Rarely do we get twins performing together on stage at The Straz, so it is a double (quadruple?) treat to have Will and Anthony stopping by the Jaeb this Saturday for their cabaret show. We thought we’d celebrate this rare occasion with some interesting factoids about twins from around the world. We also threw in a few interesting factoids about Will and Anthony, just for fun.
In African Yoruba mythology, twins are knows as Ibeji, sacred spirits called Orishas, that symbolize wealth, power …. and trouble. The first born is called Taiwo, “having the first taste of the world,” and the second is Kehinde, “arriving after the other.”
The Aztecs were not as generous. One twin was killed to save the life of a parent and the other was thought to possess evil powers. No bueno.
The Lillooet tribe believes bears are the parents of twins.
Some famous mythical twins include Romulus and Remus, suckled by wolves in ancient Rome, and, of course, the Weasely Brothers, of Harry Potter legend. There’s also Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Artemis and Apollo, and the Hindu Ashwini Twins, who act as Healers.
Will and Anthony got their start on stage playing Judas and Jesus in Godspell. Wait til the show, and they’ll tell you who was who.
Their mother told them apart by dressing one in red and one in blue.
Their first professional gig was stealing (inadvertently, of course) a Cheerios jingle from the Harlem Boys Choir.
The twins’ first major show was called “Thank God the Egg Split: A Twin Show.”
They played with Upright Citizens Brigade. They are charming. They are funny. They are good-looking.
Seems like they prove a lot of the twin mythology just may have more than a little grain of truth.