Broadway in Norfolkand SevenVenues areproud to presentthe NorthAmerican Tour of Mean Girls—the record-breaking new musicalcomedy adaptedfromthe hit Paramount Pictures film of thesame name, isplayingnowthroughSundayOctober27th atChryslerHall. Mean Girls features abookbynine-time Emmy Award® winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplayfor thefilm;music by threetimeEmmyAward®winnerJeffRichmond; lyrics by two-time Tony Award® nominee Nell Benjamin; and original direction and choreographybytwo-time Tony Award® winnerCaseyNicholaw NewYork Magazine calls Mean Girls “HILARIOUS! Asmart, splashynew musicalthat delivers with immenseenergy, a wickedsenseofhumorandjoyfulinside-jokery.”ChicagoTribunesaid“TinaFeywrites
FUNNIER, SMARTER, SHARPER satire than anyone else in thebusiness.”People Magazine callsthe show “FRESH,FUN ANDINFECTIOUS—Jeff Richmondand Nell Benjamin’ssongskeep the laughs coming!” Ticketsare available at the Scope Arena boxoffice andatTicketmaster.com. Group ordersoftenormoremaybeplacedbycalling877-690-2929.For more information, dates,timesand specialdeals visit https:// www.sevenvenues.com/events/detail/ mean-girls
Yiorgo:Withustodayisactor,performer Alexys Morera whoplays Janis in Mean Girls.Sotell us Alexys,why should people cometothisshow?Whatwilltheysee,hear andexperience?
AlexysMorena:It’saveryfamiliarstory fromthemovieanditstaystruetotheMean Girls we all knowand love with incredible music and choreography. It’s ajourney of
WILLIAMSBURG, Va.— This Veterans DayWeekend, The Colonial WilliamsburgFoundationcontinuesitstraditionofmilitaryoutreachbyoffering freeadmissiontoallactive-dutymilitary,reservists,veterans,retirees,National Guardmembers and theirimmediatedependents Nov. 8-11. Special Veterans DayprogrammingwillbeofferedonMonday,Nov.11.
self-discovery and mostimportantly,the showandthecastiselectric.Theshowitself isaboutforgivenessandfindingwhoyouare andbeingunapologeticallyyourself.Ithink my biggestoverarching message for the show is that everyone hasflawsand everyonemakesmistakes,butit’snevertoolateto rightwrongsandbewhoyouare.
Y:Withoutgivingtoomuchaway,whatis thestoryabout?
AM: The storyrevolves aroundCady Heron,ateenagegirlwhomovesfromKenya toIllinoisandshe’sjusttryingtonavigateher wayfrombeing homeschooled in Africa to attendinghighschoolinAmerica.Shebasically goes from observingwildlife in Africa to navigating the food chain that is now highschool.Atthehighschool,Cadymeets twovery differentfriendgroups, which we callThe Archeries andthe popular people, which we call The Plastics.The story is about Cady kindoffinding herjourney on
whatisrightandwrongforheranddealing withthe struggles of high school and peer pressureand justfinding her wayofwho sheis
Y: Can youtell us about your character JanisSarkisian?
AM: Janis is moreofanoutside chick
She’soneofthefirstpeoplethatCadymeets andisoneofthefirstpeopletokindofinvite her in and showher theropes.But she is an outcastwhencompared to The Plastics She’s an art freak and just very likea rocker kind of agirl. What Ilove mostabout Janis isherauthenticity.Likeshejustknowswho sheisandwhatshelikesandshe’snotafraid toshowup.Andyouseethatthroughoutthe showaswell.
Y: So this next question is about you personally.When youwereinhigh school justafewyearsago,ifyouhadmetsomeone
The Flagship welcomes submissions from ourreaders online. Pleasesubmiteventshere: www.militarynews.com/users/admin/calendar/event/ Pleasesubmitnewsandphotoshere: www.militarynews.com/norfolk-navy-flagship/submit_news/
Scare away clutter at Norfolk’s Special Waste Collection Event: Dispose hazardous waste,
PressRelease
e-waste
NORFOLK Va Fallisagreattimeofyear
tocleanoutclosetsanddeclutterthosedusty garages and sheds While you may uncover some surprising treats, it can be tricky to properly dispose of items such as hazardous householdwaste,electronicsandplastics
There’s no need to be scared just put thoseitemsinthecarandbringthemtoKeep NorfolkBeautiful’sSpecialWasteCollection Event on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to noonatAzaleaBaptistChurch(3314E.Little CreekRd.).
This drive-through and drop-off event
and more on Oct. 26
offers Norfolk residents the opportunity to properlydisposeplastics electronics/e-waste andhouseholdhazardouswaste(HHW)such as paint, batteries pesticides cooking and automotiveoils,propanetanksandmore,free ofcharge Proofofresidencymayberequired.
But wait, there’s more! Residents can also bringpersonaldocumentsforsecure,on-site shredding Plus,FriendsofNorfolk’sEnvironment will be giving away trees to residents withproofofaddresswhilesupplieslast.
Special thanks to Azalea Baptist Church for hosting this event and partners from SPSA Norfolk, Goodwill Hampton Roads, Shred-It,CityofNorfolkWasteManagement
for providing services and volunteers from KeepNorfolkBeautifulandCamelliaShores CivicLeagueforhelpingonsite
KeepNorfolkBeautiful’s SpecialWasteCollectionEvent Saturday,Oct 26 9a.m.tonoon AzaleaBaptistChurch 3314E.LittleCreekRd FREE for Norfolk Residents - Proof of Residency Required Formoreinformation, visitwww.norfolk.gov/knb
Colonial Williamsburg from Page 1
beginning at the Capitol Circle and concluding with a commemoration ceremony behind the Courthouse on Market Square. The day will conclude with “Salute to the Heros,” a bagpipe performance from the roof deck of the Governor’sPalaceat4:40p.m. During their visit, retired andactivemilitarypersonnel andtheirfamiliesareinvited to visit the Liberty Lounge, located in the Historic Area directlybehindtheMillinery on East Duke of Gloucester Street, for complimentary refreshments and the company of fellow service menandwomen.TheLiberty Lounge has welcomed more than 220,000 service members and their families sinceopeningin2016. Free “Honoring Service to America single-day passes are available at all onsite ticket locations with proper ID Minor dependents must be accompanied by an adult, and dependents ages 10 and over must present a valid
dependentID Servicemembersneednotbe present for qualifying guests to receive free “HonoringServicetoAmerica”tickets,which areprovidedtodependentfamilymembersof currently deployed troops with appropriate identification.Veteranswhoseparatedbefore retirementcanbringacopyoftheirhonorable discharge paperwork, form DD 214, as identification of service Colonial Williamsburg is also proud to offer military discounts on Colonial Williamsburg hotels, dining, retail,
golfandspaservices Additionalinformation onColonialWilliamsburg’smilitaryoutreach isavailableatcolonialwilliamsburg.org/military For more information about the Honoring Service to America program and tickets visit colonialwilliamsburg.org/veterans, call 855-296-6627, or follow Colonial Williamsburg on Facebook and @colonialwmsburg onX(formerlyknownasTwitter)andInstagram.
VirginiaArtsFestivalwillpresenttheU.S. premiereofBirminghamRoyalBallet’sBlack Sabbath-TheBalletinMay2025,celebrating the iconic, Birmingham-born heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The ballet features eightofBlackSabbath’sbiggesthitsinthrilling arrangements which will be performed live by Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The ballet will have its U.S. premiere in Norfolk before traveling to the Kennedy Center in Washington,D.C.
Fusing the wild energy of a rock concert with the strength and grace of ballet, the new work debuted in Birmingham in 2023 to rave reviews Pointe Magazine praised the company for “transforming how ballet looks and sounds, finding harmony in classicalaestheticsandraw,heavy-metalathleticism.” Rock chronicle Kerrang! called the new work a “feast for the eye… a compelling immersiveexperience.”AndTimeOut calledit“simplyalotoffun.
Famed for lead singer Ozzy Osbourne’s stage antics, Black Sabbath played its first show in 1968 at The Crown, a pub located justafive-minutewalkawayfromBirminghamRoyalBallet’sheadquarters Theballet company’s artistic director Carlos Acosta noted “Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’sbiggestexport,themostfamous(and infamous) cultural entity to ever emerge fromthecity-soIwasnaturallydrawntothe idea of a collaboration between what most people might think are the most unlikely of partners.”
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath’s co-founder and lead guitarist, and a Birmingham resident, was all for the idea. “Black Sabbath havealwaysbeeninnovatorsandneverbeen predictable and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this,” he said. “I’d never imaginedpairingBlackSabbathwithballet, butit’sgotaniceringtoit!”TheeightBlack Sabbath songs featured in the ballet are: “Paranoid”, “Ironman”, “War Pigs”, “Black Sabbath”, “Solitude”, “Orchid”, “Laguna Sunrise”,and“SabbathBloodySabbath.”
The creative team behind the new work includessomeofthemostinfluentialartists today, including Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidburg. Tony-Award winning composerChristopherAustinconjuredthe score, which brings the raucous energy of heavy metal to the orchestra. A live guitaristperformsonstagewiththedancers The lightingdesign,whichsummonsthespectacleofanarenarockconcert,isbyKJ
“IamthrilledtobebringingBlackSabbath - the Ballet to Norfolk for its US premiere. As a global phenomenon Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s greatest cultural export and we look forward to welcoming music and ballet fans alike to see the show. The audience, and critical, response in the UK was overwhelmingly positive so we have high hopes that the US will embrace
thisculturalcollisioninthesameway.Ican’t wait to see the reaction, say Carlos Acosta, artisticdirector The engagement marks the fifth time Virginia Arts Festival has presented Birmingham Royal Ballet; the first was a headline-making2007appearancecelebratingthe400thanniversaryofthefoundingof JamestowninVirginiawhichincludedavisit byHRHPrinceCharles “BirminghamRoyal Balletisoneofthegreatballetcompaniesin theworld, notedVirginiaArtsFestivalPerry
Artistic Director Robert W. Cross. “We are honored to present their first
U.S. performancesofthiselectrifyingnewballet. Co-presented by Virginia Arts Festival, SevenVenuesandtheCityofNorfolk. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Virginia Arts Festival residency is made possible by a generousgiftfromJoanBrock.
Tickets for Birmingham Royal Ballet Black Sabbath - The Ballet are on sale now, available online at vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822,orattheFestivalTicketOffice, 440 Bank St., Norfolk (Monday - Friday, 10 am-5pm).
Virginia
Wrestling returns
to Alexandria, Va. November 9th
InterviewByYiorgo
By popular demand, Virginia Championship Wrestling is bringing back its excitingwrestlingactiontotheLeonard“Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center 25 W. Reed Avenue Alexandria, VA on Saturday night November9thwith“TheWantedMan”Nic Nemethandthefirst-everDirtyMoneyCup (DMC)! The Meet and Greet with Nic Nemeth begins at 5:00 PM and bell time is 7:30 PM. Some of the amazing matches on the card alreadyannouncedare:“TheWantedMan” Nic Nemeth vs Rex Lawless, The Dirty Money Cup (DMC) featuring: “Greek God” Papadon, “Mr. Xcellence Brandon Scott, TheReason,BreauxKeller,ChrisSlade,Alex Divine,CommanderKingandJosephKeys! EricaLeighvs HyenaHeraPlusmoretobe announcedsoon!
Front Row has been SOLD OUT for a while with General Admission still available Go to https://vcwprowrestling.com/ to purchase your tickets and to purchase your Meet and Greet with Nic Nemeth at checkout. Afewyearsagowewerefortunatetotalk to Nic Nemeth, who wrestled for WWE as Dolph Ziggler As of this writing, Nic is the TNA Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Here are highlights of my past interview withNic.
Nic Nemeth: No joke, when I was five yearsold,ayoungformyagefirstgrader,my dadtookmetoaWWFshowatthetime We sat in the nosebleeds seats far away There were no big screens back then, just a ring farawaythatlookedsosmall,andIremembersaying Iwanttodothis MydadsaidOK andhegotmeasinglet,shoes andIhadmy gear I remember he took me to a wrestling tournament that year and at five years old I remembersayingtohim,Dadthereisnoring andnoropes Thatgenuinelyhappened,and he said, “It’s different but you start here” And I busted my butt from that point on to getbetter
Y:Whodidyouidolize asakid?
NN: My uncle got me very early into Ric FlairwhenIwaslikesevenoreightyearsold andIamnotsupposedtoknowhowcooland goodRicFlairisortheFourHorsemenandI havebeenfollowinghimmywholelife Like Ric,Iwantedtobethatguythatcouldgoan hour with anybody at some random city, at any point, at any time Strut into the place, strut out with a suit and sunglasses and go to the next town. So I always wanted not just to be the best or ‘The Man’ but the guy whodeliveredeverynightandjumpedona plane or helicopter and went onto the next state AndYiorgo,you’vetoldmebeforehow much you love and respect Ric Flair That’s therightguytolookuptoandemulatedown the line, not just looking and being the part, butactuallydeliveringthatpartfor35years inarowandintotoday.
Y: They say it’s better not to meet your idols Howdidyourfriendshipdevelopwith RicandcanyoushareacoolRicFlairstory?
NN: Ric did not have to be but he was really nice to me when we met Very early on in my career I was in the Spirit Squad 16 years ago, and we were in there wrestling Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Sargent Slaughter, Roddy Piper and not only is that just learningforyou,theydidnothavetobeaskindas theywerebeforeandafter tellinguswhatwe didwrong,helpingusout.Aswediscussed,I wantedtobetheRicFlairofourgeneration soIwouldaskforhishelp,whatIshoulddo andhowtodoit.Webothalsohavethislove for amateur wrestling so that and the work in the ring, started at some point to stand outtohimandhesaidOKthiskidisnotjust saying these things he is backing them up Wegotcloserandcloser Anytimehewasat RAWhewouldpushformetodobiggerand betterthings Onetimewedidasegmenton theshowwherehewasgivingmeapeptalk togofightMiz,andIrememberthinkingto myself,wellIdidthat,Ihadasegmentwith Ric Flair, that’s pretty great, I got the nod from Ric. And it just got better and better from there. It was pretty cool. A couple of nightsafterwardswewouldhangout.Those arestoriesthatIprobablycan’ttellbutthose aremyfavoritestories,justhangingoutwith Ricaftertheshows Y:YouwereatRic’s70thbirthdaypartya fewyearsagoandwhatIthinkissoincredibleiswhenRicmarriedWendy,youwalked Wendy down the aisle That is such a great honor.Howdidthathappen?
NN: The party was amazing As far as the wedding goes after all these years of bonding atraditionwewouldhaveiswhen Ric would go into the WWE Hall of Fame or presenting at the Hall of Fame, Wendy neededsomeonetoescortherdowntheRed Carpet and into her seat. So since we were all hanging out I said, I’ll do it It happened twoyearsinarowsoitlikebecameourthing AndWendywouldsay,“SeeyouatWrestleMania”.Wewouldhangout,Iwouldeither get dinner or drinks for those guys So first of all, Wendy thought it would be a good surprise for Ric so we did not say anything. I assumed Wendy told Ric and I remember we are walking down the aisle and Ric is saying, “What the h*** are you doing?” It was so great because I became so close with these two. They are family Whenever we get a chance to hang out we do We love wrestling having a good time everything justworksout.
Y: Let’s reminisce a little bit. At 24 years ofageyouaresignedbyWWE.Canyoutalk aboutthatexperienceandyourtimeatthen WWE’s developmental territories of Ohio
NN: I had gotten a tryout and they told me that I was too small. So I started mixing powdered milk with 2% milk and drinking iteverytwohours Itwasnotgoingtomake me taller but I was trying to pack five or six poundsandIwaswalkingaroundwithagut full of milk. So that didn’t work. Six to eight months later I got another tryout and I had read Mick Foley’s book so I was jumping overthehoodofmyparentscarandlanding on my back on the lawn, jumping up as fast asIcouldsoIcouldjumpupfasterthanthe other guys trying out, hoping that I would standoutatthetryoutcamp Firstofall,Ihad like12golfsizeballsonmybackfromdoing this,butitworked.Whenwedidtheknockdowns I was jumping up and standing up fasterfromtheother6guysthatwerethere. OVWwasgreat.Dr TomPrichardandRip Rogers helped me a lot and I learned a lot fromthemintheringbutalsoaboutoutside thering,behindthescenes,backstage,what
youaresupposedtodoandhowtorepresent yourselfandmakethematchesgreat.Wehad practice three days a week, but I practiced six days a week so I can stand out. At FCW IhadDr TomagainandSteveKerntoteach metheinsandoutsofamatchandwhatyou can do between the moves that makes you to start and stand out. Also big time, they really helped me behind the scenes on how torepresentyourself whattodoinreallifeto makeyourselfstandout.Thatissuchahuge hugepartofthebusiness
Y: Can you share some wow, pinch me typemomentsforyouinwrestling
NN: I have a couple of those Even the little battles backstage that I’ve overcome, where I’ve been told you will never have a tee shirt or when I was told I would never be World’s Champion And I was like, I can dealwiththat tryingtochangetheirminds for the next few years and I became World Champion. I mean there was a very clear moment where I cashed in my Money In The Bank contract, I had the crowd behind
me it was a crazy moment. For me becoming world champion was an unreal thing becauseIwastoldtomyfacethiswillnever happen and I made it happen. It was above andbeyondverycoolforme
Y: Was that told to you by Vince McMahon?
NN: Sometimes it was second hand by other people but not in a condescending way.“HeymanVincedoesn’tseeitinyou”.A fewtimesitwasprettyclosetothetop “Hey man,wejustdon’tseeit.Itjustdoesn’twork foryou”.EverydayitwaslikeIcantakeitbut ifIcangetjust30secondsletmetrytoprove themwrong Soforthenextcoupleofyears somethingwouldhappen,somebodywould gethurt,theywouldputmeinthatspot,and Iwouldgooutandiftheycouldputmeinto thatspotalittlemore,afterthatifIcouldjust winafewtimesandafterthatmaybeIcould just retain So it was baby steps, little goals all the way through. Somehow the timing workedoutandsometimesithappens I’ve been around WWE for a long time, so I learned to never believe anything until you see it or do it. So even after being told I wasgoingtocashinandbecomechampion, I didn’t believe it until it happened. I never had so many texts in my life afterwards It was so real because as a group, the fans and myselfmadeithappeninspiteofbeingtold it would never happen. Sadly, immediately afterIwastold,Iwasmoreofaplaceholder for2months Isaid,WellIguessthatmeans Ihavetwomonthstochangeyourmind.
NN: Getting my first action figure and having a young fan come up and ask me to sign it Being told I would never be world champion and becoming champion. The match I had against Del Rio when I lost the title on my first defense where we changed roles throughout the match and told an amazing story And getting a pink tee shirt atatimewheneveryoneelsehadblackones andIwastolditwouldneversell.Itwasmy highest selling shirt ever Always stand out andsticktoyourguns
Y: As a vet in this great business, what advicedoyougivetheyoungtalent?
NN: I say the same thing to everybody whethertheyaremyyoungerbrothers,fans orthoseinthewrestlingbusinessorstarting school:Tobethefirstoneinandthelastone out even if it does not work out. No matter what happens you gave it everything you hadinanykindofworkthatyoudoinlife Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.
Food
Whip up a classic fall treat
HalloweentreatstakecenterstageinOctober Whatcan bebetterthistimeofyearthanafreshautumnapplecoated in a sweet candy shell? This quintessential fall treat can makeHalloweencelebrationsevenmorespecial. ThisrecipeforOld-FashionedCaramelApples courtesy of 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes (Robert Rose) by Jane Sharrock benefits from the fall harvest while also payinghomagetoaclassicHalloweentreat. Old-FashionedCaramelApples
1. Wash and dry the apples Remove the stems. Insert a popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple, using a twist-likemotionsothattheapplewillnotsplit 2.Coveralargecountertopareaoralargebakingsheet withwaxedpaper
3. In a large heavy kettle over medium-low heat, bring thegranulatedandbrownsugars,cornsyrup,butter,halfand-halfandsalttoaboil,stirringuntilthesugarsdissolve and the mixture begins to boil. Cook, gently stirring to prevent scorching, to the firm ball stage (246 F). Stir in thevanilla.
4. Remove from the heat Cool until the mixture thickens slightly Hold each apple by the wooden skewer and quicklytwirlintothecaramel,tiltingthepantocoverthe apple with caramel. Remove the apple from the caramel, allow the excess caramel to drip into the pan and then twirltheappleagaintospreadthecaramelsmoothlyover the apple. Use a spoon to coat any part of the apple not coveredwithcaramel.Ifdesired,rollthecoatedapplesin the toppings before the caramel sets Place on the waxed paperuntilthecoatingisfirm.Storeinacoolplace.
A magical dessert for festive Halloween gatherings
Sweet treats are on display come Halloween. People hostingHalloweenpartiesorbringingitemsovertoothers homes for the holiday may need to scare up some new ideasfordessert. Chocolate never goes out of style and is right at home on Halloween. This recipe for Black Magic Cake, courtesy of The Food Network, is decadently rich Don’t let all that chocolate frighten you. Drizzle as much melted marshmallowasnecessarytobrightenuptheflavor.Turn intoamummyfaceortransformthetopofthecakeintoa spiderwebinstead.
For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and crease the parchmentandthesidesofthepanswithoil.
Stir together the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl and let sit to bloom for 5 minutes (this step intensifiesthechocolateflavorinthecake).Whisktogether the granulated sugar flour baking powder and salt in a largebowl.
Whisk together the bloomed cocoa, oil, milk, eggs, and
vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the cocoa mixture into thesugarmixtureandstiruntilsmooth(thebatterwillbe thin).Dividethebatterevenlybetweenthepreparedcake pans Bake until the cakes bounce back when pressed in the middle and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes Let cool completely in the pansonarack.
Forthefillingandfrosting: Heatthecreaminadouble boileroverlowheat,whiskingoccasionally,untilitbegins tosteam.Whiskinthecocoapowder,chocolate,espresso powder vanilla,andsaltuntilthemixtureissmooth,about 2minutes Whiskinthebutteruntilmelted.Whiskinthe confectioners sugar until incorporated Let the frosting coolcompletely
To assemble: Put one cake, bottom-side up, on a servingplateorcakestand.Spreadabout1cupofthefrosting over the top but not all the way down the side Top with theothercake,bottom-sideup,andfrostthetopandsides withtheremainingfrosting
For the spider web or mummy decoration: Microwave the marshmallows in a microwave-safe medium bowl until they swell and are soft enough to stir, about 1 minute Letsitafewminutesuntilcoolenoughtotouch. Spray your hands with cooking spray For a spider web, pickupatablespoon-sizedblobofthemeltedmarshmallow and stretch it over and around the cake; repeat so that the strings of marshmallow crisscross one another in many directions Continue until you have what looks like a spiderweb. For a mummy, stretch the marshmallow so that all the strings on the top of the cake run in the same direction, leaving a small gap between strings forthemummy’seyestopeakout.Garnishwithacandy spiderorseveralcandyspidersforthewebcakeorcandy eyes for the mummy cake
Cook’s note: Thecandydirectionsareanicetouch,but the cake will be fun and delicious without them as well. Whenmeasuringflour spoonitintoadrymeasuringcup andlevelofftheexcess Semi-homemade tip: Purchasea premade chocolate cake and use the decoration to make themummyorspiderwebonly.
ByTRICARECommunications
FALLS CHURCH, Va It’s almost time for TRICARE Open Season, which begins Nov. 11. That means it’s also time to check yourinformationintheDefenseEnrollment EligibilityReportingSystemandmakesure it’s current. You should do this as soon as possible Therewillbelimitationsforbeneficiaries fromOct.25toDec.31.Thefirstimpactwill be Oct. 25—27, when there will be a global enrollment freeze on any TRICARE health plan enrollment changes. This means you won’tbeabletoupdateyourinformationor make any changes to your plan. This freeze includesoverseasanddentalenrollments.
“This is a scheduled outage,” explained JimFrank,HealthPlanOperationsSupport Branch DEERS Integration Manager, TRICARE Health Plan, at the Defense Health Agency “The DHA and its partners will use this time to transfer beneficiary enrollment information to the regional contractors.”
Followingthat,betweenOct 28andDec 31, if you live in the U.S. and need to make health plan changes, you’ll need to call your regional contractor You won’t be able to make any health plan updates online in milConnect via Beneficiary Web Enrollment. This limitation to the BWE self-serviceportalwillallowtheDHAandregional contractors to transfer beneficiary enrollment information in DEERS This will happen ahead of the start of health care delivery under TRICARE’s new regional contracts,whichbeginJan.1,2025
Do you live overseas? You can keep using milConnect as normal between Oct. 28 and Dec. 31, unless you’re transferring from the U.S.toanoverseaslocation.Totransferfrom theU.S. you’llneedtocontactInternational SOS
But if you live in the U.S. you’ll need to callyourregionalcontractorifyouwantto:
You’ll still be able to update your address and contact information in milConnect, but you may get a message that you need to call your regional contractor This will also be the case if you go to a local Uniformed Services ID card office or if you call DMDC toupdateyourinformation.
Not sure who you should call to update your information or change your plan? It maydependonwhenyoumakethechange. Here’saquickguide
Oct 25 - 27
Youcan’tmakeanyenrollmentchanges
For enrollment changes effective Oct 28 - Dec. 31
Ifyoulive: In the current East Region: Call HumanaMilitaryat800-444-5445
Overseas: Update your information in DEERS You can also contact International SOS For enrollment changes effective Jan. 1, 2025, and beyond (including TRICARE Open Season)
Ifyoulive: In the new East Region: Call Humana Militaryat800-444-5445
In the new West Region (including Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin): Call TriWest HealthcareAllianceat888-TRIWEST(888874-9378). TriWest’s call center will open Nov.11
Overseas: Update your information in DEERS You can also contact International SOS
Actions you can still take online
If you’re not currently enrolled in a TRICAREhealthplanandwanttoenrollin onebetweenOct.28andDec.31,youcanstill dothisonline GotomilConnect,navigateto the “I want to” section, and select “Manage HealthBenefits.”
Preparing for TRICARE Open Season
Thisyear,TRICAREOpenSeasonbegins Nov. 11 and ends Dec. 10 Over the next few
weeks, keep an eye out for articles about providernetworks,2025costs,andmore. Inthemeantime,youshould:
Check DEERS before Oct. 25 to confirm that your information is current. This will help make sure you don’t miss important communications
Read past articles on the new TRICARE contractsfromtheTRICARENewsroom. Check out www.tricare.mil/changes Thispagewillbeupdatedoverthenextfew months with answers to commonly asked questions
Stay in the know by signing up for email alertsfromTRICARE.
Would you like the latest TRICARE news sent to you by email? Visit TRICARE Subscriptions and create your personalized profiletogetbenefitupdates,news,andmore.
Explaining the different types of breast cancer
CourtesyStory
The term “breast cancer” does not describe a single type of cancer, but rather several forms of a disease that can develop inareasofthebreast.TheAmericanCancer Society says breast cancer type is determinedbythespecificcellsinthebreastthat become cancerous There are many different types of breast cancer, and the medical community’s understanding of the disease isbasedondecadesofresearchandmillions of patients treated. In 2001, Dr Charles Perou first classified breast cancer into subtypes based on genomic patterns The Breast Cancer Research Foundation says breast cancer is broadly divided into two types: non-invasive breast cancers and invasive breast cancers Non-invasive breast cancers are calledStage0breastcancersorcarcinomas insitu.Thesearethoughttobetheprecursorstobreastcancer saystheBCRF While non-invasivebreastcancersarenotinitially life-threatening, if left untreated, they can developintoinvasivebreastcancers,which can be fatal. Here is a look at some of the different types of breast cancer
Invasive ductal carcinoma: This is the most common type of breast cancer advisestheNationalBreastCancer Foundation, Inc.¨. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounts for 70 to 80 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses in women and men. This cancer forms in the milk ducts and spreads beyond
Invasivelobularcarcinoma:This
is the second most common type of breast cancer, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of diagnoses, says the BCRF Invasive lobular carcinoma originates in the milk-producing glands of the breast known as lobules.
Tumors that form due to invasive lobular carcinoma more commonly grow in lines in the breast rather than in lumps, so they present differently on a mammogram.
Inflammatory breast cancer: Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer The inflammatory name comes from the appearanceoftheskinofthebreast.Itlooks
redandinflamed,whichiscausedbybreast cancercellsblockinglymphchannelsinthe breast and skin, says Breast Cancer Now, a research and support charity
Tripe-negative breast cancer:
The NBCF says a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer means the three most commontypesofreceptorsknowntocause mostbreastcancergrowthsarenotpresent in the cancer tumor These receptors are estrogen,progesteroneandtheHER2/neu gene Since the tumor cells lack necessary receptors,certaintreatmentslikehormone therapy and drugs that target these
Save your pumpkin seeds and make a healthy, tasty snack
(Culinary.net) Don’t throw out your seeds afterthisyear’spumpkincarving Thishealthy snackiseasytomakeathomeandafunproject togetthekidsinvolved. Plus, this versatile Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipecanbemodifiedwithanyofyourfavorite seasoningsorspices VisitCulinary.nettofindmorequick,simple snacks
receptorsareineffective.Chemotherapyis still an option.
Metastatic breast cancer: This typeofbreastcancerisalsoknownasStage IV breast cancer Metastatic breast cancer originates in an area of the breast, but spreads (metastasizes) to another part of thebody,mostcommonlythebones,lungs, brain, or liver, indicates BreastCancer.org Individuals hoping to learn more about breast cancer should be aware that there arevarioustypesofthedisease Whichtype an individual has is an important variable doctors consider as they plan a course of treatment.
Inpotoverhighheat,bringwatertoboil.Addpumpkinseeds and 2 teaspoons salt; boil 15 minutes Drain water and spread seedsevenlyonpapertowelstodry
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchmentpaper
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like Janis, would you have befriended her? Wouldyouhangoutwithher?
AM: Yes, most definitely Janis is everything I wanted to be in middle school and high school I live vicariously through her every day on the stage Like her style is everythingIwantedtobe Iworerockband T-shirtsinhighschoolallthetime Allblack. Igotmymusictastefrommymother Soit’s very like old school rock So I very much resonatewithhercharacter
Y: What is your favorite part of the show thatyouareinandyougettodoeverynight or does that change from night to night or showtoshow?
AM:MyfavoritepartthatI’min,it’satoss up I love doing my little jazzy scene with Damian and Cady It’s like the part where Cadycomesoutofthepartyandit’slikethe drivebyscene AndIjustlovethatlittlesong. Ithinkthere’salotofemotionthereandIget to kind of play with it every night whether I want to make it more angry or more hurt. Andit’sprobablymyfavoritepartthatIdo.
Y: What is your favorite part of the show that you are not in, but you love to either watchfromthesidesorsingtointheback?
AM: This is very easy It’s Joshua Morrisey, who is my Damian. He does the number “Stop.” I am in at the very beginning, but I leave right before his big tap break. And it has my favorite line in the show. When I leave, Damian says, “She left just like my dad.” It gets me every single night. He’s brilliant, the tune is extremely catchyandfeaturesanamazingtaproutine AndIalwaysstayinthewingstowatchthat number
Y: What do you say to people who say, “What’ssodifficultaboutdoingaplaywhen all you’re doing is the same lines over and overagain?
AM: Of course it’s not the same It’s so different from show to show I think it’s reallyeasytosaythatwhenyouhaven’tlived through it. Because I mean, I know this job is hard, but I didn’t realize how hard it was until I actually started doing it I think the biggest thing about touring is that every single place is different. The layout backstage is different. The stage is different like lengths and widths Sometimes you have to have pre-rehearsals before shows to make surethateverythingfitsorwehavetomake modifications We try not to do modifications to the best of our extent but it just depends on the theatre that we’re in. And thenaddtothatthetravelinginvolved. Justrecently,IwasaffectedbyHurricane MiltonbecauseIliveinFloridaandIhadto miss my rehearsal period for this So I literally just flew into the show and just had to do it after like two months of not doing it Anditwasverystressfulbecauseyourbody hastogetusedtodoingtheshowagain,like prepping yourself And I just had to do it. Andit’svery,veryhard,Ithink,especiallyas aswingorevenjustaregularperformer,like havingtojustdoitoutofnowhere,youknow, because you usually get training for regular
jobs and stuff like that But this job can just be so different every single night. You just knowwhattoexpect,butneverfully That’s always a little fun surprise in there for you that you have to figure out how to navigate That’salsothefunofitaswell.
Y: So let’s learn about you. Tell us about your family your culture. Where were you bornandwhatmadeyoufallinlovewiththis beautifulmusicaltheaterofours?
AM: So my dad was born in Cuba. My mom’s family is from Peru and my mom is the first generation born here I was born inFlorida.
AM:Yeah,itwasalittledifferent,Ithink, formesinceIamfromFlorida.Igrewupina privateChristianschool.Ilovedmyculture, but my culture sometimes didn’t fit in with what people thought was normal. So that was kind of a struggle for me growing up, whichIthinkiswhyIrelatetoJanisalotin thesenseoflovingwhoyouare.Butyouhave outsideconflictskindofmakingyoutiltyour head a little bit and asking is this OK that I enjoythisandthatI’mactuallylikethisway? Somepeopledon’tlikeit.ButIalwaystryto stay very true to myself and have recently kind of gone back to my Hispanic roots and have tried to reclaim that more, which I’m veryproudofmyselffor
When it comes to theatre, I was always singingasakid Ididchoirandchorusandall thatstuff MymomtookmetoNewYorkfor my 15th birthday. It was like a quinceañera sort of thing I saw Wicked. That was my first Broadway show. And at the end of Act OneafterDefyingGravity Ijusthadthisfull bodyrushandwaslike,Iwanttodothis And eversincethen,Ididhighschooltheatreand then I moved to New York straight out of high school, and was thankfully offered a full-ridescholarshiptoathree-yearconservatoryprogram Iwasworkingwhiledoing that,becauseIalsohadtopayrent.Ibooked the job less than a year after I left school, so Iwasjustworkingmysurvivaljob,andthen was auditioning and all that stuff I got this, and truly, I am so blessed. I’m living such a blessed life, truly And now I’m doing this, which is very amazing and I’m so thankful
foreveryday.
Y: You are very proud of your heritage bravobravo.That’ssoimportant.
AM:Yeah,it’sbeenveryimportanttome as an actor, especially like stepping into a predominantly white role It’s really amazing to get to see myself and so many others playing what were once white characters andnow,youknow,alittlebitmorediverse
Y: Congratulations on your first national tour
AM: Yeah, it’s been really really great. We’removingontoyeartwonow,soit’stwo yearsofthis,whichisreallyexciting
Y: So what about now furthering your craft? Who do you study? Who do you Google, go to YouTube and watch performancesandsongsandstufflikethat?
AM: I love Mandy Gonzalez. I think that sheisamazing ShewasNinaintheHeights. That’sanothershowthatreallypropelledme into musical theatre. She’s done Hamilton, all that stuff I think she’s such an amazing actor and singer Mary Kate Morsey, who alsoplayedJanis,isnowElphabaonBroadway. I just saw her play Elphaba when I wasinNewYorkonmybreak.Andshewas absolutely amazing and truly inspirational with comedy shows she goes through in a week and all that stuff Lindsay Heather Pierce who also played Janis was Elphaba on Broadway and then replaced Mary Kate Morseywhensheleft.
Also, and this is very important, my castmatestoo,areabiginspirationtome There’s so many heavy hitters when it comes to seeing Natalie Shaw, who plays Kady, is an absolute machine, like just such an amazing,consistentvoice SamethingwithMaya Petropoulos whoplaysRegina.Justsomany amazingsingerswholookoutforeachother and give each other tips I learn a lot from them,too
Y:Iamsurebothofyourparentsarevery proudofyou.
AM: Yes they both are very proud of me
My mom is my number one supporter. I try mybesttothankhereveryday.Idon’tknow whatmylifewouldbewithouther She’smy biggestblessingandmybestfriend.
Y: What was your audition process like forthisshow,andhowdidyoufindoutthat yougotthepart?
AM: Yeah, I was originally called in for the first Mean Girls National Tour, but not as Janis but as Karen, which is a complete 360 of Karen. I just did a self-tape for that anddidn’tmoveforward Whenthissecond NationalTourcameout,Iwascalledinagain, butthistimeforJanis Ididavideo-formattedself-tapeforthat,submittedthat.Abouta coupledayslater,Igotanin-personaudition, went in for that. That was one of the rooms where you go into it, at least for me There was just this sort of energy I really wanted this character I felt that I embodied her I sangit,andIfeltsogoodaboutitleavingthe room.Therewasjustalittletickleintheback of my mind. It was just like, there’s no way youdidn’tgetthis Ifyoudidn’tgetit,itwas such an incredible experience Then about a week later, I got the call or got the email frommyagent.Iwasactuallyatmysurvival job serving “We got an offer, if you want to
playJanis,you’regoingtoplayJanice.”Iwas just running up We have two levels in our restaurant. I was just running up the two levels screaming I told my boss, I’m going toneed20minutes,andmademycallstomy mom, my dad, and my close friends It was such a good feeling It was full-body chills and excitement. I was radiating the entire restoftheday.
Y: What advice would you give aspiring theatreactors?
AM:The biggest piece of advice that I’ve learnedistoseekyourjoy.It’saverysimple phrase, but I think it can be used in life as well as acting It’s about finding joy, even in the hardest of times, and recognizing the small things Even when I was auditioning, and obviously had not gotten a part, it was walking into a room, saying to myself, I’m so thankful that I’m able to be here, able to sing, able to even have five minutes to sing material with an accompanist in front of people that want me to succeed. And then after, even just getting a snack for yourself after an audition, to put a pat on your back. It’sreallyaboutthesmallthingsandfinding joyineverydaylife Thathelpsalot,evenon tourwhenthingsgethard.I’msothankfulto be able to be here. I think that’s my biggest thing isjustfindingjoyinwhateveryoudo If you love theater you’ll find a way to keep it in your life even if it’s not professionally doingcommunitytheater,orjustsingingon yourowntime There’salwaysawaytofind joy.
Y: How about a wow, pinch me moment or two that you got to experience because of this show, that little girl that grew up in Florida, you never thought this would have happened?
AM: There’s so many of those moments ThefirsttimeIsteppedonthatprofessional stage, the rush that you get, the, I guess, performer, everyone knows, you chase that rush of doing your first show, and you get it everyonceinawhile,andit’senoughtokeep you hooked Whenever I get little traces of that, it’s always just life-altering As for like a wow, pinch me moment we actually had an interview and he happened to know the Damien from the original movie and he gavemeandJoshua,whoplaysmyDamien, a little shout-out, like, so proud of you guys, soexcitedyouguysaredoingthis,like,good luck, and that was a big pinch me moment because I was like, oh, my God, that’s so cool It’s the actual original Damien from themoviegivingusalittle,like,youguysgo, itwasreallygreat,itwasreallycool.
Y:Whatareyouthankfulforinlife?
AM: My family I’m so thankful for my family and my mother and their constant support. She is my rock She is my best friend. Like I said, she’s with me now just over in the other room, but any time I have an issue with anything, like, she will just drop what she’s doing and be there for me, andIappreciatethatendlessly
Yiorgo is an arts entertainment and sports writer A stage TV and movie actor he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.
