, especially our escapades at Newark Airport. Soon we had to say goodbye, if Al and I wanted to be home before midnight. "How do you say goodbye?" It was very difficult for all of us. Britta hugged us twice, and we parted quickly so we wouldn't start crying and prolong the separation. This was the end. Day Five of our Adventure was coming to a rapid close. We listened to "Crocodile Rock" (among MANY other songs) on the drive back home. We listened to Deborah sing, "I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will." It was so true. The five days had been beyond my wildest dreams. I don't know how many miles I put on my car, but I had to fill the gas tank every day, and I'm bringing it for an oil change a month early. My family and all of my non-Deb-fan friends think I am absolutely crazy. My Deb-fan friends, though, are telling me to apply for sainthood after all I've done for everybody. I keep telling them it's just how I am. It's the same part of me that makes me a Deb fan in the first place. And aren't these adventures the stuff that makes life worth living? Meeting fellow fans, swapping stories, laughing, looking ahead to next year's convention...and sipping cocoa, of course. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- This NEW YORK POST blurb titled "Funny Deb" written by Ward Morehouse III was appeared on July 25, on page 51. Thanks to Al Cresci for the transcription. "Debbie Gibson will star in a revival of the 60's Broadway hit "Funny Girl." The pop star will do a 40-city tour before opening here next season. The musical, based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice, catapulted Barbra Streisand to stardom." "Extra!" the syndicated television entertainment news show included a similar "Funny Girl" announcement in their daily Celebrity Traffic Report on July 26th. Deb was shown singing "Don't Rain On My Parade" at a piano and she said the role was an amazing opportunity for someone her age. The following is a very tentative route sheet for the "Funny Girl" tour, from a cast member. Thanks to Richard Evans for passing this on to everyone. Oct 1 - Oct 6 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall Oct 8 - Oct 13 Richmond, VA Mosque Theater Oct 15 - Oct 20 Hershey, PA Hershey Theater Oct 22 - Nov 3 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theater Nov 5 - Nov 10 Green Bay, WI Weidner Hall Nov 12 - Nov 17 TO BE ANNOUNCED Nov 19 - Dec 1 Denver, CO Buell Theater Dec 3 - Dec 8 San Diego CA Civic Center Dec 10 - Dec 15 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theater Dec 17 - Jan 12 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theater Jan 14 - Jan 26 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater Jan 28 - Feb 2 Portland, OR Civic Center Feb 4 - Feb 9 Spokane, WA Opera House Feb 11 - Feb 16 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Hotel Feb 18 - Feb 23 Costa Mesa, CA Orange County P.A.C. Feb 25 - Mar 3 Pasadena, CA Civic Center Mar 5 - Mar 9 Houston, TX Jones Hall Mar 11 - Mar 30 Chicago, IL Shubert Theater Apr 1 - Apr 6 Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House Apr 8 - Apr 20 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center Apr 22 - Apr 27 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theater Apr 29 - May 4 Indianapolis, IN Clowes Memorial Hall May 8 - May 25 Philadelphia, PA Merriam Theater May 27 - Jun 1 Schenectady, NY Proctors Theater Jun 3 - Jun 8 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall Jun 10 - Jun 15 Columbus, OH Palace Theater Jun 17 - Jun 22 Ottawa, Ontario National Arts Center Jun 24 - Jul 6 Toronto, Ontario O'Keefe Center Jul 9 - Jul 20 Dallas, TX Music Hall Schedule subject to change without notice. Please call individual theaters for specific show times and ticket prices. BtL 8.7 will be released in early August so get your articles in as soon as possible! We will probably be releasing two BtL issues in August.