Overview
Synopsis
High school pals Sparky, Jinx, Smudge, and Francis -- the “Plaids” -- are talented “guy group” -- just four nice young men who love singing harmony. They practice in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company, play proms and department stores, and dream about success. When the Plaids are killed in a car accident on the way to their first big gig -- at the Airport Hilton Cocktail Bar, on February 9, 1964 -- the young men linger in limbo, as unresolved as their final chord, until the conjunction of various “astro-technical” phenomena allows them to return to Earth, perform their final concert, and hopefully win a place in Heaven -- and the deluxe plaid dinner jackets of their dreams. Will they overcome asthma, ulcers, nerves, and forgotten lyrics? Will they find the perfect chord? With a warm and clever book by Stuart Ross, Forever Plaid is a delightful, mischievous, and unashamedly heartwarming homage to the sweet and innocent sounds of the ‘50s and the ‘60s, and features harmonically spectacular orchestrations of popular hits such as “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “16 Tons,” and “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”.
Note: While there is generally no formal dancing in the show, all four Plaids must have excellent rhythm.
Show Information
- Book
- Stuart Ross
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1990
- Genres
- Comedy, Jukebox/Revue
- Settings
- Period, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- contemporary, a theatre
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- All-Male Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
Songs
- Deus Ex Plaid
- Three Coins in the Fountain
- Gotta Be This or That/Undecided
- Moments to Remember
- Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby
- No, Not Much
- Perfidia
- Cry
- Sixteen Tons/Chain Gang
- Private Functions:
- The Bride Cuts the Cake
- Italian Wedding
- Anniversary Waltz
- Itty Bitty Town of Bethlehem
- Hava Nagila
- Rock-a My Soul
- She Loves You
- The Golden Cardigan/Catch a Falling Star
- Caribbean Plaid:
- Day-O
- Kingston Market
- Jamaica Farwell
- Matilda Matilda
- Heart and Soul
- Mercury/Lady of Spain
- Scotland the Brave
- Shangri-La/Rags to Riches (samples "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly")
- Love is a Many Splendored Thing
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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