DEBBIE GIBSON & FRIENDS
Welcome! And, may I add, congratulations. You are attending one of New York’s and America’s essential meeting houses, music venues and cultural institutions. I know that you will find the Town Hall Presents programming you are attending tonight to be timely and compelling. And each of our productions is an expression of our commitment to bring you significant, unique, eclectic and down right delightful events throughout the calendar year.
There is no place like The Town Hall. Founded “to promote good citizenship, social justice and general enlightenment through the education and expression of public opinion,” our hall’s world-class acoustics quickly became a calling card, and for over a century, playing The Town Hall stage continues to be a ‘must’ for musicians and singers from all genres and backgrounds.
Whether visiting our storied auditorium for the first time, or returning to experience yet another great night live on our stage, you can feel the vitality in the room. The Town Hall is truly contemporary; purpose-built to open its doors to art, ideas and especially to you.
Upon its dedication in 1921, The League for Political Education opened the building you are now sitting in with the watchwords:
“It does not matter who you are, what you are, or from where you come, you are welcome.”
As president of the non-profit organization that preserves our landmarked auditorium and produces the Town Hall Presents events like the one you are attending tonight, I thank you for coming to The Town Hall. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and our incredible staff of professionals, I echo the sentiment of our founders and assure you that you are always welcome here.
Nevin Steinberg
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
A year can be a lifetime in pop music. So, what can be said about Debbie Gibson, who in the late 80s, while still a teenager, was a songwriting prodigy producing hits singing about her feelings in songs like “Only in My Dreams,” “Lost in Your Eyes,” and “Electric Youth”? Rolling Stone magazine not long ago suggested: “The time is right for Debbie Gibson to finally get her due as a pioneer.”
“I’m so excited to bring my Electric Youth 35th Anniversary show to The Town Hall as I’m a native New Yorker and New York City is where so many of my dreams started and became a reality,” she said. “This is a full-circle moment as we are recreating the original 1989 tour with several original band members and dancers and adding a few modern updates for a ‘newstalgic’ evening of hits and creating moments for my audience.”
Joining Debbie for this anniversary show will be two special guests, Broadway stars John Lloyd Young and Orfeh. Says The Town Hall’s Artistic Director Melay Araya: “We are so proud to present New York’s very own Debbie Gibson in a concert version of her seminal, era-defining 1989 album Electric Youth. It’s a testament to her talent that an album she wrote, recorded AND produced when she was just 18 still excites audiences new and old. This evening is for the die-hard fans and for the new converts!” Gibson exploded in the pop music of the 80s with her 1987 debut dance-pop album Out of the Blue. She was 16. As Rolling Stone put it: “She invented the whole concept of a teenage girl writing and producing her own Number One hits, singing about her own feelings, at a time when the music world scoffed at the idea.”
© Fadil Berisha
© Alex Hoerner
Photo courtesy of the artist
Her sophomore release, a challenge for any artist and especially for one with such a successful debut, was Electric Youth, which All Music called “teen pop at its best: it makes you feel young, it makes you want to sing, it makes you want to fall in love.” It spawned four singles, including “Lost in Your Eyes,” which became her second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. A restless performer, Gibson continued to write and record (her most recent album was The Body Remembers, released in 2021) but also stretched out, starring on 17 musicals, including Les Misérables, Funny Girl, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Grease, as well as appearing on television and film, such the Hallmark Channel films, Summer of Dreams and its sequel, Wedding of Dreams. Her loyal fanbase of “Debheads” has supported her along the way.
“I always lived for pop music and the radio,” she told Rolling Stone. “I still do. I don’t live in the past — I listen to Conan Gray and the Weeknd. I respect the heck out of Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. I just love a great pop artist who knows how to connect with people on a universal level.”
“I’m not gonna lie — I do appreciate when the young girls give me props. They respect that history. And when I started, I respected the history: Marie Osmond, Lesley Gore, Rosemary Clooney — I respected that they were teenagers doing it before me.”
As for advice to young women following on her footsteps, she told NPR: “Always return to why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s very easy to start putting fashion before music, image before substance and the joy of it, and I think you just have to keep pulling yourself back to ground zero. Most female artists that are out there, at some point they were writing songs in their bedroom, or they were singing into a hairbrush, they were singing at street fairs, and if you can keep reminding yourself of that little girl with that dream, it just keeps everything in check. And the other key for me career-wise is versatility, because I think it’s exhausting to have to keep up with pop trends and media demands and all of that. But if you have versatility, you have freedom.”
Thirty-five years after the release of her landmark Electric Youth, Debbie Gibson is an older young woman still with a dream, still keeping everything in check.
Debbie Gibson, a true pop phenomenon, burst onto the scene at just 16, etching her name in history with the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Foolish Beat.” She became the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a No. 1 hit—and is still the youngest female, a record that has remained unbroken for over 30 years. Her unparalleled talent has translated into over 16 million album sales and a prolific theatrical career.
In 2019, Gibson graced the stage alongside New Kids on The Block on The Mixtape Arena Tour. The following year, her single “Girls Night Out” reached number four on the Billboard chart. In 2021 she released her first pop album in two decades, The Body Remembers, climbing to No. 2 on the Apple Pop Sales Chart. Her music video for “Love Don’t Care” has over a million views on YouTube. In 2022, Gibson embarked on a solo U.S. tour for The Body Remembers and also commemorated the 35th anniversary of her debut album Out of the Blue with sold out shows in NYC. She also released her first full-length holiday album, Winterlicious.
Gibson recently announced a book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books for her forthcoming motivational memoir. After starring in television movies for Hallmark, Gibson can now add executive producer to her credits for the film Notes of Autumn, one of the first LGBTQ+ inclusive movies on the network
Debbie Gibson: https://debbiegibsonofficial.com/ John Lloyd Young: https://www.johnlloydyoung.com/ Orfeh: https://www.orfeh.com/
THE TOWN HALL FOUNDATION
The Town Hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at The Town Hall and in schools through our Education Outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance The Town Hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PRESIDENT
Nevin Steinberg
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Tom Wirtshafter
Marvin Leffler
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Susan Zohn
VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL
Ellen Miller-Wachtel
TRUSTEES
Teniola Adedipe
Anne Frank-Shapiro
Frederick Gabriel
Gita Gupte
John A. Jenkins
Natalie Wexler
James Shackelford
Madhu Southworth
LIFE TRUSTEES
Phyllis Putter Barasch
Mary Dettling-Wright
Bruce S. Leffler
THE TOWN HALL STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Ted Lambert
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Melay Araya
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Jeff Mann
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ADMINISTRATION
Helen Morris
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Donna Banks, PhD
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Taione Martinez
DIRECTOR OF BOOKING AND EVENTS
Paul Cameron Hardy
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Carl Acampora
PUBLICIST
Cindy Byram
VICE PRESIDENT
Rita Robbins
TREASURER
Joan Rall
SECRETARY
Timothy Stambaugh
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Kathleen Rosenberg, Chair
Nancy Berman
Sandy Horowitz
Elizabeth Iannizzi
Candace Leeds
Zita Rosenthal
Rhoda Rothkopf
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Michael Fram, Co-Chair
Dr. Eloise Messineo, Co-Chair
Barbara Murray
Dr. Pola Rosen
George Young
WARNING
The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theatre without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.
FIRE NOTICE
The exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WALK TO THAT EXIT. Thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. This violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.
-FIRE COMMISSIONER
DIRECTORY OF THEATRE SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: 212.997.1003
Mon-Fri 9:30 am to 5 pm, for rental & membership info
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Bill Dehling
SR. DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER
Alex Koveos
PROGRAMMING MANAGER
Gloria Lee
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Britni Montalbano
BOX OFFICE MANAGER
Angel Rodriguez
CHIEF ENGINEER
Steve Franqui
HOUSE MANAGER
Johnny Lee Green
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Dennis Rakauckas
BOX OFFICE: 212.840.2824 Mon-Sat 12 noon to 6pm. 24/7 Recording
TICKETMASTER: 800.982.2787 to charge tickets by phone.online Ticketmaster.com
LOST AND FOUND: 212.997.0113
CELL PHONE POLICY
Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.
LOBBY REFRESHMENT BY Theatre Refreshment Company of NY
MAJOR GIFTS, CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Town Hall’s Education Outreach Program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. The Centennial Concert Series is funded, in part, by Howard Gilman Foundation. We would like to thank the following foundations, corporations, and government institutions for their support:
American Portfolios
Axe-Houghton Foundation
Bank of America
Consolidated Edison Company of New York
Edythe Kenner Foundation
Gund Investment Corporation
Henry Nias Foundation
Howard Gilman Foundation
The Hyde & Watson Foundation
The IV Fund
National Endowment for the Arts
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York State Council on the Arts
ABOUT
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul
New York City Mayor Eric L. Adams
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine
New York City Council Member Keith Powers
New York City Council Member Gale Brewer
New York City Council Member Julie Menin
New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse
New York City Council Member Kalman Yeger
NYC Dept. Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo
Rea Charitable Trust
The Shubert Foundation
Ticketmaster
THE HISTORIC TOWN HALL
As of Jan 31, 2024
Town Hall has played an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of New York City for more than 100 years. A group of Suffragists’ fight for the 19th Amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. During its construction, the 19th Amendment was passed, and on January 12, 1921 The Town Hall opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory won by its founders, and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate. In 1921, German composer Richard Strauss performed a series of concerts that cemented the Hall’s reputation as an ideal venue for musical performances. Since, Town Hall has been home to countless musical milestones: The US debuts of Strauss, and Isaac Stern; Marian Anderson’s first New York recital; in 1945, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker introduced bebop to the world; Bob Dylan’s first major concert in ‘63; and much much more.
LEARN MORE. VISIT THETOWNHALL.ORG/TOURS
Producer’s Circle ($5,000+)
Shauna & Michael Denkensohn
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank & Marvin Leffler
Ellen Miller-Wachtel & Alan Wachtel, M.D.
Chip Murphy
Torbjoern G. Nygaard, MD & Lisa A. Mellman, MD
Brian & Patricia Shea
Beth & Tim Stambaugh
Paige Price & Nevin Steinberg
Carol Marks & Tom Wirtshafter
Jennifer Young, Christopher Young
Susan Zohn
Partner ($2,500)
Howard F. Berman
Mary Dettling-Wright
Agnes Gund
Dr. Elizabeth Iannizzi
John A. Jenkins & Susan Raleigh Jenkins, Esq.
Mahipal Rawat, Shweta Rawat
Sponsor ($2,000)
Judith Entes
Gita Gupte
Daniel Lewis
Rita Robbins
Lawrence Unger
Seat Holder ($1,000)
Mr. & Mrs. Louis Aidala
Nancy & Evan Berman
Ralph Buultjens
Robert E. Evanson
Hazel & Russel Fershleiser
Lisa Glassner & Matt Frank
Green Charitable Foundation
Fran & Richard Habib
Patty Laxton & Fred Kaufman
Kathleen Rosenberg
Rhoda Rothkopf
Susan & Victor Shedlin
Member ($500)
Anonymous (4)
Charlie & Bonnie Alter
Wanyong & Chris Austin
Jane Eisner Bram
Karen & Alexander Callender
Matthew Costabile
Daniel Donnelly
Hon. Betty W. Ellerin
Charlie Feldman
Bob & Rose Foulds
Michael & Anne Frank-Shapiro
Miriam & Paul Gold
Barbara J. Gottlieb
Jeff Gutterman
Priscilla H. Hoffman
Bruce Horten & Aaron Lieber
Adam Idleberg
Eric & Sandy Krasnoff
Jacqueline & Bruce Leffler
Karin & Marc Leffler
Judith C. Lovell
Julie & David F. McCarthy
Charles John O’Byrne
Shelly Packer
Zita Rosenthal
Dean Victoria Rosner
Kenny Schaeffer
Roberta Schechter
Roberta Schleicher
Jean Schmit
Leslie Gillian Senn
Natalie Wexler
Chester A. Whitlock
Matt Howard & Melissa Wohlgemuth
Friend ($250)
Anonymous (4)
Stephen Berman & Amy Foster
Todd M Cooper
Miriam Davidson
Lisa Dixon
Daniel Elias
Susan Finkel
Steven Frankel, Debbie Rudoy
Helena Grannis
David B Killalea
Lisa Kothari
Wojciech Kropiewnicki
Elaine Crowley & John Kuehn
Ellen & Martin Levine
Mark Lewin
Anthony Mason
Nancy & Andy Norton
David C. Olstein
David Page
Mike & Jo Proops
Gail Propp
Nicole Rechter
James Robbins
Mark K J Robinson
A. Jeffrey Rosen
Chris Rousseau
Carolyn M Salafia, MD
Corrente Schankler
Brandy Schillace
Lauren Simpson
Robert Strassler
Kenneth Topolsky
P. Wallach
William Waters
Greg Williamson
Supporters ($100)
Anonymous (70)
Wesley Abrameit
Barry Abramson
Michelle Achkar
Gail Alexander
Cynthia Allen
Rob Anderson
Eleanor Androulidakis
Gary Apple
Charles David Ard
Kennet Aymong
David A. Bader
Andrew Baldwin
Michelle Bandoain
Elan Barish
Natalie & Tim Barry
Peter Barsocchini
Jonathan & Barbara Baskin
Erin Beam
Michael Becker
Timothy Beebee
David Berger
James Bilsborrow
EM Blitzer
Bruce Bosso
Andrew Boyes
Raymond Bragar
Michael Brams
John Brett
Catherine Brienza
Ralph Brown
Alizah Brozgold
Jesse Brundige
Barbara Burger
John Burke
Elizabeth Wendell Butler
Ann & Eric Byne
Cynthia Byram
Colleen Cahill
James Callahan
Dr. George Callan
Lloyd & Darcy Campbell
Rose Case
Gabriel Chenard-Poirier
Elaine Chin
Kathleen Clark
Wendy Cohen
Elisa Cohen
Ashley Collins
Michelle Comparetti
Joel Confino
Ralph Contini, William Priest III
Gregory Courtright
The Covell-Ranheim Family
Andrea Cummis
Miranda Danusugondo
Jennifer Dauk
Mary J Davis/MBL Productions
Leslie De Jesus
Francisco de Leon
Susan & Rick Derrickson
Jenni Dickson
Robert Discolo
Dr. Peter & Debra Distler
Dr. Bob Drake
Elizabeth Durante
Robert Dwyer, Jr.
Jay Edelman
David Eiaenhardt
Thomas Ellenson
Lex & Helen Haris
Cristina Enriquez-Bocobo
Patrick Fay
Richard & Andrea Feinsilver
Danielle Ferry
Marc Fink
Geoffrey Flick
Frank Fontana
Katie Ford
Alyson Forde
Dr. Jonathan Foster
Robin Foster
James Joseph Fox, Esq
Lynda Fox Frazer
Abby Gilmore & Arthur Freierman
Susan & Michael Fromm
Christopher Gahl
Alexander Galanos, Orley Granot
Grant Gardner
Judith Mary Gee
Valerie A Gerardi
Michael Ghitelman
Dave Giffen
Barrie Gillies
Dr. Tamara Gillis
Alyse Ginsberg
Matthew Ginsburg
Florence Giordano
Tamara Glenny
Robert Goldberg
Stacy Goldfarb
Elizabeth Gray
Anne Green
Kathleen & James Grendell
Michael Grimaldi
Louise Guarneri
Edmond C. Haase III
The Haggerty Family
Elise Hanes
Peter Harrar
Ali Hart
Brad Hebel
Caroline Heller
Susan Hodges
Persephone Holman
Thomas Holt
George Hopkins
Robin Howald
Cheryl Humes
Bob & Kathy Iuliucci
Jennifer Jackson
Karen Jacobs & Mark Bradley
Jared Jaichon
Michael Jantzen
Jay Jantzer
Spike Jenkins
Mark Joy
Laura Kaminsky, Rebecca Allan
Alexandria Kansao
Rebecca & James Katz
Kristina Kinet
Steffie Kirschner
William Klayer
SUPPORTERS
Riley Knippling
Little Johnny Koerber
Jeff D Kopelman MD
Elizabeth S. Lasdon
Timothy & Mary Lee
Jamie Levey
Debra Levin
Steve Levitan
Neal Levy
Smadar Levy
Stephanie Liang
Susan Lish
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick K. Long
Thomas Lookstein
Deborah Lyons
Cornelia Macfadyen
Sher Madigan, Richard Madigan
Steven & Patricia Madsen
Anne Maltz
Michelle & Dan Mannix
Atea Martin & Allen Honigman
Michael Matishek
Kyle Mauch, Faby Balcazar Suarez
Dr. Lesly A. McAnelly
Dr. Eileen McInerney
Mary Mears
Catherine Menichino
Sara Lynn Michener
Sachyn Mital
Keon Moghaddam
Lisa & Mark Montifiore
Miranda Morrison
Denis Morton
Richard J Moylan
Mathew Neiger
Rick Nelson
Melanie Nelson
James B Nish
Hope Nitsche
Jeffrey Norwalk
Susan Nussbaum
Allison & Edward O’Keefe
Stewart Otley
Edwin Pelto
Donna Pepe
Steven Perlstein
Rick Picardo
Julie Pitman
Andrew & Kelly Pontano
Scott Porter
Kaitlin Powell
The Powers-Brisiel Family
Adrienne Prasso
Michael Price
Philip Pucciarelli
The Rackow Family
Roslyn Richter
Veronica Richter
David Rimmer
Lee Ringelheim
Moldowan-Risch Family
Shelley Risk
Phoebe Robinson
William Rollo
Kristin Romano
Vicki Roosevelt & Rob Jorgensen
Joanne & David Rosen
Amy Roth
David Roth, Annette Bond Roth
Ronald Rotter
Reva Rubin
Brian Rubin-Sowers
Jenna Ryall
Alan Sacks
David Sacks
Shira & Marc Safran
Faith Salie
James Sall
Maureen Salter
Gina Sarno
Maria & Rob Schafer
Adam Schanke
Keith Schneider
Peter Schneider
Cindy & Rich Schulz
Marilyn & Michael Schwartz
Charles Schwartz
Anastasia Mann, Eldar Shafir
Kathleen Shelton
Stefan Sherman
James Siokos
Andrew & Sabina Soloway
Kevin J Spencer
Jason Spiro
A Stein
Michael Steiner
Adam Stepansky
Toby Wiser-Stern & Hal Stern
Sarah Sulkowski
Dr. Steven Sussman
Diane Sweeney
Erin Sweeney
Victoria Sweet
Barbara Takenaga
Martin Tandler
Bruce & Stephanie Temple
Tanya Thonre
Linda Tsang
Betsy Vogel
Ellen Wachtel
Robin Wagge
Sophia Waitword
Allison Warenik-Queenan
Kirsten Wargo
Cory Weiss
Iris Wertheim
Adam Wiener
Richard F Williams
Stanley Wine, Lillian Tang
Dustin Wright
Alan Yacavone
David Yaffe
Robert Zangrando
Thanks for putting art in the heart of the community
Bank of America recognizes The Town Hall for its success in bringing the arts to performers and audiences throughout the community e commend you on creating an opportunity for all to enjoy and share a cultural experience. Visit us at bankofamerica.com/about.
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