FOREVER PLAID Brings the 1950s Back to Stagecrafters

The 1950's are coming back to Stagecrafters with Forever Plaid, onstage January 17 through February 9, 2020, at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 South Lafayette, Royal Oak, MI 48067.

Forever Plaid is about four guys--Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie--who are members of an amateur pop quartet hoping to hit the bigtime. On the way to their first major gig, they're broadsided by a bus and killed instantly. But it's here that their real story begins, as the four men stage a miraculous musical revival from the other side. Filled with delightfully goofy patter and the beloved classic hits of the 1950s sung in pitch-perfect harmony, Forever Plaid will be a fun-filled, plaid-fabulous time for everyone.

Director Debbie Landis-Sigler fell in love with Forever Plaid after seeing it at Stagecrafters in 2000. That production was so successful, the cast took it on the road to theatres in Traverse City and Wyandotte. Landis-Sigler thinks the show is popular with audiences partly because it harkens back to simpler times. "This show represents the side of the 1950's that brought us a harmony and innocence as most families searched for the American Dream," she says.

Audiences will also love the high-energy dance numbers and string of hit songs from the era, including "No, Not Much," "Sixteen Tons," "Cry," and "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing." Says Landis-Sigler, "[In the 1950s] this style of music had crested throughout the country and was strong until rock 'n' roll stole the heartbeat of music across the world." Steeped in nostalgia, with lighthearted jokes and innocent characters, Forever Plaid will transport audiences back to a what seemed to be a much gentler, more harmonious time in America.

As part of Stagecrafters Community Cares Campaign, the theatre group's new initiative to increase awareness of other worthwhile nonprofits in the area, Stagecrafters will partner with SAY Detroit, a nonprofit founded by Mitch Albom that helps the needy of Detroit. Says Albom, "We at SAY Detroit are proud to partner with Stagecrafters on Forever Plaid. Stagecrafters has been a wonderful community theatre for a good many years, and their willingness to do good for others emphasizes they are not only 'of' the community but 'for' the community as well."

Tickets

Tickets are available online at stagecrafters.org, or by calling 248.541.6430, Monday through Friday, between 10am and 2pm. Offices are closed for the holidays, December 24 to January 2.

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