European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 17, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Richard Bailey As old Man Irwin provides one of the highlights of tops in Blue with his comedy routine. Blue a Little bit of everything by Daryle. Green staff writer tops in Blue the air Force s annual travelling Talent showcase kicked off its overseas tour Friday before a packed House at Ramst Einab West Germany. The troupe of Active duty entertainers. Selected from air Force Talent contests worldwide is scheduled to perform 76 times in 22 countries winding up the tour Jan. 13,1989, in Hawaii. The show attempts to bring Forth the Best Talent in the air Force. The audience comes to be entertained said Tom Edwards the show s director and also director of air Force entertainment. Let s take the spectators through wherever we want them put them wherever we want to put them and always have something that follows something that follows something the 1988 tops in Blue takes the spectators to a toy shop after business hours and puts them in the heart and mind of a child struggling to grow up despite the pressures of her Peers and the neglect of her parents. The show gets off to a slow Start with a darkened stage and flashlights dancing in the hands of the unseen cast. But it never slows Down after that. I was impressed with the singing impressed with the scenery the lighting costumes everything said spec. Eugene f. Kennedy co. A., 2nd general Hospital Lan Stuhl. Tops in Blue tries to be All things to All people. There s a formula Edwards said. I Don t know if it can be the formula Calls for an elaborate set energetic performers a Little top 40 music a Little rhythm and blues a Little country and a Little comedy. This year comedy steals the show. If there is a Star of the ensemble it has to be or. Irwin Johnson played by sgt. Richard v. Bailey a Security specialist from Kelly fab Texas. Bailey s delivery of some Sharp one liners often sent the audience in Ramstein into gut jiggling laughter. In one sequence Bailey did impressions of Alvin the Chipmunk Rodney Dangerfield and an old Pepp Ridge farm commercial that just stayed the spectators. The rest of the entertainment though often showing signs of great Talent paled in comparison to Bailey. The singing at times brought As Many chuckles As the jokes. The cast s performance of somebody s baby sounded like the new Christy minstrels trying to sing country. The vocalists got their biggest applause when they came out As the California raisins and did a Medley of tunes including i heard it through the Grapevine respect and / feel Good Complete with James Brown donning his Cape. There is Talent in the cast that with time and More is photos by Steve Morrison the California raisins do a rousing rendition of the classic i heard it through the Grapevine. Yvette Lewis Lef Cassandra Gray and Heidi Phipps give it their All. Performances will become More evident. Overall i think that this is one of the Best groups that i started out on the Road with Edwards said. I think they have a ways to go to learning what to do on the stage but raw Talent Wise we have some of the most potential we have Ever the potential is enough to keep the audience thoroughly satisfied. I think the show is great said Kerry Cortland of Ramstein. This is the third time i be seen one of these shows and they seem to just get better and keeping tops in Blue attractive is becoming More and More difficult. The show presents contemporary music songs that most to their exposure to music videos have a preconceived image of. When i was growing up you heard a song and you pictured it in your mind Edwards said. Now with videos they say this is what you re supposed to think about when you listen to this song. Now for us to go out live what happens they be got this mtg image of. What this is supposed to be. And they say of sing the song sucker. Let s hear you. Now what Are you going to do " what tops in Blue is going to do is try to keep giving the people what they want show after show year after year. I m not trying to give them something different every year Edwards said. They expect the choreography they expect the High Energy they expect the variety. They expect How it s going to be presented. They just Don t know Why they expect but audiences can expect differences in the Way the show is financed in the future. With Money in the defense budget becoming increasingly tight morale welfare and recreation programs Are being urged to become More self sustaining. The air Force mar based on guidance to become a business is looking possibly for some corporate sponsorship of tops in Blue Edwards said. It May be something like the coca cola United states air Force tops in Blue for now it s still the air Force entertaining its own. The Talent May not be ready to Challenge for a run on Broadway but the entertainers Are dedicated to what they do. We try to make a Point Bailey said. I think it came out loud and Clear that you should be proud to be an american at All times. Secondly you always try to leave a slight message with the audience whether it be the kids or the older people and the message in there is something i cannot convey to you because it s nothing you can put in words. It s a feeling. It s definitely a tops in Blue continues its tour of air Force bases in Europe through the end of october. Check the on stage pages in stripes Magazine for the tour dates. Michael Jackson . David Lawson struts his stuff. Maria Richardson belts a country Western tune. Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday August 17,1988 the stars and stripes Page 15
