Oldies but goodies
The cast of "Assisted Living: The Musical" ham it up for a recent group photo. The show, which opens March 22, will benefit the charitable fund at Orchard Ridge Senior Living in Coeur d'Alene. Front row, from left: Monica Flaherty, Orchard Ridge Community Relations Director Holly Johnson and Rebecca Priano. Back row, standing, from left: Ken Bartle, Stephen Preston, Joy Preston, Kay Poland, Erik Contzius and Mike Grabenstein.
Courtesy photo
Growing older is not something to be afraid of, but rather something to celebrate and have fun with as the years pass.
"We never outgrow our need for community and for each other, no matter our age or where we’re living," former Orchard Ridge Senior Living administrator Mike Grabenstein said.
The comical side of aging will take centerstage when “Assisted Living: The Musical” plays March 22-24 at the Kroc Center.
"It's very tongue-in-cheek," said Rebecca Priano, who will perform alongside Grabenstein in the small ensemble cast. "It’s a bit risqué."
Grabenstein said the production is a story about never growing old, and how the need for intimacy, companionship and having a sense of purpose persist throughout life.
“It’s about the stories that you never hear about in assisted living,” he said.
People have grim perceptions of assisted living facilities, he said, rather than seeing them as places where new chapters and adventures begin.
“Once they get into that community where their needs are being taken care of, there’s a transformation that happens and a purpose for getting up in the morning because now you have friends who are dependent on you to be at the breakfast table, who are interested in you and want to have a conversation with you and form bonds," Grabenstein said.
Directed by Lorna Hamilton, "Assisted Living" is irreverent in some respects, he said.
"It talks about things we don’t talk about or expect seniors to talk about," he said. "Viagra is not a conversation you have with your grandkids, especially at 70 years of age."
All actors are volunteering their time and all proceeds from the show will benefit Orchard Ridge Senior Living's charitable care fund, which helps residents who have exhausted their life savings and can no longer afford to pay for care.
“The reason I and Rebecca have decided to do this is because of our connection to Orchard Ridge and its history and generosity within the community to those people who come up against situations where they need care but can’t necessarily afford that," Grabenstein said. "That number grows day to day.”
Priano's mom lived at Orchard Ridge for eight years.
"She was very ill when she went in and she got better because of the excellent care," Priano said.
Now Priano and Grabenstein are on the waiting list to make Orchard Ridge their home when its new apartment complex is completed.
"I think that people’s eyes are really being opened," Priano said. "The Baby Boomers are filling these facilities, these hundreds of thousands of people born after World War II. These facilities are meeting the need with places where you want to be.
"We’re healthier (than previous generations) when we go into these facilities so we need Mahjong and Pickleball," she continued. "We’re actually living there."
Grabenstein said he believes audiences will see the humanity in "Assisted Living."
“If people will allow themselves to just have fun with this, I think they'll enjoy it," he said.
Tickets for "Assisted Living the Musical" are $30 each.
Info: kroccda.org/kroc-cda