A
choral group of
people 65 and over that addresses a wide range of
political issues. Young@Heart was begun at a low-income meal site for the
elderly in
Northampton,
Massachusetts, in
1983.
Director Bob Cilman says of their first show,
"The star attraction... was an 85-year-old woman, Anna Main, who developed into a stand-up comic with plenty of filthy jokes that only she could get away with. We knew from the beginning, if the songs weren't going over, we could give them Anna and she would keep it entertaining." (http://www.globalideasbank.org/showidea.php?idea=2650)
They began incorporating drag, coalitions with young breakdancing groups, Cambodian and punk groups, and many more. Some of their productions have included a cowboy show called "Flaming Saddles" done with the Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus and "Louis Lou I," a re-telling of the French Revolution via Sinatra's music.
They have toured internationally, with trips to Belgium and the United Kingdom. More information can be found at their website, www.youngatheartchorus.com.