Deborah Gibson in Atlantic City
Pop Goes Broadway Proves 80’s Pop Queen’s Still an Electric Youth
Best known for her 80's pop hits, multi-talented Deborah Gibson performs Pop Goes Broadway at Harrah's in Atlantic City showcasing the many facets of the versatile singer
From now until May 24, Deborah Gibson stars in Pop Goes Broadway, a one woman show highlighting hits from her 80’s teen pop days mixed with classics from her Broadway musicals.
The young singer, known as Debbie Gibson back in the day, burst onto the pop scene in the late 1980’s with a string of top ten hits including two number ones and two highly successful albums before conquering the Broadway stage.
She was only 17 when her first single, “Only in My Dreams” soared up the charts and still holds the record as the youngest artist in history to have written, performed and produced a number one smash with “Foolish Beat”, which topped the Billboard charts in 1988.
Shake Your 1980’s Love
Unlike many artists who broke big back in the 1980’s, Gibson doesn’t shy away from the hits that made her a staple on radio and a household name. Her show features energetic renditions of “Out of the Blue” and “Shake Your Love” as well as a tongue-in-cheek version of the infectious “Electric Youth” which she dedicated to all the “children of the 80’s” as well as an audience member in her 80’s.
Gibson’s stage presence goes unrivalled. Connecting with the audience between songs she strolls the isles in impromptu chat. When one audience member commented that he hadn’t seen her since “the mall” Gibson sat down and laughed, explaining quickly that he was remembering Tiffany. “She (Tiffany) did the day shift and I did the nightshift,” Gibson laughed, explaining that she mostly played clubs in support of her dance pop albums.
Pop Goes Broadway
After the 80’s heyday, Gibson focused on her true love of Broadway musicals and performed lively renditions of songs from Cabaret, Les Misérables and Evita before a medley of “Downtown” and “It’s My Party” using audience members as back up singers and dancers. The youngest, a four-year-old girl who seemed petrified to be on stage, quickly lost her jitters once Gibson began singing and the two danced together onstage to the delight of the audience.
From her days as Sandi in Grease, Gibson performed “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and a cruise ship version of “Dancing Queen” before closing the show with a beautiful rendition of “Lost in Your Eyes” her second and last number one single from 1989 which she dedicated to a couple celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary.
Gibson may no longer rule the charts but for an hour and a half she rules the stage at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. Even though Deborah Gibson’s now in her mid thirties, she remains one youth who’s still electric.
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