>> tamara: my first broadway show was with the legendary lena horne. so many things.g a production of "kiss me kate" of the dinner theater in connecticut and it was fantastic and i was so excited. we rehearsed. we did tech, opened the show in the next morning after opening night, i woke up in my tonsils had abscessed and i couldn't talk. i couldn't swallow, and i couldn't sing. i lost the job. because i couldn't do it. i came back to new york with my tail between my legs and my survival job boards office work because i learned to type in seventh grade. pay attention in school, children. i learned to type in seventh grade, i could do office work and i was working at an accounting firm. one of my coffee cooler meets happen to be the son of lena horne's manager and he told me they were casting background singers for her show. i should talk to my agent about it. long story short, i did. i was cast in the show and on the stage with the legendary lena horne when i was 22 years old. it was an experience that really -- [applause] yeah, it really informed my career moving forw