Sue's News

“Young At Heart”

March 31st, 2008

She looks like she’s about to wink at you, doesn’t she?
Like she knows something, and don’t you wish you did too?

Last night, we saw “I’ve Got Your Number: Romance, the Rat Pack and Carolyn Leigh” at the 92 Street Y. It was a wonderful show, with some amazing performers singing some of Leigh’s most memorable hits.

The show kicked off with a bang as all four singers sang “The Best is Yet to Come,” (which Sinatra made famous, and loved so much as to have those words inscribed on his tombstone).

At the end of the first intermission, the audience was invited to sing along to “Young At Heart,” Carolyn’s first major hit, which she was inspired to write after visiting her father in the hospital after he had coronary trouble.

As we sang aloud, and my voice rang higher, I realized the truth of her lyrics…

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes…
You can laugh, when your dreams fall apart at the seams

How else could I keep going in the face of “no”? How else could I still keep believing that my fairytale of Broadway can come true?

Though some may think I’m crazy, or unrealistic… I say I’m the most in touch with reality, because when my time is up, I wanna know I spent my life chasing and making my dreams come true. And I think Carolyn would agree with me…

And if you should survive to 105…
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive!

Here is the best part,
you’ll have a headstart–
if you are among the very young at heart…

The finale was one of Carolyn’s most seductive lyrics, “Witchcraft.”

Deborah Grace Winer, the evening’s moderator, cited the song for having one word more than any… “craft,” which fittingly describes Carolyn’s work.

To say the evening was inspiring would be an understatement.

–Sue

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