MARIETTA — In the early 1960s, four male singers were on their way to their first major concert when they were killed in a car crash — as the story goes. On Thursday and Friday, they’ll be resurrected in the off-Broadway musical comedy “Forever Plaid” at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre.

“Forever Plaid” tells the fictional story of the harmony group, whose members are brought back to life for one last shot at musical glory. The musical is sure to keep the audience laughing with its comedic overtones, said Marietta resident Blaine Clotfelter, who plays Sparky in the show.

“(The characters) are goofy high school guys and their moves and songs are old-fashioned, but they’re so serious and they don’t know how outdated they are,” he said.

Clotfelter said he and the three other male cast members have been performing “Forever Plaid” twice a year since they first auditioned for the musical in 1996 at the Southside Theatre Guild in Fairburn.

This year, they decided to make the performances at the Strand benefit the PTA at Marietta’s Hickory Hills Elementary School.

Hickory Hills, which became an integrated arts school last year, has seen a declining student population in recent years. Clotfelter’s goal, along with other PTA parents such as Peter and Jana Chesney, is to get the word out about the elementary school.

“Hickory Hills is kind of tucked in back there. Some of the other schools have been a more popular choice over the past couple of years. We’re trying to inform the community on what Hickory Hills is all about so it’s looked at equally,” Clotfelter said.

Teachers at Hickory Hills Elementary use the arts to educate students in a variety of subjects from mathematics to social studies, said Principal Diana Mills.

“It’s not unusual to walk into a dance studio and see the dance teacher teaching fractions,” she said. “All of our teachers are certified staff members that have been trained on how to teach using the arts.”

The benefits to this style of teaching are innumerable, the Chesneys said. They have a 5-year-old daughter, Ella, who attends kindergarten at the school.

“We want people to understand the benefit an integrated arts program has on a child’s learning process. The children are having fun, learning faster and retaining the knowledge,” said Jana Chesney. “They have a phenomenal program to offer students. It teaches not just content, but concepts of learning and the transfer of ideas and knowledge across multiple disciplines. The program taps multiple ways of learning for a child.”

Peter Chesney said people might hear the words “arts academy” and get the wrong impression about the school.

“They hear arts academy and may think it’s a performing arts school. It’s not about Julliard. It is a method of teaching,” he said. “We did a lot of research on the different schools and the ways they taught. We really believe in Hickory Hills.”

So does Clotfelter, who attended the elementary school when he was younger. Clotfelter is using his artistic talents to hopefully raise money for the school with “Forever Plaid.”

“I wanted to help the school come up with additional funds and at the same time get the word out about what they do there. I wanted to let the community see how much the school means to the teachers there,” he said.

“Forever Plaid” will be at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. The show begins at 8 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. pre-show that will feature Hickory Hill Arts students singing, dancing and artwork. Tickets are $15 for adults or $10 for children 12 years of age or under.

Tickets can be purchased at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre box office or by going to www.earlsmithstrand.org.