Justin
Bond and Kenny Mellman |
Kiki & Herb, Coup De Theatre
A Review by Brie Austin
Written by Justin Bond,
Musical direction by Kenny Mellman, Directed by Scott Elliott, Set
by Derek McLane, Lights by Jason Lyons, Costumes by Marc Happel,
Sound by Ken Travis
Kiki & Herb – Coup De
Theatre, features two has-been lounge singers well into their
senior years, who had a brief moment of celebrity in Monaco in
1967, played by Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman, and based on the
book created by Justin Bond. The show is clever, raw and in your
face. Perhaps that’s why earlier installments of K & H over
the past 5 years such as, Stop, Drop and Roll, Pardon Our
Appearance, Jesus Wept, and There’s a Stranger In The Manager,
were so well received in lounges and cabarets in NYC, London,
Germany, and Australia. The musical-comedic duo have created quite
a following, which was evident by the turnout at Grange Hall for
their debut performance after-party, attended by Deborah Harry,
Graham Norton, Michelle Williams, Eddie
Izzard, and Jeff Marx (co-author of Avenue Q) who said
“I thought it was wicked,” to name just a few.
|
Justin
as Kiki SIngs
|
Kiki stood in her skyscraper
heels and beaded dress and warned the audience right up front,
“I’m going to liberate you whether you want it or not.” The
stage was stark but vivid - with a black backdrop that shimmered
when it moved, and a black piano with a blue and pink neon sign
hanging overhead that spelled out their names “KIKI &
HERB.” Throughout the show Kiki sings songs from STYX, Radiohead,
Eminem, Gil-Scott Heron and many others, rambles on about her life
and dispenses wisdom from her point of view - always closing with
a tap to her head with a pointed finger telling you, “Kiki
knows.”
The 90-minute show goes by very
quickly with a terrific rhythm directed by Scott Elliot, and
performed with remarkable timing and chemistry by it’s stars. It
could have been one song shorter, but it was fabulous just the
same. The atrocities of Kiki’s life is mixed with humor and
irony that confuses your emotions and takes you from sadness to
laughing out loud almost seamlessly. And just like the
counterpoint of the stories, so too is the energy. One minute Kiki
is leaning on the microphone as she sips whisky, and the next
racing up and down the aisles in some manic emotional scene.
Politically
correct? Please! Kiki has had a hard life and she’s not shy to
tell you about it. Maybe she’s too tired to worry about it or
too drunk to care – but, either way she just tells it like it
is. “Herb wasn’t just retarded, he was a gay jew-tard”, she
explains, “in an era before it was trendy.”
“Entertaining Triumph,” Next
Magazine, “Nostalgia Meets Chic,” New York Blade,
“Gleams Like A Rhinestone,” New York Times (Arts Section),
“In A Word – Fabulous,” The News-Times, “Bracingly
Funny,” Newsday, “Inviting, Charming &
Frightening,” New York Times (Sunday Styles),
“Slashingly Funny,” The New Yorker Magazine, “Gifted
and Unique Performers,” New York Observer … well, you
get the idea.
Kenny Mellman gives a terrific
performance as well, even though Kiki commands the spotlight while
her subservient friend plays the dutiful accompanist. Justin Bond
has a unique mix of superb femininity with a powerful baritone
voice. After the show I asked people for their take on what they
had just experienced and heard reactions like, “what a voice,”
“powerful,” “I loved it,” and “Kiki touches upon the
little bit of dysfunction in all of us.” Well said! Oh yeah, my
adjectives – “Raw, Edgy and brilliant.”
Copyright 2003 - Brie Austin - All Rights Reserved
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