AILSA CHANG, HOST:
More than 1 million Americans live in some form of assisted living. In Michigan, a group of retirees is going around to retirement homes with some musical theater. As part of our series Here to Help, here's AJ Jones from member station WCMU in Mount Pleasant.
AJ JONES, BYLINE: In the basement of a performing arts center, 82-year-old John McPeak is setting up chairs and mic stands. The retiree is preparing for an important theater rehearsal.
JOHN MCPEAK: This is our equipment cabinet. We have our...
JONES: McPeak comes from a family of volunteers.
MCPEAK: I volunteer here at the Center for the Arts. I volunteer at senior services in their Meals on Wheels and transportation programs. One of my dogs does a therapy dog program. So my day schedule is - pretty well revolves around volunteering.
JONES: Today, he's working as a volunteer actor with the Golden Guild, a theater group of retirees that's been around for over two decades. Today, eight of them are donning cowboy hats and denim jackets, rehearsing in preparation for a show.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (Singing) Where the deer and the antelope play.
JONES: McPeak says the group tries to perform material their audiences in assisted care facilities will recognize.
MCPEAK: For a lot of these people, they aren't attuned to anything more recent. If you think about it, the music that you remember the most, that means most to you is the music that you learned growing up.
JONES: This year's show features classic Western and folk music and sketches based on classic Westerns, like "Gunsmoke" and "Rawhide."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (Singing) Move 'em on. Move 'em on. Head 'em up. Rawhide.
JONES: Fellow Golden Guild member JoAnn Pobocik (ph) says she knows John McPeak quite well.
JOANN POBOCIK: I also live with him, so (laughter), you know, we're partners.
JONES: She says McPeak is essential to the group.
POBOCIK: He's like the backbone to a lot of stuff. If it weren't for him, I don't know if we would be able to do this because he hauls all of our equipment every time we go out to perform, and he's just always there, ready to work.
JONES: A week later, McPeak sets up chairs and mics in the common room at a nursing home an hour before their show.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHAIRS BEING MOVED)
JONES: He says he's a tad nervous.
MCPEAK: I mean, these other people are watching me like I'm a frog specimen, and they're in biology class.
JONES: During the performance, McPeak dons a coonskin hat and plays Davy Crockett.
MCPEAK: (As Davy Crockett) Oh, yeah, folks around here call that Sasquatch. That's the varmint we've been tracking.
JONES: He also gets to perform a solo.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MCPEAK: (Singing) I got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle.
JONES: Judy Nelson is in the audience and is a big fan of the Golden Guild.
JUDY NELSON: I enjoyed it very much. It's been good. I've seen it now probably for five years.
JONES: The Golden Guild closes their performance with another classic.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (Singing) Happy trails to you till we meet again.
JONES: For NPR News, I'm AJ Jones in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
(SOUNDBITE OF KACEY MUSGRAVES SONG, "BUTTERFLIES") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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