It is not easy for two performers to keep an audience engaged and enthusiastic throughout a 90+ minute show with no interval. Justin Vivian Bond and Anthony Roth Costanzo are more than capable. Their show Only an Octave Apart first opened Off-Broadway just last year. It has now arrived in London and is running at Wilton’s Music Hall until 22nd October.
Fly your freak flag high and get yourself a ticket
This show is cabaret plus. It is all about highlighting the differences between their voices and styles. On paper this should not work, but in reality it is a tour-de-force. It takes a while to get going and the opening ‘title’ song, which follows five minutes of awkward rehearsed ‘ad-libbing’, does not give the stars the chance to shine as inidividuals. Once the first costume change has taken place Justin Vivian Bond begins to inject some humour into the songs with a great rendition of There are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden. Only then does the show really start to pick up and it becomes a ride you don’t want to end.
The night, however, belongs to Anthony Roth Costanzo. His countertenor voice lends itself beautifully to his operatic style. His performance of Crudel, perché finora where he sings both the male and female roles brings the house down.
From opera to disco this show packs it all in. I don’t want to reveal too much here but the finale is a great example of how the classical can meet more modern music styles in a bizarre mash-up that makes perfect sense in the context of this show. The two performers also do a great job of showing what it is like when you don’t fit in with what society expects of you and is a celebration of all that is unique.
If you are looking to be entertained by two performers at the top of their game showcasing their vocal skills in an eclectic evening that you won’t forget in a hurry then you will not go wrong with this show. Fly your freak flag high and get yourself a ticket.
