European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse 1990 Safe Talent contest getting pumped up ready Singer and dancer Catherine Wenzel applies makeup before her performance on saturday. By Ron Mckinney staff writer in the hours before he took the stage during the . Air forces Europe Talent contest saturday night Daniel Mattei wielding a baseball Bat. Joked with fellow performers in the overcrowded backstage area. With wary eyes on the Bat the others Humoured him. Fleurs later Mattei would be knocking pm dead a the crowd that is a with an energetic interpretation of Abbott and costello s classic who s on first while spectators began lining up for tickets two hours before Showtime at Hahn a West Germany singers in the backstage area were obliviously producing a cacophony that sounded something like kindergarten students harmonizing How Row Row your boat. Dancers practice their Steps their movements inhibited by limited space. Mattei mingled with friends in the cramped area behind the stage at the base theater Quot getting pumped up getting ready to go Quot said the airman who is stationed at Pitburg a West Germany. At base level Competition Mattei 24, had performed As master of ceremonies and in the specially category As the animated baseball player trying to figure out who he a going to throw the Ball to at first base. His emcee experience turned out to be less than pleasant. Quot i got booed off the stage Quot he sheepishly admitted. Quot to be a really Good comedian you have to be spontaneous and play along with the crowd i let the crowd get to me but i Learned from that. Ill be better next in a Corner of a backstage room 45 minutes before Showtime Catherine Wenzel applied her makeup still not dressed to go on stage. She would be singing with the vocal group know tones in the first show and competing in the dance category in the second show. Quot everyone s All hyped and talking to each other she said. Quot that s what makes it All worthwhile. I Hope everyone does real Well. I m ready to go on right now Quot Wenzel s Only fear was of falling Down. Quot the stage is very Slippery Quot said the native of West Palm Beach Fla. Quot that s kind of scary for a dancer because you want to be solid on your feel and you Don t want to be worrying about a Slippery stage. That a the Only thing that s Ever bothered one person who seemed not to be bothered with pre performance jitters was master of ceremonies contestant Paul Aponte. Standing alone behind the curtains Aponte shuffled through a stack of Index cards full of vital information about the acts he would introduce Quot i Don t have a set routine Quot explained Aponte Quot but i have things to Jar my memory to make sure i Don t Start something too Aponte 27, won the base level master of ceremonies category at Comiso air station Sicily and scored enough Points at the Mediterranean regional held at hell Nikon a Greece. Quot i like flirting with the said Aponte who grew up in Tampa Fla. Quot i m not a comedian. That s not my on the other Side of the stage Labonnie Dalton Bent Over in front of a Mirror concentrating on her hair. She would be performing in the female Voca category in the first show and with the 4 Diamon As a vocal group in the second show. Quot aaa Gohh Quot she cried out displeased with her hair. Iik1w 14 a a a the stars and strip Sand the winners Are. Be Busy Kepi Dalton a mind off her Nee which she said would make her this Early. She would prefer to think about right before i go on stage Quot p.m., the lights dimmed and a spotlight Onte bouncing up the Center aisle urging owing crowd to Dap with him. On stage he Quot a few flashy dance Steps. The ads that he announced was Dalton in vocalist category. A Winner of her base at Raf Alconbury England and also at nals at Raf m Den Hall Dalton a 28-year-old Ovilla n.c., gave a powerful performance Days. Upon stage was the eager Wenzel who is k9 a West Ger Nany. She Sang the vocal group know tones. The intermission Wenzel was in Good she traded compliments with other s3oarirs0 a nug and 1 did 9ood the 20 urn 6 was 9ettin9 nervous beaming dance routine i Butl m0 and do the same al1 up now real1 excited. I m Sai Thorf Hals taking effect on Matte. S s0 her our hours before the it Alfele i 6h a confident he said Quot theme up he sttinrt6 ebullient Mattei was to stack stand a 8 in a Bench in a dark a a with i c06s 3um9eanother Sinser rom a slow Rosr 9�od As i should have Quot pm. Them a sat slide with Myers a few parts i thought i could have moved into a lot meanwhile Aponte was swamped with autograph requests and congratulatory hugs and Well wishes at the foot of the stage. Quot it was fun Quot he said. Quot i fell Good. I be got a sore Throat during the second show Wenzel returned to the stage to give her dance interpretation of Battle stations by wham after waiting in the theater for More than five hours Mattei donned his baseball uniform and laced his cleats. It was game time. Onstage he ranted and raved throwing his hands up in exasperation until the act built to a Crescendo due largely to has Antic behaviour As he tried to determine who a playing first base. The crowd roared with laughter As Mattei acted out his frustration feelings he understood intimately the night he was booed off the stage at the Pitburg Talent show. This night he left the stage with the tune of thunderous applause ringing in his ears. A it went Over real Well Quot an excited Mattei said backstage after what he Felt was his Best performance. Quot it Felt great. I finally Felt the character. It came out when i was up the crowd was on it and that s How i get the perception of How Well we did a i Don t care about what the judges think its the audience reaction that matters to but the judges thought he did just Fine too. Mattei won first place in the specially Competition. Winners of the various categories at the Safe Talent contest Are normally invited to the air Force worldwide Talent contest to be held this year May 10-20 at Minot fab . Top performers Are also selected for the Safe entertainment showcase which Tours european air bases april 7 to May 2. Following Are the winners of the 1990 Safe Talent contest. Best of show a David Moore with a musical Potpourri from phantom of the opera master of ceremonies 1st. Joe Lemma 2nd, Ricky Drinkwater instrumental group a 1st, acropolis Alex Hodge Steven Trayser Michael Williams Kevin Fortune Darren Hubacher and David Van Mersbergen 2nd, Armada Paul Aponte David Jackson David Swavely Ronald Jackson and Shawn Sandi female vocalist a 1st, Connie Livingston 2nd, Daphne Bethel dance a 1st, too hype Maurice Matthews and William Pinckney 2nd, Charlla Holman instrumental Solo a 1st, John Burton 2nd, David Jackson male vocal a 1st, David Moore 2nd, Eduardo Boswell classical a 1st, Charles Knebel 2nd, David Van Mersbergen musical Potpourri a 1st, David Moore 2nd, John Gorham and Jeanette Larivee drama a 1st, Valerie Reynolds 2nd, Crystal Turner vocal group a 1st, know tones Clyde Atkins Tim Arends. Ken Elliot Jack Mchail and Catherine Wenzel 2nd, 4 diamonds Labonnie Dalton. Janice Collins Jeffrey Rychter and Steven Trayser vocal duet a 1st, Perry Meyer and Michelle douse 2nd, Doug Maclain and Sharon co Glazier vocalist self accompanied a 1st. Clyde Atkins 2nd, Michelle douse specially a 1st, Dan Mattei and Tim Arends 2nd, Joe Lemma following Are the members chosen Lor the 1990 Safe entertainment showcase. Cast de Tracey. Jeffrey Schiller Paul Shelley Dawn Robinson Eduardo Boswell. David Moore Joe Lemma. Michael Williams Morris Robinson Daphne Bethel. Shawn Sandi Connie Livingston Perry Meyer Michelle douse Virna Wright Darren Hubacher John Burton Ken Elliott Angela Saenz and David Zimmerman. Technicians Derek Sinclair Yolanda Robinson Erik Lassi Collin Gilbert and John Barret. The 1990 Safe entertainment showcase will be staged in the following locations Pitburg a West Germany april 7 Hess Isch Oldendorf air station West Germany. April 9 Volkel a Netherlands. April 10 Oesterberg a. Netherlands april 11 Kleine Brogel a Belgium. April 12 Raf Greenham common England april 14 Raf Mildenhall England april 15 to Ciurlik a Turkey april 18 Izmir air station Turkey april 19 hell Nikon a Greece april 21 san Vito Del Normanna air station Italy april 23 Comiso air station Sicily april 25 Torrejon a Spain april 26 Zaragoza a Spain april 27 no Venich a Wesl Germany april 29 Hahn a West Germany april 30 by cruet a. West Germany May 1 and Ramstein a West Germany May 2. The stars and stripes a a a Page 15
