MUSICAL COMEDY/    In a retirement home, a nurse’s aide, who has just arrived, is going to awaken the comedy, music, singing and dance in some of the residents who are under his care…He is even going to organize a show with them, that will succeed in making them feel proud and appreciated. They will feel, once more, the joy of life…

Synopsis

Steve (30 years old) is an actor, and occasionally, even a stage director. But unfortunately, for a while now, he has a hard time finding an acting job.

Frustrated and desperate in not finding a role that fits him, he decides, (in order to eat and live) that while waiting for this role, he will take whatever work the job center will propose to him. And so, he accepts the position of a nurse’s aide in a Retirement Home.

Tom’s River – New-Jersey

Saint-John’s Institute (Residence for the elderly)

Resigned, Steve decides to put his heart and mind into this job and show real compassion for these “gramps and grans” of the retirement home.

One beautiful morning, in the large common room, he hears one of the new residents, a beautiful and proud African-American octogenarian. A lady that always has a flower stuck in her hair, the one who is known throughout the residence as “Lady Rose”, singing while playing the piano that is placed in the corner of the room.

Surprised and fascinated by her voice, but aware at the same time that she has some difficulty in remembering the words of the song, he approaches her and immediately recognizes this piece of Billie Holliday’s (I’m a fool to want you) and starts singing with her…Followed by another piece (My man) he is surprised, once more, to find that other residents have joined them and are humming the tune with them.

This moment resonates in him and from then onwards will forever change the lives and routines of some of the residents of this Home (yet will also bring up the reluctance of most of his colleagues and will certainly provoke the hostility of the manager of the Retirement Home).

Steve, who loves the theatre and appreciates Blues, Jazz and Soul music, has an idea to use his knowledge and take a chance and put on a show with the “elders”…

And yes, why not even a musical comedy?

The principal role will feature, of course, Lady Rose, but all the other roles will be played, naturally, by the “guys” and “gals” of the residence, who are all excited by this project.

To his great joy he will benefit from the collaboration of Samantha (a lovely girl 25 years old) a nurse, who is in love with him from the first moment she saw him and Gregory (an African-American 60 years old) who is the guardian and the gardener of the Retirement Home. He is a veteran tap dancer who is more than happy to be in charge of the choreography of the show.

He is letting them use, in secret, the old barn for their rehearsals and organizes for them a few nights out, escaping into town to the music bars in the area.

The miracle will work despite all the problematic rehearsals, given the age of the participants and therefore all the awkward situations that derive from it.

But all the actors of this adventure will surprise Steve…and how…

And with perseverance and hard work and despite all the problems he faced regarding his colleagues and the manager of the Home, the piece is finally ready and done.

They are going to surprise everyone at the Retirement Home at the end of the year party, performing before visitors and families, who will be utterly amazed.

There will be talk of this show well beyond the Residence’s walls. It will even reach the ears of the mayor of Philadelphia, who will offer them the Grand Theatre for a one night show.

But things will not stop there, either for Steve (for his future career of course) or for the show itself…Because an important producer in the show-biz will have a big project in mind after he sees the show.

Therefore, six months later we are going to participate in a Grand opening night in a Broadway theatre featuring “Lady Rose”…with the presence of the mayor of New-York and all the who’s who of the theatre world…

Notes:

“Lady Rose” is a story about the generosity and warmness of the human soul.

Despite of certain comic situations, the story treats the issues of the elderly with dignity.

It shows sensibility and reflection on the subject, and sparks good feelings towards the subjects.

We try and present the third and fourth age groups in a new way.

We therefore are immediately sympathetic towards these “elderly”, who are the heroes of this comedy, and appreciate the fact that one day, when we are old, we too would be able to sing and dance and appreciate life like they do…

An important life lesson for us all…

(WGA Registration).