Kiki & Herb; Coup de Theatre , an review by Brianna Austin

(Girl Talk Magazine)

Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman

Kiki & Herb, Coup De Theatre

A Review by Brianna 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.”