Senior Moments is a powerful musical romp through various aspects of aging – from the hilarious antics at a senior fitness class to the poignant interaction between an old woman and her daughter who constantly misunderstand one another. The production opens with all actors singing Senior Moments, a rousing tune that lets the audience know they are in for an exciting musical experience on the subject of aging.
Next we hear a son and daughter talk about their mother’s future without including her in the discussion though she is sitting right there. Invisible is the mother’s heart’s cry that her children “look at me but they don’t see me at all.”
A solo by a grandfather, When I Was a Young Man, encourages his grandson not to make the same mistakes that his grandfather did but to learn that loving and giving, not accumulating, are what make for a meaningful life.
Following that we are entertained by two older women, one of whom urges the other to “get out there” and start dating again. “It’s never too late to fall in love,” she coos to her surprised friend. Their duet, Am I Ready, is filled with upbeat music and lyrics.
Next two sisters complain to their older brother that they are shocked and upset that their elderly father is dating. The older brother tries to explain that their dad is entitled to companionship even in his 80’s, and we get to see him enjoying his new love as they sing Making New Memories.
The inevitable visit to a senior living community by our “invisible” mother from the earlier scene turns to be quite different than she thought and is punctuated by the peppy song, Ready for the Next Step.
And though he is urged to throw out some of the photos he has been saving in old boxes in the garage for years, the elderly father in the next scene feels like he will be throwing his life away if he complies with his daughter’s request. As he looks through the photos, he sings Monday, Friday, clinging to them as he does to his life.
Then we are off to a senior fitness class as the first act comes to a close while the cast sings, Let’s Get Fit.
Act Two opens with two elderly men getting ready to play tennis though neither of them is really in physical shape to play. Their hilarious banter about what it takes to play another set (tubes of Ben Gay, leg braces and numerous aches and pains) doesn’t keep them from trying one more time. Never Too Old is their theme song, and they sing it together with an attractive older woman tennis player whom they are trying to impress.
Don’t be shocked by the wife’s wacky idea to cash in their expensive funeral arrangements so she and her hubby can take the fabulous vacation they never took because they couldn’t afford it. The lyrics and dialogue in Cremation Vacation may give some audience members a new slant on this “going to happen to all of us” experience.
Next is the heartbreaking exchange between an elderly mother and her daughter who have a talent for antagonizing one another. Their beautiful duet, Can’t I Ever Please Her, is unfortunately a recognizable theme in many mother-daughter relationships.
A solo number by an older woman steals the show as she croons the Tango Lament, bemoaning all her dreams that never came to pass. But that all changes once she becomes a grandmother.
In The Walker, a scene without music, a loving wife finds a way to soften the reality that her husband can’t get around safely without a walker. Her comic take on it makes him able to move on to this next phase of his life, literally.
An 80-year old woman who is still pursuing her dream of a hit song encourages a younger man (a mere 60 year old) to find a purpose and direction for his life. She tries to convince him that having a dream you are passionate about gives meaning, direction and joy to your life. They celebrate this theme together in the unforgettable ballad, The Power of a Dream.
As the show heads to the finale, a dying husband in a coma says good-bye to his beloved wife, the distraught mother of the earlier scene who struggles to express her feelings to her daughter. The husband and wife sing If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now as their final confession of love. Their daughter enters the hospice setting in time to say good-bye to her father and unite, finally, with her mother, as they sing A Life Well Lived.
And next the Finale begins, with an upbeat reprise of Ready for the Next Step as the cast offers a chorus line showstopper that leaves the audience thoroughly entertained and filled with possibilities for the time ahead in their own lives.
