September 6, 2017: CHITA RIVERA & TOMMY TUNE

♪ BEAUTIFUL SONG ♪ ♪ WHEN LOVE IS RIGHT WHAT CAN BE WRONG ♪ ♪ BEAUTIFUL SONG TO ME ♪

> TWO LIVING LEGENDS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATER.

NOW THEY ARE JOINING FORCES AND TAKING THEIR SHOW ON THE ROAD ALL ACROSS AMERICA.

THIS UNPRECEDENTED CONSCERT WIL KICK OFF IN OUR AREA FOR TWO SHOWS, SEPTEMBER 16th AND 17th.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH THEM AND I BEGAN OUR CONVERSATION BY ASKING JUST WHAT THE LUCKY PEOPLE ATTENDSING TH THEIR CONCERTS SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DANCE?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SING?

WE'RE FIGURING IT OUT NOW.

WE'RE DOING DUETS FROM BROADWAY SHOWS.

WE'RE FINDING IT.

WE'RE IN REHEARSAL NOW.

YOU DESCRIBED CHEETAH AS THE DEFINITION OF THE ULTIMATE PROFESSIONAL.

HOW DOES SHE MANIFEST THAT PRO PROFESSIONALISM?

EVERY BONE IN HER BODY.

EVERY CELL IT'S ALL THERE.

IT'S READY.

SHE GOES LIKE THAT AND SHE'S THERE.

DO YOUR VOCAL WARM UP.

THAT'S YOUR WARM UP.

I TAKE AN HOUR TO GET WARMED UP.

I GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT AND SHE GOES MEH AND SHE'S READY.

THAT'S HER TALENT.

SHE'S GOT IT.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HIM?

OH, GOSH.

HE'S THE EPITAMY OF AN ARTIST.

HE'S THE ONE THAT CREATES SOMETHING.

HE'S A PAINTER.

A DANCER, AN ACTOR, A SINGER.

HE'S AN ENORMOUS DIRECTOR AND EXTRAORDINARY DIRECTOR.

WE HAVE WONDERED WHERE'S TOMMY.

WHY THE HECK HASN'T HE DONE SOMETHING?

WE NEED TOMMY DESPERATELY IN THE THEATER.

HE'S A GIANT IN EVERY WAY IN HIS ARTISTIC ABILITY AND HE LOVES PEOPLE.

THE BEST PART ABOUT TOMMY THAT I'M LEARNING -- I THINK I'M GOING TO TEAR UP A BIT.

YOU REALLY WANT HUMAN BEINGS TO BE JEGENTLE AND KIND AND THOUGHTFUL.

THAT'S WHAT TOMMY IS.

HE'S ALL OF THAT AND MORE.

IT'S GREAT.

IT'S TOO EMBARRASSING.

I DON'T BLUSH.

IF I COULD, I WOULD.

I WOULD BE BRIGHT PINK NOW.

YOU HAVE A TERRIFIC STORY.

MY WIFE LOVED IT.

I WANT YOU TO TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE ADVICE THAT YOUR FATHER GAVE YOU ABOUT THE KIND OF WAGES THAT A YOUNG PERFORMER SHOULD BE MAKING.

I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MONEY.

STILL DON'T.

I DIDN'T DO IT FOR MONEY.

I WANTED TO KNOW SO I TALKED TO MY DAD BEFORE I LEFT.

THE DAY BEFORE I LEFT.

I SAID WHEN I GET TO NEW YORK, IF I SHOULD GET A JOB ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD I NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MYSELF.

HE SAID, WELL, BEAU, I WOULD SAY IF YOU COULD WORK YOUR WAY UP TO MAKING 100 BUCKS A WEEK, YOU WOULD BE IN HIGH COTTON.

I CAME TO THIS AUDITION AND GOT THE JOB.

I WENT TO SIGN THE THING AND IT WAS THE TOP PRICE FOR DANCER ON BROADWAY WAS 90 BUCKS.

90 BUCKS WAS THE MINIMUM.

I CALLED HOME.

YOU DON'T CALL BACK THEN.

THAT MEANT SOMEBODY DIED.

HE SAID WHAT'S WRONG.

I SAID NOTHING.

I SAID I'M ALMOST IN HIGH COTTON.

A GREAT STORY.

AFTER YEARS OF PERFORMING YOU WENT ONTO BECOME MULTI-TONY AWARD WINNI NING CHOREOGRAPHER.

EVERYTHING ELSE WAS GRAVY.

ALSO BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

HE SAID WHO ARE YOU?

MY NAME IS TOMMY TUNE.

DO YOU THINK I SHOULD CHANGE IT?

EVERYBODY WAS SAYING WHAT'S YOUR REAL NAME.

IT IS MY REAL NAME.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING.

I SAID, MY NAME IS TOMMY TUNE, DO YOU THINK I SHOULD CHANGE IT?

HE SAID NOT IF YOU WANT TO GO AROUND BEING TOMMY TUNE.

GREAT ADVICE.

WHO ELSE WOULD YOU WANT TO GO AROUND BEING.

I WENT OKAY.

CHITA, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT WESTSIDE STORY, WHEN YOU GOT THE PART O ANITA, THAT MADE YOU A STAR.

YOUR BREAKTHROUGH.

IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT?

I THINK IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY THAT SHOW WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AND WHEN I -- BUT WE THOUGHT OF IT AS WORK.

IT WAS A JOB.

I LOVED THE RHYTHMS AND I LOVED WHAT I HEARD.

YOU REALLY WANT TO GET THE JOB.

ALL THE AUDITIONS BECOME A CHALLENGE.

I GUESS I LIKE THE CHALLENGE.

I LIKE TO HEAR WHAT COMES OUT OF ME.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEING INTRODUCED TO YOURSELF THE MORE I PERFORM.

THE MORE MATERIAL I USED.

IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO FIND OUT.

I THINK WEST SIDSIDE WAS PROBAB THE MOST FAMOUS.

SEVENth HEAVEN WAS WONDERFUL.

THAT WAS WONDERFUL.

YOU STILL LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF.

STILL?

ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S ALWAYS LIKE THE FIRST TIME.

THAT'S WHAT'S SO BRILLIANT ABOUT THE THEATER BECAUSE IT'S ALIVE.

♪ ♪ GOT A LOT OF LIVING ♪ TO DO

FOR MORE OUR INTERVIEW WITH CHITA RIVERA AND TOMMY TUNE, PLEASE WATCH 'METROFOCUS'