Debbie Gibson Crowned ‘Woman of the Year’ at Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Black & White Ball

By Stacey Gualandi

Photography by Denise Truscello, courtesy of Nevada Ballet Theatre

It may have been a Black & White Ball, but there were too many colorful moments to count as the eternally electric and youthful Debbie Gibson accepted the honor of “Woman of the Year” by Nevada Ballet Theatre at Encore Las Vegas.

“There is such a collective passion for the arts in this room, which makes me so happy,” Gibson said.

Let’s just say she couldn’t shake the love of almost 500 VIPs, arts supporters and community leaders who joined NBT in recognizing the artistic achievements and philanthropic contributions of the pop icon and Broadway star.

Following a video montage of Gibson’s life and work, legendary entertainer Tony Orlando (who Debbie affectionately calls “Papa”) gave his longtime friend a touching tribute.

“They’ve chosen one of the greatest ladies I’ve ever known as ‘Woman of the Year.’ Take it in because you’ve earned this,” Orlando said. “Your whole effort on a stage is … to make these people happy; that’s all you ever care about. You don’t care about stardom and fame—you’ve had that—but what you’ve done with your life is what you should be credited for.”

Always the consummate professional, Gibson gave a masterclass in a speak-from-the-heart acceptance speech.

“I couldn’t be resilient without the support of [manager] Heather [Moore], my family, my friends and my team, who at times believed in me more than I believed in myself. Thank you guys so much,” Gibson said.

NBT’s Future Dance Scholars opened the evening with a tribute to the singer-songwriter’s timeless tune “Electric Youth.” In a surprise performance—and a first for NBT’s Black & White Ball—the WOTY joined the troupe on stage and wowed the crowd with a medley of her biggest hits, accompanied by the nine-piece David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra. (If you blinked, you missed the stunning rip-away of her custom David Tupaz couture gown!)

“I love empowering young people to use their art and their voice,” said Gibson on stage.

Christian Kolberg led the live auction, assisted by board member Dawn Hume. (One happy couple won a puppy for $4,000 and named it Peaches!)

NBT President and CEO Beth Barbre and Artistic Director Roy Kaiser also announced something extremely significant to their entire organization, the arts and cultural community, and the city as a whole.

With the blessing of the George Balanchine Trust, NBT has been given an extraordinary opportunity as one of only six ballet companies in the nation to perform the quintessential version of “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by George Balanchine. It will debut this December on The Smith Center stage and will be performed for decades to come.

The School of Nevada Ballet Theatre’s award-winning competition team and NBT’s professional company performed a sneak peek of the upcoming production, followed by the Fund-A-Need paddle raise, hosted by Kaiser, Kolberg and yours truly.

NBT Board Member Stella Roy, Board Chair Jerry Nadal, Sculptor Richard MacDonald, and Regional West Coast Director for Mikimoto Diane Hoover took the stage to present Gibson with the “Woman of the Year Award”—a bronze sculpture of a dancer by MacDonald.

The elegant black-tie affair is NBT’s largest annual fundraiser. Gibson joins a long list of female icons feted by NBT over the past four decades, including Olivia Newton-John, Rita Moreno and Judy Collins.

Congratulations to Committee Chairs Amanda Moore-Saunders and Jeff Damon, NBT’s Director of Communications and Community Jenn Kratochwill, and to the “2025 Woman of the Year” honoree Debbie Gibson.

“I pride myself on being a human being first and an entertainer second,” Gibson said. “I always want to make sure I leave someone a little better than how they started.”