What we can be definitive about is that he personifies the definitions of those theatrical truisms "super trouper" and "the show must go on".
As he battles his present "hiccup", his latest production, Dancin in the Street, is playing to full houses. Young's performances traditionally do.
Despite been whisked into Waikato Hospital when rehearsals were hitting top gear, Robert was leading the applause on opening night, hitched to a morphine pump.
But returning to his theatrical beginnings. He was 13 ("or was it 14?") when he became a Royal Ballet extra during Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sir Robert Helpmann's New Zealand tour. Sir Robert remained a lifelong friend, they later worked together in New York, and his protege quotes him frequently. Robert the younger was ecstatic, not only to be sharing the stage with such international superstars but being paid to.
"It was minimal but it seemed like a fortune to me."
He was next in front of the footlights as a singer/dancer in JC Williamson's New Zealand My Fair Lady production.
"It was the musical of the time, the police would be there stopping queue jumpers ... unknown then but the same as it is with pop stars today."
Prompted by the subject of pop, Robert reflects how glad he is his career had its genesis in the classical world, followed by musical theatre.
"That's where you learn your craft. Part of the advice Sir Robert [Helpmann] gave me was always share your craft because that's how the theatre survives."
From touring Australasia with the JC Willliamson company in a roll call of bill-topping shows and ballets, Robert took on London.
"It was the 60s, Carnaby St was all the rage. I took every theatre job that came along. I didn't just want to be a singer-dancer, I wanted to learn set, costume design, all the facets of the West End."
He joined a cast "shaking it" in Paris. Robert's amused the term's unknown to us, translating it as runway dancing.
"It was wonderful fun, I was such a show pony."
Four years choreographing AKTV2's smash hit Happen In followed.
A little-known career highlight came when he and the flamboyant David Hartnell transformed themselves into drag queens ... "as the fabulous Bob and Dave La Rue we'd stop traffic click-clacking across Queen St in our stilettos, feather head gear and gowns to perform at the Peter Pan [cabaret]".
Hamilton's Musical Theatre enticed him south of the Bombays and close to 50 Waikato-based shows followed.
The curtain rose on his Rotorua career in the 70s when close friend, Rob Guest starred in Joseph And His Technicolour Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar.
There are few New Zealand cities and major centres where Robert hasn't had a major theatre influence.
"Then one freezing day in Queenstown I was asked to the Gold Coast to direct Superstar."
Robert zig-zagged across the Tasman "innumerable" times, directing Rotorua Musical Theatre and John Paul College productions before settling in the city three years ago.
The move came when Robert's partner of 20 years, specialist nurse John Knipe, was offered a job "too good to turn down", working with young ACC clients.
We're conscious we're prying when we ask Robert when he "came out of the (gay) closet"? We receive the answer we deserve.
"I've never been in it ... what you see is what you get."
This week's legalisation of same-sex marriage begs the question have the two considered matrimony? "We've discussed it, we might, we might not, in reality I may not have the time left. I'm meant to be doing Buddy in four weeks for Boys' High. I'd like to even if I have to get a friend in to help with the bits I can't manage."
Cancer, he confides, has taught him "heaps".
"You learn to look on the bright side of life, to value friends and what's important.
"I've been lucky to work in a job where the people are wonderful, encouraging me, but not everyone's like that, some are really funny about cancer ... scared they might catch it from me. I'm not frightened of passing on, my Catholic faith sustains me."
He converted "from nothing" at 22.
"I walked into a church, Benediction was on, I knew I was home."
