FOREVER PLAID Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary (Triad is the original home of Forever Plaid)

The Triad Theater (then called Steve McGraws) is where Forever Plaid made it's debut and played for over 5 years. Since then the show has become perhaps the most successful show in Off-Broadway History grossing over 300 million dollars worldwide. All of this came about from a small little show at our 130 seat theater.

On Thursday July 9th a live broadcast and filmed event of the show was broadcast into 375 theaters and featured 3 members of the original cast. Below is some information aboutthe show & live filmed broadcast from Forever Plaid's website:

Amassing loyal followers around the world, the Plaid fan base has been constantly growing for nearly twenty years. All these fans have now become part of the "Frequent Plaid" program. 'Plaid Heads' (a term coined by Jay Leno) have seen the show upwards of 700 times! 'Plaid Head' celebrities include Joanne Woodward, Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli, Garry Marshall, Jason Alexander, Elaine Stritch, Rosie O'Donnell, Tommy Hilfiger, Bette Midler, Joan Baez and Robert Reich. The film features cameos by Fred Willard, Loni Anderson, Rose Marie, Kate Linder, and Melissa Manchester.
―FOREVER PLAID‖ has played the East Room of the White House (under the first Bush administration), and The Plaids have also sung for President Clinton at both his Democratic Conventions. In London ―FOREVER PLAID‖ gave a command performance for HRH Queen Elizabeth. In Japan, the show was sponsored by the government and was honored with performances for Japanese dignitaries. The show has played non-stop, worldwide for nearly twenty years.

Broadway World Photo Coverage of Erotic Broadway's Debut at Triad June 29th 2009

Adam Shorsten, Anthony Francavilla, Michelle Mantione, and The Imagination Company presented EROTIC BROADWAY at The Triad on Monday June 29th. EROTIC BROADWAY is New York City's sexiest, new late-night Monday series. BroadwayWorld.com made the late night trip to the Triad to cover all the seductive action.

Two of Broadways hottest talents, Nick Adams and Kearran Giovanni guest starred in the June 29th performance which was choreographed by Broadway's hottest dance talent, Lorin Latarro.

Press notes describe EROTIC BROADWAY as, "this stimulating and irreverent adults-only variety show series, showcasing Broadway's brightest talent, will feature an erotically-charged evening of dance, slinky love songs, risqué stand-up comedy, steamy story telling and...well, who knows what else? Featuring a new cast and creative team at each performance, the hottest and most exciting talent on Broadway will offer their own unique and different interpretation of the genre."

Future performance dates are July 20th, August 10th, August 24th, October 5th & October 19th at 9:30pm. Cast and creative teams to be announced.

The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street, NY, NY. www.triadnyc.com Tickets are $50, $35 & $30 each plus a 2 beverage minimum. Tickets on sale now for all performances at www.smarttix.com.

"The Real Billy Elliot" by Rex Reed New York Observer May 19th, 2009

Jon Peterson: Song Man Dance Man
The Triad, 158 West 72 Street

With youth, one expects energy and exuberance, but good looks, intelligence and talent are rarely found in the same package. Jon Peterson, an enchanting new performer from England who has “adopted” the Apple as his own, has got it all. In Song Man Dance Man, an entertaining nonstop revue at the beautifully refurbished cabaret theater called the Triad, Mr. Peterson is paying homage to the historic song-and-dance icons George M. Cohan, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bobby Darin and Anthony Newley. A combination of Tommy Steele and Norman Wisdom, he was a veteran of the Royal Ballet School at 9 years old. But Swan Lake didn’t hold a candle to MGM musicals, and Mr. Peterson never had any doubt what he wanted to be when he grew up. He is, in many ways, the real Billy Elliot.

Unfortunately, by the time he was handsome and supple enough to become the new Bob Fosse, movie musicals were over. That hasn’t stopped him from emulating his heroes. From a vaudeville trunk he extracts top hats, canes, baseball caps and props to create his own version of That’s Entertainment! His Bobby Darin needs work, but the athletic cockiness of Gene Kelly shines through, tough but tender on “For Me and My Gal” and wet dancing with an umbrella on “Singin’ in the Rain.” He doesn’t imitate the cockney of fellow Londoner Anthony Newley. He channels him, until his “Once in a Lifetime” sends chills down your spine. His biographical patter is revealing, his personal revelations are endearing and his tap-dancing is aces high. With flipper shoes, baggy pants, white gloves protruding from a long purple coat, orange shirt and polka dot tie, he kneels in front of a mirror applying clown makeup and emerges as Kelly singing Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown” in The Pirate, then keeps the makeup on for “What Kind of Fool Am I?” which displays the serious, lonely side of a clown and builds to a perfect finale.

Out of character, his floppy hair refuses to stay in place, and his smile is as warm as Palm Springs in December. With Hermes Pan to do the choreography, Conrad Salinger to write the arrangements and Ira Gershwin to pen the lyrics, Jon Peterson could have been a big star. Even in the creatively bankrupt show business world of today, he vibrates with talent and charisma, and in the right vehicle he could own the stage. 

rreed@observer.com