September 7, 2017: CHITA & TUNE

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> CHEETAH AND TOMMY ARE TWO LIVING LEGENDS.

NOW THEY'RE JOINING FORCES AND TAKING THEIR SHOW ON THE ROAD ACROSS AMERICA.

THIS UNPRECEDENTED CONCERT TOUR WILL KICK OFF IN OUR AREA AT CANE UNIVERSITY IN NEW JERSEY FOR TWO SHOWS ON SEPTEMBER 16th AND 17th.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH CHEETAH AND TOMMY.

YESTERDAY, WE SHOWED YOU THE FIRST PART OF THE INTERVIEW.

HERE NOW IS THE SECOND PART OF MY CONVERSATION WITH THE INCOMPARABLE CHEETAH AND TOMMY.

AROUND 'METROFOCUS' IT SEEMS LIKE AMONG ALL OF US, IT'S OUR FAVORITE MUSICAL WHICH YOU DIRECTED.

THERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY.

YOU CAME UP WITH THIS UNIQUE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX VISION FOR 'NINE.'

FOR WHICH YOU HAD TO FIGHT.

TALK ABOUT THAT VISION.

THERE WAS REALLY NECESSITY AT THAT POINT IN NEW YORK.

THE BEST CHARACTER ACTORS, MEN, WERE GOING TO HOLLYWOOD.

THEY HAD FAMILIES TO RAISE.

THEY COULD GET ON A SITCOM.

THEY COULD GET IN THE MOVIES.

CHARACTER ACTORS WERE HARD TO FIND.

THE RIGHT AGE, OLDER.

I HAD TO CAST A LOT OF OLDER MEN AS WE WERE AUDITIONING.

I COULDN'T FIND ANY.

THEY HAD FLED TO THE COAST.

I WAS SEEING ALL THESE INCREDIBLY TALENTED WOMEN OF ALL DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES AND ENTITIES AND COLORS.

I WENT, THIS IS SO INTERESTING.

THEY'RE SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THE MEN COMING IN FOR THESE ROLES.

SO IT HIT ME, THE LEAD, IS OBSESSED WITH WOMEN.

WHY NOT -- IT'S NOT A MOVIE.

LET'S BRING IT DOWN AND MAKE IT BELONG ON A STAGE.

I SAY HE INHABITS HIS WHOLE WORLD, HIS WHOLE IMAGINARY WORLD WITH WOMEN.

THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT.

I JUST FINISHED DIRECTING MY FIRST SHOW IN NEW YORK, WHICH WAS CALLED 'FLUB.'

IT WAS A CAST OF ALL WOMEN.

IT WAS WOMEN DRESSED AS MEN.

OUR PRODUCERS THOUGHT THAT I WAS STILL STUCK IN THAT SHOW.

SHOWS LEAK -- YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

IF YOU RUN A BUNCH OF SHOWS TOGETHER THAT YOU DON'T --

I LOVE LEAKING.

YOU DON'T LEAK INTO THE NEXT SHOW.

YOU GOTTA COME UP WITH A NEW VOCABULARY, CHOREOGRAPHY, TO MAKE THE SHOW WORK.

I'M NOT DRESSING THEM UP AS MEN TO PLAY THE MEN'S PART.

THEY'RE POWERFUL WOMEN.

LET THEM BE THEMSELVES.

THEN OUR COMPOSER SAID, THE AUDIENCE WILL HATE HEARING WOMEN SING ALL NIGHT.

I WENT, OH, CONTRAIR.

YOU HEARD THESE VOICES, THIS INCREDIBLE ENSEMBLE OF WOMEN I FOUND.

THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT.

YOU SAID TO THEM, LISTEN, THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE.

IF YOU DON'T WANT IT, YOU DON'T GET ME.

THEY SAID, WE DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA.

I SAID, WELL, I'M GOING TO HAVE DO THIS SHOW THE WAY I KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

THIS IS THE WAY I KNOW HOW DO IT.

SO I UNDERSTAND IT'S YOUR SHOW, YOU WROTE IT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I LEFT FOR TWO WEEKS.

THEN THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME A CHANCE TO DO IT THE WAY I WANTED DO IT.

THE REST IS HISTORY.

THE WINNER IS 'NINE.'

I REMEMBER WHEN I SAW THAT.

I WAS THRILLED.

I THOUGHT -- I LOVED GUIDO.

HE WAS PUERTO RICAN AND HE COULD SING.

HE WAS FUNNY.

HE HELD THAT STAGE WITH ALL THOSE WOMEN.

AND CAMILLE AND ALL THE WOMEN WERE EXTRAORDINARY.

WHEN IT CAME AROUND WITH -- I DESCRIBE -- I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING UP TOO MUCH TIME.

I DESCRIBE, I WAS IN CALIFORNIA.

I HAD LUNCH WITH THE DIRECTOR.

THEY SAID THAT ANTONIO WAS DOING IT.

I SAID, WELL -- I GOT THIS IMAGE.

I SAW ANTONIO AS THIS MAGNIFICENT BIRD.

THIS HUGE BIRD.

JUST SOARING THROUGH THE SKY.

AND ME SITTING ON TOP OF IT.

IT WAS HIS TRIP AND I WANTED TO GET -- I WANTED TO BE ON HIS TRIP.

BECAUSE I KNEW HE WOULD KNOCK BROADWAY ON ITS SOCKS.

AND I THINK HE DID.

HE DID.

IT WAS WONDERFUL.

THIS IS --

VERY HARD, YES.

SEE WHAT I MEAN?

LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT BROADWAY.

YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR OVER FIVE DECADES.

HOW HAS BROADWAY CHANGED IN THE COURSE OF YOUR --

WHEN I GOT HERE, THERE WERE NO MICROPHONES LIKE THIS THAT YOU WEAR.

YOU JUST CAME DOWN TO THE FOOT LIGHTS AND BELTED OUT YOUR SONG.

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT.

THE LIGHTING WAS MUCH, MUCH LESS.

THE TECHNOLOGY OF BROADWAY HAS JUST -- LISTEN, THE THEATERS WEREN'T AIR CONDITIONED WHEN I STARTED TO WORK.

YOU JUST WENT IN AND DID IT.

I DON'T -- I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN TEXAS WAS AIR CONDITIONED.

NEW YORK HADN'T BECOME OBSESSED WITH IT YET.

WHAT'S WORSE ABOUT IT?

WHAT'S BETTER, WHAT'S WORSE?

IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

IT CERTAINLY -- IT'S BIGGER.

IT'S A BIGGER BUSINESS THAN IT EVER WAS WHEN WE ARRIVED.

THESE BLOCKBUSTERS THAT MOVE IN AND STAY FOR 25 YEARS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT.

A GOOD RUN FOR TWO OR THREE SEASONS.

YOU WENT OUT ON THE ROAD AND MADE ROOM FOR NEXT NEW SHOW TO COME IN.

THERE WAS MORE TURNOVER.

I DO WORRY ABOUT THE 42nd STREET STORY.

CAN THAT HAPPEN TODAY?

CAN THE YOUNG GIRL COME IN AND BE IN A CHORUS AND THEN COME OUT OF THE CHORUS AND BECOME A STAR?

I WONDER.

♪♪

FINAL QUESTION.

SOMEBODY COMPARED YOU TO HALL OF FAMER ATHLETES.

HALL OF FAMERS HAVE A CAREER OF TEN OR 12 YEARS.

YOU HAVE HAD A MULTI-DECADE CAREER, BOTH OF YOU, STILL GOING STRONG.

NOBODY TOLD US.

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT ENDURANCE AND THAT PERPETUAL SUCCESS?

LOVE.

THAT'S EXACTLY THE WORD -- THAT'S THE VERY WORD.

IT'S THE MAGIC INGREDIENT TO ANYTHING THAT YOU DO ON THE STAGE.

YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT.

YOU WANT TO SHARE IT.

YOU WANT TO LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE IT.

AND THEN IT GROWS INTO TELLING STORIES.

AND HEARING THEIR RESPONSE.

THAT'S WHY THE THEATER IS SO WONDERFUL.

IT'S LIKE PUTTING A PLUG IN AND YOU GET THE REACTION RIGHT AWAY.

I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT MYSELF.

I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO LISTEN TO MYSELF.

I LIKE TO BE MYSELF.

BUT I DON'T -- BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT, I AM DOING WHATEVER IT IS I'M DOING, I FEEL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE MOMENT I LISTEN TO IT.

♪♪

THANK YOU SO MUCH, ONCE AGAIN, FOR JOINING US AND TAKING YOUR TIME TO SPEAK WITH US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING YOUR SHOW ON THE ROAD.

IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

♪♪

> THE UJA FEDERATION, A NEW YORK-BASED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION HAS HELPED NEW YORKERS IN NEED SINCE 1917.

OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS, THEY HAVE SERVED BOTH THE NEW YORK AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES BY FUNDING HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS.

A NEW DOCUMENTARY GIVES VIEWERS A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION ON THE OCCASION OF ITS CENTENNIAL.

HERE IS A SNEAK PEAK, TREASURERS OF NEW YORK.

NESTLED IN NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT IS A JEWISH RETREAT CENTER CALLED HAZONE.

TRANSPORTING NEW YORK CITY DWELLERS TO A PLACE OF RELAXATION AND REFLECTION.

♪♪ THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO BUILD A HEALTHIER, MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET BY ENGAGING JEWISH COMMUNITIES WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S PART OF A NETWORK OF HUNDREDS OF NON-PROFITS IN NEW YORK AND IN 70 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD FUNDED BY A CENTURY OLD PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION.

UJA FEDERATION.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO CALL US THE JEWISH MUTUAL FUND.

WE DRAW OUR SUPPORT FROM THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY.

BUT WE'RE SUPPORTING LIVES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

THE JCC OF MANHATTAN, AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE, SELF-HELP COMMUNITY SERVICES.

THE 92nd STREET Y AND MANY MORE ARE PART OF THE UJA FEDERATION FAMILY.

BY PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THESE, UJA FEDERATION IMPACTS THE EVERYDAY LIVES OF NEW YORKERS AND PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE.

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WE PUT OUR ARMS AROUND A VAST ARRAY OF ORGANIZATIONS NOT FOR PROFITS, COMMUNITY-BASED NOT FOR PROFITS THAT ARE DOING WORK IN THE FIELD THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION.

THE NEW YORK BASED UJA FEDERATION TOUCHES 4.5 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.

JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE.

IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT JEWISH VALUE TO CARE FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS, WHETHER THEY'RE MEMBERS OF YOUR RELIGION OR NOT.

AND WE TAKE THAT MANDATE VERY SERIOUSLY.

UJA FEDERATION'S MISSION IS TO CARE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN NEED, TO RESCUE THOSE IN HARM'S WAY, TO RENEW AND STRENGTHEN THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN NEW YORK, ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD.

AT THIS VAST NETWORK OF SUPPORT THAT HAS BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

EACH YEAR, UJA FEDERATION DISTRIBUTES OVER $150 MILLION TO AGENCIES LIKE SUMMER CAMPS, SCHOOLS, SENIOR HOMES AND INTERNATIONAL RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS.

ALLOWING THEM TO BRING VITAL BENEFITS TO THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.

BY HAVING INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES, IT REALLY MAGNIFIES THE WORK THAT UJA FEDERATION CAN DO.

THESE ARE AGENCIES ON A DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY BASIS ARE UPHOLDING THE BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC OF NEW YORK CITY.

TREASURERS OF NEW YORK UJA FEDERATION PREMIERES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ON WLIW-21.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS.

VISIT METROF EMETROFOCUS.ORG.

> FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED BY --

> CORPORATE FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY MUTUAL OF AMERICA, AND BY PSE AND G.

SERVING CUSTOMERS, STRENGTHENING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND INVESTING IN THE FUTURE.