John Lloyd Young Presents Debut Art Show, Benefits AIDS Project LA 5/23

Tony Award-winning actor John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, GLEE) joins Grammy-winning and Tony- and Emmy-nominated songwriter Allee Willis (The Color Purple, Friends) on Sunday, May 23 to host FOOD FOR THOUGHT, the world premiere exhibition of Young's artwork. Young specializes in Pop Kitsch art, and FOOD FOR THOUGHT spotlights pieces that play off iconic comfort food and drinks, including mac ‘n' cheese, Good & Plenty®, Grape Crush®, and Hungry-Man® frozen dinners. The event, set for 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., is a fundraiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). It is expected to draw 200 VIP guests including Lesley Ann Warren (Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace), Ricki Lake and Charles Phoenix.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT will take place at Willis Wonderland, Willis' private studio and home to the world's largest collection of Kitsch. It is also a party house-extraordinaire, and Willis is celebrated as an impresario of inspired theme parties and events-as-performance art. Among Willis' songwriting credits are "I'll Be There for You" (the hit theme from Friends), "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" (Earth, Wind and Fire) and "Neutron Dance" (The Pointer Sisters). She also wrote the music and lyrics for the Oprah Winfrey-produced Broadway production of The Color Purple, for which she was Tony- and Grammy-nominated.

Young is best known for his Broadway turn as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, for which he won the Tony the same year Willis was nominated. He is also lead singer on the musical's Grammy-winning, platinum soundtrack album. More recently, Young has created his series of original Pop Kitsch art pieces, a selection of which will be auctioned at FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

In addition to the live auction, FOOD FOR THOUGHT guests will enjoy Kitschy comfort food including fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and Pop-Tarts®-as well as other taste treats that are part of the iconography of Young's work. A colorful array of specialty cocktails will also be served.

Event proceeds will benefit APLA programs and services, including the Necessities of Life Program (NOLP), the nation's largest network of free food pantries for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Guests are asked to B.Y.O.C. - Bring Your Own Can of Food-to stock the shelves of the agency's nine countywide pantries. Both Young's and Willis' artwork will be on display on June 25 - 27 at Art Project Los Angeles, a premiere silent art auction and benefit for APLA.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT tickets, beginning at $100, are available at apla.org.

ABOUT AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES (APLA)
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. With more than 25 years of service, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit apla.org.

ABOUT WILLIS WONDERLAND
Allee Willis is also a social network pioneer and impresario of inspired parties and events-as-performance art. Many of the events (including FOOD FOR THOUGHT) take place at her architecturally historic L.A. studio, a William Kesling-designed Streamline Moderne gem known as "Willis Wonderland," and often called "the house of Atomic Kitsch." It's filled with Willis' various collections, which represent one of the world's largest assemblages of Kitsch. The Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch at AWMoK.com is a social network with galleries, art, music, video and live events. Learn more about Allee Willis at www.alleewillis.com.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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