Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The final show of Community Players’ 97th season is “Forever Plaid” directed and choreographed by Andrew Bobola and musically directed by Ron Procopio. Once upon a time, there were four guys, Frankie, Jinx, Sparky and Smudge, who love to sing. They met in 1956 in high school when they all joined the audiovisual club. The quartet discovered their mutual love of music especially the close harmonies of their idols: The Four Aces, The Four Lads, The Four Freshmen, The Hi-Lo’s and The Crew Cuts. They rehearsed in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company.
It was here they became Forever Plaid, a name that connects the continuation of traditional family values of family, home and harmony. They are on their way to their first gig when they are broadsided by a school bus while on their way to pick up their plaid tuxedoes and killed but don’t worry it’s a comedy. The play begins with the wondrous Plaids returning from the afterlife for one more chance of musical glory. The boys supported their dreams by working during the week, Frankie in dental supplies, Jinx in auto parts, Smudge in bathroom fixtures and Sparky in better dresses. The boys and their parents watch Ed Sullivan and Perry Como on TV and their songs reflect these values. Andrew picks four talented actors who sing four part harmony excellently while Ron accompanies them on piano, does some shtick as well as taught them the intricate and complex sound of the 1950’s and 60’s in this tongue in cheek comic look at the past. It is a splendid production with the youth of today singing the glorious songs of yesteryear.
Andrew brings out the comic and dramatic moments wonderfully and creates some cool 50’s and 60’s dance numbers, too. Ron taught all the intricate harmonies of the 1950’s music and plays up a storm on his piano with his son, Buddy on drums and Keith Udelson on bass. The show opens and closes with two Oscar winning songs, “Three Coins in a Fountain” and “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” and includes other popular upbeat numbers and ballads of that era. Other group numbers include “Scotland, the Brave” when they get their plaid jackets, “She Loves You” done doo wop style and “Shangri La” which went a little flat at times. Joe Catanzaro plays Frankie, the spokesman for the group. He has many comic lines and an excellent tenor voice which he displays in the opening group number, in “Crazy About Ya Baby” where they use tall plungers as microphones, in “Chain Gang”, which is sung in counterpoint with “Sixteen Tons”, “Matilda”, an audience participation number and in “Heart and Soul” when he brings an audience member, Sharon onstage to play the piano. The high tenor in the show is Nick Mercurio who as Jinx, gets many nose bleeds when he gets nervous. He displays his powerful pipes in “Moments to Remember”, “No Not Much”, “Kingston Market” and “Cry” which stops the show with his powerful rendition. Nick displays his comic side when he plays “Lady of Spain” on the accordion while the other guys do tricks from the Ed Sullivan show which was fabulously done. He holds the last note of the song out until they finish their act. I reviewed Nicholas as a little boy when he was Winthrop in “Music Man” at PCP in 2006 and as John Darling in “Peter Pan” at TBTS in 2009.
Matt Fagan is a hoot as Sparky. He has many funny one liners that keep the audience in stitches. Matt displays his strong voice in “Gotta Be This or That”, “Undecided”, “Perfidia” and his best number, “Catch a Falling Star”, a tribute to Perry Como. The group sings “Sing to Me, Mr. C” during this segment. He and the others hand out business cards to the audience during the catering scene. Dan Thompson is the strong bass singer who plays Smudge. He wears horn rimmed glasses and is hilarious in this role. The audience hears his voice in “Sixteen Tons”, “Jamaica Farewell” and his best number “Rags to Riches.” This latter song is belted out as he comes out to sing to the women in the audience. So for a trip back to the carefree days of the 1950’d, be sure to catch this entertaining musical treat “Forever Plaid” at Community Players. This review marks my 1700th review. Their 98th season shows are “Social Security”, “It’s a Wonderful Life, the Musical”, “Almost, Maine” and “All Shook Up.”
FOREVER PLAID (13 to 22 April)
The Community Players, Jenks Auditorium, Division Street, Pawtucket, RI
1(401)726-6860 or www.thecommunityplayers.org
