If you were too busy hanging mistletoe during the holidays when the Edwards Twins visited the Birch North Park Theatre last month, you’ll get another chance to catch these performers. The famed twins return to San Diego at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza on Feb. 7-10.

Make no mistake; this is not a drag show. Identical twin brothers Anthony and Eddie Edwards will astound you with their talent, underscored by the fact that People magazine just voted them the “most talented twins in the world.” This is not a lip-sync adventure. Both brothers use their own voices and make you believe that Cher, Bette or Babs are performing on stage before your very eyes.

They’ve opened for Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, U2 and many more. They have nearly 100 superstars in their repertoire, and their impersonations are accurate to the smallest detail. While Anthony manages the male stars like Elton John and Neil Diamond, Eddie dons dresses, wigs and sexy heels to play all the female stars.

Opening night is a fund-raiser for Stepping Stone, a nonprofit drug recovery agency serving the GLBT communities in the San Diego region.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the eldest (by four minutes) brother and producer recently from Las Vegas.

Gay & Lesbian Times: You just returned home to Vegas from a road show. How much time do you spend on the road every year?

Anthony Edwards: The show has become so popular we are now traveling about 300 days out of the year.

GLT: I understand that Las Vegas is home for you and your brother, Eddie.

AE: Actually, we have four homes in Vegas. And the truth of the matter is that I never even wanted to own a home. But when our earnings started to climb through many years of very hard work and thousands of make-up applications, our financial advisor demanded that we invest some of our earnings in real property. So now we’re homeowners times four and looking for number five.

GLT: Is it true that you two may have your own reality show?

AE: Yes. After turning other producers down a few years ago, we hashed out “control” issues and have a pilot ready to be fought over by the national networks. I am really fascinated and excited about the results of those negotiations.

GLT: How do you choose the line-up of entertainers for your show?

AE: It is mostly determined by the city where we are performing; as they say in real estate, it’s location, location, location. In Oklahoma, for example, we would feature more conservative entertainers. In Palm Springs we might feature Neil Diamond for the older crowd. And for the more liberal crowds like San Diego, we would feature entertainers like Cher, Elton John and Bette Midler.

GLT: As kids growing up in California, did you and your brother fight over who got to play a role?

AE: Yes. At that time, we were dressing up in mom’s clothes, and the family dogs were even part of the show.

GLT: Did you begin as a twin act?

AE: Eddie started performing in bars and clubs; then friends and professionals said the act needed a yin and yang, and so I joined Eddie on stage as the yang.

GLT: I take it you’ve had extensive training to be able to sing live songs from such a cadre of superstars?

AE: I studied anything from voice to animation at Cal Arts [Valencia], while Eddie attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in L.A. We both studied opera as well, which taught us how to use our voices to impersonate celebrities. The secret is all in the power of the voice, a blending of the head voice with the falsetto voice. The talent lies in knowing tones, a talent very few performers explore.

GLT: Are you two gay or straight or somewhere in between?

AE: You’ll get the answer to that question in the very near future. It’s going to be an announcement that will air as part of our reality show. The producers asked us to withhold that information as part of the promotion for the show.

GLT: Do you and your brother design the clothes used in show?

AE: Bob Mackie’s people make most of Eddie’s gowns, along with Donna Karan’s designer group. They are custom made and easily cost upwards from $10,000 to $15,000. Even an Elton John jacket may cost $8,000 or $9,000 because they are based upon the original design.

GLT: Who’s your favorite performer that you take to the stage?

AE: Elton for me; Barbra for Eddie.

GLT: What personality has become the audience favorite?

AE: Without a doubt, Cher.

GLT: What has been your most unusual experience?

AE: It’s the people who walk into our show thinking it’s lip sync. After they understand that it’s the real thing, that we have just nailed that performer’s voice live, they have turned from cold to hot and appreciate that we dared to entertain them on a higher level.

GLT: Was there ever a time when a fan became confused with the show’s gender role playing?

AE: There was a time in New York when Eddie had to parade through a hotel lobby dressed as Barbra Streisand. A number of eyes followed him/her, and Bill Clinton was one of those sets of eyes. He sent up a bouquet of flowers with his best wishes. Now that’s illusion in broad daylight.

GLT: After so many years, do you ever get tired of performing?

AE: No. The shows are constantly evolving, changing. Sometimes we present an entertainer as they were in their prime. At other times, we update as the entertainer ages through the years.

GLT: I’ve heard a rumor that you were part of San Diego’s finest?

AE: I studied music as well as police science and I graduated from the San Diego Police Academy. I was about to be sworn in when I was asked to think twice about my commitment, especially since the police department frowns upon moonlighting adventures. After some thought, I chose entertainment over law enforcement.

From the many glowing reviews that the Edwards Twins are receiving from around the country, I think Anthony chose the higher road to a more glittering career – and I don’t think he regrets that decision one bit.

For more information about the Edwards Twins’ upcoming performance/fund-raiser for Stepping Stone San Diego, call (619) 544-1000 or visit www.sandiegorep.com.