Debbie Gibson plays Mother Nature in 'Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy' at MGM Grand at Foxwoods

Debbie Gibson has been a lot of things over the course of her showbiz career - teen pop sensation, Broadway star, even TV celeb-skating contestant.

She's adding a new role to her repertoire: Mother Nature.

She's taking on that character in "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy" at MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

Gibson, who will sing and act in the show, answered questions via email earlier this week.

How she approaches playing Mother Nature:

"Well ... Before I got here, I was standing in my front yard in the valley of LA casting spells and trying to make it cooler!!! (Lol!) Actually, I am kind of like an earth mother, mother hen type anyway! In the rehearsal process I will be open to letting my inner Mother Nature unfold but, basically, my goal is to play her grounded with a univeral energy so that I can be the liaison between the audience and all the amazing stories being told onstage!"

What appealed to her about "Cirque Dreams":

"It is the ultimate blend of using my pop performance skills and my skills as an actress! I also love that in 24 years in this biz, this is yet another thing I've never done! It's a first for me and a first for Cirque Dreams. I can't wait to be around creative and athletic people who are at the top of their game! Neil Goldberg, the creator, and I had an awesome conversation when it was being offered to me, and his passion also was a big part of why I wanted to be a part of this theatrical experience!"

Gibson holds the Guinness record for being the youngest person to write, produce and perform a #1 single ("Foolish Beat" when she was 16). What was life like as a teen pop star?

"It was a whirlwind! I did the best to stay grounded and sane but suffer with my share of anxiety issues, etc, cuz it is really unnatural for a teen to be employing a hundred people as I was on the road, and being written about in tabloids. Though it is so much worse now! But I kept my focus on the fact that my music was reaching people all over the world! That's why I signed on for all the madness and that is still why I love to perform today ... to connect with people through music. It's an extraordinary life!"

Gibson has played an astonishing range of characters in musicals, from Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" to Belle in "Beauty and the Beast."

"I am so fortunate to have played some of the most amazing roles ever written for females ... Gypsy Rose Lee was a fave, as was Fanny Brice, and Eponine in Les Miz, Sandy in Grease ... and, Belle and Cinderella, especially opposite Eartha Kitt's Fairy Godmother, were a thrill! But playing Sally in Cabaret with Neil Patrick Harris, working with Rob Marshall, that was probably my fave. I could have done that show for years!"

"Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," opens Tuesday and runs through Sept. 1, MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; 7 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 2 p.m. matinees Sun. and select Fridays in August; $35, $69; 1-866-646-0609, mgmatfoxwoods.com.