Community members are invited to attend the quintessential beach party of the summer, live on stage at College of the Canyons, as the COC theatre department presents its production of the 1960s-inspired musical “GO-GO Beach,” running July 26-29.

A coming-of-age fable story about a surfer who gets into love trouble and the flower child who helps him get back in touch with the waves and find the true meaning of love, “GO-GO Beach” follows in the style of the wildly popular beach party movies of the 1960s.

“‘GO-GO Beach’ is the perfect Southern California musical,” said COC theatre professor Andrea Slominski, who is directing the production. “It’s as innocent and effervescent as the summer after high school graduation, a time of sun, surfing, sand and romance. Yet, just beneath the surface, there is a very real social undercurrent about to sweep away all that is familiar and safe.”

Being featured as part of this year’s Festival of New American Musicals, “GO-GO Beach” was written by author John Wimbs (book and lyrics) with music by Michael Shaieb and Brent Lord.

Running throughout the spring and summer months, the Festival of New American Musicals (FNAM) celebrates the return of the American musical by showcasing full productions, staged readings, concerts, master classes and other performance-based events in conjunction with performance arts organizations in cities across Southern California.

“It’s truly thrilling to finally see ‘GO-GO Beach’ staged in southern California, where the story actually takes place,” said Wimbs. “I’d like to thank everyone at College of the Canyons for their dedication to helping create new musical theatre for this wonderful festival.”

For the fourth time in as many years, the COC theatre department and the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center (PAC) have joined forces to participate in the FNAM, giving COC students a chance to perform in a workshop version of a new musical, while working with professional writers and musicians and earning college credit.

“By incorporating these workshop productions into a summer class, we have given our students a very unique opportunity in the world of musical theatre,” said Paul Wickline, chair of the COC theatre department and co-producer of the production.

The COC theatre department’s production of “GO-GO Beach” will open Thursday, July 26, and run for one weekend only in the PAC’s Black Box Theater. Performances will be held at 8 p.m. July 26-28, and 2 p.m. July 29.

General admission tickets are $20 and will be on sale at the door, approximately one hour before the start of the performance.

“We are ‘stoked’ to offer audiences the opportunity to step back in time and relive — or experience for the first time — the beach movies of the era in this fun, frolicking, foray back to the 1960s,” Wickline said.

For more information about the COC theatre department’s production of “GO-GO Beach” visit www.CanyonsPAC.com.