"The first 50 years are for learning; the second 50 are for LIVING!"
There aren't many times I seriously wish we had a television - tonight's one. I'd love to hear Leslie Stahl's report on Alive - 55 & Kickin'. HEAR it, because I sure enjoyed reading the interview with Vy Higgensen. That's the motto of a show in Harlem with a cast of singers ages 55 and up. Lesley Stahl reports on Sunday, July 12 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
Vy Higgensen - my kinda woman! The former disc jockey now theater producer is passionate about preserving the soul of Harlem - African-American music, whether gospel or soul, jazz or rhythm & blues. She didn't just dream a dream - she made it happen!
Vy wanted to create a show that showcased life experience, struggles & all. Taking a page from A Chorus Line, Vy cast the voices then develop story lines, but as she & director Ken Wydro listened to the cast's personal histories, they realized they were "hearing the stories of a generation -- the generation that came of age during the era of urban decay and the struggle for civil rights: the black baby boomers."
Some of them heard about auditions from friends or family, some heard about in the radio, where Vy ballyhooed that older people feel "This is a youth-oriented society. Nobody wants to hear about us." "Well," she let them know, "I want to hear about you!"
The singers had two things in common - incredible voices & they were all over 55. I relate to how they are described - all in their 'second half of life' just waiting for their chance to shine." Like me, they'd saved their best lines for their third act! Praise be, they met up with a woman who believes, "older people carry the music in their body, in their mind. If they die, then that sound may be gone forever."
The whole interview transcript is worth the read, but no denying the part I loved the most was when Vy brought together the cast & the kids in her Gospel for Teens program. But I'll let Vy & Lesley tell it -
[Vy Higginsen (in class): Come on, Matthew. (applause)
Matthew Brown: (sings) That Old Man River, he don't say nothing...]
Vy wanted to know what the kids heard in Matthew Brown's voice...
Student: I hear the journey that he lived, coming from segregation, coming from racism. I feel all the pain that our people had to endure, just by listening to his voice. And I thank him so much for sharing that with us.
Vy Higginsen: Wow! [applause]
She wanted the kids to try to copy the sounds they'd heard.
Roberta Ross w/ Sateena Turner: "Troubles of the world"
Roberta: [sings] "Soon I-I-I-I will be done..."
Sateena: [sings] "Soon I-I-I-I-I will be done..."
Roberta: Take your time.
Vy Higginsen: The older people are passing it on to the younger generation so the younger generation can pass it on to the next generation.
Lesley Stahl: And this is your mission.
Vy Higginsen: I don't want this music to die.
Roberta: [sings] "I'm goin' home--"
Sateena: [sings] "I'm goin' home--"
Together: [sings] "--to live with God."
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