Celebrating the holidays live with Debbie Gibson at Booth Playhouse
How early do you start getting into the Christmas holiday season? And more importantly, what do you do to get ready. Well, Debbie Gibson has the answer for you. She wasted no time at all to help people get into the swing of the cheerful season. The day after Thanksgiving, the musical artist headed out on tour for the first of thirteen performances in support of her “Winterlicious” tour, a new album which is filled with original songs and some remakes of classic holiday songs. Lucky for Shutter 16 Magazine, we were able to see her perform in Charlotte, NC on December 7th, 2022 at the Booth Playhouse. The Booth Playhouse is an intimate sized performing arts theatre, which is one of several Blumenthal Performing Arts venues.
Being a smaller and intimate venue, there were a few excusable hiccups during the course of the evening, but none had a negative effect on the performance of the evening. In contrast, they were all pretty funny and amusing, which seemed to actually bring the audience closer together, as the venue worked them out. The first miscue was when the opening tape began to play, and then after a few seconds, it abruptly stopped, leaving the audience in the dark and wondering what had just happened. Not moments later, a few audience members took advantage of the moment to make light of the situation. “We still love you Debbie” comes to mind as the best shout-out. Seriously, no big deal at all. These things happen.
Once Debbie Gibson took stage, the audience was in awe. She was as just as beautiful on stage as seen on the cover of her “Winterlicious” album cover. There was no hesitation as she started singing the first song on the setlist, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. Her voice is just as majestic as it was earlier in her career, and there is no doubt that she still has the dance moves that keeps you entertained throughout the evening. However, it’s no wonder she took off her shoes within the first few minutes of her performance. She pretty much said they were really uncomfortable to wear, and I can’t blame her. The shoes were sparkling and beautiful, but there is no way anyone should be performing in them, especially when you are moving and dancing all across the stage like Debbie was.
When I first entered the venue, I noticed how the piano was positioned. It was at an angle whereas, if someone were to sit at the piano, they would be facing away from the audience. As a photographer, I kept thinking to myself, “If she sits and plays this piano during these first three songs, how in the world am I going to get a good photograph”. Amusingly, Debbie Gibson also noticed how the piano was facing away from the audience. While on stage, she kind of hinted to the venue folks that they needed to move the piano while she sang the next song. It all seemed to be in jest, but she wasn’t joking. Honestly, I believe the crowed found it amusing as she interacted with the members of the stage crew as they angled the piano to a better viewing angle. Debbie even mentioned that during soundcheck, no one noticed the position of the piano.
Have I mentioned the sidestage viewing access yet? There were about 8 fans sitting on the stage to watch the performance. This is an upgrade option when purchasing tickets and are limited in quantity. For this experience, you get access to a Meet and Great with Debbie, and you get to sit on stage during the duration of the show. In addition, Debbie invites these ticketholders to be a part of the performance, at least on two separate occasions. What was amazing, is that she greeted each one of them by their names at the beginning of the show. I can barely remember someone’s name after shaking the persons hand, so kudos for Debbie for making these folks feel special!
Throughout the evening, there was a combination of dancing and singing, guitar solos, crowd interaction, and did I mention dancing? Debbie has two wonderful dancers join her on stage throughout the performance. They have been friends of hers since her Broadway years. Full of energy, these guys were jumping and flipping on stage, bringing an electrifying vibe to the performance.
After a third outfit change, Debbie Gibson surprised the audience by reappearing on the lowest balcony in the theatre. However, no one knew she was there. As her voice spoke into the microphone and rang through the sound system, everyone was looking on stage to see Debbie perform her next song, but she wasn’t there. That’s when Debbie spoke into the microphone, “Hey spotlight, I’m down here”, as the tour manager waved her cell phone flashlight up towards the light operator. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. By my count, at this point in the performance, Debbie is up 3 points against the venue. But once the spotlight finally found her, the audience could see she was dressed in a comfy holiday pajama onesie, all ready for a slumber party. Debbie immediately recognized a mother/daughter duo next to her and acknowledged that her mother had passed away earlier in the year, and that seeing Mothers and Daughters out together reminds her of her time with her own.
As Debbie sang the next song, she made her way through the audience, interacting and giving high fives to those in her path, and making time to give a hug to a younger little girl, who obviously was a huge fan. When Debbie made it back on stage, which now sported a comfy looking bed all set for a sleepover, she called out to the audience and asked for the little girl to come join her on stage. What would happen next, no one could imagine. The little girl had an earful to say as she spoke of albums she has and she talked about (what appeared to be) a handmade Debbie sweater she was wearing, and who knows what else. It was an earful, and it was quite adorable. The little girl was brave enough to ask if her mom could join them on stage, and Debbie was kind enough to oblige. There is no doubt in my mind, that this evening and experience will be engraved in that little girl’s memory forever. Honestly, the performance should be engraved in everyone’s memory who attended, as it was a nostalgic night filled with holidays and hits. If you can catch Debbie Gibson on this very “Winterlicious” tour, there are only a few dates left as the tour runs through December 17th.
In addition to her holiday album, Debbie Gibson released her 10th studio album last year, ‘The Body Remembers’, which is the first album of hers in twenty years. The album is said to be filled with a mix of modern pop hooks and upbeat club tracks that help resemble her earlier musical career. I’m pretty sure all the Debheads have already gotten a copy, but for anyone else that didn’t realize she has a newer album, go and check it out.
