Riverside Center for the Performing Arts’ production of “Grumpy Old Men” is a salve for pandemic-weary audiences. It’s got a lot of laughs, but it’s got heart, too. That’s according to co-lead Jim Lawson who plays Max Gustafson in the musical.

He and co-lead John Hollinger, who plays fellow grumpy old man John Gustafson, began performing July 21. The show runs through Sept. 5 and is the first regional performance of the “Grumpy Old Men” musical—and the first performance of it after theaters reopened following COVID-19 shutdowns.