“Forever Plaid” really does seem to be forever. It’s one of those shows that brings people back time after time, and they bring all their friends.
This time, Community Little Theatre revives the four high school friends and their posthumous chance at stardom with their beloved renditions of classic early ’50s songs. The show opens at the Great Falls Performing Arts Center Friday, March 5.
It’s a wonderfully comic and heartwarming revue that centers on four young, eager male singers killed in a car crash on the way to performing their first big concert. They’re miraculously revived in the present for one more opportunity to conquer their doubts and fulfill their dream of the show that never was.
David Lock, who is both producer and director for “Forever Plaid,” said he’s delighted with his cast.
Paul G. Caron will play Frankie, the leader and confident caretaker of the group. Caron, a well-known composer and lyricist, is a familiar presence providing music at both CLT and The Public Theatre, but it’s not often that he is seen on stage.
Dr. Bruce Condit, in his debut at CLT, is Sparky, the clown, the imp, the scamp. Sparky is very sharp, loves singing his tailor-made solos, and is always looking for ways to crack jokes.
Dr. Ron Bouffard plays Jinx, the shy one who transforms during the play from a timid boy to a confident man. Bouffard was recently in CLT’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Harry Neidig plays Smudge, the worrier with the chronic nervous stomach. He worries about everything – past, present and future. Neidig debuted at CLT, in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Some productions of “Forever Plaid” cast high school-age performers, and it can be interesting to see how well they can do with music that pre-dates them by decades. Lock said the play’s author, Stuart Ross, says that’s not important.
Lock’s cast is older, but they benefit from musical experience that has given them familiarity with the songs and styles. The youthful exuberance and angst come through in the plot’s time-warp premise.
“In my opinion, they’re every bit what they are supposed to be,” Lock said.
“These four guys who called themselves ‘The Plaid’ were not just a quartet,” Lock said. “It was a way of life for these guys, and that’s kind of the angle I’ve approached this from.”
“You always play it for the song,” Lock emphasized. “You never go for the cheap laugh.”
While older members of a “Forever Plaid” audience love the faithful recreation of early ’50s songs, there’s a lot here for younger generations. A sure-fire hit involves the four guys doing a whirlwind impression of a complete Ed Sullivan Show.
“We have done things with the Ed Sullivan Show sequence that I’ve never seen done before,” Lock said.
Show-goers are sure to love the “Heart and Soul” number with a volunteer coming on stage, and the calypso routine where “The Plaid” goes into the audience, Lock said. “When these guys get out into the crowd and get them wearing the hats and singing along, it’s just going to be so much fun.”
He added that he wouldn’t single out the singing, the choreography or the acting as more important.
“It needs all of them,” he said, to put across this simple story of pursuing dreams in spite of the odds.
Some of the memorable songs in “Forever Plaid” are “Catch a Falling Star,” “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” “Perfidia” and “Moments to Remember.”
Everyone who puts “Forever Plaid” on the stage approaches the set and design differently, Lock said. He and the CLT production crew picked a crimson red and cobalt blue color scheme, right down to painting blue on the whole stage floor.
“When the lights pick it up, it shines,” Lock said. He described it as “kind of a glitzy nightclub look.”
Lock said two high-backed window seats with lattice accent are focal points, as well as functional portals for the show’s many props.
Lock is a veteran of L-A theater who has directed more than 50 plays. His recent plays at CLT are “The Mousetrap,” “Nunsense” and “Something’s Afoot.” His most recent performing role was R.F. Simpson in “Singin’ in the Rain” last October at CLT.
Lock will be assisted in directing by Kathi Asquith. Eileen Messina is choreographer. The production crew includes Josie Baum, stage manager; Pat Garcia, props; John Blanchette, program; Marianne Miller, costumes; Dick Martin, lighting; Phil Vampatella, set construction; Mark Bissonnette and Scott Powers, sound; Dennis Browne, photography; Renee Davis, set decor; and Rachel Morin, publicity.
Performance dates are at 8 p.m. March 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7 and 14. All performances are at The Great Falls Performing Arts Center on Academy Street in Auburn.
Tickets are $13 and $11 for seniors and full-time students. Reservations may be made by calling the box office at 783-0958 or by accessing the theater’s Web site at www.laclt.com.
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