The Forever Plaid guys, those cutie pies in their matching ’50s tuxes and bow ties are back. Twenty years after first taking Off Broadway by storm (and some years before that local Chicago theatre enthusiasts), the adorable quartet of ’50s crooners, trapped in a time warp after an untimely accident has left them in limbo singing doo-wop and early rock ‘n’ roll classics in close harmony for all time, are making the leap from the stage to the silver screen. On Thursday, July 9 (for one night only) at 7 p.m., moviegoers and theatre patrons can experience the Plaids together in the Forever Plaid 20th Anniversary Special, a filmed version of the show that will be show at area movie theatres.
Daniel Reichard, David Engel, Larry Raben and Stan Chandler—the original cast of the off-Broadway edition of the popular musical revue—have reunited to film the complete show. Out actor David Hyde-Pierce appears in the filmed revue as the narrator. The movie also features the film’s musical director, David Snyder, on the piano. As a special bonus, the cast will introduce the screening live from the red carpet at Los Angeles’ Club Nokia, perform a batch of new musical numbers after the screening and lead a coast-to-coast theatre sing-a-long.
A longtime favorite with the gay community (both onstage and backstage—the show has been cast with dozens of openly gay performers and utilized an equal number of talented musical directors and pianists), Forever Plaid was a staple of the Chicago theatre scene for years and an instant hit when it first debuted here. Tickets are $15-18. Chicago movie theatres participating in the screening event include the Kerasotes Showplace Theatres (City North and Webster Place) and a host of suburban locations.
Tickets for the July 9 event are available at participating theatre box offices and online at www.fathomevents.net. A trailer and a making-of featurette are available at www.foreverplaidthemovie.com.