'Plaid Tidings' puts holiday spin on off-Broadway standard

Dec. 12—SHARON — In the final chaotic days before opening night, the plaid vests — for a show titled "Plaid Tidings" — weren't in yet.

As of Monday's dress rehearsal, at least nominally, one of the local shops had none available, and the order from overseas came in sized too small for the principal actor-singers, Director Ron Sinesio said.

Producers of the show are making other arrangements to acquire plaid vests the four performers to wear in the first act of "Plaid Tidings," a Christmas-themed show featuring male four-part harmony performances popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Sinesio said the show will go on, with or without the plaid vests. If all else fails, the performers will wear red sweaters, their outfits for the second act, the entire show.

Improvisation and a little helping of chaos is a part of community theater. Sinesio, an experienced showman, said things will work out by showtime.

"They always do, somehow," he said.

The show opens Friday at ACTS Performing Arts Center, at West State Street and South Irvine Avenue in Sharon.

"Plaid Tidings" is a followup to "Forever Plaid," centered upon a foursome singing act on the cusp of stardom when their careers — and their lives — are cut short when their car collides with a bus full of schoolgirls on their way to see the Beatles perform on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

The show features ACTS regular Tom Rhys-Roberts, along with Thomas Morelli, Harmon Andrews and Dakota Smith, backed by a three-piece band consisting of Jan Crews on piano, Stephen Ley on percussion and Devin Zenjav on bass.

Rhys-Roberts said his favorite part of the show is its Ed Sullivan homage, an element carried over from "Forever Plaid." That part of the performance includes Sullivan standards like Topo Gigio, an Italian mouse puppet, and the Vienna Boys Choir, depicted by puppets manipulated by Smith.

"We're putting on an entire 'Ed Sullivan Show' in 3 minutes and 11 seconds," Rhys-Roberts said. "We're out of breath when it's over."

The show also includes a tribute to Perry Como, the western Pennsylvania native who was among the era's top crooners.

The accompanist trio is as important as the singers, Rhys-Roberts said.

"There are seven people on stage at all times," he said. "We're blessed to have an amazing pit."

Morelli — a Hermitage resident who is, at 22, the show's youngest performer — said the four singers work well together. Even though this is his first show for ACTS, he has performed with other troupes, including the New Castle Playhouse.

"I think it's all about chemistry," he said. "We've had pretty good luck on that."

In spite of the dark premise — four performers who get a show from the Great Beyond — Sinesio said "Plaid Tidings" is far from a downer.

"People will like it," he said. "It's a very funny show."

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for students. For tickets, call 724-815-4388, or check out ACTS' new website, actspac.org.