On stage: Nick Cearley plays the part of Sparky in Plaid Tidings, a holiday edition of Forever Plaid at the Bucks County Playhouse in through Dec. 28.
He’s been dressed in sequins, in his skivvies, and now musician/actor Nick Cearley is playing the part of Sparky in Plaid Tidings, a special holiday edition of Forever Plaid at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope through Dec. 28.
Forever Plaid, originally produced in New York in the ’90s, is a revue of the close harmony of the “guy groups” of the l950s. The quartet in this show are high school chums whose dreams of recording an album ends in death in a collision with a bus filled with Catholic schoolgirls on their way to see the Beatles’ American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. The play begins with the Plaids returning from the afterlife for one final chance at musical glory.
In this new production, Francis, Jinx, Smudge and Sparky — the Plaids — aren’t quite sure why they’ve returned to Earth for another posthumous performance, but a phone call from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they’re needed to put a little harmony into a discordant world.
Ohio native Cearley has played the role of Sparky in the Forever Plaid version before, and said that this version is almost exactly like the original.
“And I love playing him again,” Cearley admits. “It’s always a fun role, but this time around I get to take more liberties, so he’s a little more goofy and provides the comic relief in the show.”
A fun show, yes, but not without its challenges, said Cearley.
“This is one of these shows that looks easy, but we are four men on stage the whole time singing 30 songs throughout the show. That’s 60 songs a day when we have two performances. That’s hundreds in one week. I don’t think the human voice was meant to do that much singing in a week. So I have to watch my health, especially during this time of the year
“Also,” he added, ”everyone sings in such close harmony that if one voice is off, we’re all in danger of being off. So doing this show is much harder than it looks.”
Along the way to amassing an enviable resume, Cearley is one-half of a rock/comedy duo known as The Skivvies. Co-created with partner Lauren Molina, the two play their music in their underwear. It happened by accident but has catapulted them to critical acclaim.
Additionally, Cearley has recently completed a stint off-Broadway in Pageant, in which he played a sequined-clad woman.
And there’s been more. Much more.
“And the best thing of all,” Cearley concluded, “is that with all I do, and I love it all, I am never bored.” ••
Tickets start at $25. For more information, call 215–862–2121.
