Florent DéchardTonight, Bruno Mars brings his first ever TV special to CBS with Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo Theater. And according to Bruno, he says he went into the project wanting to put the “special” in “TV special.”
“We didn’t want this to be just a television show where the Hooligans and I sing three songs and go to commercial then sing three more songs and go to another commercial,” Bruno tells Billboard. “The band and I wanted to create a vibe that translates what we felt at the Apollo Theater. As soon as we walked in there, we said this is the only place to do this special. Hopefully, the audience will feel that vibe at home.”
Bruno wanted the historic venue because as a kid, he used to watch the TV show Showtime at the Apollo, and listen on James Brown‘s classic 1963 album Live at the Apollo.
“There’s definitely some kind of magic going on inside there,” he adds.
In addition to the music, the show features Bruno and the Hooligans cruising through Harlem, New York, the location of the theater, handing out free tickets to random residents.
Bruno received six Grammy nods Tuesday, including Album of the Year for 24K Magic. He’s currently performing a series of shows in South America, and then will begin a new U.S. tour on December 20.
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