Dir.: Stephen Walker, Sally George
Prod.: Hannah Beckerman, Sally George, Jane Villiers
This morning, as I lay
in bed watching TV, I saw a commercial for something only I would get excited
for: the summer documentary series on HBO. YES!!!
HBO will be showing ten
hour-long documentaries, once a week for ten weeks, starting tomorrow until
August 12th. I was so excited I immediately set my DVR. I’m going to be
watching and blogging all ten documentaries
(starting tomorrow with Pussy Riot: A
Punk Prayer).
Anyway, seeing this commercial
totally lit a fire under me and it put me in a doc watching mood. So, let’s
dive back in!
Okay. Quick – picture a glee
club!
I bet you’re thinking
one of two things: overly sequined Broadway rejects singing cheesy, schmaltzy
versions of pop songs, or that monstrous TV show that falls under the category
"it seemed like a good idea at the time" (you know exactly what
I'm talking about).
 |
| I'm glaring at you, Fox... |
Well, I’m about to
totally blow your mind. Meet the Young@Heart chorus – a music group comprised
of twenty-four senior citizens singing punk and rock songs. Talk about “seniors
behaving badly”!
The average age of this
group is EIGHTY! EIGHTY, OKAY?! They sing, they entertain, they tour, they’re
up on stage, singing their asses off, with walkers, wheelchairs and canes. The
documentary follows them on their journey to rehearse a brand new touring show,
which will open in seven weeks.
 |
| Eat your heart out, Rachel Berry |
It originally began as a
group of golden oldies singing golden oldies. However, one member of the group
suddenly busted out into singing the song “Do Wa Ditty”, and the course of the
chorus was changed forever.
The chorus master, Bob
Cilman, is charismatic and funny and works extremely hard with the chorus. At
the first rehearsal that is filmed, he congratulates one member on his
birthday, makes a few jokes about kidney stones, and then asks, “Anyone have
any other health issues they want to share? Anyone having a baby?”
Bob picks songs like “I
Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones and “I Feel Good” by James Brown. He’s not so
much concerned with tune or harmonies. It’s more about camaraderie, fun and entertainment.
He prints the lyrics out for everyone using an extra-large font. He provides
CDs for the members, so that they can sing along at home and learn the words.
The choreography is light and easy. They’ve performed at schools, festivals and
for the Queen of Norway. Though not everyone loves the music Bob picks (some
admit to wearing ear plugs to rehearsal), they all love being a part of the
chorus.
Most of the members of
the group have no idea about punk and rock – they only sing it. Their own
tastes vary from Broadway standards to opera. Sonic Youth, the Clash and
Outkast may be on their own program, but they don’t prefer to listen to it.
The oldest member of the
group is Eileen, who is 92 years old. She’s a British import who, in a former
life, was a burlesque dancer. She’s flirty and sweet, who tells people she’s
twenty nine. “I just switch the numbers ‘round!” she laughs. She lives in a
nursing home, but is the only resident who has her own key to the front door to
the facility, due to the fact that chorus rehearsals sometimes keep her out
late, after all of the staff has gone home.
“Singing does a lot for
your whole body,” says chorus member Joe. He’s eighty three years old, has battled
cancer (and went through six bouts of chemotherapy), and is going on tour with
Young@Heart against medical advice. He, Eileen and their friend Lenny, travel
to rehearsals together. Lenny (a WW2 veteran) is the only one who is still able
to drive. He also enjoys going on long bike rides and is still active in other
choral groups, like the Harmonicats and the church choir.
The most emotional part
of the documentary is when Bob visits a former member of Young@Heart, named Bob
Salvini, who swears that music brought him back from the brink of death. He was
hospitalized, and not expected to survive the night. A priest was brought in to
say his last rites. However, his daughter tells about how singing through the
night helped him pull through. “He sang everything,” she says. “Everything from
the Young@Heart program.”
I think my favorite
part, however, is the scene where the chorus does their first-ever performance
at a prison. This was one of the greatest things I have ever seen on film - two
dozen senior citizens performing in an outside courtyard, surrounded by barbed
wire, for inmates who genuinely look like that they are having a wonderful
time. I'm serious! These guys sit and listen to the chorus with gigantic smiles
on their faces, bobbing their heads and clapping with sincere appreciation. At
one point, a few of them are moved to tears. Afterwards, the chorus members mingle
with the prisoners, who give them hugs and handshakes, complimenting their
performance and saying how much they loved them. It was quite wonderful to
see.
Young@Heart was a wonderful, uplifting documentary. I did not stop smiling
the entire time, though there are moments that will move you to tears. These
elderly folks really are young at heart – they would rather defy their doctors
and travel to rehearsals than miss a single one. They sing in the shower, they
sing in the car, they sing to each other. They love to dance and to perform. They
work so hard to learn these songs, and when Bob gets frustrated at rehearsals and
wants to cut a song, they get up and arms and threaten to pummel him. They even
make music videos!
What I took away the
most from Young@Heart is that you’re
never too old to do what you love and as long as it makes you happy, there’s
nothing that can stop you.
I really hope
I'm this cool when I'm an octogenarian.
For more information
about the Young@Heart chorus (and get their tour schedule, of course), visit: http://youngatheartchorus.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment