“Please turn off thee cell phone ringing; open any candies…softly….sloooowly”
These were the instructions we received from a strapping, foreign “stagehand” as lights went down in the 777 Theater for Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man…and immediately, the night was off to a sexy, silly start.
This “stagehand” was soon introduced as Stefan (Dan Gonon) by The Skivvies (Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina), who will assume the roles of Dan Anderson, author of Sex Tips, and Robyn, the timid, awkward moderator of the evening’s book discussion, respectively.
The Skivvies guest starred in Sex Tips every Saturday this past July, performing in the show and then treating the audience to a post-show concert of their best undressed tunes. Yes, you read that right. In the show, Stefan emphasizes that he is “not a stripper. [he] is scientist”, and like Stefan, the Skivvies “are not strippers. They are musicians”, but they (and their guest artists) DO perform their whole set in well….their skivvies!
Each of them are established performers on and off Broadway in their own rights, and this quirky “Undie”-Rock Comedy Duo is known for their creative mashups, eclectic covers, and silly, daring original tunes and have been performing since 2012.
In Sex Tips, Gonon, Cearley, and Molina took the audience through a wild, blush-worthy tour through six chapters of the actual Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man book, introducing us to the choreography of a proper hand-job and the proper form for the “alllllmighty BJ”, as told farcically through a bit with a juicer and produce.
What added even more fun to the evening was the audience participation. Unsuspecting guests got pulled from the audience, and were coached on the art of seduction, experienced “dates” with Robyn, and were able to offer suggestions to the script. For instance, after taking audience suggestions on Saturday, Stefan pulled a name from his “sack” and revealed that for the remainder of the evening, the male anatomy would be referred to only as a “purple yogurt slinger”. Yowza!
Though boisterous, promiscuous, and over the top in their commentary, Dan, Stefan, and Robyn ultimately revealed that being comfortable, communicating, and having fun are at the heart of their (and your) late-night antics. They leave us with the most important sex tip: “in life and in the bedroom, don’t just be yourself; be your BEST self”
After a strip tease in outer space (yes, really), Gonon’s Stefan came back on stage to announce the Skivvies post-show performance. Some audience members didn’t know what to expect, but Cearley and Molina quickly won over the crowd as they stripped down during their rendition of Nelly’s “Hot in Herre”.
Before we knew what hit us, The Skivvies introduced us to the evening’s special guests Eric Altemus (Pippin) and Natalie Joy Johnson (Kinky Boots). Both Altemus and Johnson got equally bare and serenaded us with tunes like Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend”, Blondie’s “Call Me”, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” — can’t you just smell the mashup?
The band is just as stripped down as the performers, as vocals are supported by only cello, ukulele, glockenspiel, and melodica. This assortment adds a whimsy to overtly sexual content.
The Skivvies closed the show (and their run in Sex Tips) with their new single “Hardbody Hoedown”, that explores the male and female body with tunes like “I Like Big Butts”, Khia’s “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)” and as the glue, “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”.
The pairing of Sex Tips and The Skivvies is like peanut butter and jelly. The content, raunch, and confident razzing of sexuality are made for each other. But don’t worry, they’re both equally delicious on their own. Catch Sex Tips every Saturday at the 777 Theater at either 7 or 9:30PM, and follow The Skivvies for upcoming dates, including a summer residency at Feinstein’s/54 Below and performances in Williamstown and Nantucket this summer.