GLAD PLAID
Forever Plaid, an Off-Broadway musical revue written in the late eighties by Stuart Ross, takes place in the in-between, or whatever exists between this life and the next. The Plaids, a prototypical guy group in appearance, harmonies and temperament, find themselves dead right at the top of the show. But, they have been given an opportunity to perform all of their favorite songs one last time. We, the audience 60 years in the future, are along for the ride which celebrates the legacy of the spotless, often White “guy groups” of the 1950s.
Kevin Singer
Despite the macabre setup, Forever Plaid has little to do with the death of the lead characters, and everything to do with a specific, bygone musical style with tight harmonies, syncopated rhythms, and heartfelt ballads. The characters recount moments from their careers through story, song and slapstick as the plot thickens, and the hour nears when The Plaids must sing their final note.
Edu Gonzalez-Maldonado
It’s practically a love-letter to harmony, and outgoing 42nd Street Moon Executive Artistic Director Daniel Thomas does a masterful job casting a quartet of varying styles that are in lock-step when required. Standouts on opening night last Saturday were Edu Gonzalez-Maldonado (Jinkx) for sheer vocal prowess and Kevin Singer (Frankie) for his commanding stage presence and monologue near the end of the show. The other two wonderful men are Justin P. Lopez and Matt Skinner.
Justin P. Lopez, Edu Gonzalez-Maldonado, Kevin Singer and Matt Skinner in Forever PlaidIn a production packed with feel-good moments, some bright spots were “No, Not Much” for the tight harmonies, The Plaids’ take on “She Loves You” by The Beatles, fun audience participation during “Heart and Soul,” and the way Gonzalez-Maldonado came out swinging with high notes galore in “Lady of Spain.”
Matt Skinner
Forever Plaid mentions that this is the end of guy groups, but I think this may have been the end of the beginning, after all The Beatles craze was in its infancy when The Plaids met their fate and the nineties were yet to come. When Forever Plaid was written, New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, and N*SYNC hadn’t taken over a generation of pop radio and television, and BTS hadn’t become a global phenomenon yet either. Can someone make this a musical next?
Justin P. Lopez
Forever Plaid at 42nd Street Moon is a well-staged, -lit, and -performed Off-Broadway classic that, at 90 minutes, won’t waste a second of your time, and will send you out onto Jackson Street tapping your feet.
Edu Gonzalez-Maldonado, Kevin Singer, Matt Skinner and Justin P. Lopezphotos by Ben Krantz Studio
art design by Dyna Mendoza
Forever Plaid
42nd Street Moon
Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson St in San Francisco
ends on May 5, 2024
for tickets ($35-$78), call 415.255.8207 or visit 42nd St Moon
Christopher J. Beale is a journalist, media host and producer based in San Francisco, CA.