Why I Wrote a Rock Musical: Those Days
Ever since I was young, I’ve had a deep love for live performance. From the thrill of Broadway musicals to the electric energy of arena rock concerts, the stage has always felt like a place where stories and emotions come alive in unforgettable ways. That lifelong passion eventually led me to write a rock musical of my own, Those Days.
This wasn’t something I woke up one morning and decided to do on a whim. Instead, it grew naturally out of years of experiences—seeing shows, attending concerts, sharing theater memories with my wife, and now watching my daughter discover her own love for performing. Writing Those Days is both a tribute to all those influences and a step forward into creating something that can hopefully inspire others the way so many shows have inspired me.
A Lifelong Love of Musicals
Musicals have always fascinated me. I’ve seen some of the most iconic productions—Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hamilton, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You, and countless others. Each show brought something different to the stage: powerful storytelling, unforgettable music, and the ability to make an audience laugh, cry, and reflect all within a single evening.
What always struck me was how musicals combine so many art forms into one—music, acting, dance, stage design, lighting, and direction. Together, they create something larger than life, something that sticks with you long after the curtain falls. I knew early on that musicals had a special magic, and I always left the theater thinking, What would it be like to create something like this myself one day?
The Rock Concert Rock Musical Connection
If musicals taught me about storytelling, then rock concerts taught me about energy. I grew up loving the sound and spectacle of rock and roll. I saw bands like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Damn Yankees, Night Ranger, Poison, Bret Michaels, and so many others, including taking my daughters to see Taylor Swift.
Rock shows aren’t just concerts—they’re experiences. The lights, the pyrotechnics, the crowd singing every word back to the band—it’s electric. That energy is what I wanted to capture when writing Those Days. A musical that didn’t just tell a story, but also pulsed with the same adrenaline and excitement of a rock concert.
That crossover space—where Broadway meets the rock arena—has always fascinated me. Shows like We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages hinted at what’s possible, but I wanted to create something original, something grounded in both storytelling and the power of rock music.
Family Inspiration: Theater is in Our Lives
Another big influence has been my family. My wife loved theater long before I ever wrote a script. In high school, she performed in productions of Li’l Abner, Kiss Me Kate, and others—at the very same school I attended. Though we weren’t in the same productions, those experiences became part of her story, and they’ve always been part of our conversations about the magic of live theater.
Now, that love of performance is alive in our youngest daughter. She is only 11 but has already built quite a theater résumé. She’s performed with a local children’s theater group in roles like Ariel in The Little Mermaid Jr., Fiona in Shrek Jr., the Acrobat in Matilda, Ms. Mayor in Seussical Jr., and more. This winter she’ll take the stage again in Aladdin Jr., and we can’t wait to see her shine.
Watching her find joy, friendship, and confidence through theater has been one of the greatest gifts as a parent. Part of me wrote Those Days with her in mind. Maybe one day, she’ll even step into the lead role. The thought of her performing in something I wrote is a dream I didn’t even know I had until recently.
Disney and Everyday Inspiration
Living near Disney has also kept me close to the magic of live shows. We regularly go to the Eat to the Beat and Garden Rocks concert series at Epcot. There artists from across decades bring their music to the stage in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
Seeing these shows year after year reminded me that people always crave live music and storytelling—it’s timeless. Whether it’s a Broadway musical, a rock concert, or a Disney performance, people want to feel something real, together, in the moment. That’s exactly what I hope Those Days can deliver.
What Those Days is All About
So what is Those Days? At its heart, it’s a story about friendship, love, regret, and redemption. Set in a small town during the 2000–2010 era, it follows four childhood friends who reunite for their 10-year high school reunion. Along the way, they face memories, heartbreaks, and choices that shaped their lives.
It’s a rock musical that blends powerful storytelling with songs that carry the energy and emotion of the rock era. Like the shows that inspired me, it’s designed to make you feel—whether that’s joy, nostalgia, heartbreak, or hope.
You can read more about the story and characters on the official website: Those Days Rock Musical.
A Rock Musical for Today—and Tomorrow
Writing Those Days is just the beginning of the journey. Like any creative work, the dream is to see it come to life on stage with a cast, a live band, and an audience experiencing it together. It’s one thing to write a script; it’s another to see it performed, breathing and evolving with each performance.
I don’t know yet where this journey will lead—whether it becomes a local production, an off-Broadway show, or maybe even something larger. But I do know that creating it has already been worth it. It’s connected me to my love of theater and rock, to my family, and to the possibility of building something that lasts.
Maybe one day, my daughter will take the stage as the lead in Those Days. That thought keeps me motivated to keep pushing forward, step by step, until the dream becomes reality.
I wrote Those Days because musicals and rock music have shaped my life in countless ways. They’ve given me memories, excitement, and inspiration. They’ve been part of my family’s story and now are part of my daughter’s story.
This musical is my way of giving something back—to the art forms I love, to my family, and maybe even to audiences who will one day experience it live.
So, why did I write a rock musical? Because stories deserve music, music deserves energy, and theater deserves to keep evolving. Those Days is my small part in that bigger tradition, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
👉 To learn more about the show, visit the official site here: Those Days Rock Musical.
Mark Kaley is the author of the book “From Pennies to Millions” and the PR Manager with Otter Public Relations. He has been featured in Forbes, Fox Business, Authority Magazine, Modern Marketing Today, PR Pioneer, Market Daily, O’Dwyer PR, DKoding, and Consumer Affairs. Mark is also a contributor with Hackernoon, you can view his contributor profile here.
