Lads in Plaid
Ready to return to a time when families gathered together to watch the Ed Sullivan Show and radios and jukeboxes were filled with the music of quartet guy groups who wore dinner jackets and bow ties? Then stop by Putnam City West High School for a production of Forever Plaid, to take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23, in the auditorium at Putnam City West HIgh School. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students.
Forever Plaid tells the story of four young, eager male singers. Francis, Sparky, Jinx and Smudge are on their way to pick up their custom-made plaid tuxedos for their first big gig. The quartet is unfortunately broadsided by a bus, thus ending their lives and careers. Later, they are miraculously revived and allowed to return to earth to perform the concert of their dreams.
When the group squabbles over missed notes and executes their wonderfully outlandish choreography with overzealous precision, audiences laugh out loud. When the quartet uses tight harmony to perform 50's hits such as Chain Gang, Heart And Soul, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, Magic Moments, Lady of Spain and other classic tunes, the audience will hum along.
This play is being produced as a senior project. The students approached drama teacher Linda Brown last summer about the possibility of doing this show.
Taking on the parts of the four Plaids are seniors Steven Caruthers, Rob Smith and Derek Steffen, and junior Kyle Platt. The show is directed and choreographed by senior Lauren Fair. All of the work -- casting, desgin, building, lighting, sound, rehearsal, accompaniment, etc. -- has been done by students outside of class time.
"This is the first time for a senior project of this magnitude, but these are amazing students," says Brown.