Debbie Gibson isn't "Debbie" anymore. The 37 year old "Deborah Gibson," an accomplished singer-songwriter-producer, is headlining (and producing) a show based on Broadway hits at Harrah's in Atlantic City.

The original pop teen princess, whose record for being the youngest person to score number one as singer-songwriter-producer (for her 1987 debut "Out of the Blue") is still intact, was a guest on this week's "Heyman Hustle" program, the flagship broadband television program for NewsCorp's new SUN-TV broadband global television network.

Those expecting another sad tale of teen stardom and adult depression will not find that story here.

"It's not by accident that Deborah Gibson has remained above the trainwreck phenomenon most former child stars fall into," commented Hustle Director/Producer Mitchell Stuart, who --as part of his commercial agency HQ Productions -- has directed Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, "after dealing with her for 5 mins, you know you're in the room with a pro's pro."

In the episode, which is a world exclusive look behind the scenes at Gibson's secret rehearsal session for the show at Harrah's, host Paul Heyman asks how Gibson avoided the path taken by so many pop wrecks that followed in her footsteps. "Long before there was Britney Spears, there was Debbie Gibson," Heyman gushed. Of course, he then added "for me, long before there was Viagra, there was Debbie Gibson!"

Let's hear it for the jean jacket!

Debbie Gibson's comeback is available for your viewing pleasure here: http://thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/heyman/article1130571.ece
 

mood: cheerful
music: Broadway show tunes