Thursday 29th August, 1996

by Caren Wilton

"WE'RE like brother and sister," says glam/camp performer Mika (Ngapuhi, Kai Tahu, Ngati Mamoe) about his collaboration with grunge rock singer Jan Hellriegel. "Like the Carpenters."

This oddest of odd couples - Mika says he's the funny man and Hellriegel's the, uh, straight man - take to the stage at Downstage next week with a bunch of "smoochy love songs", including a version of You Don't Bring Me Flowers Any More which features Mika as Barbara and Hellriegel as Neil. "We're sending up that whole hetero/homo, brown/white thing," says Mika.

Not content with just one show a night, he's also performing his new cabaret Do U Like What U See, which brings together "cybermythological" haka en pointe, interactive films and a pre-recorded soundtrack by Buried Venus composer Gareth Farr with local musicians including some from the NZSO. "Howard and Kiri will pop back in too," says Mika.

Part of a nationwide tour which will include launching his new CD Kapai Kabaret in hometown Timaru, the show's then going to Barcelona, where it'll be part of a two-yearly international arts festival.

Mika & Jan Hellriegel, Downstage, 4-7 September, 7.30pm. Do U Like What U See, Downstage, 4-7 September, 9.30pm, 11-14 September, 8.30pm.