The Villages - January 2018 - 57

Q. Has theater always been your calling or was
there something else you thought you'd be doing
"when you grew up?"
A. It was dancing. That was my root talent - my
gift. I always dance. My parents said I danced before
I walked. I crawled - I was a late walker. I'd come
into the living room on my hands and knees and hear
the music on the radio and get up on my legs and just
dance. Then the music would go off and I'd get down
on my hands and feet again. I didn't know how to
walk, but I was already choreographing.
We didn't get shows down in Houston when I was a
kid. We didn't really have a good performance space,
but now we have several. When I saw my first play, I
started thinking that was just amazing. I came to it
in pieces, and I've just spent my life working in the
theater. It couldn't have been better. Find something
that you love to do, then make your living doing it.
That's just the best possible world.
Q. You've gone from a small town in Texas to
performing on Broadway, with multiple Tony
Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
To what or whom do you attribute your success?
A. It's an accumulation. I had really good dancing
teachers. My big dream was to get to New York. I went
to an audition on my first day in New York City on St.
Patrick's Day and I got the job. My dream came true
on my first day in New York. I certainly didn't imagine
I would be starring in or coordinating a Broadway
show. It's been great and still is.
Q. How does going on tour compare to Broadway?
A. I love to tour. Carol Channing, my spiritual mother,
set me straight about touring. She said, "Tommy Tune,
if it is your desire to pursue a tour in the theatrical arts,
you must tour your shows to the capital cities of the
world." She explained how you do a Broadway show
and people visit New York City and perhaps see you in
that show. Then you take that show on the road and
now they'll come see you in their town. That's how you
build rapport. That's how you get fans, seeing them
in their town. Every city has its own profile, and you
get to know people in the city and in the theater. It's
a network. It's one big showbiz family. It's a nomadic
life, but I enjoy it.

CHITA & TUNE: JUST IN TIME
6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21
The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center
For tickets, visit thevillagesentertainment.com

Q. When you're not performing or choreographing,
what do you do with your spare time?
A. I paint. I have a studio downtown on the High Line.
Painting is not really a collaborative job. Theater is so
collaborative - so many people involved. The nice thing
about painting is sometimes I just paint through the
night because I get so inspired.
Q. Looking back over a long and accomplished
career, if you could go back in time, what would you
tell young Tommy Tune growing up in Texas in the
1940s and 50s?
A. Get ready - you're going on a roller coaster. Showbiz
is up and down - sometimes you're on top of the world
and sometimes you're unemployed, so get ready. I'm just
the luckiest guy in the world. I've been able to pay the
rent using the gift God gave me. That's a huge blessing
and I'm just filled with gratitude.

MAGAZINE

57
http://www.thevillagesentertainment.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - January 2018
