‘Forever Plaid’ an enjoyable, affordable ‘50s nostalgia trip

Monday, Feb. 7, 2005 | 10:07 a.m.

"Forever Plaid" is a harmonic blend of nostalgia, comedy and ... harmony.

The musical at the Gold Coast is filled with songs from the '50s, but you don't have to be middle-aged and older to appreciate the music. If you enjoy the pleasing sound of harmonizing, you will enjoy "Plaid."

It is a simple production, with a simple set (a piano, a bass, a few props), whose story takes place in simpler times an age of innocence, before life became too complicated by the age of computers.

For those not familiar with "Plaid," it is a fantasy about a quartet of aspiring vocalists whose lives end abruptly in a traffic accident.

Says a taped announcement at the beginning of the show:

"Once upon a time on Feb. 9, 1964, a semiprofessional harmony group from eastern Pennsylvania was on their way to their first big gig at the Airport Hilton cocktail bar ... while driving in their cherry-red 1954 Mercury convertible they were rehearsing their finale, "Love is a Many Splendored Thing."

"They were just getting to their favorite E-flat diminished seventh chord when they were slammed broadside by a school bus filled with eager Catholic teens from Our Lady of Harrisburg. The teens were on their way to witness the Beatles make their U.S. debut on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and miraculously escaped injury .. the harmony group, however, were killed instantly."

The vocalists were on their way to pick up their new plaid dinner jackets that they were going to wear in their act.

The four, caught between heaven and earth, are being allowed one last performance "to complete their mission of harmony and be at peace for all eternity."

"This may be the greatest comeback since Lazareth," a Plaid says.

Sure, the story may be hokey, but it is one you can take your children and your parents to without being embarrassed.

There are many classic numbers in the show (written, directed and choreographed by Stuart Ross; produced by Richard Martini), including "Three Coins in a Fountain," "Heart and Soul," "No Not Much," "Moments to Remember," "Catch a Falling Star" and "Sixteen Tons" -- 29 in all.

One of the funniest bits in the 90-minute production is a '50s-style harmony of the Beatles' "She Loves You."

Another is a "three-minute-and-11-second" version of "The Ed Sullivan Show," complete with plate spinners, acrobats and the Italian mouse Topo Gigio.

The cast members capture their characters perfectly -- nervous, naive, unsure of their talents. The players, all of them outstanding, include J. Gregory Davis, Douglas Frank, Bruce Ewing and Dale Sandish.

Mark Perkins is the understudy.

"Plaid" is not new to Vegas. It was at the Flamingo for almost six years, closing in December 2000 after 3,718 performances to make room for the improv comedy "Second City."

Davis and Ewing were with that production for five years.

"Plaid" returned two weeks ago, debuting at the off-Strip locals' venue, where it replaced the long-running "Honky Tonk Angels." The new version seems to have added a little more humor, and a couple of new songs.

The move may prove to be a good one financially. The Flamingo theater's seating capacity is about 200. The one at the Gold Coast is twice that.

When fans leave the theater after seeing "Forever Plaid," most of them are smiling, not just because they have seen a fun show, but because they have seen a fun show that is affordable.

It's almost impossible to find a production of this quality in Vegas for $29.95. For $5 more you can have a dinner thrown in, which makes the show a bargain.

"Plaid" may not last forever, but it should be in for a long run at the Gold Coast.