Leee Black Childers, Cherry Vanilla and Tony Zanetta recall Andy Warhol’s play PORK and how the Ridiculous Theatre Community of actors and “superstars” of the late 60”s and early 70’s affected the evolution of Glitter, Glam and Punk Rock. Discussion moderated by Matt Wrbican, archivist at the Andy Warhol Museum.

Leee Black Childers, PORK’s Stage Manager and official photographer is an essential character of New York’s Underground.  He started taking photographs early on and in 1970 stage managed Jackie Curtis’s FEMME FATALE at La MaMa for director Anthony Ingrassia.  He stage managed Ingrassia’s next projects; WORLD BIRTH OF A NATION  by Wayne County and then PORK both in New York and the Roundhouse Theatre in London.  He became David Bowie’s official Ziggy Stardust photographer, spent a season in the Hollywood Hills house sitting Iggy Pop and the Stooges and later managed Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers and Levi and the Rockats.  His photos of the New York and London Punk scene have been featured in group and solo shows worldwide.  He will be featured in a group show in an upcoming Photography exhibit , ANDY WARHOL’S FRIENDS in Munich this Spring.

Cherry Vanilla played the title role of Amanda PORK in the play’s London production.  She met Leee and Zee while playing Tilly Tons, a necrophiliac nurse in WORLD BIRTH OF A NATION.  Post PORK Cherry worked as David Bowie’s publicist and produced TV and radio commercials for Bowie before starting her own music career as a lyricist and singer.  Her two RCA albums, BAD GIRL and VENUS D’VINYL are considered Punk classics.  Cherry has written for magazines worldwide and had one of the first phone sex services in America.  In the 1990’s she did creative work for jazz great Chet Baker and Director Tim Burton before establishing Europa Entertainment, Inc., the USA office for composer Vangelis, which she still oversees from her home in Hollywood. Her memoir, LICK ME, was published to great acclaim in 2010 by Chicago Review Press and is currently available on-line and in bookstores worldwide.

Tony Zanetta played B.Marlowe, the Warhol figure at the center of PORK.  Zanetta worked extensively in the Off Off Broadway theatre of the 70’s and 80’s.  He appeared in plays by Andy Warhol, Jackie Curtis, Ken Bernard, Roslynn Drexler, Anthony J. Ingrassia, and Wayne County.  For a time in the 70’s he toured the world with David Bowie.  He managed Bowie’s ZIGGY STARDUST tours worldwide and produced his DIAMOND DOGS and YOUNG AMERICAN tours for MainMan Ltd.  After his Rock and Roll stint he returned to LaMaMa where he appeared in several PLAYHOUSE OF THE RICIULOUS productions, performed with Linda Mussman’s TIME AND SPACE LTD. and began a career in set design and event production.  He is currently a Visual Director and Event Producer in Manhattan.

Note: Discussion is immediately followed by book signing with Cherry Vanilla

Additional Information

This talk is about a work which features strong adult content.