Kevin Smith Kirkwood to Return to Joe's Pub with CLASSIC WHITNEY ALIVE!

Kevin Smith Kirkwood - now appearing on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots - will bring CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE! back to JOE'S PUB at The Public by popular demand.

After sold out shows last season at The Cutting Room and Joe's Pub and being hailed as a "Critics' Pick" by Time Out New York, Kirkwood will channel the voice, look and spirit of the late legend Whitney Houston with new songs and new costumes on Wednesday, August 31 at 9:30 PM.

In CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE!, Ms. Houston comes back to earth, reincarnated in the body of Mr. Kirkwood, to deliver a full-out retrospective concert and celebration of some of her iconic live performances. Backed by a full band and three back-up singers (who also play guests including her mother Cissy Houston, brother Gary, and Bobby Brown), Mr. Kirkwood serves Whitney realness with a script that is constructed from excerpts of her live concert banter and interviews, CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE! is the ultimate Whitney tribute from the ultimate Whitney fan.

Kevin Smith Kirkwood made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and earned a 2005 New York Innovative Theater Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for It's Karate, Kid! Kirkwood can currently be seen wowing audiences in Broadway's Tony Award Winning musical Kinky Boots and stars as Roxy in the recently released feature horror film titled Condemned (written and directed by Eli Morgan Gesner and also starring Dylan Penn and Lydia Hearst).

CLASSIC WHITNEY: ALIVE! is written by Mr. Kirkwood, directed by Ray DeMattis, with musical direction by Drew Wutke (Into the Woods, Little Fish), and features vocalists Kerry Flanagan, Ashanti J'Aria, and Will T. Travis and a few other surprise guests. Costume design is by Marcus Desion with wigs by Sabanah Styles (Kinky Boots).

The show will be presented at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater. The venue is located in The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th and Astor Place) NYC. . For tickets - which cost $20 - call (212) 967-7555 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM or visit joespub.com, or visit in person at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street from 2:00 PM daily. There is a $12 food / two (2) drink minimum per person per show, unless otherwise noted.

Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public opened in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. Joe's Pub consistently presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. The organization also offers unique opportunities like New York Voices, an artist commissioning program that provides musicians the resources and tools needed to develop original theater works. Commissioned artists have included Ethan Lipton, Toshi Reagon, Bridget Everett, Allen Toussaint and more. In 2011, the Pub received a top-to-bottom renovation, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 Audience members annually.

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