By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Bob Cilman was working at a low-income meal site for the elderly in Northampton, Mass., in 1982 when a woman came up to him and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "She said, 'I can play the piano. Find me some singers,' " Cilman remembers.

So he did. It started out as a way to add a little zing to the meal site. It has since grown to a kind of artistic phenomenon. Their first-ever performance all those years ago was a four-night sellout, and the group has been going strong ever since.

The 35 members are ages 72 and up (average age is 77) and they perform high-energy rock 'n' roll, eschewing "Satin Doll" and "My Funny Valentine" and instead going for hits from the Stones and the Kinks.

Over the years, the group grew out of the housing project and now members come from all around the Northampton area.

Just reading about some of their exploits on stage is pretty darn entertaining.

There was Anna Mae, who lived to be 100, who did a Madonna impersonation to the song "Vogue," wearing a bra made of traffic cones.

Diamond Lil, one of the original performers, did a version of "These Boots are Made for Walkin' " and, Cilman recalls, "told jokes only she could get away with."

The current line-up includes Dora Morrow, who's in her 80s, and does a sizzling solo to "Shot Gun."

Janice St. Laurence, who used to play piano to accompany ballet dancers, is working on "Whip It" by Devo.

And Eileen Hall, who just turned 90, performs "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash.

"Most people say stay," Cilman jokes with her.

"I don't care what they say," she says. "I'll do what I want to do. I can, at my age."

Cilman became de facto director when the group's original director quit on the day of their first performance. He is credited with, or blamed for, the group's musical selections. Cilman used to play guitar for "The Self-Righteous Brothers," which explains a lot.

The company members say Cilman is tough on them. They laugh when they say it, but Cilman doesn't deny it. He says, "The performers realize that this requires a lot of attention and focus. They see the value of listening to direction. That's what makes them so good on stage."

Cilman emphasizes that this is not a message show, though audience members often say that they found inspiration or hope in the performance.

"The chorus was never intended to be a social service to aid the elderly. Instead, it's all about making interesting art ... For those of us who were brought up with the music, it's amazing how much it becomes transformed when it's sung by older people."

The Young @ Heart Chorus performs at the Hawai'i Theatre Oct. 16 at 7:30 pm and Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. For ticket information, call the Hawai'i Theatre box office at 528-0506.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.