Forever Plaid
Encyclopedia
Forever Plaid is an off-Broadway
musical revue
written by Stuart Ross in New York in 1990 and now performed internationally. The show is a revue of the close-harmony "guy groups" (e.g. The Four Aces
, The Four Freshmen
) that reached the height of their popularity during the 1950s. Personifying the clean-cut genre are the Plaids. This quartet of high-school chums dreams of recording an album ended in death in a collision with a bus filled with Catholic
schoolgirls on their way to see the Beatles' American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show
. The play begins with the Plaids returning from the afterlife for one final chance at musical glory.
The songs they sing during the course of the musical include:
"Three Coins in the Fountain
";
"Undecided
";
"Gotta Be This or That";
"Moments to Remember
";
"Crazy 'Bout Ya, Baby";
"No, Not Much
";
"Sixteen Tons
";
"Chain Gang
";
"Perfidia
";
"Cry";
"Heart and Soul";
"Lady of Spain
";
"Scotland the Brave
";
"Shangri-La
";
"Rags to Riches
"; and
"Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
".
The original cast included Jason Graae
(Sparky); Stan Chandler (Jinx); David Engel
(Smudge); and Guy Stroman (Frankie). The musical opened May 20, 1990 at Steve McGraw's in New York City after engagements at The West Bank Cafe, The American Stage Company and The Wisdom Bridge Theatre. Musical arrangements, vocal arrangements and musical direction were by James Raitt; the show was written, directed, and choreographed by Stuart Ross.
guest stars as the narrator. David Snyder
served as musical director and pianist. The movie was written and directed by the show's original creator, Stuart Ross, and edited by Oscar and Emmy winner Alan Helm.
and Neptune Theatre (Halifax)
, famous for its versions of the original, ran a sequel called Plaid Tidings, a holiday version with modified story and songs. It is available for licensing through Music Theatre International
.
A version for high schools, The Sound of Plaid: Forever Plaid School Version, is being created by Music Theatre International
.
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical revue
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
written by Stuart Ross in New York in 1990 and now performed internationally. The show is a revue of the close-harmony "guy groups" (e.g. The Four Aces
The Four Aces
The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me...
, The Four Freshmen
The Four Freshmen
The Four Freshmen is a multiple Grammy-nominated American male vocal band quartet that blends open-harmony jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires , The Pied Pipers , and The Mel-Tones , founded in the barbershop tradition...
) that reached the height of their popularity during the 1950s. Personifying the clean-cut genre are the Plaids. This quartet of high-school chums dreams of recording an album ended in death in a collision with a bus filled with Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
schoolgirls on their way to see the Beatles' American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. The play begins with the Plaids returning from the afterlife for one final chance at musical glory.
The songs they sing during the course of the musical include:
"Three Coins in the Fountain
Three Coins in the Fountain (song)
"Three Coins in the Fountain" is a popular song which received the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1954.The melody was written by Jule Styne, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was written for the romance film, Three Coins in the Fountain and refers to the act of throwing a coin into the Trevi...
";
"Undecided
Undecided
"Undecided" is a popular song written by Sid Robins and Charlie Shavers and published in 1938.The first recording was made by John Kirby and The Onyx Club Boys on October 28, 1938, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 2216, with the flip side "From A Flat to C".It was also recorded by...
";
"Gotta Be This or That";
"Moments to Remember
Moments to Remember
"Moments to Remember" is a popular song published in 1955, and recorded by The Four Lads. The song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman.-History:...
";
"Crazy 'Bout Ya, Baby";
"No, Not Much
No, Not Much
"No, Not Much" is a popular song published in 1955. The music was written by Robert Allen, the lyrics by Al Stillman.This song is an example of being rejected from the lover, stating that the lover does not get the pleasure, the thrills, and the satisfaction from his mate, stating that this was...
";
"Sixteen Tons
Sixteen Tons
"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
";
"Chain Gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
";
"Perfidia
Perfidia
"Perfidia" is a popular song written by Alberto Domínguez , a Mexican composer and arranger born in the state of Chiapas, about love and betrayal. Aside from the original Spanish, other renditions exist, including English and instrumental versions. The English lyrics are by Milton Leeds...
";
"Cry";
"Heart and Soul";
"Lady of Spain
Lady of Spain (song)
"Lady Of Spain" is a popular song, written in 1931 by Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans, Stanley J. Damerell, and Henry Tilsley.-Performance:...
";
"Scotland the Brave
Scotland the Brave
"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
";
"Shangri-La
Shangri-La (1946 song)
"Shangri-La" is a popular song written by Carl Sigman , bandleader Matty Malneck, and Robert Maxwell in 1946. The term comes from "Shangri-La," the hidden valley of delight in James Hilton's 1933 novel "Lost Horizon." The term "Shangri-La," especially in the 1930s and 1940s, was slang for heaven...
";
"Rags to Riches
Rags to Riches (song)
"Rags to Riches" is a 1953 popular song by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Tony Bennett and reached number one on the Billboard chart in 1953. In the same year, a version by David Whitfield reached number three in the British charts...
"; and
"Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)
"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
".
The original cast included Jason Graae
Jason Graae
Jason Graae is an American actor noted for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film...
(Sparky); Stan Chandler (Jinx); David Engel
David Engel (actor)
David Engel is a Broadway singer and dancer. He is a five-time winner of the Ovation Awards given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance.In 2009 he had his first appearance in a movie in Forever Plaid: The Movie...
(Smudge); and Guy Stroman (Frankie). The musical opened May 20, 1990 at Steve McGraw's in New York City after engagements at The West Bank Cafe, The American Stage Company and The Wisdom Bridge Theatre. Musical arrangements, vocal arrangements and musical direction were by James Raitt; the show was written, directed, and choreographed by Stuart Ross.
Motion Picture
The play was produced as a motion picture for release on July 9, 2009 starring Chandler and Engel from the original cast, with Larry Raben and Daniel Reichard taking over for Sparky and Francis, respectively. David Hyde PierceDavid Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
guest stars as the narrator. David Snyder
David Snyder
David L. Snyder is a film and television production designer. He was nominated for Best Art Direction for his work on Blade Runner at the 55th Annual Academy Awards...
served as musical director and pianist. The movie was written and directed by the show's original creator, Stuart Ross, and edited by Oscar and Emmy winner Alan Helm.
Sequels
The Pasadena PlayhousePasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
and Neptune Theatre (Halifax)
Neptune Theatre (Halifax)
The Neptune Theatre is the largest professional theatre company in Atlantic Canada with a capacity of 497 and is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It performs a mixture of new and classical plays....
, famous for its versions of the original, ran a sequel called Plaid Tidings, a holiday version with modified story and songs. It is available for licensing through Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
.
A version for high schools, The Sound of Plaid: Forever Plaid School Version, is being created by Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
.