Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SKIVVIES SHOW Bares All at Joe's Pub

Heigh Ho Friends & "Family"! Bobby Patrick your RAINBOW Reviewer here. Putting the silent T in CABARET to bring you all the T.

How do you turn a camp, cult, comedy classic into Cabaret me darlins? You gather a group of FINE looking ladies and gents, strip them down to their underoos, bras, and panties, add some big broadway voices (also in undies) for guest stars, take the score of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and play it up for laughs and grabs at Joe's Pub and there you have it. We could actually just stop there and this would be a fine review of an evening that was alternately hilarious, stagey, fun, sexy and musically thrilling, but by now you all know how Bobby loves to talk... So, GURL!! Let's talk!

The Mac Award winning band, The Skivvies, has built themselves up to a near iconic status in the Cabaret bars and basements with their eclectically arranged, burlesque-y staged, slightly naughty shows where front persons the YUMMY Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley (and their accompanying band-mates) perform their evenings clad only in their underwear. Along with this novelty goes their kicky musical takes on established works, their own hip original music and, while playing in NYC, some pretty fab Broadway guest stars who are also required to sing a song and striptease. Holding to this line of thought the Skivvies returned to Joe's Pub this Halloween with their knock out PARRRRTEEEE Rocky Horror Show where they and their guest stars run through the score song by song with its message of pan-sexy hedonism heightened by naughties and nighties. This year's audacious cast included Tom Hewitt, Nick Adams, Lesli Margherita, Eden Espinosa, Krysta Rodriguez, Natalie Joy Johnson, Nathan Lee Graham, Larry Owens, Rob Morrison, Sutton Lee Seymour, Marrick Smith, Marissa Rosen, Gabrielle McClinton, and Amy Hillner Larsen, all performing dynamos who brought their A-games to Joe's on the night.

Turns out Skivvies creators, Lauren and Nick have a real background with Rocky as together they starred in the TIT-ular roles (see what I did there?) of the virginal Brad and Janet at Bucks County under the direction of the talentedly LOUD Hunter Foster. As such, they naturally fall into those roles after the rousing Science Fiction Double Feature opening with Dragalicious Sutton Lee Seymour as the LIPS. From there, with their fine musicianship and their intimate knowledge of their source material, Molina and Cearley then pepper the already spicey gumbo with terrific vocal arrangements of their own that throughout mix in companion music as call out surprises for our ears. These additional music flourishes enhance the evening wonderfully such as with their first guest star, Natalie Joy Johnson's Over At The Frankenstein Place. You all know what happens during this song, right my lambs? The audience holds up lighters, flashlights, candles, basically any handy illumination for each round of the famous chorus. Well, the musical bonbon The Skivvies baked in was to mix the Doors' Come On Baby Light My Fire as a tasty cream center to the song. These treats are kept tiny and never detract from the whole but serve to tantalize our ears wondering with each song how they will surprise us. Molina singing Janet's Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me drips a drop of Divinyls - I Touch Myself, Lesli Margherita singing Eddie's Teddy pours in a shot or two of Elvis' Teddy Bear etc.

Now my pets, the evening started with a BANG, and a surprise to anyone who did not already know the lineup, as Tony Award Nominated for his Frankenfurter, Tom Hewitt took the stage to show that, after nearly 20 years since the revival, silver bears are SEXY too and can put that Sweet Transvestite number over with a zip, pow, and the aforementioned BANG! Other highlights included: soon to make her Broadway debut, Marissa Rosen one of the hardest working AAMDA graduates in the last 20 years who KNOCKED OUT Eddie's song Hot Patootie, and the impossibly hot Nick Adams (who should just have it in his contract that he strips for every show - even if it's My Fair Lady) sang a roof lifting Sword Of Damocles with a voice that shines brighter and louder than his pearly whites. It was, though, Amy Hillner Larsen who took all the candy using her gift for spot-on impressions to mix in the famous voices of Adele, Bernadette Peters, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing, Celine, Patti and hell, even Bjork to her Rose Tint My World and a Floor Show of vocal pyrotechnics it was. Now, as the show was drawing to a close, Bobby was so caught up in enjoying the night my dearlings, that we didn't even notice that the magnum opus of Rocky Horror had not been taken on by any of the cast. This was because the Skivvies, in all their intimate apparel wisdom, left this number in their drawers, saving it for the finale of the night. Just as we thought the show was over, they announced a lady who is fast becoming a favorite for us. The raven-haired Krista Rodriguez accoutred all in black lingerieeee, came to the mike and belted us back to the stone age with her Time Warp. So my pets, The Rocky Horror Skivvies Show used its undergarment gimmick to its best advantage keeping it light, sexy and funny over at the Frankenstein place.

The whole show is on the YouTubes as of today and I will link you below because, well, that's just the kinda QUEEN I am. But rest assured, nothing beats the experience of the live show so this is one for your Halloween radars next year. Keep an eye out for it and ask the Great Pumpkin to bring you tickets so you can catch the show if you can. It is a complete Monster Mash. Bobby wouldn't steer you wrong and Bobby gives this one... 5 Out Of 5 Rainbows.

See the show on Molina's YouTubes: HERE
Find out About The Skivvies on their webby: HERE
Follow The Skivvies Insta: HERE
Their Twitter: HERE
And Ye Olde Facebook: HERE

For all things Joe's Pub go: HERE

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