Tony Nominee Q&A with Justin Bond and Herb Mellman

By: BWW Jun. 09, 2007

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Nominated for Best Special Theatrical Event, Kiki & Herb, are Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman, respectively. They joined musical forces in San Francisco before heading East to take New York by storm. Since then, as Kiki & Herb, Bond and Mellman have performed non-stop, with such shows as the 2000 Obie-winning Kiki and Herb: Jesus Wept and 2001's Kiki and Herb: There's A Stranger In The Manger at NYC's beloved Westbeth Theater Center. Currently touring, Kiki & Herb's repertoire includes songs by artists as varied as: Wu-Tang Clan, Joni Mitchell, Styx, Pulp, Suede, David Bowie, Pat Benatar, Radiohead, Nirvana, Patti Smith, Suicidal Tendencies, Bonnie Tyler and Britney Spears (as never heard before). Known for their unique brand of musical mayhem, Kiki & Herb have been honored with numerous awards and accolades.

Congratulations…

Justin Bond: To the little club act that could

Kenny Mellman: It did!

Now you're a Tony nominated act though…

JB: For us, we've always been theatre people and we never fit in!

Tell us about the experience with the show…

JB: We went to Broadway and then did 6 months at Cherry Lane and I went to St. Martin and got my degree and we did it ourselves without a director which was very frightening but also very fulfilling. We collaborated with our set designers and our lighting designers and we created a whole world of our own. For it to be received so well on Broadway, is just so amazing and we really owe our producers who trusted us enough to do this.

KM: We didn't publicize the fact that we didn't have a director during the show because we thought that we might be slaughtered in which case we'd have needed someone to take all of the blame!

Smart idea – so what's next for you guys?

JB: We're touring Boston, and then San Francisco, and then the Opera House in Sydney and then the Melbourne Opera House and then Arena Sages.

KM: All with very little time off in between!

JB: We've been working very hard overcoming strange rooms and bad sound systems.

But now you're Tony Nominees!

KM: I know, that means that they have to give us some respect!

JB: We can throw fits

KM: And if don't have to, we will anyway for our own enjoyment!

Did you have a chance with not a lot of time off to see much else of this year's theatre season?

JB: As much as we could! I was disappointed in the reviews for Coram Boy, I saw it and thought it was fantastic. I love that show and I loved Spring Awakening and The Year of Magical Thinking. We were excited to be at the Drama League luncheon and to meet Vanessa Redgrave the other day who's one of our HEROES.

Did she live up to your expectations?

KM: Yes, but she would only have to stand there and look to the left and look to the right and she'd live up to my expectations.

JB: She loved Kenny's outfit more than mine though so I was a little jealous because he got more face time as a result.

Will you be in town through the awards season or are you still on the road working?

We're always working…The awards are on the 10^th of June and we go to Boston on the morning of the 11^th so there's no time to enjoy or be disappointed about it. The day we closed, we flew the next night to take a plane to do a show elsewhere, so we're always on the move!

Photos by Ben Strothmann - (right to left) Herb Mellman and Justin Bond