We all enjoy going to the theater to be challenged and confronted with the problems we are facing today but it’s also nice to simply be entertained. Such is the experience one can have at The Ruth with their new production of Forever Plaid. This bright and sunny jukebox musical is really more of a revue or a concert but it’s completely enjoyable on that level.

It’s funny that I describe it as bright and sunny because the setup is actually quite grim. A doo-wop group from the 1950s dies before they are able to produce albums or become famous. Fortunately in the spirit world they are given the opportunity to return to earth for one final performance and that is what we get in the musical. We hear songs like “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Perfidia” and the highlight of the night with “Heart and Soul” which is performed with a volunteer from the audience at the piano.

Speaking of the piano, the pianist Kelly Dehaan is one of the highlights of the night. Not only is he an incredible musician but his chemistry with the boys shines through and he becomes a character in the piece along with Trevor Watson at the bass.

I was at the MWF performance so I enjoyed Chase Petersen as Smudge, Andrew Walker as Jinx, Justin Ravago as Sparky and Carter McEwan as Francis. Their harmonies are beautifully executed and they all have the nerdy energy needed for these parts.

The production at The Ruth is directed by David Eggers and he smartly doesn’t let anything get in the way of his cast and the songs. Sometimes the best choice a director can make is keeping things simple and that’s what they do here. The costumes including our iconic plaid tuxedos are well done by Dvorah Governale and the lit circle backdrop by set designer Jason Baldwin kept that 1950s aesthetic going strong (and made it easy to put the CBS logo on stage for the Ed Sullivan sequence.)

At the end of the day Forever Plaid is all about the guys and the songs and that is all done very well in this production at The Ruth. It’s one of those musicals that would make for a nice date night as anyone who likes 1950s music will enjoy this show. You don’t have to be a Broadway musical fan to have a good time with it. I saw it on my birthday and it was a great time! It is playing through March 28th in their Lindsay Legacy Theater and tickets can be purchased here.

Forever Plaid has music and lyrics from various artists with a book by Stuart Ross. It was first performed in New York in 1989. It’s very popular here in Utah but I’ve actually only seen it one other time at Hale Center Theatre as their debut show for their Sandy location.

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