Review: Hate To See Them Go But Love To Watch Them Walk Away - THE SKIVVIES Are In Their Prime at Chelsea Table + Stage

The Skivvies are having their farewell tour! Well, not really, but what a great way to sell tickets. Honestly, though, if you haven't seen a Skivvies show, you should probably get a ticket ASAP, because life is fleeting and who knows when the comeback tour is (it's in May). In their latest NYC performance this past Monday, The Skivvies deviated from their typical show to give this lucky audience a glimpse into their history together, all the way back from when they first met doing TYA, to when they first took off their clothes for the internet, and beyond. Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley are talented, charming, and, of course, very hot. But they're also funny! The Skivvies are the whole package!

What can you expect at a Skivvies show? Well, obviously a lot of skin, and it's lovely to look at. But there's no way they would have maintained an incredibly loyal audience for 10+ years if they didn't also have the Weird Al-esque humor, effortless stage presence, and absolutely banging vocals. In this evening at Chelsea Table + Stage, Lauren and Nick, accompanied by Drew Brody tickling the ivories and Josh Roberts providing percussion, alongside The Skivvies, themselves, on a delightful variety of children's instruments, and Lauren with her ever-present cello, a more "typical" cabaret show was on offer. There's such a joy in hearing music that has followed an artist throughout their life; songs that have percolated in their minds and hearts to create a performance that is only possible through the experience of living with them for so long. For example, when meeting while on tour with Theaterworks' production of The Just So Stories, Lauren and Nick discovered that they both had performed the same song for their college senior showcases! This, of course, led to a delightful moment of "only the Skivvies would think to do this" with the vaguely problematic "Popcorn" from Little by Little, complete with a popcorn bucket freshly plucked from a nearby AMC. Other numbers with a similar sort of lived-in comfort included Lauren's quirky ear-worm "Marriott on Wheels," which was last performed at the Laurie Beechman Theater in 2005, "Suddenly Seymour," as they've both done the show (though Nick has put on Seymour's thick-rimmed glasses thrice!) and their very first single, "We Found Love" by Rihanna.

Of course, no Skivvies show would be complete without appearances from their Broadway star buddies, and this was no exception. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, a longtime collaborator of the Skivvies, was decked out in striped briefs and platform Converse to sing an utterly adorable, completely timely, mashup of "It's A Small World" and "F*ck You" by Lily Allen, and Lizzo's 2018 summer hit "Boys." Shortly after, with a lovely little surprise presentation for Lauren's birthday (cake included) Krysta Rodriguez emerged from backstage in a full puppy costume, and I'm not talking about an animal costume in the Mean Girls sense. It was a full-body fuzzy dog suit. Of course, the costume came off pretty quickly (but not till after a very on-the-nose rendition of "In The Arms Of An Angel"). Of course, the Skivvies finished out with what they do best, which is imaginative and clever mashups that could only come from the minds of Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley. I never knew how much I needed this glorious celebration of human beauty and musical ridiculousness, but I did.

Wholly original acts are so hard to find, and the Skivvies are keeping it just as fresh as it was when they first started, more than ten years ago. You might be anxious to go, concerned you don't fit in among this crew of beautiful, talented people. However, you'd be wrong. The Skivvies are for everyone, and you feel genuinely welcomed into the warm embrace of absolute silliness. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that they decide to return to the stage (they are, the show is in May), and, hopefully, I'll see you in that far distant future too.

Find other great shows on the Chelsea Table + Stage website HERE.

The Skivvies have a website HERE, Lauren Molina's website is HERE, and Nick Cearley's Instagram page is HERE.