Young@Heart in New Zealand

In a celebration of age the Young @ Heart chorus has become infamous for its defiant and moving performances. As its name suggests, age is integral to this company. Slaughtering any good-natured sympathy by using age as an ironic weapon, Young @ Heart has crafted surprising and hilarious work that is not about old people performing, but rather a performance that happens to feature older people. So get ready to experience a couple of dozen amped-up senior citizens ranging in age from 73 to a relatively youthful 88 belting out hits from The Clash, Jimi Hendrix, Talking Heads, Coldplay etc.

These are people who have lived through world wars and extraordinary changes in society. According to the Chorus' Director, Bob Cilman, "These songs really resonated with them. They brought a new energy to the punk songs, which made it much more musical and amazing." Possibly the only thing more refreshing than hearing a gang of grandparents yelling "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones has to be their attitude to the whole fame thing. They've performed all over the world and starred in a smash-hit documentary, but are content to go home and pick up their golf clubs and knitting needles when the curtain comes down. As 80-year-old Glenda Philips says "What a joyride this has been!"

On the New Zealand tour, 5 Kiwis of the same vintage have been rehearsed and will join their American counterparts - so you can expect to hear a medley of Kiwi hits too - "But not the obvious ones" says Bob Cilman.

And New Zealand Producer, Stewart Macpherson said, after seeing a Chorus concert in the US, "What a fabulous feeling in the theatre. The audience, which was largely baby-boomers but also with their parents and their kids, made it a 3-generation celebration. They were on their feet and roaring their encouragement and delight."

YOUNG @ HEART - New Zealand Tour Dates:

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