Tops in Blue performance dazzles JBLM audience

  • Published
  • By Lorin T. Smith
  • Northwest Guardian
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Technical Sergeant Katie Badowski's 10-year dream of singing her heart out in front of her unit, 446th Force Support Squadron, finally became a reality Saturday as the Air Force's premier expeditionary entertainment group Tops In Blue visited McChord Field's Hangar 9. Showing up on a blustery evening and cheering on Sergeant Badowski and 34 other Air Force cast members were more than 600 Air Force and Army families, community members and friends of the performers.

The Tops In Blue 2011 World Tour show's theme was "We Believe," a fitting title for Sergeant Badowski, who for a decade has tried out for Tops In Blue. After nine rejections, the word came last year that she had made the cast, and she was off on the journey of her life.

"This year has been crazy, and such a mixture of wonderful things going on, from meeting new people and experiencing culture, to being ambassadors for the United States," said Sergeant Badowski.

The Tops In Blue performers spent a year on the road performing 140 shows at every Air Force base around the globe, including bases and outposts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The team flies in the day of the show, sets up the stage, does quick sound and equipment checks, gets an hour of downtime and then -- it's showtime.

Concertgoers at McChord Field got 90 minutes of a high-energy ensemble singing, playing and dancing to music from the 1960s through today. The show began with pop staples and love ballads from the past, including a send-up of Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music," with one cast member playing lead singer Sly Stone and wearing his trademark sunglasses and sequins.

Senior Airman Adam Rideaux brought down the house with a four-song Michael Jackson medley featuring a metronome beat that built slowly to an accapella crescendo. Providing Rideaux choreographic backup were several Tops In Blue members dancing in costumes that were likely unfamiliar to older crowd members. In masks, suits and ties, the Airmen paid homage to MTV's America's Best Dance Crew's 2008 winners the JabbaWockeeZ, dancing many of Jackson's signature moves while Rideaux held down the beat and vocals.

The show culminated with a Lady Gaga montage, as several female Airmen dressed in costumes made famous by the Grammy-winning artist. From "Poker Face" to "Telephone" and "Paparazzi," the set brought many young audience members into the aisles to dance. Sergeant Badowksi appeared on stage in a translucent dress covered in plastic bubbles to finish the medley with "Bad Romance."

Though junior and senior members of the crowd didn't recognize every tune, most clearly appreciated the skill and energy of the performances.

"These are the real American idols," said Col. Kevin Kilb, 62nd Airlift Wing commander.

Living up to the Tops In Blue mission statement to perform for worldwide military audiences is not lost on Sergeant Badowski, whose favorite gig was not the Super Bowl, or performing in front of her unit, but spending Christmas Day in Afghanistan with other servicemembers during the holidays.

"Being there when no one else is going home and everyone being collectively in the same boat was a pretty amazing experience," said Sergeant Badowski.

Within minutes after closing with Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A" and the Air Force Song, the Tops In Blue changed out of their decadent outfits and began tearing down the set.

"The team does it all," said Sergeant Badowski.

Sergeant Badowski is a craftsman with the 446th Services Flight, and her unit showed up in force, cheering wildly whenever she was showcased solo. Her fan attendance was rivaled though, by Airman 1st Class Matthew Flores, the hometown hero from Spanaway. After the show, he thanked his family and friends for coming out to see him perform and especially, for helping him tear down the set to get it ready for Sunday's performance at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane.

"Each and every one of you has touched my life the whole time I lived in Spanaway," said Airman Flores to about 20 from his hometown.

The Tops In Blue ensemble sets up and tears down more than 60,000 pounds of staging, lighting, audio, video and special effects equipment required for each performance. The cast jumped on the stage and ripped up tape and guided down the giant stage lights from 20 feet in the air while volunteers from the USO and other servicemembers helped fold and pack up chairs.

"Everyone's very excited about seeing them again next year," said Tricia LaRock-Barett, McChord Field's special events coordinator.