Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Taking a bow in your 90s: These nonagenarians get their big breaks on stage in NYC
NPR: Professional actors and singers are like athletes. They use their bodies constantly, performing up to eight times a week. Remarkably, three different women in their 90s have been gracing New York stages this season. Reporter Jeff Lunden caught up with them - barely.
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It was amazing to hear from these actors who are clearly so passionate about theatre! It was sweet to hear that Reid had finally accepted defeat for her life long dream of appearing on Broadway, only to score a role the next year!
I’m glad the article spent some time discussing how strenuous acting and singing is, and that these actors, in old age, have to take extra care of themselves. Squibb, when offered a role on Broadway, had to think if she could “physically” do the part. Maye works sometimes “four days a week, six hours a day” to keep her voice strong. And they all need rest.
Its really great that the article ends with Reid talking about how she is only reminded of her age by other people (which she is frustrated by). Otherwise, she doesn’t feel any different from when she was younger. Growing old is a different experience for everyone. I have older family members with dementia and mobility issues, and its rough on everyone to see them struggle. I wish that they had the strength and passion to dance and sing onstage for hours a day. I can only hope that when I’m older, I still have the passion and motivation to keep doing what I love.
This is super awesome to hear about! Ageism is a terrible thing, and I’m glad to see people fighting back and leading by example against it. Especially so in the performance industry, where so much of one’s success is based on surface level judgements and quick decisions based on the first impression. To be working in film and on Broadway well into their nineties is genuinely inspiring. To read of Anne Reid’s story (that of sudden success after almost giving up on her dreams) makes me wish I had read more similar stories. Jeff Lunden’s rhetorical question “what is showbiz but chasing dreams?” is a good example of the theoretical idea pushing for the reality of these three women. The conversation that age requires is that of accessibility, which this article brings up. This is a question of physical ability, given that as one ages, the repetition of even simple movements can become difficult.
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