Amanda McBroom David Burnham www.JFSDesert.org Michele Lee
Michael Childers presents ONE NIGHT ONLY, HELLO JERRY at McCallum Theatre benefitting Jewish Family Service of the Desert. Get your tickets early. The show is April 20, <strong>2017</strong> @ 6pm. 9 9 <strong>LIVE</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> by Levvy Carriker Levvy: While growing up in North Carolina did you ever dream as a young boy that you would become one of the world’s leading photographers for celebrities? Michael: Yes, I had the dream. I had posters and cut outs from VOGUE and HARPERS BIZARRE of all the great photographers in the world on my walls while I was in high school. Certainly this was an indication of what was to come. LC: What celebrities have you worked with multiple times? MC: Natalie Wood was my first big movie star. She was so kind. She loved my photos. She was one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood in the late ’60’s early ’70’s. This certainly helped start my career. Ann-Margret I’ve worked with many times. Also, Catherine Deneuve, John Travolta, I worked with for years, early Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek. It was a great experience. Especially working with the new stars, the ones who were going to become super stars. LC: Your use of B/W is so intense. You really know how to shade and create moods. In fact, some of your photography is almost like eye candy! Tell us about the photo that is currently in TRIO. Where was it taken and who are the models? MC: The photograph in TRIO was taken for my book Hollywood Voyeur. The two models, one was an actor/model and his twin brother was a med student at USC. The female model was a professional model friend of mine from London. I guess I have a fixation on twins, whether its women or men. Its just an extra kick on the sexual level. Theres a wonderful sexual tension between the three in this photograph. She is certainly, as a woman, in total control of the two boys. LC: Your art is also at Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge. <strong>LIVE</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> was fortunate to have you on our cover and we had a really fun party at 849. Albert Gonzalez is an amazing chef. What is your favorite item on their menu? MC: Yes, Willie Rhine asked me to put my Fusion Series on the walls there. Willie has done a wonderful job. Its the stunning Michael Childers room. It looks stunning. All my friends love sitting in there, the lighting is the best in that restaurant. The short ribs are my favorite item, the goat cheese omlete, the lobster mac and cheese is sublime but not for my waist. LC: Before I met you I thought you might be from London. I read that you are there often photographing amazing events and theatre like Sir Laurence Oliver’s National Theatre. What was that like? MC: My partner, John Schlesinger, was English. I lived most the time, for thirty-two years, in London, England. I became a photographer for Sir Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre. I photographed over a dozen productions there. What an amazing experience for a twenty-four year old photographer to be on that stage- that great cathedral of art. There I was photographing the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Maggie Smith, Alan Bates, Jim Dale, Diane Cilento. Sublime experience working on that. As well as photographing upcoming actors in London like: Tim Curry for Rocky Horror Picture Show (now that was really fun), I photographed Hair, the London production of Oh! Calcutta!, and the original Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was the wild and glorious seventies. LC: When I first saw the magazine INTERVIEW (also a 11x17 size entertainment magazine) published by Andy Worhol I wanted to have a magazine like this someday. I wanted to promote actors and others and publishing a magazine was the way to do it. Can you describe what it was like working with Andy Worhol? MC: Andy saw many of my photographs in AFTER DARK and asked me if I would contribute some to INTERVIEW, the magazine that he was just starting. I said “Yes, Andy what would you like?” He said, “I’m going to make the pictures really big, but I want glamorous people, really glamorous. If they are glamorous and beautiful, even better.” So that began my journey with Andy Warhol at INTERVIEW. It certainly was easy to get into Studio 54 now that I was part of the Andy Warhol crowd. LC: You also have worked on films like GREASE with Randal Kleiser as director. I have been Randal’s publicist for 26 years. We had Christopher Atkins and Randal at our cover party at TRIO a few years back. In one photograph we captured Randal and Christopher standing in front of one of your photographs. It sometimes is such a small world. What other films that you have worked on stand out in your mind and why? MC: Randal Kleiser has been a great friend of mine since we both were at film school. He was at USC and I was at UCLA film school. A wonderful director and still so energized and vital in his interests in new techniques in cinema. Christopher Atkins was certainly one of the most beautiful young actors that I’ve ever worked with. LC: Another parallel is that the Tom of Finland Foundation inducted you into their Hall of Fame. Ironically I was one of the Producers of the Tom of Finland film, THE WILD ONES! Last year Durk Dehner and I were honored at the Berlin Film Festival for that movie. Michael you have also been honored by so many right here in the Coachella Valley. Can you tell us about some of those? MC: Tom of Finland, its a great honor that they gave me the Hall of Fame award for my erotic work. I’ve always been very fond of Durk and he does great work for the foundation. I’ve been honored by many great groups here in the Coachella Valley. One of the greatest honors was when Harold Matzner and the Palm Springs International Film Festival gave me an award for Hollywood photography. That was really quiet a wonderful experience. LC: Michael your art is stunning and impressive but your charity work is equally impressive. The Jewish Family Services is one of the most caring and loving services I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Tell us about JFS. MC: I’ve had a wonderful ride the last ten years working with the extradinary people at Jewish Family Service of the Desert. A truly giving and generous organziation which helps literally hundreds of people in the valley. I’m very proud of my association with them. LC: Your ONE NIGHT ONLY always sells out and raises so much money. This spring you present a musical tribute to Jerry Herman....HELLO JERRY which will be directed by Jason Graae. Who are some of the broadway singers that will perform? MC: This year’s One Night Only at the McCallum Theatre on April 20th is Hello Jerry directed by Jason Graae. Its a tribute to Broadway’s most beloved composer, Jerry Herman. With songs from Mame, Hello Dolly, La Cage aux Folles, and his other shows. The cast is one of the best I’ve ever had, among those are: Lucie Arnaz, Liz Callaway, Lee Roy Reams, Davis Gaines, Christine Andreas, Carole Cook, Ruta Lee, Faith Prince, JoAnn Worley, and many others. Its going to be one of the very best shows I’ve ever done.