Your time is precious. Here are five stellar ways to consider spending it …

• The egotistical and extraordinary Kanye West brings his critically acclaimed Glow in the Dark Tour to the Susquehanna Center on Saturday night. There’s not a single seat left in the house, but you should be able to find something on Craigslist, and Sherry’s Tickets on 15th street has 18th row from the stage for about $150 each (215-561-5544). If you get there early, you’ll have to sit through Lupe and Rihanna, which you might not care to do.

• Also egotistical and extraordinary but in a less cool way, FBI-raided illusionist David Copperfield will inspire awe and female swooning at the Academy all weekend. I’ve seen him a couple of times and, although he’s likely to do the same tricks as before, I’m going again, which says something about either the quality of his work or my lack of a social calendar.

• Like books? The Free Library’s Second Annual Book Festival has lots of ’em, and their authors, too. Look for headliners Barbara Walters and Bernadette Peters (who apparently has a book out) in addition to Philly Mag contributors Ben Wallace (The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine) and Vicki “World’s Most Hated Mom” Glembocki (The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the REAL Truth About Becoming a Mom).

• As if the Italian Market isn’t overcrowded enough, it’s the 9th Street Italian Market Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Sounds like it’s a lot less Italian than it used to be, sort of like South Philly itself. I’ll be grabbing a meatball sandwich (or maybe some tamales if the tamale lady is around), hopefully some homemade wine (shhhh!) and catching a set by the thoroughly non-Italian Black Landlord, one of my favorite Philly bands (they perform 3 p.m. on Sunday).

• If you’re shorebound, you’ll find that Chris Rock at the Borgata is sold out, Jim Breuer (fellow SNL alum, also at the Borgata) is not, and then there’s ’80s pop star Deborah Gibson, whose show is actually supposed to be pretty entertaining if you’re into the whole pop-meets-Broadway conceit. If you are, $25 tickets are available, and be sure to check out my interview with Ms. Gibson.

Seemingly from out of nowhere, once-squeaky-clean ’80s pop star Deborah Gibson (she was Debbie back then) just turned up in Atlantic City for a three-week run of her “Pop Goes Broadway” show at Harrah’s. I caught up with her in between vocal exercises to find out why the hell we should care.

First thing first: You’re looking fabulous, and I’m sure my body-conscious readers would like to know how you stay in shape.
Well, they might hate me for it, but I don’t do much. I basically stopped obsessing about my body about a year ago and it all kind of fell into place.

How about your voice? How do you maintain it?
Other than an interview I did just before talking to you, and this interview, I’m not going to speak the rest of the day. I also practice my voice every day. It’s just like working out. You have to keep everything in shape. I stay away from acidic foods, because reflux is the enemy of a singer. And I try to get a lot of fresh air, which I can’t do right now because I’m in the recycled casino air. It’s kind of deadly for a singer.

Your show at Harrah’s pairs your ’80s pop repertoire with Broadway standards, and I know that you did some theater after you stopped recording. But did you have theater experience before that?
I was actually in Actors’ Equity at age 11 and performing at the Metropolitan Opera in the children’s chorus. I basically was in musicals constantly from 6 to 16. I was a theater baby. I got back to it at 21 with Les Mis on Broadway, which is where I left off, because that was the last audition I went on right before I started recording. So it wasn’t like “Here’s some pop singer and like on a whim she thinks she can try Broadway.”

Where’s [fellow ’80s mall popper] Tiffany these days?
She’s out and about performing and keeping it going in her own way.

Do you Google her to keep tabs on the competition?
No, I actually know her. I just call her up.

What about Samantha Fox?
No idea.

I’m surprised you don’t pop up on the reality circuit.
I did one, the skating show on Fox. I did that mainly because, wow, what an honor to be able to skate with Kurt Browning. I basically got to learn from a world champion, which was incredible. I get asked to do insane shows all the time and I turn them down all the time. I have a motto, which is “No smooching on television.” Not for me anyway.

[This is the point at which the interviewer stupidly did not ask a followup question regarding how this modesty squares with Gibson’s 2005 Playboy spread. Instead, he chose to go with an asinine, straight-outta-the-box interview question …]

Who is the most famous person you’ve met?
Ronald Reagan. And Princess Diana. She was one of my favorites. I performed at the Prince’s Trust Concert. I was performing first, doing “Electric Youth,” and I had to be in costume, which meant being in ripped jean shorts and a bandana. Everybody else got to be in their gowns to meet her. I said, “Oh my God, I am so sorry I’m in this outfit.” She said, “You look a heck of a lot more comfortable than I am, so good for you.”

What was Reagan wearing?
A tux.

You recently had some problems with a stalker. Is this a new thing for you or something you’ve dealt with throughout your career?
Everybody quietly deals with it all the time, and then every now and again somebody gets some press, because somebody decides to sell some court papers. On one hand, it’s something I take seriously. On the other hand, it’s not a big deal because it just gets handled by the appropriate people and I just go on with my life.

Deborah Gibson appears in “Pop Goes Broadway” through May 24th at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City. Tickets are $25.

From Julio to Jay-Z … The talent playing Atlantic City this weekend is truly an absurd mix that spans half a century, crossing many demographics. First you’ve got Julio Iglesias Friday and Saturday at Caesars. I’ve gotta be honest, I have no idea what Julio sings or what the draw is, but he’s said to have played more than 5,000 shows throughout his career, so there must be somebody out there who is his Biggest Fan. Then you’ve got Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. Unlike the dynamic duo’s recent Philly performance, lots of tickets remain. In a bizarre blast from the past, ex-clothes-shedding Debbie Gibson — oh, sorry, Deborah Gibson (remember her Playboy spread?) — begins a three-week run at Harrah’s on Sunday. And the incomparable-on-so-many-levels Dolly Parton plays her rescheduled (due to, er, back pain) Borgata gig Saturday night. Simultaneously in the Borgata, there’s Tracy Morgan. Even if he just puts 30 Rock re-runs on the projector, its bound to be funny.

And they’re off … Saturday is the 134th Kentucky Derby. Start the day off right at McGillin’s Olde Ale House with $3 mint juleps. If the kids are tagging along, precluding the consumption of copious amounts of bourbon, head to Franklin Square, where Philly’s own equestrian heroes Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex have been immortalized as carousel horses (for $60,000!!!). From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., every kid that rides will receive a first-place ribbon. Finally, everyone actually wins.

At last, a reason to hang out under I-95 … I love Zoe Strauss. Her photography is real Philadelphia: mean, gritty and honest. So there’s no better place for a Zoe Strauss exhibit than in South Philly, under I-95. Front and Mifflin from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Her work is so real, it’s realer than real. It’s unreal. Just, um, check it out.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you … A lot of people are confused. This Sunday is not Mother’s Day. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. Which gives you a whole extra week to completely forget. This year, skip the Godiva and opt for John & Kira’s locally made chocolates. You have to order by May 6th for delivery, and you don’t want to send them belated, right?

If you want to avoid the scalpers and Craigslist scams, consult this handy guide to the shows soon to go on sale …

First John Mellencamp performed for Obama, now he’s scheduled to do so for Hillary in Indiana, and then for you at the Mann Music Center on July 8th. Something tells me this is going to be one of those annoying concerts where you want to hear “Jack and Diane” but all he wants to do is wax politic. $65 to $95. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

The O’Jays, Stylistics, Bluenotes, Delfonics, MFSB and Soul Survivors remind us what The Sound of Philadelphia was all about at the Borgata on June 7th. $45 to $75. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

Journey brings their anthemic power ballads, not to mention Heart and Cheap Trick, to Hershey Park on August 28th. $85 to $125. On sale this Saturday, 10 a.m.

And finally, the Black Crowes and their peace-loving, jam- (and weed-) crazy fans take over the Fillmore at the TLA for not one, not two, but three nights, July 1st through 3rd. $46. On sale this Friday, 10 a.m.

$25 a laugh … Three hundred and twenty-five bucks to see Billy Crystal at the Borgata? Sheesh. I always knew I was in the wrong line of work, but this is ridiculous. Should your pockets not run quite so deep but you still need a few laughs, master impersonator Frank Caliendo — also at the Borgata — comes in at a much more reasonable $39.50. Both gentlemen perform Friday and Saturday night, as does Jimmy Shubert (King of Queens, Comedy Central Presents …), whose Helium shows will set you back a mere $30 for a reserved seat ($25 unreserved).

Both gay but in totally different ways … And now from the department of Back from the Dead, I give you the Moody Blues, who are unique in that they achieved success while completely eluding coolness, on any level. The Tower seems like the perfect place for a little “Nights in White Satin.” I do hope they recite the poem at the end — you know: “Breathe deep the gathering gloom …” But it’s my birthday, and the Moody Blues are far too serious for birthday galavanting. Perhaps the B-52s at the Electric Factory will do the trick. The Blues and the Bs both play tonight, so if you are part of the nonexistent demographic that would have a hard time choosing which of the two shows to attend, I guess you have something thinking to do.

A little local talent … Saxman Bootsie Barnes blows at Chris’ Jazz Cafe tonight. Folksy Linda Cohen, who was something at one time, sees if she still is with a Sunday gig at Tin Angel. And for those who like their music loud and jumpy, punk/funk Black Landlord takes the Khyber on Saturday.

My boss made me do it … All the old guys in my office talk about former Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez, who apparently was at one time the great savior of Philadelphia journalism. Steve Lopez this, Steve Lopez that. And it’s always “Steve Lopez,” full name. Never “Steve” or “Lopez,” which in this business is a level of respect afforded to few. It kind of feels like when my dad gets all teary-eyed over Tom Landry. Anyway, Steve Lopez recently wrote a book called The Soloist, about a homeless musical genius in Los Angeles, which Steve Lopez now calls home. And it sounds like Steve Lopez is doing all right for himself, since they’re now making a movie of the book starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Not too shabby. On Saturday, my boss — Larry Platt — will drool over interview Steve Lopez about all of this at the Free Library.

From drag queens to Orwell … Lots of new plays to consider. The short list: Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Latvian Society (reviewed by our new critic, MB Case); Animal Farm at Mum Puppettheatre (the Inquirer called it “just right”); and Bug by Tracy Letts, who just won the 2008 Pulitzer for drama, at Christ Church.

And for the little terrors … Seems like a perfect weekend to visit Longwood Gardens, where spring is out of hand. On Saturday, they debut three brand-new tree houses — Lookout Loft, Canopy Cathedral, and the Birdhouse — with lots of educational activities for your budding arborist, though I might steer them more in the direction of “tree surgeon,” given the price that this guy quoted me recently to save my dying tree. (I cut it down with a chainsaw.)

If you want to avoid the scalpers and Craigslist scams, consult this handy guide to the shows soon to go on sale …

Former James Brown saxman Maceo Parker (pictured) brings his suave stage show — one that the Godfather himself would approve of completely — to the House of Blues in A.C. on Thursday, June 12th. $28.50-$31. On sale Saturday, 10 a.m.

Alluring trumpeter Chris Botti, who has collaborated with everyone from Sinatra to Jill Scott to Paul Simon, will squeak and squeal at the HOB on Friday, October 17th. Yes, they’re already selling shows for THE FALL. $37-$64. On sale Saturday, 10 a.m.

Back-from-the-dead Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker will attempt to rock the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Sunday, July 20th. $20.25-$75.25. On sale Saturday, 10 a.m.

Personally, I’d much rather see a thought-provoking act like Radiohead in an intimate venue such as the Tower, but I guess if all I can get is an outdoor show at Susquehanna Bank Center (once known as the Tweeter), so be it. Tuesday, August 12th. $39.75-$59.75. On sale Saturday, 10 a.m.

And, um. Wait, this can’t be right. Menudo? Menudo? As in the boy band? I just don’t understand. Aren’t they all dead? Apparently, some form of it lives on. See for yourself (or don’t) at the Fillmore/TLA. Sunday, May 18th. $22.50. On sale Friday, noon.

Yesterday’s fire at the Gershman Y is apparently not stopping their monthly First Person Salon, which tonight features a premiere of Andrew David Watson’s 20-minute film Down the Hatch: The Life of John “Red” Stuart, about a local sword swallower (pictured). I’ve met the guy; he’s as weird as you’d want your neighborhood sword swallower to be.

Over at Johnny Brenda’s, Louisville’s VHS or BETA hauls in their dancey/punky/poppy sound — which has been leaning towards the more poppy and less dancey lately, much to many a critic’s dismay — with West Philly/Brooklyn ensemble Coyote.

And if you are willing to let fate take its course, the Philadelphia Film Festival has a “mystery film” at the Prince at 9:30 p.m. All we know is that it was a big deal at Sundance. Good luck with that.

WORLD MUSIC
Fresh off her first Grammy win, Beninese songstress Angelique Kidjo (pictured) brings her fusion of Afropop, R&B, jazz, and gospel to the Zellerbach Theatre in University City on Sunday ($25 to $40). Kidjo’s most recent album, Djin Djin, features cameos by artists as varied as her sound, most notably Peter Gabriel (where has he been, by the way?) and Alicia Keys (who hits the Liacouras Center on April 21st). And from India, Asha Bhosle, the real singer (known as a “playback singer”) behind all of those hot lip-syncing Bollywood actresses, brings the movie music of the Subcontinent to the Kimmel, also on Sunday ($49 to $100), with special guest Amit Kumar, her male equivalent. Bhosle claims to be the most recorded singer in the world, with more than 13,000 songs to her credit, and then there were those collaborations with Michael Stipe and, um, Boy George. Hmm.

FLICKS
Yes, it’s that time of year again. The 17th Philadelphia Film Festival opened last night, but things really kick into gear today. Here’s what you absolutely shouldn’t miss …

Tonight
The screening of In a Dream, the documentary on iconic Philly mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, is sold out (as are the rest of the screenings; maybe they’ll add more.) Your best bets for Friday are from two completely opposite sides of the taste spectrum. First, there’s Mongol, an epic Genghis Khan biopic by Russian director Sergei Bodrov. If that’s too serious for you, try Bad Biology, a crazy horror film from the director of Frankenhooker featuring a freakish female with seven clitorides (yes, that’s the plural of clitoris).

Saturday
Thomas McCarthy’s (The Station Agent) The Visitor is sold out. Try To My Great Chagrin: The Unbelievable Story of Brother Theodore instead. Brother Theodore survived the Nazis and became a performance artist in the States before there really was such a thing. The Beatniks loved him, as did Woody Allen, Eric Bogosian, and Dick Cavett, all of whom talk about the great and bizarre man in this documentary.

Sunday
I’m a huge noir fan, so I can’t miss the ultra-rare Bogart movie Deadline U.S.A., which is not available on VHS or DVD. I was planning on checking out First Person, the documentary about six Philadelphia public high school students and their struggles to make it to college, but the Sunday showing is sold out. Get your tickets for next Saturday.

LEGENDS
There is something decidedly wrong with a world in which a performance by Kinks founder Ray Davies at the Tower Theater is not completely sold out. The folks at Live Nation tell me that there are still a handful of tickets available ($39.50 to $65) for Saturday night’s show. Also legendary but probably best left in the bargain bin at this point, Smokey Robinson is at the Taj in A.C. tonight and tomorrow.

AND BRIEFLY
Been hearing great things about local talent Frank X in Lantern’s production of the Shakespearean tragedy Othello. I’ve had more than a couple of invitations to the various Cherry Blossom Festival events on Saturday and Sunday. Honestly, this weather does not make me thing of such fun springy activities, but we’ll see. Lastly, here’s an intriguing one for you. Seems that Eastern State Penitentiary — which offers so much more than just those Halloween tours — is about to renovate its synagogue, which ceased serving Jewish inmates in the 1970s. Saturday and Sunday, you can take a peek before they start.

If you want to avoid the scalpers and Craigslist scams, consult this handy guide to the shows soon to go on sale …

Fans of hip-hop and R&B, get your credit cards ready, because there is no shortage of killer shows for your enjoyment. The one I’m most excited about: Bootsy Collins (pictured) — the enigmatic and a little bit crazy man who pretty much invented the funk bass — is bringing his Tribute to the Godfather of Soul to the Electric Factory on May 1st ($40, on sale this Friday at 10 a.m.). In support of their fantastic and soon-to-be-released (there’s an advance copy floating around the office) new album, Rising Down, The Roots team up with Gnarls Barkley on June 7th at Penn’s Landing ($49.50, also this Friday at 10 a.m.). And significantly less riveting but still worth mentioning, the very respectable Erykah Badu graces the Tower (wish more acts would go there) on May 11th ($39.50 to $60, on sale Monday at 10 a.m.).

For a show that couldn’t be any more demographically different from the aforementioned acts, look no further than those British madmen known as Iron Maiden. Though I’m not a tremendous fan, I do admit to playing “The Number of the Beast” in the morning at the office if I am overly tired (read: hung over). It does wonders. Camden will never be the same after their appearance at the Susquehanna Bank Center (the old Tweeter, in case you haven’t been keeping track) on June 17th ($29.50 to $75, on sale Saturday at 11 a.m.).

And for those of you who find all of this appalling and have absolutely no musical taste, you’ll always have Belinda Carlisle. Yes, I said it: Belinda Carlisle. Now, the Go-Go’s are perfectly OK by me. They served a purpose at a certain time in a certain place. But some solo careers are best left unpursued, and Miss Heaven Is a Place on Earth should have let go a long time ago. (That said, she absolutely should continue posing nude in men’s magazines, like she did in 2001 at the age of 42.) If you vehemently disagree with my read on her musical talent, head to A.C. on May 17th when she takes a gamble at the House of Blues ($35 to $47, on sale Friday at 10 a.m.).

The University of the Arts’s Vocal Department skips right over the Handel and Bach chorale works in favor of Muppets, Fraggles, and Sesame Street: The Music of Jim Henson. Completely silly, yes, which is precisely why I like it. Plus, it’s free. 7 p.m. at the Arts Bank.