get-attachment

 

By Brian Scott Lipton

 

To say that The Skivvies is not your grandfather’s idea of “cabaret” is to be guilty of serious understatement. For one thing, the duo – consisting of drop-dead gorgeous singers/instrumentalists Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina – perform only in their “skivvies” (which in Cearley’s case means the skimpiest of bikini briefs, while Molina is clad in revealing bra and panties). Amazingly, they often convince some of Broadway brightest (and buffest) stars to join in the fun.  (Superhunk Nick Adams’ rendition of “I Love a GG while clad only in black Calvin Klein briefs was worth the price of admission!) And to say they (and their friends) are just as comfortable with profanity as they are with the bodies – well, that’s understatement number two.

So – unless you’re a prude — it’s not surprising that an evening with the Skivvies is just so much fun. Moreover, as evidenced by their Monday, September 23rd gig at 54 Below, their home-away-from-home, the group’s joie de vivre is simply infectious no matter what happens on stage. Mishaps (such as a broken cello bow or wrong lighting cue) are greeted with a laugh by the pair and the go-with-the flow feeling extends to the audience.

Most of all, one has to simply marvel at the inventiveness of the duo’s musical selections, in which they take an established tune like Carole King’s “I Feel The Earth Move” and Alanis Morisette’s “Ironic” and give it a completely different spin. Even more remarkable are the many intricate mash-ups they and their guests perform revolving around themes or words, such as “love,” “groovy” or the 50 United States, which will have your mouth agape and your ears buzzing.

On Monday, the hilarious Leslie McDonel appeared as pop star Miley Cyrus for a brilliant segment which combined twerking and “work” songs; the big-voiced Lesli Margherita (on her night off from “Matilda”) was an absolute riot doing an “alcomedley” of drinking-themed songs; and the sweet-looking (and extraordinarily fit) Matt Doyle did something “meaningful” to him: a hysterical “Pusher Medley,” which featured a powerfully-sung section of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”.

Rest assured, there’s no audience participation – you don’t need to be wearing clean underwear (or any underwear at all). Just sit back, relax, and let yourself go. The Skivvies certainly do!

 

The Skivvies return to 54 Below on Friday, October 11 at 11pm.