Dancing sensations Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy are about to embark on a new tour — and this time, they’re bringing special guest Peta Murgatroyd along for the ride. The Dancing With the Stars trio announced their upcoming tour Maks, Val and Peta Live on Tour on Good Morning America on Monday, December 4, and also opened up to Us Weekly about the big news.
“We’re very excited. It’s been a couple years now since Maks and Val, the other tour that we did, and it seems like it’s going to be even better,” Maks, 37, told Us about the tour that’s kicking off in spring 2018. The brothers went on their Maks & Val: Our Way tour last summer together, but Maksim believes that this one will far surpass their previous one. “We had a phenomenal team of people, all of whom are coming back. We think this is going to be head and shoulders above even the last two that we did,” he said. “This time we’re bringing a secret weapon which is Mrs. Murgatroyd, or I guess she’s Mrs. Chmerkovskiy now.”
The Chmerkovskiy clan has expanded since the last tour, after Maks and Murgatroyd and welcomed their son, Shai, in January and later tied the knot in July. “Having shared the stage with Val was a ridiculous experience. There’s nothing better than doing it with your family,” Maks said to Us. “Bringing Peta on just makes that much more sense. I also can’t wait to tour with my family and just be on the bus with the little baby Shai and have him be part of this as well.”
While seeing the new mom back at work after giving birth this year is his source of motivation, Maks revealed that he has also learned a lot from his relationship with his younger brother. “I think we are each other’s biggest critics. We never question the love, so that’s why the criticism comes out a lot more verbally,” he told Us. “It took me a second about seven years ago to realize that he’s not a kid anymore, he’s not my student anymore, he’s a grown man with grown man ambitions and I need to be his support and not just tell him what to do, nor did he need me to.”
He added: “There would never be an opportunity for us to work together someday, like Maks and Val, if we weren’t in the best possible relationship as brothers.”
Val also opened up to Us about what he’s looking forward to the most during their upcoming shows. “The first time around was exciting, but we were nervous. It’s our own very personal stories and the reception was so incredible. It was certainly the most fulfilling experience professionally I’ve ever been through. So at the end of the tour, we couldn’t wait to get back on the tour and do a sequel,” Val, 31, told Us. “Now that we got a chance to do it again and this time around it’s bigger, it’s better. We’ve grown as a family. Our stories have grown, our potential has blossomed believe it or not and like I said, I have even higher expectations for ourselves and also I think our audience will love it this time around even more so than the first time.”
The reality star continued, “With the confidence that we have from the success of the first one, we’re taking on new challenges and telling stories that are even better than before. My brother has his own views on things and the way he likes to voice and express his creativity and his passion and I have mine and Peta has hers. Those differences and celebrating those differences is what makes the show so special because ultimately we are on the same page when it comes to our desire to entertain our audience, to bring light and joy and happiness.”
The brothers, who were born six years apart, have worked together often during their careers. “There’s a reason I keep coming back to do projects with my brother because it makes me better,” he said. “Together we have a very special dynamic that brings out the best in each other, so I’m excited to continue that, but also welcome an incredible third piece, Peta Murgatroyd. She is that voice of reason in a lot of our brotherly banter.”
The three dancers are already hard at work with rehearsals, which began in the summer and will continue through the winter. Murgatroyd, who was pregnant during the first one, is thrilled to be joining the siblings’ tour as a special guest. “I am elated. I am so gracious and happy to be part of this tour,” she told Us. “I always sort of felt that need to want to be a part of it and it was just so much fun when I was watching rehearsals that I’m super ecstatic that I get to be part of this one. It’s going to be amazing. If you loved the first one, the second one is just going to be on a whole new level.”
Incredible performance from @PetaMurgatroyd, @MaksimC and @iamValC on @GMA! https://t.co/jGJ0mfxdGD pic.twitter.com/7j9NnPlC1T
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 4, 2017
The dancer, 31, says that the stories they’ll be sharing with fans this time around are a lot deeper. “I love honesty and I love a person that doesn’t pretend that everything’s perfect around them,” she shared with Us. “It’s about love, honesty, family, the challenges of life. It’s very unique because we don’t have to pretend or act in the show, it’s really about family and love and I think people are just going to get a really extra sense and taste of who the three of us are.”
While she’s looking forward to being on the show, Murgatroyd has left most of the planning to her husband and his brother. “It’s the boys’ tour, so to speak, they’re choreographing it,” she said. “It’s about Maks and Val and Peta, yes, but I’m more of a special guest. I’ll definitely have input with choreography, we always work together, but it’s the boys’ show. So right now I’ve left it up to them.”
Check out their performance on Good Morning America above. For tickets, head Maksandvaltour.com.
