JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Tops in Blue, the Air Force's foremost entertainment group, is set to shine with its top stars at the Andrews Reel Time Base Theater Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
This year's theme, "To Dream," is one of the most anticipated shows of the year throughout the base community and is an opportunity to showcase some of the Air Force's top talent.
"I absolutely love every minute of this - it is one of the high points of my year," said Dawn Miller, 316th Force Support Squadron marketing publicity coordinator. "I honestly believe they provide an enormous boost to our morale - from the families of our deployed to our Active Duty military members and civilians to our retirees - basically everyone at Andrews - Tops in Blue impacts all who see them."
Ms. Miller said the performances seem to improve from year to year.
"The performers go through a rigorous competition process in order to be selected among the elite Tops in Blue performers. Once they are selected, they then put the show together and, after that, they are on tour for the rest of the year. They even set up and tear down the 50,000 or 60,000 pounds of equipment for each show. They do all of it themselves. Even when they are not performing or setting up - they are 'on stage.' They are truly our 'Ambassadors in Blue!'" she said.
One of the elite performers for Tops in Blue, and an ambassador representing the Air Force, is Master Sgt. Derrick D. Wright, 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron unit training manager. He first auditioned for Tops in Blue in 1988 when he was selected as a performer to tour in 1989.
"My Tops in Blue experience actually has never stopped," Sergeant Wright said. "It was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, times in my Air Force career. It made me realize that I can do anything with dedication and hard work. The friends that I have made from my tours are no longer friends - they are family now."
Today, Sergeant Wright serves as one of the contestant supervisors for the Air Force Talent Contest.
"I have been doing this for the past 15 years," Sergeant Wright said. "I am responsible for ensuring that the contestants are ready to perform. We train the contestants on stage presence, vocal delivery, choreography and any other area that will help them do their absolute best. We are available to the contestants 24 hours per day, 7 days per week during their entire time at the contest."
Team Andrews members interested in being among the elite Tops in Blue performers need only apply online for "Mission Audition," where all performers, including vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, comedians, magicians, dramatists, audio and lighting technicians and bus drivers are welcome to submit their application at www.topsinblue.com. Application deadline is Dec. 4.
"Mission Audition is the entire process that allows hopefuls to get selected for the Air Force Talent Contest and ultimately for a chance to tour with Tops in Blue," Sergeant Wright said. "One of the unique opportunities about Mission Audition at Team Andrews is that we have a group of prior Tops in Blue members who offer hands-on assistance to any individual who wants to try out. It has proven to be a valuable tool in past years as we have had a number of individuals - not only selected for the Air Force Talent Contest, but also selected to be members of Tops in Blue."
For more information regarding the Tops in Blue performance at Andrews, contact Ms. Miller at 301-981-5215, For more information regarding Mission Audition, contact Sergeant Wright at Derrick.wright@afncr.af.mil.