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FOREVER PLAID
Denton Community Theatre
Directed by Robert Emery
Reviewed by Clyde Berry, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN
_______________________FOREVER PLAID______________________
Forever Plaid is Denton Community Theatre's latest offering in their 40th
Anniversary Season. Written almost 20 years ago by Stuart Ross, the piece
is of
the Jukebox Musical family, and have many of the typical traits of such
pieces.
Usually the story is contrived and character development limited, leaving
the
audience with lots of loosely strung B sides connected with just enough hits
to
keep from getting wise to the money making machine at work.
Though now considered formulaic and stale, several of these have achieved
success such as Mamma Mia, The Buddy Holly Story, The Boy from Oz, Jersey
Boys,
Always…Patsy Cline, and Smokey Joe's Café. Others have not fared as well,
and
musicals based off the works of The Beach Boys, Elvis, Rod Stewart, Queen,
Janis
Joplin, Take That!, and Bob Dylan have either been critically slaughtered or
short lived (or both).
Plaid, however, has a strong enough book that the characters are as engaging
as
the familiar tunes they croon. For those who remember this music from their
past, a nostalgic evening is in store; for those who will be introduced to
this
music, the narrative is strong enough to carry the unfamiliar music style.
While the Greasers are the easy image to conjure of the 1950s, their
opposites,
the square Soc's have just as strongly developed look and sound. Instead of
the
wild and loud rock sound, these forefathers of modern boy bands had smooth,
measured tones that relied on their tight vocal harmonies.
With simple, respectable outfits, and lots of crisp choreography around the
mike
stand, these gents were the "traditional" sound of the younger generation.
As
music trends became more frenetic and full of social commentary these groups
became less cool and faded away. The Plaids are such a group, and Forever
Plaid
consists of a period concert brought about by supernatural circumstances.
Robert Emery both directed and choreographed DCT's production. Emery has
done a
thorough and enjoyable job. The Plaids move all over the stage and never
land
in a park and bark trap, no small feat in a musical revue like this. The
(long
one act) show moves very quickly and is over before one is ready for it to
be.
Emery's choreography is fun, appropriate, and even full of individual
character
accents.
With a creative use of props, the Plaids always have something interesting
to
do. If any nitpicking is to be done here, it would be that the prop mikes
used
would never actually be able to pick up any sound with some of the hand jive
going on, which keeps them far from mouths. They are often shuffled about as
a
prop instead of being treated as a (non-period) microphone.
Sound is an extremely important aspect of this production, and on this
opening
night performance, there were items that needed attention. The cast is
wearing
microphones, and they are relying on them for projection for both sung and
spoken lines. When the microphones are fussy, volume issues result. At
times
of uncertain harmonies, the sound only amplifies the part that we don't want
to
hear.
Music Director Rick Buntain has clearly worked with the cast to create a
nice
period sound, which, when present is very good. When the guys are off, it
isn't
by a little, which then gets picked up by the unforgiving sound system. I
wonder
what the guys would sound like without them. I'm confident the quartet can
fill
the space along with the great sounding three man pit.
Costume Designer Kelly King has done a wonderful job with not only the
costumes,
but also the hairstyles of the Plaids. While the guys only have two outfits,
each one looks great on them. However, the costume change into the second
set of
clothes takes entirely too long, especially for a payoff that the audience
sees
coming. It would have been nice to have had the musicians in matching
attire,
which would make them a more cohesive part of the production, especially
since
the Plaids interact with them from time to time.
The set design by Carol Alexander is a great flashback to the 50's TV shows
that
would have showcased such groups as the Plaids. The style is spot on, and
also
fits into the design of the theater itself as far as color and size.
Michael H. Fenton's lighting design is functional, and does well to enhance
the
mood, while not interfering with the projected scenic elements. The
projections,
while not always successfully utilized or timed, did add a nice bit of
visual
variety with some assorted plaid backgrounds.
Overall the production is strong dramatically, but there are chunks of flat
line
deliveries. Character arcs have been specified in the director notes that
are
not consistently delivered on stage. The gents interact well with each
other,
and never upstage a fellow performer's moment. This is a demanding piece,
between the musical style/harmonies, and lack of a break for any of the
guys.
The Plaids pull it off, but can really take it to another level with amazing
results.
Alexander Ross, without a doubt, has nailed it in this production. Having
seen
Ross in several productions now, Plaid features his best solos, and a
well-crafted physical character. His Smudge is always working, engaging, and
perfectly measured. With an amusing character voice, Ross makes the most of
every moment and audience reaction with great results. Smudge, the nerdy
one,
will work his way into your heart as you root for him.
Drew Kelly plays the nervous Jinx. The cow licked crooner has a great upper
range that he navigates with ease. Kelly clearly loves singing and is
careful
to keep his voice from slipping into pop mode. Though there are a few
similarities to his recent Altar Boyz character, his expressions are great,
and
he is a delight to watch.
Frankie, the buzzed leader of the group, is in real life Jeff Petersen.
Petersen
does well as the anchor of the Plaids, navigating his narrations well, and
rallying the troops when needed.
The feisty Sparky is played by the coiffed Jack Perl. Perl has great comic
timing, and even supports one number playing from the pit. His character
pushes
the plot along and he keeps the other guys on their toes.
While the Plaids were never able to make it in their own time due to their
tragic and terminal accident, they are appearing very briefly in Denton.
These
guys are preserving the velvet sounds of an era long gone, and are worth
hearing. There's only one more weekend to catch these would-be stars, before
they rejoin them again.
Reviewed by Clyde Berry, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN
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Forever Plaid
Denton Community Theatre
Through November 22 2009
214 W. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201, 940-382-1915
Tickets $10-$18 / Campustheatre.com
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