"The United States of Charles Phoenix" May 11, 2007

Charles Phoenix opens the Ford Amphitheatre 2007 Summer Season on May 11 at 8:30 pm, bringing his fresh, insightful and humorous perspective on mid-century American culture to his newest comedy performance based on other people's old slides, "The United States of Charles Phoenix."

Celebrate the 1950s, 60s and 70s theme parks, tourist traps, car culture, space age style, parties and more with Charles - all in glorious color, and all accompanied by his discerning, gleeful, and often hilarious commentary.

"Charles has invented a new art form that is fantastically LA," says Los Angeles County Arts Commission Executive Director Laura Zucker. "This performance could only be here, only now, only under the stars at the Ford. We all could use a salad with marshmallows in it!"

As part of the performance, Charles plans to prepare a batch of ambrosia on stage for a lucky few to sample. "Ambrosia keeps showing up in all the slides," he laughs. "We keep seeing it, so I figured I'd teach everyone how to make what they're looking at."

From the kitsch to the classic, Charles Phoenix lives and loves to celebrate mid-century American design and culture. The Los Angeles Times dubbed him a "histo-tainer." His wry and witty commentary and the best of his massive collection of flea market-found 1950s and 60s slides inspire his live Retro Slide Show performances, "Slide of the Week" e-mails, and colorful coffee table books. Charles also guides vintage school bus field trips tours. His attitude-altering "Disneyland" Tour of Downtown Los Angeles proves that the heart and soul of our city is just like a big theme park.

Charles grew up in a rambling ranch home in Ontario, California with a big bruiser brother, used car dealer dad, and happy homemaker mom. The dapper second-hand dresser is very proud to have been educated at the "Used Car Lot School of Style," "Disneyland School of Design," and the "Shopping Mall School of Sociology." In 1977, at age 14, Charles first discovered thrift shops as museums of merchandise and the perfect place to study the underbelly of our mass consumerism culture. While collecting classic American cars and other vintage treasures, he stumbled onto a box of someone's old slides in a Pasadena thrift shop which inspired his first Retro Slide Show performance in 1998. The Silver Lake garden apartment he calls home is slightly over-furnished with all things vintage. His latest book is Americana the Beautiful: Mid Century in Kodachrome.

The United States of Charles Phoenix takes place on Friday, May 11 at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $25.00; full-time students with valid ID and children 12 and under are admitted for $12.00. The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, off the 101 Hollywood freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios. On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. FREE non-stacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford is available at the Universal City Metro Station at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga; the shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Picnicking is encouraged. For a complete season schedule, directions, parking information, and reservations, the public should call the Ford Theatres Box Office at (323) 461-3673 or go to www.FordTheatres.org.

Official Website: http://www.FordTheatres.org