BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Ah, 2005. A simpler time.
At least for some of us.
Lovers of pop-punk music and all things community theater — you’re in luck.
“Ocean Avenue, An Emo/Pop-Punk Musical!” will debut live at the Ice House in Bethlehem at 7 p.m. July 13 and 1 p.m. July 14.
It’s an original work written by local Barry Knoblach, featuring music from the bands Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Paramore, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday and more.
“Even if you didn’t grow up with this kind of music, the story culminates to: it’s a band trying to make it big. It’s an underdog story.”Ocean Avenue playwright Barry Knoblach
See familiar faces in the roles and hear live music from local act We’re From Antarctica.
Secure tickets at purplepass.com for $20 until July 12, with the price going to $25 the day of the performances.
Part of the proceeds will benefit New Bethany Ministries.
For a shot at a raffle prize with each donation, the group is accepting new, unopened items, with a priority on men’s socks, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and canned goods.
Keep up with the musical on Facebook and Instagram.
Come one, come all
Drawing at least some inspiration for the piece from My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” and the jukebox musical “Rock of Ages,” Knoblach said emo and pop-punk don’t necessarily have to be your cup of tea to have a blast at the show.
“Even if you didn’t grow up with this kind of music, the story culminates to: it’s a band trying to make it big,” Knoblach said.
“It’s an underdog story.”
And we all love an underdog.
'Check your troubles at the door'
Growing up in Catasauqua, Knoblach said you often had to “make your own fun” — and that sometimes involved going to see concerts within the local scene.
Ocean Avenue is a step back in time to a degree, he said. He said the characters and goings-on in the musical are inspired by people he knew and things he experienced.
Director Veronica Bocian has quite a history in the local performing arts, taking part in productions over the years with Pennsylvania Youth Theatre, Pennsylvania Playhouse, Catasauqua Area Showcase Theatre and Civic Theatre of Allentown and more.
“It’s kind of like going to see a rom-com, and it might not reflect exactly what’s going on in today’s world — maybe it’s a little nostalgic — but it’s the perfect dose that you need of just fun.”Ocean Avenue director Veronica Bocian
She said "Ocean Avenue" is a chance to take a breather from all your everyday concerns.
“This is one of those feel-good things where you can go check your troubles at the door and just have fun and lean into the joy of it,” Bocian said.
“It’s kind of like going to see a rom-com, and it might not reflect exactly what’s going on in today’s world — maybe it’s a little nostalgic — but it’s the perfect dose that you need of just fun.”
Everyone can relate
As for the music, Bocian said it was “a little bit ahead of its time,” concerning lyrics exploring one’s feelings, mental health and even emotional ups and downs experienced during different stages of life.
“It’s sort of like this great juxtaposition of, ‘Yeah, this is a really fun, feel-good musical,' but also, everyone can find a lyric or a song that they might either be able to relate to now or at one point in their life was maybe the song that helped them get through something.”
A team effort
The cast is made up of seasoned local performers and some folks newer to the art, Bocian said.
The two said they’ve been blessed with a very organized stage management team and other production team members, as well as a local band performing live at the show.
Knoblach said he saw We’re from Antarctica live around Christmastime. He said he loved its sound and pitched the show the band's way.
“We got so lucky to have such knowledgeable musicians in the band."Barry Knoblach, Ocean Avenue playwright
They’ve been a team ever since.
Two of the band’s members, keyboardist-vocalist Jessie Rae and guitarist-vocalist Carlos “Paco” Brown, even took it upon themselves to serve as music directors for the production.
“We got so lucky to have such knowledgeable musicians in the band,” Knoblach said.
'Write it down'
Knoblach said he has a background in web and graphic design, but writing a musical is something he had never done until "Ocean Avenue."
And he originally wanted to make it into a movie but changed course, altering it for the stage alongside Bocian.
For those looking to take the leap into playwriting, Knoblach said he always remembered what his wife, Rachel, told him during the process of developing the musical:
“Write it down.”
Don’t just sit on what could be a great idea, he said.
