Once upon a time...the History of "Too Old For The Chorus"

In 1999, we (Mark Winkler, Marie Cain, and Shelly Markham) had just written songs for NAKED BOYS SINGING, which was a success at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles and went on to become an Off-Broadway hit. We were asked by the artistic director, Bob Shrock, to work on another musical to go into their small theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard.

It occurred to the three of us that perhaps we should write a musical based on ourselves. Here we were, writers who loved to write, feeling as creative as ever, and yet, virtually "invisible" to the music industry as a whole because we were all in our 50s. It seemed like a good idea for a show....a piece that would mirror what our generation thinks about aging. To us, at least, being over 50 was not about moving away to the Florida sunset. It was about opportunities and challenges and knowing that our generational icons (from industrialists like Lee Iococca, directors like Clint Eastwood, and actors like Richard Gere and Jane Fonda) did not finish their careers when Social Security began to loom up and tell us that retirement was a viable option. We knew better...our whole generation did. And so was born the idea of TOO OLD FOR THE CHORUS.

The show ran for five months at the Celebration Theatre and six months at the Theatre in Old Town in San Diego. Through all of the many rewrites, we felt like pioneers...talking about things that we didn't remember being said in musicals before. The responsibilities of caring for older parents, the anxieties of starting a second career, the inevitable process of aging that we now know how to laugh about, and the knowledge that you simply are smarter than when you were younger, and proud of the fact that being older can actually be a good thing. There is lots to impart, there are friendships to be made, and life can really go on at any age, if you are bold enough to change with the times.

This show really isn't about "nostalgia". It's about being visible, active and being seen for exactly who you are....while getting a senior discount, which is not so bad after all.

Mark Winker, Marie Cain, Shelly Markham

September 2007