Debbie Reynolds in person.

I saw her too, at the Pantages in Hollywood in 1989. I was in the front orchestra, and while she looked her age in the opening sequences in the bumpkin clothes, once she was in those gowns, the years just dropped. I didn't care, though; I grew up seeing "Molly" and "The Singing Nun" on TV year after year, so to see it in person was a thrill. I got past the age thing though when she started to dance. Even in her mid-late 50's, she could still kick those legs up and sing a storm.

"Great theater makes you smile. Outstanding theater may make you weep."

My family went to see her at Westbury Music Fair in 1970-71. I was little about 5, maybe 6 years old. If we worn our Girl Scout/Brownie uniforms there was no charge, so we were wearing our uniforms. It was very weird because there were no other children there but a boy and girl. They came over and talked to us. When it was time to take our seats, we went to ours and didn't know where they went. I went to get some water I accidentally saw Debbie getting ready and I never saw a woman that was so beautiful and glamorous before. I was extremely shy and thought I had done something wrong and ran to my seat because I thought I was in trouble. I told my mom I saw her. One of the ushers came to get me. But, he brought me to Debbie because she wanted to talk to me. I remember being terrified of her at first. But, she was so nice, she was very sweet and kind. She signed my book/program and told me to get my mom and sister. I told her my mom was a Girl Scout leader. We were in her dressing room. They talked for a few moments about the Girl Scouts, she asked my sister how many boxes of cookies she sold. We returned to our seats and the show began. She sang everything from her numerous musicals. The stage was in the round and turned when she was singing. Towards the end, she brought Carrie out on stage and sang Tammy. A few minutes later she brought her son out. They were to two kids we were talking too. Her last song she dedicated to our Girl Scout troop from St James, Long Island. I was so little and extremely shy. But, she was so kind, sweet and very warm. Nothing was phony or put on. She was genuinely really nice person and so were her children.

That does not surprise me at all. She is a huge movie fan herself so it makes sense that she would be gracious to her fans. I used to have a signed laser disc copy of "Molly Brown" that somebody brought back to me from Las Vegas. They had seen her alone at dinner and had wanted to meet her by the stage door, but got there too late. She invited them to join her, but kept being interrupted by her "people" so they, being respectful, made it brief so she could get the things she needed to get done. Sometimes, the handwriting of even the biggest legends can be "illegible" at best, but this distinctly was Debbie's writing. Others who have met her have described her as very bubbly and not at all shy about talking to strangers. I'm very shy with celebrities, but have met a few of her era and group (Ann Miller, Betty Garrett, Jane Powell), although with Ms. Powell, I was very obvious about knowing it was her but too afraid to acknowledge it even though she made a brief conversation with me when we sat next to each other at "Hairspray". I wanted to reply to her inquiry of how I liked it with "Well, it's no 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'", but didn't think about that until later.

"Great theater makes you smile. Outstanding theater may make you weep."

I was so little and I thought she was going to yell at me. My dad had worked in television all his adult life, so I've been yelled at by celebrities before. I think she was a mom first that day, and I think that was why she asked the usher to come get me. I was so shy and I don't think I said anything to her, I just nodded. I was far to young to understand some of the things she said and asked me. I'm born blonde and have blue eyes, she said something she wished she had my hair, because she got hers from a bottle. I had no idea what she was talking about. But, I remembered that and after the show on the ride back home I asked my mom what did that mean.

I actually worked with Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney when they came to my college and performed Sugar Babies in our theater. I was a crew member. Both were so nice, very gracious and either had the attitudes that some of the other "acts" that appeared in the same season. We had Pearl Bailey and her drummer/band leader Stan Kenton performed. He was really nice, one of the other students who was a drummer idolized him and he was very gracious to him. He let him play his drums and gave him lots of tips and gave he signed drumsticks. Ms Bailey was a hard case, very nasty, had a diva attitude and was impossible. Our theater director had me put fresh flower arrangements in her dressing and she screamed at me and threw them across the room. I was dumbfounded. She had a rider, that the theater director failed to tell the rest of us her demands. Stan went in and talked to her and explained that we were told nothing, the stage manager was never given her rider and excepted his apology. But, I've never thought she would be that nasty, screaming f-that every other word. Just a big diva.

Because of my dad's job I've met a lot of famous people over the years. I think the older performers were more down-to-earth and less impressed with being a celebrity. They were nicer, very gracious and personable. The newer stars of today are generally not nice, grumpy, and very unpleasant to staff members.

Very nice to see
all these good tributes
to D Reynolds
who does not surprise anyone
for being nice to fans

D Reynolds
has all that beauty
along with all that talent
and all that personality

Anyone who goes
to San Diego
needs to see D Reynolds
on stage

Otherwise
why go to San Diego

Nice to hear
some stars
have polite manners
not like their daughters
who have no personality
along with not talent
nor any beauty
when they badmouth
everyone
for not obeying
their every command

[harp] 🎻 [saint] [candle] [piano]

♪  Not even Mad Scientists
get it right every time

I saw her twice when she was at her once musiem in Vegas. She really had a hard time with that place.

When I was 18 attending The University of Florida in 1954, Debbie came to town for some reason. She would have been 22 at the time. A couple of fraternity boys I knew were selected to be her escort one afternoon while she was there. All I can tell you is that they were smitten.

I have always heard now nice she was to everyone. She was in the movie Connie and Carla and on the DVD, they said how she would entertain everyone between takes and there is a scene of her doing that. I can see why she was so loved.