Tops in Blue visits Gulf Coast

Published Jan. 28, 2013
By 1st Lt. Victoria Porto
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Hundreds of Keesler Airmen, families and community members watched and listened as the sequin-studded members of Tops in Blue performed their diverse show Jan. 27 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

For one vocalist, Senior Airman Emmanuel Maldonado Rosario, the performance was a homecoming of sorts as the crowd was filled with Airmen from his home station and unit, the 81st Dental Squadron.

"I was so excited to perform for my Keesler family; they've been so supportive of me on the road," he said.

Maldonado Rosario has been with Tops in Blue since March 2012, performing on their 2012 World Tour, entitled "Listen."

Hours before the show started, the 31-member Tops in Blue team had on a different uniform: hard hats and working gloves.

"A lot of people don't expect to see that we set up everything ourselves," Maldonado Rosario said. Aside from being a vocalist, he is also the loadmaster for their truck, ensuring their equipment travels safely.

During their 10-month tour around the world, the performers and technical staff act as their own road crew, preparing their stage, lights and sound equipment. All together, the team is responsible for setting up and tearing down more than 64,000 pounds of equipment each time they perform.

Senior Airman Roger Payne, Tops in Blue audio engineer, is one of the technical experts working behind the scene at each show.

"We're the cogs behind the curtain," he said. "We put the final touch on the show."

Payne, who is a Keesler technical school graduate and electronic warfare journeyman, said Tops in Blue allowed him the opportunity to combine two of his favorite things: working in the military and doing theatrical work.

"It really pushed me as an Airman and as a person," he said.

The group entertained the audience with pop songs and ballads from artists like Maroon 5, The Zac Brown Band and Michael Jackson. They donned costume after costume and even showcased their dancing talents and miming skills.

"I was really inspired by the energy and the joy they bring to the community when they perform," said 2nd Lt. Jen Aggas, a clinical nurse with the 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron. "It's amazing to see how talented our Airmen are."

A Keesler personnel officer graduate and the group's officer in charge, Capt. Ashley Elmore, said team members strive to put on the best show possible to boost morale and to build community relations.

"We want to tell the Air Force story," she said, adding that the experience of being on the team has helped them all grow and become Air Force ambassadors across the world.

"You step up to a whole new level of Airmanship," she said. "You return a much stronger Airman than when you left."

According to its website, Tops in Blue began in 1953 and has since performed on film, on national television and at events like the Super Bowl and World's Fair. This year's tour takes the group to more than 20 countries with nearly 130 performances.

For more information on the team or audition requirements, visit www.topsinblue.com.