‘Forever Plaid’ a geeky ghost story steeped in harmony group nostalgia

‘Forever Plaid’ a geeky ghost story

steeped in harmony group nostalgia

BY TERRY SCHMIDA

“What happens to a dream deferred?

American poet Langston Hughes certainly didn’t have the crushed hopes of a struggling, out-of-date 1950s harmony group in mind when he wrote “Harlem” in 1951.

But the (ghosts of) the Plaids, erstwhile stars of “Forever Plaid” are certainly a study in dashed ambition and dreams deferred.

In many ways, the current rendition of “Plaid,” running though Dec. 12 at the Marathon Community Theatre, serves as a metaphor for the dead-and-buried world of the Nifty Fifties, with its hokey dances, lovesick teenagers – and saccharine music lyrics.

Back in the ’50s, young men would congregate in the suburban family rec room – with its fake veneer walls – and harmonize to the likes of the Four Freshmen, Crew Cuts, and Four Aces, with the goal of impressing girls, making a little extra malt money, and perhaps even hitting the big time.

The Plaids, featuring “Sparky,” “Smudge,” “Jinx,” and “Frankie,” (John Hunt, Bryan Foster, Jerry Nussenblatt, and Paul Carmichael,) are one such group.

Despite their minor physical ailments and awkward stage presence, the Plaids are determined to perform at the Carnegie Halls of the world.

In fact, on Feb. 9, 1964, the group is one cherry-red, 1954 Mercury convertible ride away from their first real gig, when they are slammed by the reality of a changing world (in the form of a school bus full of Catholic school girls on their way to see the Beatles’ iconic performance at the Ed Sullivan Show,) and passed along to the afterlife.

The Plaids have finally secured their 15 minutes of fame, though clearly not in the way they intended, and their restless souls are clearly not happy about it.

By some miracle of the hereafter, however, the Plaids are finally allowed, years later, to march onstage, dust off their custom matching (plaid) dinner jackets, and croon their way through a schmaltzy set of vintage tunes from their heyday.

The likeable local production, which also features the musical talents of pianist Bonnie Cucchi, and upright bassist Michael “Mike Corvette” Horvat, takes audiences of a certain age down a memory lane strewn with the ghosts of such musical roadkill as “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” and “Chain Gang.”

Stuart Ross’s original production of Plaid, (off-Broadway, 1990,) as well as subsequent revivals, offshoots, and the 2009 film version, provided a proper burial to the ’50s, with its traditional values of family, home and harmony, in much the same way American Pie (partially) laid Buddy Holly to rest, back in 1973.

The MCT edition, with direction by Fred Hundhammer, production by John Hunt, musical direction by Kathryn Rummery, and choreography by Ann Hart, is a fine addition to the tradition.