Cher, Elvis, Bette and Babs onstage at Spire as twin impersonators bring show to Plymouth

Performers Anthony and Eddie Edwards are identical twins who not only look just like each other, but – with the right hair and make-up – can also look just like the host of stars they bring to life with their celebrity impersonations.

They’ll demonstrate that when they bring “An Evening Starring the Edwards Twins” to The Spire Center for the Performing Arts in Plymouth for three shows Dec. 10-12.

Born in Burbank, California – home to numerous television and film companies – the brothers, as teenagers, would sneak into TV tapings to see celebrities perform on everything from variety specials to series and talk shows.

Back at their house, just across the street from the studio, they would mimic the stars and memorize the comedy sketches they had seen on “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and “Laugh-In.”

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Deciding to pursue a career as a celebrity impersonator, Eddie Edwards used his high-pitched voice to portray female celebrities, beginning with Lily Tomlin as Ernestine the Telephone Operator. He further honed his craft by studying the art of make-up application.

Eddie soon joined “La Cage Aux Folles,” appearing as Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler for audiences from Japan, Singapore and China to Aruba, the Bahamas and Miami. He later spent five years in “An Evening at La Cage” in Las Vegas, where he met and performed for both Cher and Midler at Caesar’s Palace.

Anthony took a more circuitous route to his current career, first studying music at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita before going on to graduate from the San Diego Police Academy. Returning to performing, he began touring in “Legends in Concert!”

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It took advice from no less than Carol Burnett, a longtime friend, to persuade the Edwards brothers to join forces and create a show about a pair of twins who can look and sound like many superstars.

Since 1995, Anthony, who plays the male roles, and Eddie, the female, have toured as The Edwards Twins, performing some 300 dates annually all over the world.

By telephone recently from Providence, Anthony Edwards talked about everything from his favorite impersonations and what it takes to get into character to his relationship with his brother, Eddie.

You’ve mastered more than 75 different celebrity impersonations. Do you have a favorite, and why?

Edwards: It changes, but right now, because of his popularity, it would have to be Andrea Bocelli. Like Luciano Pavarotti before him, he crosses over from opera to pop. And while there are a million Cher impersonators, almost no one else but me does Bocelli.

It took a lot of research and work too, to get him just right. I studied with a linguist specializing in Italian. I do both his classics and songs from the holiday show he did with David Foster.

Is there a celebrity you’ve tried to impersonate, but just couldn’t get?

Edwards: When “Jersey Boys” was really huge, I learned Frankie Valli’s voice until it was dead-on, but I was too full-faced and could never get the look just right, so I dropped the idea. Years later, I tried again, this time focusing on Valli in his “Grease” period from the late 1970s.

It worked too, and when the casting director for “Jersey Boys” came to see us in Atlantic City, he said to me, “Of all the people I’ve cast in the show, you’re the closest I’ve heard to getting Frankie’s voice.”

You and Eddie refer to yourselves as celebrity illusionists. How is that different from impressionists?

Edwards: The difference is that we use custom-made wigs and even prosthetics to transform ourselves into the different people we portray. We learned make-up from some of the best Hollywood make-up artists of their time.

We also wear only the finest costumes and we use custom backing tracks, accompanied by a live pianist. And our musical arrangements were all done for us by Engelbert Humperdinck’s arranger. All of this is integral to our creating the full illusion of the artists we present.

What’s the biggest challenge in getting a celebrity impersonation just right?

Edwards: First is the voice. If that isn’t there perfectly, the character will never work. Once you get the voice down, the second step is wigs and costumes. Step three is to make sure that all the instrumental arrangements and tracks are just right. Then it goes onstage. And if audiences like it, the character stays in the show.

Do you ever hear comment from the celebrities you portray?

Edwards: Yes, many times. When we were performing in Montreal, Celine Dion heard about us through her manager and invited us to see her show at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and come backstage afterward. I was unable to make it, but Eddie went and he and Celine got along famously. Later, her manager called us to say, “Celine is your biggest fan.”

We’ve also heard nice things directly from people including Tom Jones, Barbara Eden and, of course, Carol Burnett, who’s been a big supporter of ours.

When they come to see us, it can be stressful and also exhilarating. It’s amazing to look out and see them smiling, laughing and enjoying the show. And when they come backstage, it’s to tell us how much they loved the show.

You and Eddie are a very successful performing team, of course, but do you get along offstage?

Edwards: We’ve been working together as the Edwards Twins for over 25 years and there was definitely a settling-in period in the beginning. We had to deal with each other’s attitude issues and tantrums, but over time we worked all that out. Now, we get along just fine.

What can audiences expect from your holiday show?

Edwards: We’ll be doing Andrea Bocelli, Bette Midler, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Sonny & Cher, Rod Stewart, Neil Diamond, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Burl Ives and Johnny Mathis. And not just Christmas songs either. We’ll be doing something for everyone – a mixture of holiday music and the hits.

'The Edwards Twins'

When: Dec. 10-12

Where:  The Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25½ Court St., Plymouth

Tickets: $45

Info: 508-746-4488 or spirecenter.org

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