Forever Plaid: Home for the Holidays Rocks the Stage at Act II Entertainment Gary R. Beck - Beck's Best | |
November 27, 2015 |
Literally thousands of us saw at least one night of this play with four talented singers who became endearing. Their voices are so clear and clean. A couple of them have grown musically right before our eyes. The play has developed and matured into a tight comic cluster of skits and songs.
"Forever Plaid" stars local popular performers: José María Caudillo, Roberto Durán, Alfonso López and Elviz Martínez. Bob Bruneau adeptly accompanies on the piano and is the musical director. Each of the singers has his own vocal range and timbre. Singing as a group, the harmonies of the men are exquisite. I found each had his own sound and when the four blended, it was Heaven as from where The Plaids came after a bus crash ended their dreams of stardom. The young, unknown quartet does not survive their bus trip to their biggest gig, but they have been miraculously revived for this night, their dream show. One said, "They were the biggest comeback since Lazarus."
The set design was simple but all that was necessary for the play. A backdrop curtain changed colors according to the shining spotlights. Bob sat at a baby grand piano where he ruled those eighty-eights. The men were front and center with bold, rich yet soothing voices taking well-known tunes and creating their own sound. They were indeed crowd-pleasers.
Dream back to the nostalgic pop hits of the 1950's by boy band, The Plaids. This show broke all Puerto Vallarta 2014-2015 box office records and now returns, directed by Alfonso Lopez, written by Stuart Ross and produced by Act II Entertainment.
The Plaid's four-part harmony is astounding with the group's actions on stage clever and at times silly, in a good healthy way. Their patter was constant and funny. "Three Coins in the Fountain" illustrated their wide talents, making that song a blessed event. They were so happy to be back among the living.
Each man took the lead with the remaining three supplying harmonies. Roberto sang a Mexican-written tune "Perfidia" about love and betrayal. Elviz engrossed the audience with a high soaring "Cry" from Johnny Ray. Deep voiced baritone José sang "Sixteen Tons" as only he could do, emphasizing the low notes of the song. "Chain Gang" continued the solos with Alfonso at the helm. This was a marvelous method to explore each man, his talented vocals and range.
The Plaids traveled musically to Jamaica singing "Day-O" [The Banana Boat Song] with white-lit palm trees accenting the set, continuing with Calypso "Matilda." The guys, topped by woven palm frond sombreros, were joyous, rocking and swinging to the Caribbean beat. It was a delightful segment of the show.
A high point of the show was The Plaids on "The Ed Sullivan Show" showcasing many memorable characters and performers seen on this classic television show. The guys were hilarious as tricyclists, opera singers, comedians, Dominique - The Singing Nun and Topo Gigio [Louie Mouse] clad in a plaid jacket bouncing onto the stage briefly to the roar of the audience. The talented Plaids hit the big time, if only in their dreams.
We found ourselves swaying to the beauty of the sweet "Heart and Soul." In the finale, the men joined and sang in their gorgeous harmony, "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing." Each took his bows, then Bob and sadly we left the dreamy quartet to fend for themselves until their next chance on the Act II Entertainment Stage.
You can still catch Forever Plaid: Home for the Holidays on November 30 and December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22 at 7:00 pm on the Main Stage at Act II Entertainment. For tickets, stop by the Act II Box Office at the corner of Basilio Badillo and Insurgentes in Old Town Vallarta which opens daily at 11:00 am or purchase tickets online at Vallarta Tickets.
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