Kiki and Herb to Play Series of Shows at Joe's Pub

Due to popular demand, Joe's Pub at The Public extends the reunion run of Kiki and Herb, the legendary and fanatically-loved cabaret duo brought to life by Mx Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman, for two weeks. Born in 1992 in San Francisco and retired in 2007 in New York City, the "perverse" and "transcendental" (The New York Times) septuagenarian lounge-singers will debut a new show entitled Seeking Asylum!, which will now run from April 21-May 22, 9:30PM, for a total of 21 performances.

Tickets, $45-105, and VIP packages for the extension block - Saturday, May 7, Wednesdays-Sundays, May 11-15 and 18-22 - will go on sale on Thursday, February 4 at 2:00PM via www.joespub.com and in-person at the Taub Box Office (The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette @ Astor Place).

There will be a limited number of free tickets available via lottery for each Kiki & Herb performance. Details are forthcoming.

"Kiki and Herb onstage are Alive with a capital A, with all the human vitality and fallibility that that implies," said The New York Times of the famous (and infamous) duo. For 15 years, Bond and Mellman, as Kiki and Herb, enthralled, shocked and charmed audiences with their political prowess, wild historical narrative and belligerently profound wit. Their use of pop music - ranging from Eminem to Kate Bush to Bob Dylan to Radiohead - and their utter lack of inhibition invigorated the genre of cabaret.

Mellman and Bond retired the act after a Tony Award-nominated run on Broadway, two sold-out Carnegie Hall performances (2004 and 2007), an Obie Award-winning off-Broadway show at Cherry Lane, two albums (Do You Hear What We Hear (2000) and Kiki and Herb Will Die for You: Live From Carnegie Hall (2004)) and countless shows at clubs and theaters in New York and beyond. While they took their last bow on the Carnegie Hall stage, they will return to their downtown roots for an exclusive run of intimate performances full of new music and old favorites.

Shanta Thake, Director of Joe's Pub said, "Vivian and Kenny have a chemistry that is unmatched. Seeing them as Kiki and Herb was a combination of mayhem and magic that, until now, lived only in memories. As we have watched them grow separately as powerhouse performers, the downtown cabaret scene, which they helped establish, has flourished on our stage. To say we are thrilled and honored that they are reuniting in our room is an understatement. We can't wait to welcome the scores of fans and friends, new and old, to see the insane wonder of Kiki and Herb live!"

Kiki and Herb's Seeking Asylum! is part of New York Voices, the Joe's Pub artist commissioning program. This run is also part of Bond's yearlong celebration of v's 25th anniversary of cabaret, which commenced with the revival of Dixie McCall's Patterns for Living, V's first-ever cabaret show and collaboration with Mellman, and continues monthly with shows from Bond's catalog. February features the lusty Love is Crazy!, and March will present Mx America, v's take on the beauty pageant.

About the Artists

Mx Justin Vivian Bond is a writer, singer, painter, and performance artist. Mx Bond is the author of the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, published by The Feminist Press and Susie Says... a collaboration with Gina Garan (Powerhouse Books, 2012). V's debut CD Dendrpophile was self-released on WhimsyMusic in 2011 and was followed by Silver Wells in 2012. In 2011, v's art exhibition The Fall of the House of Whimsy was presented at Participant Inc. Mx Bond is one half (with Kenny Mellman) of the legendary act Kiki and Herb.

Other notable works include starring as Warhol Superstar Jackie Curtis in Scott Wittman's production of Jukebox Jackie: Snatches of Jackie Curtis as part of La Mama E.T.C.'s 50 Anniversary Season, originating the role of Herculine Barbin in Kate Bornstein's groundbreaking play Hidden: A Gender, touring with the performance troupe Big Art Group and appearing in John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus. Other films: Sunset Stories (2012), Imaginary Heroes (2004) and Fanci's Persuasion (1995).

Mx Bond is a recipient of The Ethyl Eichelberger Award, The Peter Reed Foundation Grant and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award for Performance Art/Theater, an Obie and a Bessie. Additionally, Mx Bond, with Kenny Mellman, was nominated for a Tony for Kiki and Herb Alive On Broadway in 2007.

Kenny Mellman is in The Julie Ruin. Fronted by Kathleen Hanna, of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre fame, they released their critically acclaimed debut album Run Fast in September 2013 and have toured extensively since then. They are currently recording their second album. Mellman has also performed with Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), LD Beghtol, Dudley Klute and Bob Mould (Husker Du).

His own shows include Kenny Mellman Is Grace Jones, which toured the US, Australia and the UK and Say Sea Boy You Sissy Boy?, his one man musical about gay bashing and homophobia that was commissioned by Dixon Place. Mellman is one half (with Justin Vivian Bond) of legendary act Kiki and Herb. Active from 1992 to 2007, Kiki and Herb were critically and popularly embraced for their mix of political fervor, punk rock extremity, outrageous humor and heartfelt passion.

After collaborating with Bridget Everett for years, performing at Ars Nova, Joe's Pub and many other clubs, he co-wrote the hit show At Least It's Pink with Everett and Michael Patrick King for Ars Nova. With Everett and Neal Medlyn, Mellman created Our Hit Parade, the downtown NYC deconstruction of the pop charts. The show ran for four years at Joe's and was voted one Time Out New York's Top 10 Cabaret Shows every year. He has also collaborated with stars like Molly Pope, Cole Escola and Erin Markey.

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