‘Assisted Living: The Musical’ hits the big time

• Learn more about “Assisted Living: The Musical” at assistedlivingthemusical.com.

Those Viagra jokes and old-lady-driver songs might be going national in a big way.

For three years, Naples comedy duo Compton & Bennett have been touring with their hit show “Assisted Living: The Musical” and playing restored vaudeville theaters and other venues across the country.

But now their original musical has the chance to take on a life of its own.

“Assisted Living: The Musical” got published in November by the Los Angeles-based Steele Spring Stage Rights, a company that licenses shows to community and professional theaters across the country.

As with any other published show, the duo will get a percentage of ticket sales for every theater that produces “Assisted Living.” So far, nobody has staged the newly licensed musical, but Masskus Productions in Oakridge, Tenn., has filed an application to produce it this May.

Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett — best known locally for their parody songs and satirical bite — are understandably thrilled by the development.

“We’re really proud of this,” Compton says. “We hope it catches on!”

The 80-minute show makes fun of the joys and pains of old age, including senior sex, that first AARP invitation, sagging body parts and old lady drivers. It follows the residents of a fictional assisted-living facility called Pelican Roost.

Compton & Bennett first performed “Assisted Living: The Musical” way back in 2009. But the show has been through many changes since then, thanks to the duo’s relationship with a New York City creative team that includes music director Skip Brevis, arranger and music director for the Off Broadway musical “Beehive.”

The show has been through about 13 revisions since its debut, and the published version is a lot different from what Southwest Florida audiences first saw five years ago.

“Assisted Living” has transformed from a two-person cabaret act to a full-fledged musical with a cast of 2-21 performers (depending on a theater’s needs), a five-person chorus and songs orchestrated for a seven-piece band.

They’ve also jettisoned a couple of extraneous characters and most of their parody songs in favor of originals with titles such as “Lost-My-Dentures-On-Steak-Night Blues” and “Vernon’s Burnin’ Passion.” Still, they’ve kept a few popular parodies, including “The Uplifting Viagra Melody.” In that number, the cast changes the lyrics to popular songs such as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (new chorus: “In the bedroom, the darkened bedroom, Via-gar-a tonight”).

The musical fills a vacuum in American theater, the duo says. Aside from “Menopause: The Musical,” there aren’t many other musical comedies that address the ups and downs of aging.

But “Assisted Living” isn’t just aimed at women experiencing hot flashes. It’s meant for men and women, both.

“This one’s for everybody,” Bennett says. “Both women and mean can get a chuckle out of it.”

Compton thinks the show will catch on — if their experience on the road has taught them anything. On tour, they’ve returned to some of the same cities two or three times. And many of those venues sold out.

“So that tells us that, yeah, we’ve struck a chord,” Compton says. “It’s just a common experience.”

Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells (News-Press) (Facebook) @charlesrunnells (Twitter)

Learn more about “Assisted Living: The Musical” at assistedlivingthemusical.com.