MTI has been selected by Mather Institute as a 2025 recipient of the Promising Practices Awards. Now in its fifteenth year, this awards program recognizes organizations that are moving away from conventional practices by developing and implementing new and innovative approaches for older adults.

MTI was chosen for its Broadway Senior™ collection of musicals, which gives older adults the chance to produce and perform in musical theatre and enjoy opportunities for creative and social engagement.

Founded in 1941, Mather is a nondenominational not-for-profit organization that creates Ways to Age Well. Mather Institute is its research area of service, and serves as an award-winning resource for research and information about wellness, aging, trends in senior living, and successful aging service innovations.

“The Promising Practices Awards honors MTI for its unique program offering adaptations of popular musicals specifically developed for performers 55 and better,” said Jennifer L. Smith, PhD, AVP and Director, Mather Institute. “Their Broadway Senior musicals help improve the lives of older adults by offering them a collaborative experience that can improve overall health and well-being.”

Broadway Senior musicals feature shortened running times and adjustments to tempos and keys in musical numbers—ensuring that all older adults can participate comfortably, express themselves creatively, and perform to the best of their abilities, regardless of prior experience. Broadway Senior musicals are perfect for communities serving the older adult population.

There are currently five Broadway Senior musicals available for licensing: The Music Man SR.; Guys and Dolls SR.; Singin’ in the Rain SR.; Fiddler on the Roof SR.; and Into the Woods SR. 

Each musical has a running time of approximately 60 minutes, and for a flat fee of $595, organizations receive everything they need to mount a production, including scripts, performance tracks, and a production guide with extensive notes from theatre experts accustomed to working with older performers.

Broadway Senior started taking shape in 2014 with the first-ever pilot production of Guys and Dolls SR. at the Lincoln Community Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2018, MTI expanded Broadway Senior’s reach by piloting productions with Juniper Communities, a renowned group of assisted living centers. The team at Juniper helped MTI tailor the material to the needs of performers who might have mobility, vision or hearing issues. Together, MTI and Juniper piloted several shows together, with each performance reinforcing the research showing the tangible benefits of musical theatre for older adults.

Drew Cohen, MTI’s President and CEO shared, “MTI is incredibly grateful for this recognition from Mather Institute. We created our Broadway Senior musicals in order to make a positive impact in the lives of older adults. Research has shown that performing in a musical offers participants the opportunity to increase self-esteem and confidence while decreasing anxiety and loneliness. The benefits of engaging in the collaborative theatrical process are well-documented, but most of all, it’s fun!” 

Read the full report on all the 2025 Promising Practices recipients and honorable mentions here.