I am not a performer---but I once had an experience in a "senior retirement" hotel. The anecdote might be of interest.

Quite a few years ago while visiting my late mother I noticed that in the afternoons the people just seemed to sit around a lot and stare out at the world. They seemed animated when the "weekly" performer (sing a long sort of thing---and oldies) appeared--also when the daily excersiser was there.

Knowing that my mother had kept for all the years the annual tapes I sent her of an annual concert I produced then I thought how nice it would be if we set up the "rec" room one afternoon and I would introduce the program and they might listen---it was a disaster.

They were not there 5 minutes and they sure became animated--fighting over people sitting in other people's chairs, this is not part of our routine, why can't we sit and watch the card players, etc; It almost got physical.

The point is, I suppose, that in these facilities people like their routines---and if appearances become a regular occurence it works. And--it has to involve them.

Bill Hahn