The ten-year hiatus on Assisted Living: The Musical in this region will be over on April 4 and 5th in three performances at The Norris Center.
After nearly 1000 author performances nationally and a few hundred licensed productions, Rick Compton and Betsy Bennettare bringing their production home.
"The national thing broke when we were playing an early version of the show at Fred's Diner here in Naples," Bennett recalls."The Associated Press picked up a local review, it ran worldwide, and we were off."
Next were a producer, managers, NYC workshops, agents, a San Francisco Equity opening "and a whole bunch of rehearsal" quips Compton.
In its ten years of touring, it has played venues such as The Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City, and El Portal Theatre in Hollywood, and legacy halls such The Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey and The Grand in Wilmington, DE.
It has enjoyed multiple runs at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. There, the authors have become artists-in-repertory of a sort, performing Assisted Living: The Musical and other shows for several years.
The success of the slice-of-senior-life show is due in part to its treatment of aging. "The seniors we know here in Naples are positive about life," says Compton."They live every day doing what they wish and doing it the best they can."
"These are the people who have inspired our characters," adds Bennett.
In the show, this approach translates to life-loving eccentrics who each sing, dance and bloviate their way through later life. There are 18 such characters, all played by the two quick-changing actors. There are no sad songs. There are no Depends jokes.
The Norris Center performances will include the three-piece version of The Geezers, an on-stage band. They are led by Music Director Jeremy Franklin Goodman who tours with the show.
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