PAUL: Well, we were doing this oriental number and I looked like Cyd Charisse. Oh, oh, Anna May Wong, Anna May Wong. I had these two great big chrysanthemums on either side my head and a huge headdress with gold balls hanging all over it. I was going on for the finale and going down the stairs and who should I see standing by the stage door … my parents. They got there too early. I freaked. I didn’t know what to do. I thought to myself : “I know, I’ll just walk quickly past them like all the others and they’ll never recognize me.”
So I took a deep breath and started down the stairs and just as I passed my mother I heard her say : “Oh, my God.” Well… I died. But what could I do? I had to go on for the finale so I just kept going. After the show I went back to my dressing room and after I’d finished dressing and taking my makeup off, I went back down stairs. And there they were, standing in the middle of all these … And all they said to me was “Please write, make sure you eat and take care of yourself.” And just before my parents left, my father turned to the producer and said, “Take care of my son.” That was the first time he ever called me that… I… ah… I… ah…. (breaks down)