Tommy Tune "I was trying to listen to the President and the First Lady and the nice things they were saying, but I was really thinking, 'Jesus, this lighting, how do they do that?'" In My One and Only.

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See also: Dr. Tune comes to Houston in the national debut of the touring Dr. Dolittle.

Tall, talented Texan Tommy Tune's big break came in the '70s when he played a gay character in Seesaw on Broadway, a role that won him his first Tony Award. The dancer, choreographer, actor, and director has gone on to win eight more Tonys, eight Drama Desk Awards, two Obies, the Dance Magazine Award for Lifetime Achievement, an American Dance Award, a Drama League Musical Theatre Award, two Astaire Awards, the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement, the University of Texas Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Jean Cocteau International Style Award, and, most recently, the National Medal of Arts. In 1991, Tune was inducted by Gwen Verdon into the Theatre Hall of Fame, and in 1994 he was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And we mustn't forget that he was named to the Top 10 International Best Dressed List of 1992.

All this adulation, and Tommy Tune still seems to be one helluva nice human being. His office called the morning of the interview to say he was running about 10 minutes behind—just know that that's a rare occurrence in the celebrity-interviewing game. And in the middle of our conversation, Tune asked if I had read his book, Footnotes. When I told him I hadn't, he offered to send me one—he thought it might help me in writing the interview. I received it two days later—and it was autographed. Cool guy. Read on.

Blase DiStefano: Hello. Tommy?
Tommy Tune: Yes.

Hi, this is Blase DiStefano.
Tell me about your name. Is it an old family name?

I was named after Saint Blase. He was the patron saint of diseases of the throat.
Wow. Blase wouldn't be pronounced that way, so that's English, right?

No, my grandfather was named Blaise, and she decided to name me after him, but she took the “i” out 'cause she said she saw it somewhere without an “i.” I hated it when I was growing up, and I told my mother I was going to change it after my grandfather died. But I love it now.
It's a great name, and, look, we've spent five minutes on it.

[Laughs]
Well, I knew there was a story behind it. Especially living with my name, everybody thinks it's made up.

I would have never thought they would want to change your name.
They wanted to, because they knew musicals were on the way out. It would behoove them to. They wanted to push me to be the next Jimmy Stewart or something like that.

Tommy West or something.
They didn't want Tommy—that sounded too young.

And they didn't want the Tune either?
They didn't want the Tune, they didn't want the Tommy.

Did you like your name when you were growing up as a kid?
Well, it was kind of embarrassing.

Mine, too.
All kinds of rhymes with it and [in a very high-pitched voice:] “Tommy Tune, Tommy Tune.” But now it's kind of a blessing—it's memorable and nobody believes it and it sounds like somebody that should be doing what I'm doing with my life. [Both laugh]

Where are you calling from?
I'm calling from my new apartment at Union Square in New York City.

There's this farmer's market where fresh vegetables and produce are brought in three nights a week, so I just go and shop there and cook fresh. It makes all the difference. Getting fresh food in New York City is hard, compared to... where are you calling from?

I like to shop at Whole Foods when I can because they at least their food is fresh.
We call that Whole Paycheck.

[Laughs] That's why I said “when I can.”
It's so expensive. There's a Whole Foods right on Union Square, and I only go there when I have to. It's not that the stuff isn't good, it's just so over the top. But you know what? It's a huge hit. People will pay. But it's great that we have it.

It's gorgeous in Houston for a change, but it's not as cold as that. You went to Lamar [High School], right?
I did.

Were you born here?
No. I was born in Wichita Falls, but we moved there when I was an infant. Wichita Falls is my birthplace, but Houston's my home.

How long were you here?
Oh my gosh, all through high school, and then I went away to college and then I came back to do my master's work at the University of Houston. Then I came to New York.

Weren't you already involved in choreography in high school?
Yeah, but we didn't know that's what it was called. We didn't have that fancy moniker then.

Seriously?
It was called making up dances. In movies where you'd see their credits, the credit would say “dance director.” They had that till Agnes DeMille did it, and then it became famous.

Well, you've certainly come a long way.   Did you have to build a room for your awards? I think I've counted about 24 major awards, nine of which are Tonys.
[Laughs] They haven't found their home in this new place. I don't have a trophy room—there's not room for trophy rooms in New York apartments. But my latest one is out, which is the National Medal of Arts.  

When was that?
Last November. It's been a year.  

What was it like?
When you walk into the Oval Office, that room is golden. It's like heaven or something. I was trying to listen to the President and the First Lady and the nice things they were saying, but I was really thinking, “Jesus, this lighting, how do they do that?” I was trying to figure out the next show.

[Laughs] I was going to say the director in you is noticing that lighting.
[Laughs] Oh my God, it was so beautiful. It was golden and you couldn't find the source. It was everywhere, reflecting off of everything. I think the light was shooting up that dome and coming down somehow.

Had you been to the White House before?
I've been to the White House many times, but I've never been to the West Wing. It's really reserved for something extra special. They do their ceremonies and functions and all that in other parts of the White House, but the West Wing is really high security.

And you've been there.
I was there.

And I've talked to someone who was there! [Both laugh] You and Harvey Fierstein are tied for those who have won Tonys in four different categories.
Oh, yeah. That is cool.