Heigh-Ho Friends & "Family"! Bobby Patrick your RAINBOW Reviewer here. Putting the silent T in CABARET to bring you all the T.
So my pets, when your editor tells you to go review a gorgeous package of teeth, talent, and tonsils doing a Christmas "Spectacular" at Don't Tell Mama's, you don't squawk about it. Especially with there's TWO OF THEM. The Drinkwater Brothers (is that their real name? REALLY?) have been building up quite the rep on the musical stages around ol' NYC ever since they graduated last year... from grade school by the look of them. The boys are twins and since Bobby can't tell one from the other we are going to call the brother who handled percussion, Drummin Drinkwater and the guitar player Strummin Drinkwater (Hey, It's better than Left Drinkwater and Right Drinkwater). Now to educate you a bit my rainbow tribe... in New York City, there are some pretty venerable institutions for training young performers for the unemployment line or their careers as tray lifters: The American Academy Of Dramatic Art (AADA), The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AAMDA), Circle in the Square Theatre School etc. But in the middle of New York Harbor on a tiny island called Staten, there is an institute of higher learning called Wagner College. This is Drummin and Strummin's alma mater, and let me tell you my dearlings, there's got to be something in the water at Wagner. The Drinkwaters' EXTRAVAGANZA on Monday night was peopled by a ton of guest stars, all of whom were classmates of the twins, and who proceeded to knock the audience's socks off song after song. The boys sat on the tiny stage in nightmarish Christmas sweaters doing their things... drummin and strummin and passing lead vocals back and forth for a number or two, and then segued to providing back up music for each FAB guest, who was then queried about the location of Santa, due to give out the first gift of the season during their show. That, and flashing their smiles and chin clefts, was the show in a nutshell and simply served for the twin bros to "BroOut", be funny, and provide their loving audience - which included members of their own family - with some fantastic holiday music and singing. The Drinkwaters are consummate musicians with an easy, enjoyable rapport born of... being born together I guess.
Whatever might have been the silly premise upon which all the glorious music was hung with care, the show simply acted as an excuse for these impossibly HAWT, former college footballers to have a reunion PARTY with their phenomenally talented fellow Wagner alumni:
Sophia Tzougros
Harper Lee Andrews
Maggie Eley
Emily Barkovic
Kevin Atwater
Gabrielle Baker
Emily Cobb
Kristine Palka
Emma Alteri
Meghan Gunther
April Lillard
Emma Pittman
Isabelle Miller
Brianna Brice
& Vasi Katina on piano (Except when Drummin tickled the keys)
Standouts for the concert included Harper Lee Andrews joining the boys for a bluesy jazz trio arrangement of GOD REST YE..., Emily Cobb's adorable HIPPOPOTTIMUS FOR CHRISTMAS, and Kristine Palka dueting in PJ's with Emma Alteri on I SAW MOMMY KISSING Santa Claus. Subbing in on the finale for an ill company member was cutie Wagner Twink (would that make him a TWAGNER?), Kevin Atwater (apparently NO relation to the Drinkwater family - unless he's a distant cousin, I guess) who lifted the roof with more voice than one would suspect from his slight frame, belting out THIS CHRISTMAS.
At this festive season of the year, dear read whores, every club and every act is doing their own rendition of holiday faves, and one can go to show after show of Christmas cheer until you cry, DRUNKEN UNCLE! And Bobby has already seen half a dozen of the seasonal offerings, but so far Strummin & Drummin Drinkwater provided the most family fun and hilarious musical party in town.
*Editors note: I am now reliably informed that Drummin Drinkwater's name is Matt Drinkwater and Strummin is called John Drinkwater, but they're a matched set so, ya know... twins, and Bobby had such a good time at their Christmas Party without knowing which was which, that we give them BOTH a solid 4 out of 5 rainbows.
Read more about the Drinkwater twins: HERE
See their YouTubes: HERE
Follow their twitterings: HERE
And Ye Olde FaceBooke: HERE
*All Photos By My Boss - Stephen Mosher
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