A coming-of-age musical premiers at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

For composer, lyricist and author Richard Oberacker, the summer that marked the beginning of the transition from childhood into adulthood happened in the 80s in the neighborhood of Watch Hill, adjacent to Anderson. His new show now playing at the Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati (ETC) through May 31, “The House on Watch Hill” co-created with lyricist and author Robert Taylor, returns to the months Oberacker and his friends spent transforming one of Watch Hill’s old-money mansions into a haunted house.

The result is a hilarious and heartfelt romp set to an original soundtrack inspired by the synthesizer-infused melodies of the 80s.

“It’s a summer story, between middle school and high school,” says Oberacker. Wherever you grew up, you know exactly what that time feels like. And that’s the feeling the audience inhabits watching the drama unfold onstage. “I think almost anybody – maybe it’s human nature – wherever we grow up and where we’re born, even if you get transplanted and you fall in love with somewhere else, there’s always a part of our DNA that says we need to come home in some way,” he shares. “I’ve never met someone in my life who left home and had no desire to go back.”

Can you find all the Cincy Easter eggs?

“The House on Watch Hill” invites the audience to go back in time, to come home. To feel that it’s possible for our grown-up selves to talk directly to our inner children. For Oberacker, whose work has been produced all over the world, and who now splits time between Manhattan and Las Vegas, it feels particularly resonant for the show to premiere in Cincinnati, at the ETC. “To have it happen here now, we just get double bonus points because people recognize names of streets, McNicholas High School, Anderson High School, even a TV news reporter who was actually on air in the area in the 80s,” says Oberacker.

In fact, the show is filled with these Cincy “Easter eggs” that locals can hunt for throughout.

“On opening night, I heard a couple of gasps from the audience because they recognized the reporter’s name,” recalls Oberacker. “A lot of tissues were used,” he says. “At the end of a journey like this, it’s pretty electric in this theater. I think over the next couple of weeks, the word will spread that it is going to be worth it to turn off Netflix for a night and go to this gorgeous neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine that’s like Paris meets Greenwich Village,” Oberacker enthuses. “Whoever can get a seat, and tickets are going fast, if you are lucky enough to be in that room you will talk about it for the rest of your life because you’re the first one to see it.”

Oberacker and Taylor’s previous hit show, “Bandstand,” premiered on Broadway in 2017. It isn’t every day or every year that a show like this opens in the Queen City. But Oberacker is hopeful it’s a sign of things to come.

“One of the things I’m most excited about coming back is that we’re developing new musicals here, which normally only happens in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. If I can be a part of premiering a new American musical here, I’ll be really, really proud to have done it,” Oberacker says.

Sports, chili and the arts

In many ways, the arts are the birthright of the Queen City, though the cultural depth here sometimes comes as a surprise to the outside world. “Cincinnati has always had sports and it has chili,” says Oberacker. When people talk to him about his hometown, they often ask, “ ‘Isn’t that the place with the weird chili? And I’m like, ‘Yes it is.’ But if people care to have a discussion about it, they’re often surprised to understand how much rich culture (there) is and has always been available in Cincinnati,” he continues.

If you’re wondering what exactly “The House on Watch Hill”is about, the best answer may be to go and see for yourself. “People are saying ‘I have never seen anything like this,’ shares Oberacker. “The closest is maybe “The Breakfast Club,” crossed with “Goonies” and “Stranger Things” without the monsters,” he explains. “It’s a group of kids finding their way together, they fall in love together, they fall down together. They triumph together.”

At its heart, it’s Oberacker’s story. “That goofy little kid making a haunted house in Watch Hill grew up to cause chaos in other parts of the world,” laughs Oberacker. “In a lot of ways, that’s what the show is about. Kids, when they’re that age, they’re really free to be creative and do crazy things they probably shouldn’t but allow them to explore their creativity – a backyard, a basement and a trail in the woods can be a kingdom.”

Here’s how to get your tickets:

What: “The House on Watch Hill”

Where: Ensemble Theatre (ETC) 1127 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202, in Over-the-Rhine.

When: Through May 31, with performances Tuesday through Sunday.

Ticket information: Ticket prices vary based on seating, from $22 to $81. Student tickets are available for $29; children’s tickets for $27. If you’re looking for a deal, you can buy half-price rush tickets two hours before that day’s show by phone or in person. However, seats are limited.