Is there an audience on earth that won't be delighted by Forever Plaid? I don't think so. This irresistible, miniature musical revue is the ultimate nostalgia trip and feel-good show. On the surface, all is innocence, but Plaid's a savvy little vehicle, ninety uninterrupted minutes of wide-eyed humor and golden-oldie songs that would bring smiles to the heads of Mount Rushmore. Surveying the music of the 50's and 60's -- those dear days before pop music was revolutionized by rock `n' roll -- Plaid celebrates the era of the Crewcuts, The Ames Brothers, and all those groups with names that began with "Four:" Aces, Lads, Freshmen, etc. The music was melodic, often sentimental, sometimes clever, and very white.
Plaid's premise sounds corny but works: a semi-pro quartet from a small Pennsylvania town were killed driving to their first big gig. They return to earth for one night to recreate the performance they'd have given had not fate, and an errant schoolbus, intervened. That revue includes about thirty numbers which bring back surges of youthful memory. My choke-up song was "Moments To Remember," but plenty of others send audiences down memory lane, from "Catch A Falling Star" to "Undecided." Though structured as a concert, Forever Plaid offers comedy (only rarely cutesy) and several terrific production numbers, including a 3-minute-and-10-second salute to Ed Sullivan, and an hilarious medley of Caribbean tunes. Accompanied by Kevin Cole on piano and a bassist whose name I unfortunately didn't catch, apple-cheeked Scott Fedderly, Fred Goudy, Sean Allan Krill and Greg Walter share pinpoint harmonies and become four superbly matched troopers.
It all seems artless and simple, but that's why it's a perfect example of how to make a well-crafted show look spontaneous.
