NAIS ni Bruno Mars na gawin ang kanyang unang TV concert special sa makasaysayang Apollo Theater ng New York, dahil noong bata pa siya ay pinangarap niyang mapahanga ang mga manonood doon.

Nagustuhan ng Hawaii-born musician ang popular na TV talent series sa naturang venue, ang Showtime at the Apollo, na nagsimulang umere noong 1980s, at alam ng Uptown Funk hitmaker na kapag natupad ang pinapangarap niya, ganap na siyang mang-aawit.

Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
“I remember growing up watching Showtime at the Apollo, before X Factor and American Idol - that was the singing competition show,” pagbabalik-tanaw na sabi niya sa Associated Press. “It was pretty cut-throat. Either you got it and they would cheer you on, or you don’t and they’ll boo you off the stage. And that’s just Entertainment 101, and you feel that when you get into that theatre. This is where it all begins, it feels like.”

Nasiyahan si Bruno sa Harlem concert hall noong Setyembre, nang magtanghal siya sa marquee ng venue upang i-promote ang kanyang primetime special, ang Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live sa the Apollo, at gumugol siya ng ilang linggo para i-shoot ang iba’t ibang segment para sa show, kabilang ang video ng mang-aawit na naglalakad sa kalsada ng Big Apple, habang tumitigil siya sa ilang lokal na restawran habang binabati niya ang fans.

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“The coolest part about that was the locals in Harlem, holding their arms out for you, (saying), ‘Yo Bruno, welcome to Harlem!’,” aniya.

Determinado ang pop star na maibigay ang kanyang pinakamahusay na pagtatanghal sa taping ng hour-long show, kaya nag-eensayo siya sa pagitan ng kanyang gigs sa kanyang ongoing 24K Magic World Tour.

“You got to perform it a few times to get it in your bones, to get it right, to work out all the kinks...,” aniya. “It’s never going to be right the first time you do it. By the time we got to film at the Apollo, we were already a well-oiled machine.”

Dagdag pa niya, “People (viewers) are going to get the best that I got.”

Ipapalabas ang Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, na siya rin ang executive producer, sa U.S. ngayong Huwebes. - Cover Media