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‘Plaid’ recalls
By Tim Ryan
innocent time
Star-Bulletin"Forever Plaid" is dedicated to the good guys, though not necessarily the cool ones.
You remember the good guys of the past: They wheeled the projector carts for the audio-visual club; saved their allowances to give mom and dad an extra special night on the town for their anniversary; sang around the piano in the family room and rarely went beyond "first base." If by some miracle they did, they didn't tell anyone.
This hit '50's musical, which originally opened in New York in May 1990, is the story of four unlikely heroes who dream of fame. It's being presented by Manoa Valley Theatre through March 12.
Andrew Sakaguchi, who performed in the musical a few years ago in Waikiki, does double duty here as director/choreographer of "Forever Plaid" and the character Smudge, one of his favorites.
ON STAGE
What: "Forever Plaid" presented by Manoa Valley Theatre
"Smudge is the worrier of the group; he wears these big Coke bottle glasses and he's sure the show will fail and considers bailing out," Sakaguchi said. "But he has this tremendous love of singing and music and records."
Michael K. Paekukui plays Sparky; Andrew Meader, Frankie; and Terry Howell, Jinx, in the work, which showcases the quartet singing pieces of 28 songs.
People still think of greasers, Elvis, rock 'n' roll and the beginning of teen-age rebellion, when they they think of the '50s, Sakaguchi said. "But there also was a flip side to the era," he said. "Harmony, innocence, sincerity of dreams.
"It's the side that's been lost in the shuffle of progress; a time when most parents and kids listened and danced to the same music; when families gathered in front of the TV to watch their favorite variety shows: "The Ed Sullivan Show" or "The Perry Como Show."
The '50s was also a period when four-part guy groups harmonized their way across the airwaves. Teen-age boys banded together to sing in the basements for fun, and if things worked out they might get hired to sing at weddings, conventions, proms and country club socials. "Forever Plaid" is the story of such a group, Sakaguchi said.
Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie love to sing. They meet in high school and dream of becoming like The Four Aces, The Four Lads or The Four Freshmen.
They sing at family gatherings, fund-raisers, supermarket openings and proms, while holding down day jobs. Finally, their first big gig is scheduled to take place at the Airport Hilton cocktail bar: the Fusel-Lounge.
On Feb. 9, 1964, en route to pick up their custom-made plaid tuxedos, they're slammed broadside by a bus filled with eager Catholic teens on their way to see the Beatles' U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The boys on the bus survive; Forever Plaid is killed instantly.
The show has universal appeal to all generations, Sakaguchi said. "Everybody can relate to the sense of longing, the search for love, feeling like a misfit at one time," he said. "These guys ... 'die' before realizing their dream. I find an emotional connection every time I walk out to perform this character."
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