A new Christmas musical by URI junior Ben Rose will be performed Saturday and Sunday at the Chariho Middle School Auditorium. Rose wrote the book, lyrics and music for the show, Christmas Eve: A New Beginning.

Rose spent the past 18 months working on the musical, which is a first for him. He not only came up with the story, but wrote nine songs and the lyrics for them.

“I’ve never written anything before,” said Rose, an acting major.

Rose said the first draft of the musical about the unexpected appearance of a son on Christmas Eve contained a lot of traditional carols that seemed to him “boring.” So he set out to write an original score. Rose is a self-taught pianist and vocalist.

“I just sat down at the piano and said here’s my script, here’s my story, and came up with melodies I fell in love with.”

Among the highlights is “Love is What Makes Our Family Strong,” which offers a “positive way of thinking about change,” and “A New Beginning,” which wraps up the show. Rose, who lives in Charlestown, said he plans to write another half-dozen songs after this weekend’s run.

“I’m looking forward to taking all the traditional carols out,” he said.

The show boasts a cast of eight, made up of students from Chariho High and the URI theater department. Similarly, the orchestra includes students from the high school and the URI music department.

Performances of Ben Rose’s Christmas Eve take place Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 and 8 p.m. at Chariho Middle School Auditorium, 453 Switch Rd., in Wood River Junction. Call (401) 364-0543 for tickets, which are $10 for adults and seniors, and $5 for students and children, and (401) 932-8124 for information.