Deborah Gibson at the "Rock of Ages" opening
Photo: Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — It was the typical Hollywood club scene at the Vanguard on Saturday as supermodels gushed over Warrant's Jani Lane; Debbie Gibson and C.C. DeVille joked about rumors they were wed; and Don Dokken and Jack Blades posed for the paparazzi.

Typical, of course, if it were the '80s. Which was perfect, since the top shelf of "Where are they now?" talent was on hand for the premiere of "Rock of Ages," a musical set on the Sunset Strip in 1986.

"This is incredible," said guitarist Tommy Shaw of Styx, whose "Renegade" is one of several dozen hair-metal songs featured in the production. "Our music has somehow survived everything we've ever done. It's become part of the public fabric. For them to be using it in a musical, it's surreal to me. I've seen this happen over time with other music, but it's a first for me. All of our fans have grown up and they've gotten into positions where they can do something like this."

"Rock of Ages" is the brainchild of exactly that: metal fans like director Kristin Hanggi ("Pussycat Dolls: Live at the Roxy"), writer Chris D'Arienzo ("Barry Munday"), co-producer Marcos Siega (a music video director) and co-executive producer Janet Billig Rich (Nirvana's former manager).

"The appeal [in making the musical] is totally how much fun it is," said Laura Bell Bundy, the Broadway veteran ("Wicked," "Hairspray") who stars as Sherrie Christian, a Midwestern girl who comes to Hollywood to become an actress, only to get used by a metal god and end up working as a stripper. "Everything was all about looking good, being glamorous and like having long hair and rocking hard. And this show, it really stays true to the era. And in a way it kind of lets you make fun of it, but in a way of loving it and respecting it at the same time."

Like Metal Skool, the hair-metal tribute band that's been playing the Strip for the past five years, "Rock of Ages" honors the era but pokes fun just the same.

"It should [poke fun]!" DeVille said. "Listen, if you look back, I was always winkin' at the audience. In other words, I knew that to be cool, to wear makeup, you'd have to like, not shave. I mean, it was always an inside joke."

"Every generation has its goofy guys," Night Ranger singer Blades added. "So what does it matter? If you can't laugh at yourself or with yourself, then what do you care?"

Dokken, on the other hand, was a little worried as he walked into the Vanguard's doors.

"I went and checked out Metal Skool and I can understand the parody, but the movie 'Rock Star,' I thought, 'Somebody got a lot of bad information,' " the Dokken singer said. "The whole thing was so fantasmically wrong. I mean, when the wives get in the limousine and they follow the tour bus and the groupies go on the tour bus — I've been around the world a million times and that never went down."

There are no wives in limos in "Rock of Ages," but there is plenty of groupie love and, well, stripper love. Bundy's strip club scenes even extend into the audience, one of many ways the show involves the crowd (for example, lighters are handed out at the door for ballads).

"The music involved the audience when it was happening, so the whole idea is you have to involve the audience now," explained former "Singled Out" host Chris Hardwick, who plays Stacee Jaxx, the rock god who returns to club Rock of Ages for its final show before being bought out by a German conglomerate.

Along with Bundy and Hardwick, "Rock of Ages" also stars another familiar face: Kyle Gass from Tenacious D.

"I play the club owner, Dennis Dupree, a very benevolent, kind owner, so it's obviously not like real life, because most of 'em, let's face it, are a little dicier," Gass said. "[Rock] is my favorite music, and although the hair-metal music of the '80s might not be my very favorite, the way we use it in the show is pretty fun."

In one of the musical's most memorable scenes, Gass shares a heartbreaking duet of REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" with his trusty soundman, played by Dan Finnerty of the Dan Band (famous for his rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in "Old School").

"I didn't [know him before], so I immediately didn't like him at first ... but he's really funny," Gass said. "We've become pretty good pals."

Along with a flock of '80s rockers, Saturday's premiere also brought out Perry Farrell and Tom Morello and actors like Dax Shepard, Michael Rosenbaum and Mark Ruffalo. It was the blasts from the past, however, that had the red carpet buzzing. ("Oh my God! Is that Toni Basil?")

"I think pop and theater have now almost melded in a way, because you want songs that you leave a theater humming, and I think the '80s was the decade of catchy songs, so it makes perfect sense to me," said Deborah (formerly Debbie) Gibson, '80s-pop-star-turned-Broadway-actress. "I'm only offended they didn't ask for one of my songs."

"Rock of Ages" continues at the Vanguard Theatre through February 18, with shows Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m. Producers expect the show to move to Las Vegas in the spring.

• Debbie Gibson
• Poison

Britney Spears, Madonna, Michelle Branch and Stone Temple Pilots are among the celebrities putting autographed merchandise on the block for the American Red Cross Virtual Auction currently underway on eBay. Additional items up for bid will appear on the site April 29, and the gavel drops on the charity event May 9. ... Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Shakira are among the artists slated for the "Today" show's summer concert series, which takes place outdoors in New York's Rockefeller Center. Highlights include Sheryl Crow (May 3), Train (May 10), Celine Dion (May 17), Shakira (May 31), Goo Goo Dolls (June 7), David Bowie (June 14), Keys (June 21), Enrique Iglesias (June 28), Blige (August 9), Toni Braxton (September 6) and Santana (September 20). ...

Upcoming episodes of Fox's "That '80s Show" will feature a couple of stars who made the decade shine: Deborah Gibson and Duran Duran's John Taylor. Gibson cameos as a Permanent Records patron with a penchant for show tunes in her episode, which taped Wednesday and will air May 7; Taylor plays a roadie-turned-contractor in his installment, which taped April 15 and has yet to receive a broadcast date. ... Rasputina's Melora Creager will fill in for an ill Isobel Campbell when Belle and Sebastian perform on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show Friday. ... Chris Isaak and Natalie Merchant will co-headline a summer tour that will kick off June 21 in Irvine, California. The outing, supporting Isaak's Always Got Tonight and Merchant's latest self-titled release, is currently scheduled through mid-July, though more dates will be added. ... The third annual Latin Grammy Awards will be held September 18 at the new Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the Recording Academy announced Thursday. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS (MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS). ...

04.24.02

No Doubt canceled a couple of shows — Tuesday (April 23) in Pittsburgh and Thursday (April 25) in Cleveland — after singer Gwen Stefani was diagnosed with flu and a sore throat. The band is trying to reschedule the dates and is expected to return to the stage for Friday's gig in Washington, D.C. ... HBO is developing a new series based on the life of Dr. Dre, who said actor Chazz Palminteri is writing and directing the first episode. "It's still in the beginning stages right now, but it's gonna be pretty hot," the hip-hop pioneer said. ... Atticus, the clothing label responsible for keeping Blink-182 from being naked more than they already are, is releasing a compilation CD featuring unreleased tracks by Blink, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, Rival Schools, Box Car Racer and others. The 24-song ... Dragging the Lake hits stores May 7. ...

U2 frontman Bono will be in Africa next month, but not with his bandmates. The singer will travel through Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia with Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill as part of his continuing efforts to drum up aid for Third World countries. ... Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and Dido's "Thank You" are among the top nominees for the U.K.'s 47th Ivor Novello Awards, taking place May 23 in London. Other hopefuls for the trophies, which honor Britain's best songwriters and composers, include Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood," U2's "Walk On" and Travis' "Side." ... An unreleased track from Nelly Furtado and ambient tunes from Radiohead, Coldplay and Beth Orton will highlight the Ultra Chilled 02 compilation, due Tuesday. Timo Maas, Sasha and Groove Armada also appear on the album. ...

Alanis Morissette has added nine dates to her North American tour itinerary, which will now end with the KIIS-FM Wango Tango show on June 15 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The singer just shot the video for her next single, "Precious Illusions," in Los Angeles with director Francis Lawrence (Aerosmith). ... "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," a documentary about the making of Wilco's new Yankee Hotel Foxtrot shot in black and white by director Sam Jones, will hit theaters in New York City in late July, before going to other cities in late August. DVD and VHS versions of the film will be released at the end of the year. ... Bloodhound Gang singer Jimmy Pop said Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has asked him to collaborate on his upcoming rock solo record, though so far, Pop has been too busy working on the next Bloodhound album. ...

Lauryn Hill and the Roots, along with Living Colour and George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, will join jazz artists Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove at this year's JVC Jazz Festival in New York City. The festival, which has been around since 1984, will take place at different venues like the Apollo Theater and Carnegie Hall from June 16-29. ... The Knack, that immortal '80s power-pop band best remembered for hits such as "My Sharona" and "That's What the Little Girls Do," will embark on a summer tour starting May 4 at the Bayfest in Tampa, Florida. The band will remain on the road through September and share stages with various '80s pop acts including the Fixx, REO Speedwagon, Missing Persons and Tommy Tutone. ...

Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman will promote their audio/visual release 1 Giant Leap with appearances in New York (May 1), San Francisco (May 2) and Los Angeles (May 6). The duo traveled around the world to create the project, which includes appearances by Michael Stipe, Robbie Williams, Brian Eno, actor Dennis Hopper and others. ... The second annual BET Awards will be broadcast live on June 25 from Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre with Steve Harvey and Cedric "The Entertainer" as hosts. The channel, which will announce the nominees on May 14, revealed that their Humanitarian of the Year Award will go to Muhammad Ali (MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns BET).

• Britney Spears
• Mary J. Blige
• Shakira
• Michelle Branch
• Enrique Iglesias

Madonna has been at the center of many a controversy during her 20-year career —in January of 1988, it was a sleepy little town in Italy called Pacentro that was the focus of a Madonna-related uproar.

A sculptor unveiled a model of a scantily clad statue of the pop star he hoped to erect in the town, near the birthplace of Madonna's grandparents.

The town was divided on the issue — while some citizens, including Madonna's cousins, were all for the 12-foot sculpture honoring Pacentro's most famous descendant, the town's mayor wasn't feeling it. (As far as we know, the statue was never erected.)

Britney Spears has acknowledged the influence of Madonna on her career, but she should also send some love in the direction of Debbie Gibson. The Britney of the '80s, Gibson blazed a trail for teen girl dance pop singers, and even wrote her own songs. This week back in 1988, the New York teenager shot a video for her single "Out of the Blue" and chatted about her music and her exploding career.

"Dance music has been known as a passing fad, but people have always danced, people have always looked for music with a good beat. It's just been kind of put into its own category, which I think is great because hey, it deserves recognition and it's a real big part of today's music. My music is more of a crossover because you can not only dance to it, but you can sit and listen to it. It's melodic because I come from a musical background."

Then she got all dreamy ... "Let's see. I hope to win a Grammy Award and I wanna do a duet with Billy Joel, so I hope that that will be next." (It wasn't.)After being huge in the mid-'70s, then hitting rock bottom due to drug problems and disappearing from sight for a bunch of years, Aerosmith returned to the limelight with their 1987 LP, Permanent Vacation. They were a few months into their big comeback this week in 1988, and quickly proved their fans didn't necessarily have to have big cans to get backstage. Any size cans would do.

"If I could talk the kids into bringing a can each and/or 100 cans each to meet the band, it would work, and it has," frontman Steven Tyler said about the band's effort to collect food for the homeless in Boston. "We got 10 tons of food the 28th and 30th, and we're hoping to up that to 20 tons tonight." Each fan who brought a can was able to meet the band and take pictures with their hometown heroes.

For more "This Week In ...", check out the This Week In Archive

• Madonna
• Debbie Gibson
• Aerosmith

Deborah Gibson
Photo: Golden Egg

As one of the top teen performers of the '80s, Debbie Gibson influenced a generation with perky, poppy songs such as "Only in My Dreams," "Foolish Beat" and "Electric Youth" before dropping out of the music business to focus her energies on the Broadway stage.

She's playing to arena audiences once again, for the first time in a decade, as the opening act for 'NSYNC (see "Look Out, Britney: 'NSYNC Going Out With Deborah Gibson").

And as the older, wiser and renamed Deborah Gibson observes the generation of Britney look-alikes she's eager to entertain, she can't help but remark upon the difference between '80s kids and modern teenagers.

"Kids today grow up so fast," she said from her New York home a day before joining the tour. "In the '80s, it was more about sexy innocence as opposed to being so blatant. I didn't know how to walk in a pair of heels at that age. I didn't know how to wear red lipstick, walk into a room and own it. Some of these girls today seem pretty comfortable with it, which is kind of scary."

Before you peg Gibson as old-fashioned or out-of-touch, hear her out. She understands that today's high school students mature faster than ever, and that advertising, film and other media revolve around themes of sex and seduction. She accepts that contemporary girl-pop stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mandy Moore merely reflect the environment they grew up in. Yet she fears the consequences of kids having to face adult issues prematurely.

"I hope it's not all too-much-too-soon," she said. "I just wish kids would allow themselves a little more time to be kids while they can, because they're gonna have so much time to flaunt their sexuality later, and they don't realize that yet. Among singers, it feels like there's a race going on and stripping your clothes off brings you to the next level. I just wonder how comfortable all these girls are with that image when they put their heads down on their pillows at night."

While Gibson said she's awed by the sexual energy Britney exudes, she doesn't target Spears as an especially bad influence on today's electric youth.

"I think she knows to a degree that she's playing a role," Gibson said. "It seems as though she can distinguish between what she does onstage and what she does in her life. She puts on her face and her clothes and her hair extensions, turns up the energy and goes for it, which I enjoy. I don't get the feeling she takes that side of herself too seriously. She always has a little tongue-in-cheek glint in her eye when she performs."

Christina Aguilera, however, is another story. "I get the idea that Christina lives and breathes the sexual image, which frightens me," Gibson said. "I look at her and go, 'Ooh, she's gotten a little ahead of herself.' There are so many girls out there wearing less and less. I look at their videos and think, 'Does that mean each time you come out with an album you have to lose more clothes and get more explicit in your lyrics?'"

Onstage, Gibson tries to stay current through modern choreography, youthful exuberance and winning melodies. But she'll never use sex as a weapon.

"I've always taken the role-model approach," she said. "I care how my music rubs off on kids and I don't think you need to perform in a bikini to be current. My performance is filled with a lot of what 'NSYNC's performance is filled with. It's not like every one of those guys has an amazingly buff body and goes for showing skin — they're charged with an energy. I have a similar energy and it's an energy you can use at any age with any audience."

• Debbie Gibson
• Britney Spears
• Christina Aguilera

Deborah Gibson and 'NSYNC's Justin Timberlake
Photo: Golden Egg Records

Sometimes established artists reach out to assist childhood idols working outside the mainstream. Eric Clapton recorded an album with B.B. King, the Smashing Pumpkins once booked and opened a concert for Cheap Trick, and now 'NSYNC are helping Deborah Gibson resurrect her pop music career.

The '80s teen star formerly known as Debbie Gibson will open up for 'NSYNC at six shows starting Thursday (August 16) at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, and ending at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on August 27. (Click for photos from 'NSYNC's tour.)

"The guys are very familiar with my career," Gibson said Tuesday from her Manhattan home. "The first time I met Chris [Kirkpatrick] and Lance [Bass] was at one of their shows at Madison Square Garden a year and a half ago. I went backstage and they did double takes and went, 'Oh, my God, I bought your records!' " (Click for photos from throughout Deborah's career.)

Gibson will perform a 20-minute set with six of the singers and dancers she recently worked with on the national tour of "Cinderella," which also featured Eartha Kitt. Her show will consist of a medley of "Foolish Beat," "Out of the Blue," "Shake Your Love," "Electric Youth," "Only in My Dreams" and "Lost in Your Eyes" — hits from 1987's Out of the Blue and 1989's Electric Youth. She will also play "What You Want," "Your Secret" and "M.Y.O.B." from this year's M.Y.O.B.

'NSYNC have taken a number of young up-and-comers on the road in the past, including 3LW, Lil' Bow Wow and BBMak, but it's not often they bring out a performer who was popular in another era. While much of 'NSYNC's fanbase was unborn or in diapers when Gibson was strutting her stuff in the '80s, the singer remains unfazed.

"It's funny, I quite often hear parents saying to their kids, 'This was our Britney,' " Gibson said, laughing. "It's fun being able to feel like I'm established with half the audience but I'm introducing myself to the other half. And it's pretty cool to have a clean slate with some of these kids that have no preconceived notions."

'NSYNC may be pleased to help re-establish Gibson with modern pop audiences, though it wasn't their idea to tour with her. It was Gibson's mother and manager who set the wheels in motion last month.

"My mom just went, 'OK, how do I reach the audience I want to reach? Who's the biggest act on the road right now?' We quite simply went after it and we got it."

Of course, the guys remembered bumping into Gibson 18 months ago in New York, and it probably didn't hurt that Bass and Gibson sang together six months ago at House of Blues in Los Angeles.

"We were both at a birthday party of a mutual friend, and we got up and did [Madonna's] 'Into the Groove' with a cover band," Gibson said. "That was hysterical and totally surreal."

Deborah Gibson's tour dates with 'NSYNC, according to her label:

• 8/16 - Indianapolis, IN @ RCA Dome
• 8/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Field
• 8/20 - Columbus, OH @ Columbus Crew Stadium
• 8/22 - New Orleans, LA @ Louisiana Superdome
• 8/24 - Jackson, MS @ Veterans Memorial Stadium
• 8/27 - El Paso, TX @ Sun Bowl Stadium

For a feature interview with 'NSYNC, check out "'NSYNC: Get Dirty".

• *NSYNC
• Debbie Gibson

Backstreet Boy Howie D
Photo: Jive

LFO, Jon Secada, Aaron Carter and the Monkees will help Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough raise money for his lupus foundation in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, on June 1.

Bringing together pop stars from every decade since the '60s, the concert at Hard Rock Live will also feature performances by Youngstown, Deborah Gibson, the Pointer Sisters and Rascal Flatts. The show is part of a two-day event dubbed Lupus 2001, benefiting the Dorough Lupus Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Dorough and his family after his sister, Caroline Dorough-Cochran, died from the disease in 1998. Dorough will host the concert and may join his guests onstage for the encore, but he'll save his solo set for the following night at SeaWorld. That event will include a dinner and an auction featuring music, film, fashion and sports memorabilia, plus a killer whale show and fireworks.

The Dorough Lupus Foundation seeks to aid victims of lupus who cannot afford treatment, increase awareness about the disease and help fund research for a cure. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, with two-day combo tickets going for $300 each, concert-only tickets for $175 and passes for the auction and dinner for $150.

Lupus 2000, held in Universal City, California, on June 25, featured such performers as Gibson, Tito Puente Jr. and O-Town and raised $100,000 (see "Backstreet's Howie Raises $100,000 For Charity").

• Backstreet Boys
• Aaron Carter
• LFO
• Jon Secada
• The Monkees

Photos From Throughout Deborah Gibson's Career

• Debbie Gibson
• *NSYNC