THE HOUSE ON WATCH HILL TO MAKE WORLD PREMIERE AT VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS
The House on Watch Hill, a new musical from the writers of the Tony Award-winning Bandstand, tells the coming-of-age story of a horror-obsessed teen who, in the summer of 1984, is determined to build the greatest haunted house ever seen.
Preview performances begin September 2024
Vegas Theatre Company is thrilled to present the world premiere of The House on Watch Hill, a new musical from the writers of the Tony Award-winning Bandstand, Richard Oberacker, and Robert Taylor. The coming-of-age story of a horror-obsessed teen who, in the summer of 1984, is determined to build the greatest haunted house Cincinnati has ever seen, The House on Watch Hill will make its debut Friday, September 27, 2024.
Meet Patrick, a horror-obsessed 14-year-old in the summer of 1984, determined to build the greatest Haunted House Cincinnati has ever seen. Joined by his misfit friends, who’d rather be anywhere but home, they embark on a quest to craft a spine-chilling spectacle to rival the famed Haunted Mansion. With hormones raging, ra-ra skirts to wrangle, and big dreams (and big hair) to pursue, what could possibly stand in their way?
Written by Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor, the team behind the Tony Award-winning Bandstand, and directed by Vegas Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Daz Weller, The House on Watch Hill will take audiences on an adventure fit for The Goonies, as they navigate the highs and lows of a summer that would change everything. Featuring a dynamic live band and an electrifying 1980s-inspired score, The House on Watch Hill will take audiences back to an era with an iconic blend of teen hijinks, comedy, and raw heartache.
“The opportunity to have the world premiere of this new musical be with The Vegas Theatre Company is deeply meaningful for us as authors and theater makers,” said Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor, Creators and Writers of The House on Watch Hill. “Las Vegas has become more than a place in which we’ve made successful entertainment careers. It’s home. We’ve watched as the underground arts scene has grown to be a powerful force for cultural enrichment and influence. Our first musical to reach Broadway had its very first public reading at Vegas Theatre Company, and for this particular musical, with its intimacy and scrappy DIY story elements, it feels inevitable and essential that it has not just its development and readings and workshops here, but its full-scale world premiere production. It’s a story about friends who come together to make a piece of living theatrical magic that others can step inside of and lose themselves in a fantastic world of dark imagination. That pretty much sums up the definition of what happens within the walls of this adventurous company.”
Starring an exceptional cast of young performers, led by Luke Martin, Sean Driscoll, Rashida Makeda, Madison Morseburg, Nick Katopodis, Ashley Grubbs, and Adrian Madamba, and joined by the accomplished Christine Hudman and Jason Collins as the Adults in the Room, The House on Watch Hill is a thrilling story of friendship, fear, and the challenges of growing up.
“Richard and Robert have created something truly special with The House on Watch Hill. It’s heartbreakingly truthful, laugh-out-loud funny, and moving in the most surprising of ways,” said Daz Weller, Vegas Theatre Company Executive Artist Director. “Directing this exceptionally talented cast—most of them teenagers—has been a remarkable experience. I’m picking my jaw off the floor and wiping tears from my eyes after every rehearsal. This show is a genre-defying gem, and Vegas Theatre Company is honored to be the first in the world to bring it to life.”
The House on Watch Hill performance dates include:
- Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7 p.m. (Preview performance)
- Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 7 p.m. (Preview performance)
- Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 7 p.m. (Preview performance)
- Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7 p.m. (Preview performance)
- Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 7 p.m. (Preview performance)
- Friday, October 4, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5 p.m.
- Friday, October 11, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 2 p.m.
- Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 13, 2024 at 5 p.m.
- Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 5 p.m.
- Monday, October 21, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, October 25, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Tickets for preview performances through for The House On Watch Hill are $25 plus applicable fees for general admission. Beginning Friday, October 4, 2024, tickets are $28 plus applicable fees for students and $39.99 plus applicable fees for adults. Groups discounts are available for groups of eight or more. All tickets are general admission.
For more information or to purchase tickets for The House On Watch Hill, please visit please visit theatre.vegas. All performances to be held at the renowned Vegas Theatre Company at 1025 S. 1st St. #110, Las Vegas, NV 89101, in the Vegas Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas.
About Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor
Richard Oberacker (music, book & lyrics) and Robert Taylor (book & lyrics) collaborated on the Broadway musical Bandstand, which won director/choreographer Andy Blankenbeulher (Hamilton) his third TONY Award for Best Choreography. Bandstand launched a national tour and the original Broadway production was filmed for release in cinemas nationwide and multiple streaming platforms. Their new musical Bruce, based on the behind-the-scenes mayhem of the filming of Jaws, recently premiered at the Seattle Repertory Theater while another new musical, Angel of Arkansas is in development with five-time TONY winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman. Oberacker & Taylor’s darkly comic musical The Sandman enjoyed a wildly successful American premiere at the Majestic Repertory Theatre after its European premiere in Denmark’s Fredericia Theatre. Other original musicals include Ace at the Old Globe Theater and the Signature Theater, Journey to the West at the New York Musical Theater Festival and The Parenting Project at The Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati. Additionally, they are collaborating on the new musical Lost In Love for The Nederlander Studios in the UK. In Las Vegas, Mr. Oberacker serves as the conductor for Cirque du Soleil’s “KA”, while Mr. Taylor plays violin in the orchestra of the Adele concert residency at Caesar’s Palace. Members of the Dramatists Guild, Oberacker & Taylor’s work is licensed by Concord Theatricals and they are represented by the Gersh Agency.
About Vegas Theatre Company
Vegas Theatre Company is one of Las Vegas’ most distinguished and beloved theatre companies. Founded in 2002 by five UNLV theatre graduates, VTC is at the forefront of Las Vegas theatre, regularly receiving “Best of the City” and Valley Theatre Awards in recognition of its work. VTC has proven itself an incubator for some of the most vibrant voices Las Vegas has nurtured and is Nevada’s home for compelling theatrical productions that illuminate our shared human experience, awaken our sensibilities about our world, and develop our art form and artists. We tell stories that bring us together. Located at 1025 S. 1st St. #110, Las Vegas, NV 89101, in the Vegas Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas. For more information, please visit theatre.vegas.