Kiki and Herb
| Company type | Performing duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Cabaret |
| Founded | early 1990s |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
Key people | Justin Bond (Kiki DuRane), Kenny Mellman (Herb) |
| Products | Live performances, albums, DVDs |
Kiki and Herb—the stage personas of Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman—form a renowned American drag cabaret pair. Bond embodies Kiki DuRane, a fictional elderly lounge singer struggling with alcoholism, while Mellman assumes the role of Herb, her gay male pianist.
Although the performers themselves are middle-aged, their characters are depicted as octogenarians. Operating out of New York City, they have toured extensively across the United States and Europe.
Their performances blend musical selections—often medleys ranging from Broadway hits to Nirvana, Britney Spears to REO Speedwagon—with Kiki’s extended, seemingly intoxicated monologues. Their repertoire also includes covers from artists such as Suicidal Tendencies, The Mountain Goats, and Butt Trumpet.
First phase: 1990–2004
The partnership between Bond and Mellman began in 1989, with the creation of Kiki and Herb emerging in early 1990s San Francisco.
Between 1995 and 1996, they held regular gigs at Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Greenwich Village, cultivating a dedicated following that included John Cameron Mitchell, who later cast Bond in the 2006 film Shortbus.
In 1998, they participated in the first Gay Shame event at DUMBA in Brooklyn and appeared briefly in the documentary Gay Shame '98.
By 1999, they secured a weekly residency at Fez nightclub and received their initial review from The New York Times. Their debut album, a holiday-themed release titled Do You Hear What We Hear?, came out in 2000. The following year, they were awarded an Obie Award for their show Kiki and Herb: Jesus Wept.
The duo made a cameo appearance in Sony Pictures’ 2004 movie Imaginary Heroes, performing a track from their Christmas album. That same year featured their "farewell" concert at Carnegie Hall—Kiki and Herb Will Die for You—which included appearances by celebrities such as Sandra Bernhard and Rufus Wainwright. This performance was later issued as a two-disc live recording.
Afterwards, Bond moved to London to pursue scenography studies while Mellman continued his work in New York.
Return: 2004–2008
Following a short break, Kiki and Herb reunited in 2005 for The Resurrection Tour, which covered selected cities across the U.S., followed by a successful European circuit highlighted by a sold-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That year also saw two films about them—Kiki and Herb Reloaded and Kiki and Herb on the Rocks—screened at various festivals.
In early 2006, the duo announced their debut on Broadway. After preview shows at Philadelphia's Wilma Theatre, Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway premiered at the Helen Hayes Theatre on August 11 for a four-week run. Critical reception was largely positive; notably, New York Times critic Ben Brantley lauded Kiki’s singing as "radioactive with an angry sorrow, ecstasy, and cosmic fatigue," emphasizing the intensity behind her delivery.
Beginning January 2007, they held Sunday-night performances at Joe's Pub in New York City and embarked on a U.S. tour with The Year of Magical Drinking during spring and summer.
On May 15, 2007, Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway earned a Tony Award nomination for "Best Special Theatrical Event." Although the New York Observer anticipated a win, the award ultimately went elsewhere.
After completing an international tour, they returned to Carnegie Hall on December 12, 2007 with their holiday-themed show "Kiki and Herb: The Second Coming."
Their concert DVD titled Kiki and Herb: Live at the Knitting Factory, recorded in 2007 and released in January 2008, featured additional footage from performances dating back to 1993.
Their final appearance for several years took place during Perez Hilton's 30th birthday celebration in March 2008.
Revivification: 2016
In September 2015, Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman revealed plans to revive Kiki and Herb with a fresh production titled Seeking Asylum!, which ran at Joe's Pub from April 21 through May 6, 2016.
Fictional biography
Bond and Mellman developed an elaborate fictional history for their personas, shared via the Kiki and Herb MySpace profile and their official website. According to this storyline, the characters first met as children in a psychiatric hospital and later formed a jazz duo in the 1950s, experiencing both triumphs and challenges throughout their careers. Their performances included songs from this invented era—actually covers that were temporally out of place—and Kiki recounted stories involving acquaintances with Billie Holiday and Grace Kelly, as well as narratives about romantic entanglements, excessive drinking, and emotional collapses on stage.
In the production "Alive on Broadway," they incorporated a meta-narrative element: Kiki asserted that they had existed for millennia, implying that earlier parts of their backstory were partially fictionalized. Later shows featured monologues in which Kiki mentioned knowing Jesus "in the Biblical sense," interacting with Marie Antoinette, and having a romantic involvement with a young Adolf Hitler.
Discography
- 2000, Do You Hear What We Hear?
- 2001, Sleater-Kinney's "I'm Not Waiting," included on the Calling All Kings & Queens compilation released by Mr. Lady Records
- 2004, Kiki and Herb Will Die for You: Live at Carnegie Hall
- 2008, Kiki and Herb: Live at the Knitting Factory (DVD)