Kelli O'Hara and Comedy Duo Compton & Bennett to Perform at Scottsdale Center

A concert by Broadway superstar Kelli O'Hara and the theatrical comedy duo of Compton & Bennett are among the theater-related offerings at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts this fall.

Compton & Bennett, who are known to Scottsdale Arts audiences for their “Assisted Living” musicals will premiere a new show called “One Stooge Shy” at the center from Nov. 21–24. And O'Hara will make an appearance as part of the long-running Seth Rudetsky Concert Series on Oct. 19.

“We always look forward to having Seth Rudetsky on our stage with the legends of Broadway,” said Abbey Messmer, programming director at the center. “His knowledge of the industry and humorous anecdotes create a truly memorable experience with these stars — one that goes beyond a normal concert. And we're sure he'll strike a similar dynamic with Kelli O'Hara.”

The Seth Rudetsky Broadway Concert Series brings the biggest Broadway stars to the center's Virginia G. Piper Theater stage for an intimate concert and conversation, featuring popular hits of the theater and candid stories.   

O'Hara, a star of stage and screen, has established herself as one of Broadway's greatest leading ladies. Her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in “The King and I” garnered her the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League, Outer Critics and Olivier nominations. She also received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in “The Accidental Wolf” and can currently be seen as Aurora Fane on HBO's critically acclaimed series “The Gilded Age.”

Rudetsky is the afternoon host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's On Broadway and the host of “Seth Speaks” on Sirius/XM Stars. As an author, he penned “My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan” and the sequel “The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek,” as well as three volumes of “Seth's Broadway Diary,” featuring inside scoops and stories from all the stars he's worked with. He co-wrote and co-starred in “Disaster!” (The New York Times “critics pick”), which also premiered to rave reviews in London.

The Scottsdale performances of “One Stooge Shy” in the center's Stage 2 will mark the major market premiere for the new comedy by Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett. Best known for “Assisted Living: The Musical” and “Assisted Living The Musical: The HOME for the Holidays,” Compton & Bennett have toured theaters and performing arts centers for more than a decade with their shows.

“'Assisted Living: The Musical' and its holiday version have both been popular with our patrons, so we're thrilled to premiere what is sure to be another hit show by the hilarious duo,” Messmer said.

Compton & Bennett are described in promotional materials as “the same two wackos who created and perform the ‘Assisted Living' shows.” Their new show is a 90-minute, non-political social satire and “neo-vaudevillian romp through song and sketch comedy.

From an obsessed TikTok user who fears he might be a Chinese spy to a lawyer giving a lesson on theater etiquette, “One Stooge Shy” boasts an eclectic assortment of zany characters, all performed by the creative duo in true Compton & Bennett style. There's even a sketch about dairy substitutes to rival “Who's on First” in its pretzel logic, misnomers and puns. But patrons shouldn't necessarily watch for any Larrys, Curleys or Moes in the show.

“Let's make it clear from the top,” Bennett cautions. “Despite the title, no one gets poked in the eye.”

Bennett is a master of accents and nuance, with a malleable face she shapes into each character, while Compton plays the piano and delivers bits from songs to sales pitches.