| Go-Go Beach | |
|---|---|
| Music | Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord |
| Lyrics | John Wimbs |
| Book | John Wimbs |
| Productions | 2006 NY Musical Theatre Festival |
Go-Go Beach is a new stage musical in the style of a 1960s California Beach Party film, such as those starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. The show has book and lyrics by John Wimbs and music by Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord. The musical consists of an original plot and original pop score of 18 songs inspired by 1960s surf rock, girl groups, go-go, and flower power.
The story follows a group of carefree teens during the last two days of the summer of 1966. Their leader, a surfer named Woody, gets into trouble with his girlfriend when he falls for a runaway pop star, and his flower-child pal Bulldog helps him find the true meaning of love. Other characters include Baby (a kooky naive innocent), Rip (an affable, dim-witted hunk), Fingers (the schemer and bad boy who falls in love with Kitten), Einstein (a science geek who is madly in love with JJ), Honey (a bookish wallflower), JJ (Woody's girlfriend, a prize winning beauty), and Kitten (the lead dancer role; sexy, self-confident, and bursting with unspent energy; madly in love with Fingers)
The first public performance was a developmental reading at the 42nd Street Studios in New York City on June 21 and 22, 2001. See playbill.com
On May 21, 2006 the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced "Go-Go Beach" was among the 18 musicals selected out of 400+ applicants for the 2006 Next Link component of the festival. It played six festival performances at 37 Arts from September 14, 2006 to September 23, 2006.
"Go-Go Beach" was among 23 musicals offered in the 2006 debut catalog of New York-based licensing agent Theatrical Rights Worldwide, who represents exclusive stage performing rights for the musical.
On June 21, 2008, the first full day of summer, the authors were in attendance for the 100th lifetime performance of "Go-Go Beach," which occurred during a three-week run produced by Cincinnati Landmark Productions on the historic Showboat Majestic in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. As of December 2008, Go-Go Beach has had 17 productions, totaling 107 performances in 4 countries and 12 American states. The first theater group in the uk to perform this were the ragamuffins in aberdeen, scotland!
The musical takes place on Go-Go Beach, a fictional hangout for teens in 1960s southern California. Teen sensation Mindy Chinchilla sneaks away from her movie set to hang out with the gang, and their old pal Bulldog returns from spending a few months in San Francisco. Woody's simple life as the Surfin' King is suddenly made much more complicated.