Satirists Rick Compton & Betsy Bennett’s newest theatrical, A CRACKER AT THE RITZ had its debut as a special presentation at Centers for the Arts in Bonita Springs’s “Just for Laughs” comedy series at Moe Auditorium in August, 2022. It sold out and its run was extended, appearing twice monthly at the Moe through August, 2024. A Cracker at The Ritz is the longest running show in SW Florida history.
The Cracker at this Ritz is our narrator Earlene. Played by co-author Betsy Bennett, Earlene is the Queen of the Florida Crackers. Her family has been here for four generations, and each generation has prospered on everything from cattle to condos.
Don’t confuse Earlene’s Cracker with the cultural slur. She and her Cracker ancestors are proud of their heritage. “Who,” she might point out, “do you think sold Disney World to Disney?”
A Cracker at The Ritz is an 85-minute satirical roasting of all things Florida in song and sketch comedy. Songs include “Snowbird Come (and He Won’t Go Home)”, “Swampland Scam” and “The Way They Did It Up North”. “Red Tide and Green Water” lists the mother lode of chemicals in the water run-off. There is a realtor’s solution to ocean rise. And John Morgan shows up with a lawsuit that’s sure to suit everyone.
“Enjoy an evening of laughs with special guests Rick Compton & Betsy Bennett in their latest and greatest creation A CRACKER AT THE RITZ—a satirical roasting of all things Florida in song and sketch comedy, featuring Earlene, the queen of the Florida Crackers. You’ll hear “Snowbird Come, and He Won’t Go Home,” “Swampland Scam” and many more!”
– ARTS BONITA
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS:
Betsy Bennett and co-author Rick Compton are best known as the authors of the pair of shows in the ASSISTED LIVING: The Musical® franchise. They do these shows in performing arts centers nationally. Additionally, the Assisted Living: The Musical shows have been licensed by more than a dozen theatrical troupes across the U.S. for hundreds of performances.
Compton & Bennett are no strangers to satire. Prior to this, the duo wrote and produced more than two dozen regional satirical shows about Southwest Florida. Titles include Trouble In Paradise, The History of Collier County…According to Us and How to Succeed in Naples Without Really Trying.
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