Fourteen finalists sang and danced their hearts out to vie for the winning spot at the inaugural Senior Star Search at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Los Angeles on July 12. The seniors, ranging from 55 to 86 years “young,” proved that age is just a number, beginning with the opening performance of “It’s Not How You Start, It’s How You Finish”. The brightly costumed vocalists evoked a bit of Old Hollywood style with a staggered-line synchronized dance complete with shimmies, kicks and twirls that lit the stage and dazzled the audience.

Senior Star Search contestant Sandy Mack won first place with a unique rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. (photo courtesy of Bill Dow Photography)

The senior talent competition was open to singers and dancers and offered a chance to win monetary awards, performance opportunities, professional headshots, entertainment workshop access and publicity and industry experience. Competition was fierce, but Sandy Mack, 65, walked away with first place after wowing the judges with a unique rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and Terri Olsen, 58, took second place with her song and dance number, “Come Rain or Come Shine”.

The creation of Senior Star Search was inspired by the senior theater musicals produced by Jackie Goldberg, 83. Better known to her constituents as The Pink Lady, Goldberg noticed at the musical auditions a large number of seniors were searching for opportunities to work in the entertainment industry, but were met with few options. She joined forces with Barbara Van Orden, model, singer and producer, and Amanda Blake Secola, editor of the senior newspaper “Not Born Yesterday”, to bring her dream of Senior Star Search to life. This year, more than 150 adults over the age of 55 auditioned, and Goldberg said this is just the beginning for what she hopes will become a national event.

“I want to do this Senior Star Search in every state in the union, then would like to have a nation-wide, two-to-three day convention for a Senior Star Search USA,” Goldberg said.

The production was directed and choreographed by Joe Giamalva and Susie McIver Ewing. Ron Synder served as musical director and James Gray served as Master of Ceremonies. The 14 finalists were judged on presentation, personality and vocal performance by George Chakiris, Academy Award winner; Michael Kelly, director and choreographer; David Galligan, celebrated director; Michael Donovan, casting director; and Steve Stevens, talent agent.

“Coming from a show business family, I’ve been around this my whole life — plus I’m a senior myself now, so this is fun,” said Kelly, who began his career on the set of “Hello Dolly” directed by his uncle, Gene Kelly. “If anyone out there has a passion for entertainment, whether it be singing or dancing or telling jokes, it doesn’t have to be about how good you are at it, just do it.”

The evening offered much more than a talent show; it was a musical production with comedic bits between performances and varied special guests including Senior Star Search showgirls. Mariam Nelson, 95, Hollywood choreographer, accepted the first ever Senior Star Search Lifetime Achievement Award after tap-dancing a number to “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore”.

Nelson said that her advice to anyone who wants to pursue their dream, at any age, is to “never sit down and always try to improve yourself. Keep doing the things that you enjoy and you’ll be fine.”

As roles for seniors become more popular in film, television and theater, and with big names like Betty White, 93; Tony Bennet, 88; and Patricia Morison, 100, remaining relevant in the industry, Goldberg knew that creating “Senior Star Search” would be well received by performers and fans alike. In fact, the production has the support of Hollywood stars from past and present with attendees including Dawn Wells, Alison Arngrim, Hank Garret, Ro Brooks and Blake Ewing, the winner of the 1992 Star Search “Junior Vocalist Champion” who went on to land roles in “Full House” and “Little Rascals”.

Garrett, who starred in “Car 54, Where Are You?”, has worked with Goldberg on senior theater productions before and said the star search performances inspired him.

“When you’re a performer and you see these other performers really getting an amazing reaction on stage from the audience, you want to get up there yourself,” Garrett said. “I meet people all the time that say, ‘Man, I’m so sorry I never pursued acting, or singing, or whatever.’ If it’s your dream, follow that dream and stay with it.”

Prior to winning the star search competition, Mack has done background vocals for Nora Jones, Keith Richards, Garth Brooks, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder. She has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and has been featured in numerous plays, sporting events and commercials. However, she said that it is the Senior Star Search that reinvigorated her to continue pursuing her passion in entertainment, especially as she begins to market the CD she recently released.

“I’m so inspired by seeing all of these active seniors around me — any one of us could have won here today. There’s so much talent and we all banded together. My favorite part of the entire competition was when we all had to learn the group opening number and helped each other learn the words and steps,” Mack said. “I’m leaving this competition with so many new friends.”

David Curtis, a contestant who introduced himself as 37 then reluctantly corrected himself as 73, filled the theater with his commanding and theatrical rendition of, “The Impossible Dream”. Though Curtis did not place in the competition, Goldberg is certain that he has the potential to reinvent himself as an entertainer.

“The song I sang today, it means everything to me because of my life story. I have been divorced multiple times, my house burned down about 10 years ago — I lost everything except my faith, I lost my son to a heart attack, I’ve suffered two heart attacks myself — the last of which the doctors said I shouldn’t have survived. So, I knew from then on that I was put here on earth for a reason, and that reason is to perform,” Curtis said.

Von Orden said that she, Goldberg and Secola have plans to open a theater dedicated to senior performers in the next few years and have the support from city officials. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, have both presented certificates to the three women for their dedication to increasing the quality of life for seniors through the arts.

“This production has given these folks the chance to either reboot their careers or start their careers. As seniors, they’re either at the age that’s hard to reboot their career because they’ve been forgotten, or maybe they’ve always wanted to sing or dance but have been taking care of their families or children for so long, and now that their kids are grown, or they’ve lost someone or divorced or whatever, they finally have time to,” Goldberg said. “They see that there’s a whole new life out there for [them], and this lets them reinvent themselves.”