PHILADELPHIA - The Wilma Theater's upcoming Wilma² performance is sure to raise more than a few painted eyebrows this spring as the theater announces the new production Kiki & Herb: Pardon Our Appearance. The performance will run from Friday March 22 through Saturday March 30. Tickets cost $20 and are available through the Wilma box office at 215-546-7824. The performance schedule is Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. (preview); Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m. (Opening Night); Sunday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m. and at 10:00 p.m.

Kiki & Herb have been earning rave reviews across the country with their outrageous and raucous brand of humor. Their show includes a unique blend of classic cabaret with a modern, urban, and often humorous edge. The Wilma production will be no exception. This time Kiki & Herb are taking their stage antics on a world-tour, with Philadelphia as their first stop.

"Thirty years past their last hit record, Kiki & Herb are attempting a come-back. If they can just lay off the booze and the pills, they might survive their set to sing an encore. Pickled to the gills, ripe with show-biz rancor, and cravenly desperate for audience adulation, they patter, harmonize, and primal scream their way through a deeply hilarious, often harrowing evening of song and psychosis," said Artistic Consultant Doug Wright.

Kiki, played by Justin Bond, is a brash and boozy 66-ish showbiz survivor who, along with her co-dependant, pianist/sidekick Herb, played by Kenny Mellman, juxtapose cabaret standards with popular songs by Wu-Tang Clan, Britney Spears, David Bowie, Nirvana, and many others.

Wright adds, "Their showÛtorn in equal parts from the musical song stylings of Steve and Edie, the lacerating rage of Marilyn Manson, and the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental DisordersÛ-has more edge than a package of razor blades. As deliciously toxic as the drinks they pour, they're unstrapping their straitjackets for an unforgettable evening at the Wilma this March."

Bond and Mellman developed their alter egos in San Francisco when they were performing a cabaret number together. Bond conceived Kiki as a way to express the feelings of frustration he had about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. One night, the pair debuted Kiki and earned a standing ovation. Eight years ago, they moved to New York City where they have presented Kiki & Herb to sold out New York theaters and toured the country. Their fans include Madonna (who hired them to play at her 39^th Birthday), Lou Reed, Michael Stipe, Katie Holmes, Sandra Bernhard, Gloria Steinem, and Monica Lewinsky to name a few. The pair has received an Obie, a GLAAD Media Award, a Glammy Award, and an HX Award, all for Best Off-Broadway show.

Wilma Artist in Residence, Doug Wright, is the author of the play and film Quills, a story about the Marquis de Sade. Quills, which was produced as the final production of The Wilma Theater's 1996/1997 season, earned six Barrymore Award nominations and won three, including Best Production. Quills also earned Doug Wright an Obie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting. It recently was developed into a feature film, produced by Fox Searchlight and directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine and Joaquin Phoenix. It received 2 Golden Globe Nominations including Best Screenplay for Doug Wright, 3 Oscar nominations and was named Best Picture of the Year from the National Board of Review. Other plays by Doug Wright include Not Suitable for Children, Wildwood Park, Unwrap Your Candy, and Watbanaland.

For more information on The Wilma Theater and their programming contact, The Wilma Theater Box Office at (215) 546-STAGE or visit us online at www.wilmatheater.org.