Saturday night at the Legacy Theatre the Plaid's were reincarnated! Allowed to return from the hereafter to perform the show they never got to do when they were alive. And what a show it was!
To begin with, the stage curtain isn't used, so the audience is left to ponder the nuances of the set executed expertly by Mike and Will Geeslin. The background is a cloud filled sky – depicting Heaven of course, a three step platform, 4 microphones each covered with a handkerchief and 4 suitcases. Why the handkerchiefs on the mikes – to show us that they have been waiting a long time to be used! The suitcases – someone is planning a trip, a trip they have been longing for since that fateful day in 1964. These are the little things that add so much to a professional production!
The music begins, provided by Brian Coski on keyboard and Todd Day on bass, the lights come up and on stage are four supremely talented, professional performers who captivated the standing-room-only audience with the music of our youth. Judging by the number of pre-teen and the teen-aged couples attending, it's music that has transcended the generations and will be loved by their children as well.
The harmony is perfection, the synchronized dance steps we remember from groups like The Lettermen, The Four Seasons and The Platters are executed as if they were controlled by a computer. Never a missed step, a wonder in itself considering that they are constantly moving about the stage with mike stands trailing wires.
The audience heard all the chart toppers performed with exuberance. The show begins with Three Coins in the Fountain followed by 19 numbers with just enough time in between for the 'dialogue' that makes this a musical story. If you closed your eyes you would be back in the 60's, watch them perform and you are back in the 60's! These four guys are an awesome group. They should be recorded and the CD sold during the intermission.
There are so many great songs performed; it's hard to pick a favorite. The show stopper has to be in the second act, when memorable bits from a well-known TV show are recreated with split second timing. I won't give it away here, but believe me; this number alone is worth the price of admission! Then there's the Plaid's 'style' applied to the Beatle's She Loves You. For two solid hours these four entertainers sing, dance, joke with the audience, joke with each other, and pull you into the performance as only professionals can do.
So who are these pro's?
Cleve Bosher who portrays Frankie is a transplant from Virginia. He attended UVa and worked as a structural engineer for two years before he professionally pursued his passion for singing. During the following years, he earned a music degree and performed on stages in both hemispheres for Paramount, Royal Caribbean, Gaylord Entertainment, Celebrity Cruises and Costa Cruises.
David Craven creates the character of Smudge and also directed and did the choreography for the Legacy production. David has a BS in Architecture Design from Georgia Tech and a MFA in Directing Theatre from Minnesota State University. His favorite roles include (Midwest) Smudge in Forever Plaid, Pharaoh in Joseph, Henry Perkins in Funny Money, (Northeast) Miles Gloriosus in Forum, Ezra in Plain and Fancy, (Southeast) Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me Kate, Dracula in The Kiss of Dracula, Curly in Oklahoma, Billy in Carousel, Kenickie in Grease, Dennis in Sanders Family Christmas, (Florida) Smudge in Forever Plaid, Jonathan Waltham in The IT Girl, Paul in Barefoot in the Park, (Southwest) and Henry Ford in Ragtime. As a professional puppeteer, David toured for three years in Kaiser Permanente's Professor Bodywise and the Traveling Menagerie. Directed shows include Forever Plaid, Anything Goes, Oleanna, Reckless, The Rink and Into the Woods. David owns Atlanta's largest caroling company, Like the Dickens it is expanding to Nashville and Chattanooga and has sung at Harrah's Cherokee Casino for the last three Christmas seasons.
Dustin Lewis is Sparky. He has been a professional singer, dancer, actor and choreographer for the past 15 years having performed throughout the world for such stars as Dick Clark and Michael Jackson. He has performed in Germany in such beloved musicals as Miss Saigon, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Sisterella just to name a few. He has also performed on Royal Caribbean, Cunard Cruiselines, both regional and dinner theatre's throughout the country. Dustin was last seen in the Atlanta area right here as Santa- Elvis in A Christmas Survival Guide. Before that you may have seen him in the role of Joab in Alan Menken and Tim Rice's King David Oratorio.
Michael Parker fills the role of Jinx. He is a 1995 graduate of Kentucky Christian College where he studied voice under Mark Deakins and Vacille Venetotzi. He was also a member and music director of their premier traveling vocal group Destiny for two years. Mike then moved to Indianapolis, IN to record and travel with The Watchmen quartet. After a year-long stint, he relocated to Lexington, KY to work as music director for Northern Heights Christian Church. While in Lexington , he directed two sold out performances of Scrooge, The Stingiest Man In Town. Since leaving Lexington over seven years ago, Mike has served as the Creative Arts Director and worship leader for Community Christian Church in Sharpsburg, GA where he has produced one worship recording for their Student Ministry and two solo recordings entitled Here Am I and Christmas Unwrapped. You may also recognize Mike from Landmark Christian School's Benefit Production of Alan Menken and Tim Rice's King David Oratorio in the role of David.
That's what I call talent! The Legacy Theatre promised 'professional theater' and once again Artistic Director, Mark Smith and Executive Producer, Bethany Hayes Smith have delivered on their promise. There are several components to a truly outstanding show, the venue of course, the talent, an absolute must, the sound, it has to be perfect, the lighting, it has to focus on and enhance the talent, the music has to be accompaniment not over-powering and the set, which should not interfere with the performance. Forever Plaid nailed them all! This is as professional a show as you will see in many New York City theaters and definitely as good as anything, that's right, anything you will see in Atlanta.
People; we have professional live theater right here in Tyrone!Forever Plaid continues through February 18th. We urge you to see it, it will be the best two hours of your week! Place your ticket order through the link below before it is completely sold out. A word to the wise, plan to buy season tickets for 2007-2008, it may be the only way to see a performance at the Legacy Theatre next year!
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