‘Plaid Tidings’ good holiday fit

Friday, Nov. 25, 2005 | 8:56 a.m.

Jerry Fink

"Plaid Tidings," the Christmas version of the popular musical "Forever Plaid," is a perfect show to get you into the mood for the holidays.

Although "Tidings" is a bit too long and could benefit from a little Christmas trimming, it generally maintains the qualities of its counterpart that makes it an evening well spent.

"Tidings" is about 110 minutes long, compared to the 90-minute run of "Plaid."

The main problem, other than the length, is that the holiday production is not as smooth as the nonholiday version, with the transition into the Christmas songs and into the yuletide story line somewhat forced.

Writer/director/choreographer Stuart Ross did a brilliant job with "Forever Plaid."

"Tidings" is not quite on the same level, but then the main reason for attending this production should be to hear some wonderful classic Christmas songs performed by a talented cast of vocalists.

More than half of almost 30 tunes on the song list are seasonal -- from Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "Little Town of Bethlehem."

If you have a favorite, you can probably hear it here.

The harmonizing of Bruce C. Ewing (who portrays Jinx), Douglas Frank (Smudge), Mark Perkins (Frankie) and Dale Sandish (Sparky) is worth the price of admission at any time of the year, but they are especially delightful when singing favorite Christmas carols.

The quartet in "Tidings" portray the same four nerdy characters they play in "Plaid" -- endearing in their naivete, trapped forever in an innocent world that has yet to make the transition into a darker side of life.

To recap the premise of "Forever Plaid," it is a fantasy about a quartet of aspiring vocalists whose lives end abruptly in a traffic accident on Feb. 9, 1964.

The "semiprofessional harmony group from eastern Pennsylvania" was on their way to their first major engagement when their car was broadsided by a school bus taking fans to see the Beatles make their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

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."

The nonholiday production is touted as "the return of Forever Plaid."

"Plaid Tidings" is "the return of the return of Forever Plaid."

"Tidings" opens where "Plaid" closed.

The quartet have received their coveted plaid dinner jackets and are wearing them on their return trip to heaven when suddenly they are called upon to do one more last performance to assure harmony in the universe.

Most of the scenes in "Plaid" have been adapted to "Tidings," simply by decorating them with a Christmas theme.

For example, one of the most entertaining bits in "Plaid" is a a "three-minute-and-11-second" version of "The Ed Sullivan Show," complete with plate spinners, acrobats and the Italian mouse Topo Gigio.

It is essentially the same scene in "Tidings," only with some Christmasy costumes and music.

The producers of the show managed to find a black and white clip from a Perry Como Christmas TV show from the late '50s or early '60s. Thanks to modern technology, the Four Plaids were able to perform backup to their favorite vocalist as he sang a couple of Christmas songs.

If you're looking for a Christmas gift for a friend or family member, a ticket to "Plaid Tidings" would make a great stocking stuffer.

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or jerry@lasvegassun.com.

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