I was saddened when I heard that Debbie Reynolds had passed away. However, I remembered
when I had the pleasure of watching her in a live performance in Laughlin, Nevada and got to talk with her after the show. |
Debbie puts on a fun stage show
I was going to stay for one night at the Riverside RV Park located across the street from
the Riverside Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. While walking over to the casino I looked
up at the big sign in front of the casino where I saw the marquee with Debbie Reynolds in big
red letters. It seems that she was starring in her own stage show once on this evening as well
as twice the following night which was New Years Eve. I thought it would be nice if I could
see Debbie's show. As I entered the hotel I saw that the next show was in an hour. I figured
there was no chance for me to get a ticket this late.
The photo speaks for itself |
Before going upstairs to the casino, I stopped at the ticket counter. I asked if there might
be any tickets left for the next Debbie Reynolds show. I was told there were a few and I was
shown the seating layout of the theater. To my astonishment, there was a VIP seat right next
to the stage just to the right of center. I didn't hesitate a second, I bought a ticket. I then
continued on to the casino. After only 20 minutes of playing the slots, I went to the theater
to find my seat. I was very pleased with the location of the seat. I would have an up close
and personal view of the show.
I've been a Debbie Reynolds fan from the days of my childhood. Even though I am a little
younger than her, I had a crush on her when I was a kid. So, I was now looking forward to seeing
Debbie perform live. When the show began, Debbie came out in a sparkling dress — one of
several she would wear during the evening — with sequins flashing as she moved around
the stage. Her show was a quilt work of her life that at times felt very much like a visit with
a close friend or relative.
Debbie put on a good performance and a fun show that included clips from many of her movies.
I was surprised that I had seen every movie and was familiar with all the scenes presented.
I was also taken down another memory lane as Debbie talked about her life in between musical
performances. Debbie was very candid about her life, her marriages, her financial status and
her relationships with her family and friends. Her stories were informative and funny at the
same time. I enjoyed the funny impressions Debbie did of other stars.
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Debbie told us about how she is a Hollywood packrat, a collector of movie stuff. She had
put together a very large collection of movie memorabilia, which she put in a museum in Las
Vegas. She told us about having to move her movie museum, but the good news is that she had
a new home for her collection. Debbie told the audience that the new location for her museum
would be located in a building on Hollywood Blvd. In the same building where the Academy Awards
celebration would be held each year. The collection contained over 3000 costumes used in movies
from the silent film era to movies made in the 1970s. When Debbie talked about her movie collection,
I could tell she felt strongly about the importance of preserving movie history.
At times Debbie would come over to the edge of the stage and talk to people in the audience.
I had the pleasure of being close enough to the stage that Debbie came over to talk to me for
a few minutes. As I said before, Debbie made the audience feel as if we were old friends. I’ve
been a fan of hers for a long time. After this show I am a bigger than ever fan of Debbie Reynolds.
As pleased as I was with the show, I was impressed with what Debbie did after the show ended.
She told the audience that if they were interested, she would come out after she changed into
her street clothes, to talk with them and sign autographs. As I left the theater I saw a long
line of people forming to talk to Debbie. I decided to avoid the crowd and come back later after
going to the casino.
I played the slots for about 30 minutes. I had run my $20 roll of quarters up to about $80
early during this time, however, I had given all my gains back. I cashed-in the credits on the
slot machine to get my $20 back. I decided to go down to see if Debbie was still talking to
her fans.
I've met some of the nicest people during my motorhome adventures |
The line to see Debbie was very short when I arrived. There were only three people ahead of
me which made me the last audience member to talk with Debbie. She is a very pleasant person
to talk with. A man in her group noticed a camera in my shirt pocket. He asked me to give him
the camera so he could take a picture of Debbie with me.
I moved over next to Debbie thinking I would just stand next to her for the picture. Then
I felt her arm around me, so I put my arm around her. When the flash went off, my first thought
was that I sure hope the picture comes out. I could hardly wait to see the picture of Debbie
and me. (I had nothing to fear, the picture came out better than expected.) This was a very
special treat for me and like I said before, I am now a bigger fan of Debbie Reynolds than ever
before. She is a sweet and gracious lady with a little mischievousness about her.
You might notice that I refer to Ms. Reynolds by her first name through most of my story.
I do this not to be disrespectful. It's just that Debbie made me feel as if I had been
a close friend in a very short time. So, I refer to her as Debbie as I would with a friend or
relative. If she were to read this I would say, "Thanks Debbie for a great show and very
special experience."
Unfortunately, Debbie was unable to find a permanent home for her
movie memorabilia. She auctioned off most of the collection in 2014. |
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