John Kelly is a man of many talents and many faces. Actor, dancer, performance artist, singer, playwright, director, visual artist, Kelly has been a creative force on the downtown scene since the mid-‘80s. One of the more magical personas he has assumed is the iconic Canadian folk singer, Joni Mitchell. With his thin frame, high cheekbones, and his pure counter-tenor, Kelly does little less than become Mitchell in a concert of her songs. When Mitchell saw his performance in 1977, she said, “I didn’t expect to be so touched, I cried.” Directed by Kevin Maloney, and produced by the marvelous Tweed Theater Works, Kelly performs this classic show in NYC for the first time in eight years. I recently spoke with John, an old friend.

Hi John. I wasn’t there, but I seem to recall that you did your first Joni Mitchell re-creation at the first Wigstock, in Tompkins Square Park.
Yes. It was a daylight show, a Sunday afternoon, in 1985.

How did that come about?
I had been planning on doing something with her music, and I had started singing in public. I was singing counter-tenor, and I knew I could sing in her key, especially with her older music. With her earlier songs, it was more like a mezzo-soprano.

Did you sing her songs when you were growing up in New Jersey?
I grew up hearing it from my older sisters.

Which songs, for example?
At that point, my favorites, and the ones I knew the music to, were, “Ladies of the Canyon” and “Blue.”

OK, so you knew her songs, how about the look?
The costume wasn’t my original interest. The music came first, and once I decided to sing, I thought, “OK, as an actor, do I want to take it to the next place?” So I wanted to do it, and it was Wigstock, a drag fest to a large degree. I had to find a blond wig, and a friend of mine, DiNiro, a hairdresser, got me one.

I heard that you were the last act, and that the crowd went crazy.
Well, I think I went on near the end...

John, it’s legendary. And you were not lip-synching, like most of the acts who were performing that day. You were actually singing like the person whose songs you were singing. So then you started doing it around as an act, right?
I put together a full evening with a band, and did it at the Kat Klub. I did it for a few years, and then gave it up for awhile.

Tell me about the time when Joni Mitchell was there.
She saw me do it at The Fez. She came backstage and gave me a dulcimer. She said she cried in four places. She was singing along and yelling “Bravo!"

That must have been a highlight experience for you as a performer.
It was terrifying. The audience was incredibly charged, knowing she was there. The whole night was very special.

So tell me about this version of the show.
It’s a revival and a re-working. I’ll sing 16 songs. I’m doing some early, less well-known songs, and some from her last album, Shine, and also a lot of songs in between.

Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand St., (212) 352-3101. June 18-27. Thurs.- Sun., 8 p.m. $20, $25.

Photo by Austin Young