On The Town: August 2, 2026

PETER NOONE LOVES BEING HERMAN ON TOUR

BEHIND THE SCENES: MEET DARCIA TIPTON, DESIGNER OF PROPS AND SETS plus

This THINGS TO DO week

https://suisunvalleyfilling

5 p.m. Wednesday

The Filling Station Four Suisun Valley Filling Station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. events/index.

5 p.m. Friday Local Legends Suisun Valley Filling Station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road.

300 Man St. https://journey downtown.com/events.

6:30 p.m. Friday Los Cochinos Creekwalk, Andrews Park.

www.cityofvacaville.gov/ government/parks-andrecreation/special-events/ creekwalk-4th-of-july.

7 p.m. Friday

Valerie: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse Journey Downtown, 308 Main St. https://journey downtown.com/events.

4 p.m. Saturday

Charlie Wade Blues Band Dwain’s, 110 Peabody Road. www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=61566929950504#.

I Benicia

1 p.m. Sunday

Richard March

First Street Taphouse, 440 First St. www.mareislandbrewingco.com.

2:30 p.m. Sunday

City Section Band Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.

4 p.m. Sunday

Doug Houser

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

6 p.m. Thursday

Singo

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

6:30 p.m. Thursday

JazSynergy

Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.

4:30 p.m. Friday

Jubal Jake

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

6:30 p.m. Friday

Mari Mack and Livin’ Like Kings Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.

8:30 p.m. Friday

Wake The Neighbors

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

1 p.m. Saturday Idlewild Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.

12:30 p.m. Saturday Xavier & Nick

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

4:30 p.m. Saturday

Ticket to the Limit

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

6:30 p.m. Saturday

The Big Jangle Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.

8:30 p.m. Saturday

Gas Money

The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therelliktavern.com.

I Vallejo

1 p.m. Sunday

Got the Soul Vino Godfather, 1105 Walnut Ave. www.vinogodfather.com.

3 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday ‘The Cemetery Club’ Bay Area Stage, 515 Broadway St., Suite H. www.bayareastage.org.

See Week, Page 4

Meet Darcia Tipton, a prop and set designer BEHIND THE SCENES

Darcia Tipton is a multiple award-winning prop and set designer.

Q: So how did you get involved in theater?

A: From third to fifth grade, I went to Suisun Elementary. It was a very small school and they had a program where there was an assembly every morning and said the Pledge of Allegiance and all of that, and every Friday one of the classes had to do a play. So I was in a lot of plays when I was in fourth and fifth grade.

a prop that does something, that doesn’t just sit there and get looked at. I love things that explode (laughs). Some of my favorites were the rose that dropped its petals for “Beauty and the Beast” and the broom for “The Wizard of Oz” that shot fireballs.

Q: Now, it’s live theater so I assume you’ve sometimes had things not work out perfectly?

When my twin sons were in high school, they got involved in theater and afterward they were in the Solano College Theatre Actors Training Program. SCT was looking for a prop person and my sons told (Drama Department Director) George Maguire and (Managing Director) David Leonard I could help. They gave me a contract and the first show I worked on was “Carousel” in 1996. It pushed my buttons because it used all the skills I had.

Q: Wait, let’s back up a little – what skills and how did you cultivate them?

A: Before we came to Fairfield, I lived in Washington with my grandmother who was an artist. She was very crafty and so I had a lot of exposure to crafting and the various materials and realized it was something I wanted to pursue.

Years later, I ran a store called Fabricant on the corner of Texas and Jackson streets in the space that used to be the Corner Variety store. We sold needlework supplies, folk art, handmade items and taught classes on quilting, needlework and doll making. We ran it for 10 years then I started taking art classes and decided to close the business.

Q: What are some of the coolest props you’ve created?

A: Making things that create a surprise for the audience has always been fun. I enjoy the challenge of making

A: Actually that happened in my very first show. At the end of “Carousel,” Billy Bigelow is up on a ladder and he gets shot, falls to the ground and the show is over. I didn’t have any experience with armory so we got the correct firearms from a company called Weapons of Choice and got a pistol with a welded shut barrel that shot blanks. All through tech week it fired perfectly. On opening night the final scene comes and the gun misfired. So there’s Billy Bigelow up on a ladder waiting to die and the gun didn’t go off. The actor tried firing it two or three times and then just kind of looked around. So the actor playing Billy Bigelow grabbed his chest, had a heart attack and fell off the ladder (laughs).

Q: The show must go on!

A: The show must go on. That was a huge learning moment for me about testing firearms and making sure they are functioning well before going on.

Q: How many awards have you won?

A: I don’t know the exact number off the top of my head, I haven’t looked at them in a while. I think maybe six Arty Awards [Solano County theater excellence awards] and two or three Ellys [Sacramento area theater excellence awards]. I was nominated for some Bay Area Theatre Awards but never actually won one of those. But it’s funny, the ones I’ve won are for set design. I took drafting classes, engineering classes

on the town

DAILY REPUBLIC

Darcia Tipton is seen with the Oracle, a prop she created for SCT’s production of “Head Over Heels.”

and more technical things and started designing sets and that’s when I started to get awards. I was a props person and all I did was build props for many, many years, but there are no awards for prop people. It’s a thankless job.

Q: No props for props people. What are some of your favorites of productions you have worked on?

A: I tend to like darker shows like “Sweeney Todd,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Dead Man Walking.” There’s something to love about every show. Musicals are always harder. “The Producers” was really fun and so was “A Year with Frog and Toad.”

Q: So you have imparted your

Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton, T. Burt McNaughton

Editor: Todd R. Hansen

Contributing Writers: Amy Maginnis-Honey, Todd R. Hansen

Project Manager: Nancy Meadows

backstage experience to many students over the years in Stagecraft classes, but have you ever felt a desire to be on stage?

A: I have no desire to be on stage. I love sitting in the audience and watching and critiquing my work. I think costumers and such are all in that zone. When you teach college and your students master a skill like how to build a piece of furniture, when they see that piece on stage it’s like fireworks.

Fairfield freelance accidental local historian Tony Wade is the author of eight books. Reach Wade at toekneeweighed@gmail.com.

If you have an event on the calendar, send details to amy.maginnis@mcnaughton.media

To be featured on the Out on the Town pages, email nancy.meadows@mcnaughton.media For advertising, call Nancy at 707-427-6927

GO READ

Solano teen readers

love Sarah J. Maas

Solano readers choose a variety of genres and authors when it comes to picking a book.

Here are the Top Ten books (provided by the Solano County Library):

Adults

• “The Calamity Club,” Kathryn Stockett

• “Yesteryear,” Caro Claire Burke

• “Dear Debbie,” Freida McFadden

• “The Divorce,” Freida McFadden

• “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans

• “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi

• “My Husband’s Wife,” Alice Fenney

• “Say You’ll Remember Me,”

Abby Jimenez

• “The Night We Met,”

Abby Jimenez

• “Great Big Beautiful Life,”

Emily Henry

Teens

• “Sunrise on the Reaping,”

Suzanne Collins

• “A Court of Thorns and Roses,”

Sarah J. Maas

• “Throne of Glass,” Sarah J. Maas

• “Crown of Midnight,”

Sarah J. Maas

• “Heir of Fire,” Sarah J. Maas

• “The Assassin’s Blade,”

Sarah J. Maas

• “Shatter Me,” Tahereh Mafi

• “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Suzanne Collins

• “The Hunger Games,”

Suzanne Collins

• “Queen of Shadows,”

Sarah J. Maas

Kids

• “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” J.K. Rowling

• “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” J.K. Rowling

• “The Dragonet Prophecy,”

Mike Holmes

• “The Titan’s Curse,” Rick Riordan

• “Big Nate: Code Red!,”

Lincoln Pierce

• “Dawn on the Coast,”

Ann M. Martin

• “Talons of Power,”

Tui T. Sutherland

• “The Wild Robot,” Peter Brown

• “Dog Man and Cat Kid,”

Dav Pilkey

• “Turning Twelve: A Graphic Novel,” Kathryn Ormsbee

Author Talks (online)

11 a.m. Aug. 4: “The Legacy of Julia Child’s Kitchen” with Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson.

See Read, Page 11

Week

From Page 2

7 p.m. Sunday Joyce Grant and the Walnut Creek Jazz Band Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org/event/ walnut-creek-jazzband.

5 p.m. Friday Viva Santana Show Blue Rock Springs, 650 Columbus Parkway. www.gvrd. org/2026-08-07bands-and-brewssummer-concertseries-2026.

7 p.m. Friday Askari’s PlacePure Ecstasy Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, 734 Marin St. https:// artvallejo.org/#/ details/askari-s-placepure-ecstasy/ 19480207/ 2026-08-07T19.

4 p.m. Saturday Shakespeare in the Park: ‘Richard III’ Independence Day Park, 20 Benton Way, American Canyon. www.vallejo shakespeare.org/ current-show-1.

8 p.m. Friday Ariel Marin Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org/event/ ariel-marin-2.

8 p.m. Saturday House of Floyd Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org/event/ house-of-floyd.

deliver

GOSEE

Juried art show, a salute to Italians, more featured in August

with the most votes will be named the “People’s Choice Award.”

Art is blooming in Solano County. There are several new exhibits in the county making their debut in August.

Solano Town Center Gallery

The “Members Only Show” opens Aug. 12 at the Solano Town Center gallery, 1350 Travis Blvd. The gallery is on the second floor near the AT&T store. Visitors are encouraged to play the scavenger hunt for the chance to win a Fairfield-Suisun Visual Arts Association gift certificate. Guests can also vote for their favorite piece in the show. The creation

The “Members Open Show” runs through Sept. 27 and will feature Spotlight Jewelry Artist Mary Vinluan and The Art Divas, who have been working together for more than 22 years.

A reception and poetry reading is 3 to 6 p.m. Aug. 29.

Fairfield Arts

Fairfield Art, 710 Jackson St., is showcasing the work of awardwinning photographer Dennis Ariza, through Aug. 15.

He has spent more than 50 years photographing the outdoors and has published two books using his photography as a source. “Bodie, A Ghost Town” and “Photographing California” are both available at Fairfield Arts.

A new show opens on Aug. 18. From 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 28, all are invited to meet Doniya Ahabchane, one of Fairfield Arts newest artists, and the Spotlight Artist of the new show.

Dorothy Herger Gallery

A new exhibit at the Solano Community College gallery opens Aug. 15 and runs through Nov. 7. The theme is “Embody:

See Art, Page 10

IL Fiorello has become one of Solano Co un ty ’s p re mi er a gr itou ri sm de st in at ions . Wh at b eg an a s a fa mi ly ’s p as sion for s usta in ab le fa rmi ng h as g ro wn i n to an internat iona lly recogn ized producer of a rt isa n olive oil.

More t ha n jus t a mill , IL F iorel lo i s al so home to one of Sui su n Va lley ’s hi dden ge ms , Th e Ki tc hen in t he Grov e. T hi s ch armi ng f ar m bi st ro ce lebr ates s ea sona l in gr ed ient s and showca ses the prem ium ex tr a vi rg in ol ive oi l in every d ish, o eri ng g uest s a tr ue f ar m- to -t ab le e xp er ienc e.

Op en d ai ly f or l un ch , th e bi st ro al lows v is itor s to enjoy f resh , lo ca ll y in spir ed c ui si ne w hi le overl ooki ng the oli ve g roves.

Th e menu a t Th e Ki tc hen in t he Grove ch an ge s se as on al ly t o showca se loc al ly g rown i ng re dients an d esta te -produced o li ve o il s.

Popu la r items i nc lude:

■ A rt isan Cha rcuter ie a nd Cheese

Bo ar ds: Fe at urin g cu red me at s, specia lt y ch eeses, hou se -m ad e cond im ents , fr es h br ead, a nd IL Fiorel lo’s s ig na tu re oli ve oil s and ba lsamic reductions.

■ F resh Sea sona l Fa rm Sal ad s: Dresse d wi th e st at e- gr ow n ex tr a virgin olive oil and ba lsamic reduction.

■ F resh ly B aked Bread B askets:

Se rv ed w ith a se le ct ion of oli ve oi ls for tasti ng

■ Sig natu re Desserts: A var iety of favorite gelatos a nd sorbets.

Whet her you are stoppi ng by for an ol ive oi l ta st ing, enjoy ing lunch with fr iends, attendi ng a culinar y class, or shopping for gou rmet g i s, every v isit re fl ects t he S ie ve rs f amil y’s comm it ment to qu al it y, hospita lity, and susta inable a gr icultu re.

2625 Mankas Corner Road Suisun Valley (707)

COVER STORY

SIX DECADES LATER,

Peter Noone still loves being Herman

AMY MAGINNIS-HONEY

AMAGINNIS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Mrs. Brown still has that lovely daughter, who now has a lovely daughter of her own.

While that may cover three generations, Herman’s Hermits hits, sung by Peter Noone, was centered on the first one.

Noone, 78, is stopping at the Uptown Theatre in Napa at 8 p.m. Friday.

“I still have a childlike mind,” Noone said in a phone interview, when asked what the biggest difference between the 1960s Herman’s Hermit front man and the artist of today.

“It helps to sing songs about teen romance,” he added. “The first time I sang them I meant them.”

He feels fortunate the tunes have stood the test of time. He got lucky, Noone said, adding his “three-minute nuggs all makes sense” and appeal to all ages.

He said the music industry has vastly changed.

Preview

“I think I lived in the best 50 years of everything,” he said. There is no disc jockey to play the record. Word-of-mouth is the preferred communication.

8 p.m. Friday Uptown Theatre, 1350 Third St., Napa www.uptowntheatrenapa. com/event/jam-cellarspresents-peter-noone

A friend tells you, he said, adding an

acquaintance suggested he listen to Paul McCartney’s latest work. He did while fielding question during this interview.

He recalled living with his grandparents and going to the local record store to buy his mom’s Christmas present. The suggestion was Perry Como.

Those were the days people who loved music worked in record stores, he said.

Noone is brave enough to guess how many times he’s sung the tune “Henry the VII” on stage.

“Oh my goodness,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands. I sometime sing it walking up the street. It’s part of the world I live in.”

He’s often asked how long it took to record the song. His reply, “how long is the record?” It was done in one take.

“Mine are silly little love songs,” he said. “There’s nothing silly about a love song.”

Yes, he often gets called Herman.

“Yeah, only old people know I am not Herman,” he said.

On a recent flight, Noone took his seat only to have a fellow passenger announce, “You are Herman, aren’t you?”

“When I walk on stage I’m Herman,” he said.

He has called California home since 1984. Noone also makes trips to England and France. He has three siblings who live in England.

Noone averages about 100 shows a year. In 2025, it was 108.

“I like to be home three days a week to

See Noone, Page 8

Noone

From Page 7

be with family,” he said.

He’s married and has one daughter and one grandson.

He also has a show on Sirius XM Radio on Channel 73.T.

The Napa audience will get all of the Herman’s Hermits hits as well as some “fun stuff” that may include tunes by The Monkees, Johnny Cash and/or Elton John. He gauges the audience’s reaction when making those selections.

Noone goes everywhere with his iPad. It’s how he connects.

The Peter Noone Herman’s Hermits Facebook page has 350,000 followers. He can be found doing live streams as he meets back-

stage pass winners for his concerts.

He has no desire to pen an autobiography. Fans can go to www. peternoonecollection.com for such information.

Noone credits artificial intelligence for his ability to sound and look the same as he did in the 1960s. At the age of 15, he achieved international fame as Herman, lead singer of the legendary pop band, Herman’s Hermits.

His classic hits included: “I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” “Silhouettes,” “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,” “Just A Little Bit Better,” “Wonderful World,” “There’s A Kind of Hush,” “A Must To Avoid,” “Listen People,” “The End of the World” and “Dandy.”

The band has sold more than 60 million records.

Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ reissue includes unreleased John Lennon song

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

An upcoming re-issue of The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” album features an unreleased song demo from John Lennon.

Pre-orders for the newly mixed rendition of the 1965 record are available on the band’s website in advance of its Oct. 2 debut. The album includes a new look at well-known tunes including “Michelle,” “Day Tripper,” “Nowhere Man” and “We Can Work It Out.”

But what’s drawing the attention of many Fab Four fanatics is a demo version of a Lennon tune titled “Little Girl.”

A press release promoting the album describes that nugget as “a

previously unheard John Lennon song outline never before released or even rumoured.”

The mystery demo was recorded during a month-long 1965 studio session that took place shortly after The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium. Few details are known about the track.

Lennon was fatally shot outside his Upper West Side home on Dec. 8, 1980. He was 40. His final studio album, “Double Fantasy,” was released weeks before his death. Other pieces of music Lennon recorded were used posthumously on projects including the 1984 record “Milk and Honey,” which he worked on with his wife, Yoko Ono.

The new “Super Deluxe’ collection

of “Rubber Soul” demos, outtakes and alternate tracks includes an 88-page book featuring an introduc tion by Beatles bassist and vocalist Paul McCartney. The reissue was produced by Grammy Award winner Giles Martin. He’s the son of Sir George Martin, who produced most of The Beatles’ albums, earning the nickname “The Fifth Beatle.”

EVENING STANDARD/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

The Beatles are on the steps of an airplane, waving to their fans.

Recipe OF THE MONTH

Gre ek Bruschetta

By Chef Stephanie Seaberg

A chilled vegetable appetizer on a hot sunny day is one of life’s great pleasures. Vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers are in season, which means that they are a ordable and very delicious. My friend, Derek nonchalantly served these Greek beauties at a party he was hosting and I had more than my polite share while raving about them. It is a clever take on the classic bruschetta, but with a Greek twist. e olives give it a beautifully salty note, while the brightness of the cucumber feels like you’re eating a salad. is appetizer is guilt free, very lling a regular dish on my summer table.

You will need

1 French baguette

Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

1- 8 ounce container of store-bought hummus

2 Cups English cucumber, nely diced (peeling optional)

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, diced or quartered

2/3 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/2 Cup Red Onion , nely diced

2/3 Cup Kalamata Olives, chopped

Putting it togethe r

Dressing

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

Zest of half a lemon

2-3 garlic cloves, nally minced 1/4 Cup fresh parsley, nally chopped Salt / Pepper to taste

St ar t by making the vege table salad. Mix all the veggies together wi th the fe ta and olives until well incorp or ated Cover and ch ill in the re frigerator while making the dressing.

In a small bowl, blend the red wine, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and stream in the olive oil until well blended. Stir the dressing into the veggie mixture and refrigerate for at least one hour

Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 5-7 minutes or toast them in the air fryer, which is what I do

Spread a little hummus on the toasted bread and top with the veggie mix. If you’d like to be extra fa nc y, you can add a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

prominent local families across 10 distinct Italian regions.

From Page 5

Remembrance, Reflection, & Connection.”

The opening reception is 5 p.m. Aug. 15. The closing reception is 5 p.m. Nov. 7.

The gallery is at 4000 Suisun Valley Road. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ elcomalitocollective.

Vacaville Museum

“Sole Italiano: Una Nuova Storia” (“Italian Sun: A New Story”) is an expanded reinterpretation of the museum’s 2020 exhibition cut short by the pandemic. It runs through Nov. 14.

It explores the resilience, adaptation and cultural pride defining the Italian American experience in Solano County. The story is told through living legacies and diverse voices of local families through food, language and community identity.

“This exhibition not only honors Italian American heritage but celebrates the broader immigrant experience that continues to enrich and shape Solano County,” Clara Dawson, executive director, said in a press release. “It is a story still being written.”

The multi-layered exhibition guides visitors through rich thematic zones and hands-on interactives:

• Mapping Roots: Traces the origins of

• The Journey & Citizenship: Chronicles the three waves of immigration, transatlantic steerage travel and the complex legal hurdles of historical citizenship policies.

• Rare Artifacts & Interactives: Features personal treasures like a 1903 miniature Bible carried by 9-year-old Pierina Canclini, tactile stations with historical Po Valley flax cloth and a pack-your-bag luggage challenge.

Associated public programming and events include the Exhibition Book Club, which has three gatherings slated:

• 4 p.m. Aug. 27: “La Storia” by Jerre Mangione and Ben Morreale.

• 4 p.m. Sept. 24: “Beneath a Scarlet Sky” by Mark Sullivan.

• 4 p.m. Oct. 29: “Lucia, Lucia” by Adriana Trigiani.

Books are available for purchase in the museum gift shop.

Special events and programs are:

• 11 a.m. Aug. 10: Pasta making class with Pietro’s.

• 6-8:30 p.m. Sept. 12: Poetry in the Palazzo

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 10: Fiera Italia: Italian Heritage Festival.

Concurrent community gallery exhibitions are:

• Through Aug. 15: An Artistic View of Historical Buck Avenue and Main Street.

• Aug. 20- Sept. 19: “Ladies & Legends:

See Art, Page 11

From Page 10

The Strength of the Female in Fairytale & Myth.”

The museum is at 213 Buck Ave. Admission is free. There is a recommended $5 donation per person.

For more information, visit www.vacaville museum.org.

Benicia Library Gallery

“Suspected/Mended,” with

From Page 4

9 a.m. Aug. 5: “Like a Wave

We Break: Overcoming Burnout to Lead with Resilience and Align-

works by Deborah Benioff Friedman, runs through Aug. 31.

It’s an exhibition of her stitched compositions on paper and fabric alongside the wire-and-paper mobiles. Built from scraps, thread and found materials, the works use repair and balance to explore memory as something pieced together of fragments.

The gallery is at 150 E. L St. and is open during library hours. Learn more at https://benicialibrary.org/about/gallery.

Mare Island Art Studio

Art of Community Festival runs through Aug. 30. Gallery is

open noon to 4 p.m. Sundays at 110 Pintado St.

The featured exhibit is “Diane Krevsky: Legacy in Color.” Using a variety of media and materials, combined with a playful sense of irony, Krevsky’s work often explores the conflict between cultural values and individual identity within both political and natural landscapes.

A longtime Bay Area artist, Krevsky currently works from her studio at Hunters Point Shipyard in San Francisco.

The opening reception is noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 8. The artist talk is at 2 p.m.

For more information,

visit https://mareislandartstudios.com/events/art-ofcommunity-festival-2026.

Vacaville Art Gallery

Juried art show opens

ment” featuring Jane Chen.

11 a.m. Aug. 6: “Preserving the Seasons: The Art of Canning, Jamming, and More” with Holly Capelle.

11 a.m. Aug. 27: “High Altitudes and High Stakes: A Miss Marple Mystery” with Lucy Foley.

11 a.m. Sept. 1: “The Democ-

racy We Must Keep: Why the Ideas that Built America Still Matter” with David O. Stewart.

11 a.m. Sept. 3: “From Her Mesa to Yours: Authentic Family-Style Cooking” with Jenny Martinez

For more information, visit https://libraryc.org/benicialibrary.

Women Equality Day Luncheon

August 21, 2026 | 11:00am - 1:30pm Jelly Belly Events Center | 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, CA 94533

Women Equality Day Luncheon Presenters:

• Rami Muth, Keynote Speaker, has served as President of the League of Women Voters of Solano County since 2024 and was recently elected to continue leading the organization as Co-President. Before dedicating herself full-time to civic leadership, Rami served as Superintendent of a Northern California school district for eight years.

• Kerri Shellinger, Hobbyist Women Historian will present: Reflections, Attire and Artifacts from the Women’s Suffragist movement.

• Princess Washington, Emcee, serves on the Suisun City Council and President of the Fairfield-Suisun Rotary Club.

• Suzanne Bruce, City of Fairfield’s Poet Laureate Emerita presents her original poem for Women’s Equality Day 2026.

• Belinda Bush, Executive Director of Gifted for Success, Inc. will perform Sojourner Truth’s famous poem “Ain’t I a Woman.” Original Version fighting for antislavery and women’s rights

To purchase a ticket or sponsorship, visit: ht tps://square.link/u/3joOjeY2

Aug. 9 and runs through Sept. 26. The gallery is at 718 E. Monte Vista Ave. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

For more information, visit www.vacavilleartgallery.org.

Two Names - One Great Location Steaks, Seafood, Cocktails, Gluten Free & Vegan Options 530-661-0428 • 428 1st St - Woodland www.MojosKitchen428.com

GOHEAR

DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF

As performing companies gear up for the fall season, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy song, dance and live theater.

Bay Area Stage

Bay Area Stage continues its production of “The Cemetery Club” through Aug. 16.

The comedy-drama centers on three women who live in a Jewish community in Pittsburgh. They gather weekly to visit

Page 13

“Valerie: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse” performs at 7 p.m. Aug. 7. Elsa Cedeño handles the lead vocals.

A comedy fundraiser stops by at 7 p.m. Aug. 21. Jim Ferrell and Steve Bruner are the performers.

A Night of Comedy and Hope is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 27. Retired Fairfield Police Officer Frank Mihelich is one of the performers.

The laughs continue into Sep tember as the 50th annual San Francisco Bay Area Comedy Competition is on tap at 8:45 p.m. Sept. 5.

The venue is at 308 Main St. in Vacaville. For more information and tickets, visit https://journey downtown.com/events.

Empress Theatre

The music kicks off at 7 p.m. today (Aug. 2) as the Walnut Creek Jazz Band featuring Joyce Grant performs.

Ariel Marin’s Ultimate ’80s Party is scheduled for 8 p.m. Aug. 7.

Hear “Dark Side of the Moon” hits and more from Pink Floyd as House of Floyd performs at 8 p.m. Aug. 8. Lights and lasers are part of the show.

Backed by a powerful 10-piece big band, bandleader and vocalist Stella Heath performs at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14. Singing in the unmistakable style of Billie Holiday, she brings fresh energy into the timeless songs of the Great American Songbook.

Ultimate Fantasea: Pride

Under the Lights is a night of drag, glamour, music, comedy and full-stage fantasy. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and is hosted by Ariel Fantasea.

Ronstadt Revolution: A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt is on tap at 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Featuring the vocalist Natalie Amaya, her backing band of veteran musicians has worked

with Elvis Presley, Sheryl Crow and Tina Turner.

Andrea Abbate and Willie Macc kick off September at 8 p.m. Sept. 5.

Macc has built a career as a comedian, actor, writer and host, with credits including “CSI,” “The Goldbergs,” Hulu’s “Casual,” TruTV’s “Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks,” Revolt TV’s “Funny AF,” and more than 50 national commercials for brands.

Abbate is a powerhouse comedian, writer, actor, performer and producer. Her real-life storytelling connects with audiences and keeps the room laughing.

The venue is at 330 Virginia St. in Vallejo. For more information, visit https://empresstheatre.org.

4th Corner Speakeasy

Tia Carroll plans an evening of blues, soul and raw emotion at 7 p.m. Aug. 8.

Indie After Dark returns with a night of original music fea turing Everything But the Everything and Strange Cul prits at 8 p.m. Aug. 14.

Ed Earley, the longtime trom bone player for the legendary Elvin Bishop Band, performs at 7 p.m. Aug. 15. He has shared the stage playing with such historic talent as Albert King and John Lee Hooker.

Seasoned Soul is an elite eightmember dance band delivering a high-energy musical experience. Comprising diverse and sea soned musicians, the members bring more than 40 years of expe rience performing on local and national stages alongside legend ary artists, including Tower of Power, Carl Carlton, Buddy Miles and many more. They perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 22.

Kirby Coleman kicks off September shows at 7 p.m. Sept. 5.

Tiffany Austin wraps up the August shows with a performance at 7 p.m. Aug. 29. She headlines with the Vallejo Symphony.

Enjoy standards of soulful legends like Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole to classic soul icons such as Wilson Pickett to James Brown, Luther Vandross to Prince.

The venue is inside the Red Man’s Hall at 431 Georgia St. in Vallejo. For more information, visit https://4thcornerspeakeasy.com.

on the town

GO SEE A MOVIE:

Wile E. Coyote out for revenge in ‘Coyote vs. ACME’

As the new school year nears, August offers the opportunity to take in some flicks at local theaters.

Aug. 7

“One Night Only” is the tale of a recently dumped male and hopeful romantic seeking rela tionships. Both feel a spark when they meet, but a series of missteps and side quests complicate their night, keeping them apart. The film is rated R.

“Ice Cream Man” follows an idyllic summer town descending into madness when an ice cream man serves children sweet delights with horrifying results. The film is not rated.

“Super Troopers 3” has the group navigating Thorney’s schemes to break up the relationship while trying to crack a pernicious new drug ring. The film is rated R.

KETCHUP ENTERTAINMENT

causes a huge, dormant volcano to erupt. The film is rated PG.

“The Brink Of War” takes viewers back to President Reagan’s race against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that could dismantle nuclear arsenals – or ignite disaster. J.K. Simmons and Jeff Daniels star. The film is rated PG.

“The Wrong Girls” is the tale of close friends struggling financially, getting by on minimal earnings and frequent marijuana use. Their routine is disrupted when they are mistakenly identified as someone else, leading to unexpected complications. Kristen Stewart and Seth Rogen star. The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release are:

“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” which follows a young director who is enthusiastic about resurrecting the Camp Miasma slash franchise. When she visits the original movie’s star, the two women fall into a bloodsoaked world of desire, fear and delirium. The film is rated R.

“The Run,” which is set in a dystopian, post-pandemic world crippled by a global fertility crisis. An aging smuggler struggles to protect a runaway teenager and her baby from ruthless criminals, while trying to complete his run for his vicious employers. The film is not rated.

Wile E. Coyote in a scene from “Coyote vs. ACME.”

“Olmo,” a comedy-drama about a teen and his family struggling to make ends meet in 1979 New Mexico. Due to an illness that keeps his father confined to his bed, his mother, his sister and even he himself must contribute to the daily caretaking responsibilities. When his beautiful next-door neighbor invites him to a party on a day that he’s left alone to care for his dad, he will do whatever he can to get out of his duties. The film is not rated.

“Cookie Queens,” a coming-ofage story about the joys, pressures and tensions woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout cookie season. The film is rated G.

“Late Fame,” the story of an obscure New York poet drawn into a group of younger admirers who praise him as a rediscovered talent, leading him to question their sincerity. Willem Dafoe stars. The film is not rated.

“Julian,” in which Fleur and Julian fall madly in love. When Julian proposes, an ambitious, yet challenging idea starts to dawn on Fleur. She works out a plan to get married in every country where she and her wife are allowed to do so. The film is not rated.

Aug. 14

“The End of Oak Street” features Anne Hathaway and Ewan

McGregor in the tale of their neighborhood being transported to an unknown place after a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street. The family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together. The film is rated PG-13.

“PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” centers on the pups crash landing on an uncharted tropical island filled with dinosaurs. They meet Rex, a pup who has been stranded on the island for years and has become an expert in all things dino-related. When the PAW Patrol’s archrival, Mayor Humdinger, begins recklessly mining in hopes of exploiting the island for its natural resources, he inadvertently

“The Rivals of Amziah King” is set in the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, where charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When his estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, he leaps at the possibility to renew a connection and create a family business. Featuring Matthew McConaughey, Cole Sprouse and Kurt Russell. The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release are:

“Nimrods,” the story of three friends who journey to Los Angeles under the false belief that their band is opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve. The film is rated R.

“Train to Busan - 10th Anniversary,” which has been remastered and revived for the celebration. What begins as a simple birthday trip for a father and daughter turns into a high-octane fight for survival when a zombie outbreak ravages South Korea. Trapped on

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a speeding train, they must navigate a landscape of terror to reach safety. The film is not rated.

“The Birthday Party,” a drama set in the late 1970s somewhere in the Mediterranean, where an Aristotle Onassis-like tycoon is throwing a lavish, extravagant birthday party for his daughter –and sole heiress – on his exclusive private island. The party is a perfect excuse for various people in his life to approach him with their own agendas. He’s also secretly plotting a big decision on his daughter’s behalf. The film is not rated.

“Union Country,” which centers on brothers who, with the help of a tireless counselor, work toward a brighter, sober future. The film is not rated.

Aug. 21

“Mutiny” features Jason Statham in the story of a man who witnesses his billionaire boss’s murder and is framed for the crime. He boards a cargo ship on a one-man crusade to avenge his boss’ death only to discover an international conspiracy. The film is rated R.

“Insidious: Out of the Further” is the story of a young mom raising her daughter in the house she grew up in. She discovers she can travel into The Further, the purgatorial realm of lost souls at the heart of the Insidious universe. She doesn’t just enter The Further, she can bring what lives there back to the real world. Once the demons realize her power, our world becomes their playground. The film is rated PG-13.

“Spa Weekend” follows three best friends who get some muchneeded pampering during a luxury spa break in Palm Springs. But when their trainwreck friend turns up, the relaxation quickly descends into chaos. Anna Faris and Isla Fisher star. The film is rated R.

“The Magic Faraway Tree,” a film based on the novel of the same name, follows a couple and

their three children as they begin a new life in the remote countryside. When the kids discover a magical tree hidden near their home, they are welcomed by its extraordinary residents and swept into spectacular, fantastical lands beyond their wildest imagination. Andrew Garfield and Rebecca Ferguson star. The film is rated PG.

Opening in limited release are:

“It Ends,” which is about a group of recent grads on a late night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. They accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two-lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors. The film is rated R.

“Hot Spot,” which is set in a near future society ruled by sentient AI. A private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. The film is rated R.

Aug. 28

“Buddy” is about a group of children who spend their days singing, dancing and helping Buddy spread happiness. When one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased. Featuring the vocal talents of Patton Oswalt, Keegan-Michael Key and Topher Grace. The film is rated PG.

“Coyote vs. ACME” is Wile E. Coyote’s revenge after decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, he teams up with a billboard accident lawyer to take on slick corporate counsel and ACME Inc. The film is rated PG.

“The Dog Stars” unites Josh Brolin, Ridley Scott, Jacob Elordi and Guy Pearce in a flick set years after a superflu virus has taken most of mankind off the map. A

man lives in the hangar of an abandoned airport with his dog. He spends his days flying the perimeter in his Cessna looking out for intruders and thinking about the things he’s lost. A distant radio transmission sparks in him the realization that something better might be out there. The film is rated R.

“Cliffhanger” is the story of a former mountaineer who runs a luxury chalet with his daughter in the Dolomites. Their lives are turned upside down when kidnappers attack. The film is not rated.

“Finding Emily” is the tale of a lovesick musician who is given the wrong number for his dream girl, so he teams up with a driven psychology student to find her. Together, they spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way. Minnie Driver stars. The film is rated PG-13.

Opening in limited release are:

“Colony,” which comes from horror master Yeon Sang-ho (“Train to Busan”) as he directs a new Korean zombie thriller. A professor is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference, causing authorities to seal the facility. Trapped inside with no escape, he and a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations. The film is rated R.

“Legend of the White Dragon,” the story of a fugitive hero who is forced to hide in the shadows to clear his name so he can reunite with his family. Standing in his way is a mysterious villain obsessed with destroying the White Dragon for good. The film is rated R.

“Idiots,” which is about two unqualified bozos who are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab when their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. The film is rated R.

“Beyond Belief,” which is set in the 1980s and follows a teenage rocker chasing his dream of making it big while struggling to cope with the loss of his father. When a mysterious voice urges him to “run,” he is drawn into an

unexpected journey that challenges his ambitions, tests his faith, and forces him to decide what kind of life he’s truly meant to live. The film is rated PG.

“Filipiñana,” the story of Isabel, a 17-year-old from the rural north of the Philippines, who works at a posh country club outside Manila. Something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director. The film is not rated.

‘The Sun Never Sets,” which features Dakota Fanning as a woman who believes she’s perfectly happy in her relationship until her older boyfriend, Jack, who is divorced with children, insists they take a break to make sure she’s truly OK giving up on the idea of marriage and babies. During this time, she runs into her ex, who also reignites her carefree and spontaneous side, and suddenly seems to want a family. The film is not rated.

Sept. 2

“Fall 2: Deadpoint” centers on a woman who lost her fearless sister in the first movie. She sets out on a dangerous climb with her sister’s friend to honor her memory. As they tightrope walk the perilous planks of Mount Kwan in Thailand, a terrifying rockslide leaves them stranded 5,000 feet above ground. The film is rated PG-13.

Sept. 4

“By Any Means” stars Mark Wahlberg in a plot based on the incredible true story of the notorious Mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in Mississippi in 1966. The film is not rated.

“Onslaught” is the story of a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers who break loose in the desert An Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter. The film is rated R. Opening in limited release are:

“The Girl in the River,” the story of a seasoned criminologist on the verge of retirement and a forensic psychologist who are drawn to a remote town to investigate a child’s murder along with her twin’s mysterious disappearance. The film is not rated.

“Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day,” which is about a passionate astronomer who does everything she can to avoid romantic love and marriage in 1910 London. The film is not rated.

“Cocoon: One Summer of Girlhood,” which centers on two pals who attend an all-girls school on a warm and tranquil island. When war reaches their shores, they are ordered to help nurse the wounded in a military hospital hidden away in a cave. The film is not rated.

How Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis forever changed comedy COMMENTARY

ROSARIO A. IACONIS LOS ANGELES TIMES

Eighty years ago, though the Arsenal of Democracy had vanquished the Axis and weathered a withering Depression, the recovering American people found themselves rich in bills but short on laughs. Enter Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who debuted together on July 25, 1946.

Unlike Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, or Hope and Crosby, who relied on tightly scripted setups, this disparate yet kindred duo captured America’s heart by being viscerally, uproariously and unpredictably wild.

Martin and Lewis were the founding fathers of an anarchic, side-splitting brand of comedy that combined pratfalls, ad-libbed wordplay and a sustained demolition of the fourth floor. Orson Welles observed that the duo’s combustible zaniness was so hilarious that it made you wet your pants.

The boys cavorted about the stage, kibitzing with bandleaders and the audience alike. In between trading impromptu quips, Martin and Lewis overturned tables, cut ties, sheared suits and spritzed seltzer on one and all.

The suave, dashingly handsome Italian crooner clowning around with his gawky, rubbery Jewish buddy brought the house down every time. It was nonstop, jocular pandemonium: Commedia dell’arte 2.0.

“ Saturday Night Live,” Second City, David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler all owe a debt to the artists who started life as Dino Crocetti and Joseph Levitch.

Martin and Lewis created a novus ordo seclorum, in its way innovating like America’s founders, spawning a new comedic order of the ages.

Their alchemy was as ineffa-

ble as it was infectious. Variety’s first review of the act noted, “All they do cannot be detailed, but virtually every bit of it is good for solid laughs.” Carl Reiner similarly declared: “I saw what I thought was the funniest ad-libbed thing I had ever seen. It was a riot, and we never stopped laughing.”

In their own madcap way, Dino and Jer epitomized Cicero’s notion that comedy is the imitation of life, the mirror of custom and the image of truth.

Martin and Lewis became the monarchs of all media, conquering radio, nightclubs, television and the silver screen. In 1948, they appeared on Ed Sullivan’s first television show, “Toast of the Town.” From 1950 to 1955, the Martin-and-Lewis-hosted “Colgate Comedy Hour” frequently bested Sullivan in the ratings.

When Hollywood beckoned, the boys answered the call, cavorting, cutting up and reconfiguring reality on the silver screen. They starred in 16 films, bringing their boisterous bromance to capacity-crowd movie theaters.

Though their big-screen adventures could not capture the comedic chaos of their stage act, Martin and Lewis transformed even the most pedestrian screenplay into box-office gold. As film critic Ciara Maloney explained, “Their brilliance shines through the weakest material: the ineffable, bewitching something between them — an intimacy, an immediacy, an ingenuity — frozen in amber for those of us who would never see it in the Copacabana.”

The essence of this duo was the outré interplay between the Prince and the Putz, the Leading Man and the Monkey. Though he was the comedian by trade, Lewis fully credited Martin as the “genius” of the pairing: “He kept the

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Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti 1917-1995, right), with Jerry Lewis at White City during the World Middleweight Championship of 1953.

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center. He was the spine of the act. And the monkey was constantly attached to that spine, on the spine, next to it.”

From “Sailor Beware” to “The Stooge,” “Living It Up” and “Artists and Models,” theirs was a comedy partnership that came to symbolize America. It is little wonder that presidential historian Tevi Troy called the 1950s “ The Martin and Lewis Decade.”

However, many Americans didn’t see these two celebrities as distant icons. Film critic Jenna Ipcar has described

how “a perfect comedy duo will make their audience feel like a lucky participant instead of just a passive observer, a welcome guest in a secret world.” Martin and Lewis embodied that ideal.

The boys’ bittersweet final performance took place at New York’s Copacabana on July 25, 1956. Exactly 10 years after their debut in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had pioneered a new brand of comedy, soothed postwar America’s psyche and made a nation laugh again.

Rosario A. Iaconis, chairman of the Italic Institute of America, writes about Italy and its cultural influence. He is at work on a novel about Harry S. Truman.

Peter Parker grows up in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

KATIE WALSH TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) needs a vacation – and some friends. In the latest “Spider-Man” saga, “Brand New Day,” Peter’s all grown up and facing the struggles that many young adults have to navigate in the working world. And as a born-and-bred New York City hustler, “work-life balance” doesn’t mean anything to him.

As an independent gig worker, Peter’s taken on too much. Though his gigs just happen to be ridding his hometown of crime, he still operates essentially like any street-level, tech-enabled worker, summoned by a blinking alert on his phone, but to neutralize supervillains. And in the city that never sleeps, there’s no shortage of criminals.

In “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, written by Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers, we witness a Peter Parker who’s gotten a little grittier, and experienced the darkness of the world around him. It shows, visually. The New York that Cretton conjures for Peter to inhabit finally feels like the real thing: beautifully grimy, textured and authentic, filled with real faces, soundtracked by indie stalwarts like TV on the Radio and Tame Impala. Against this backdrop, Peter struggles with dating, depression and loneliness, like so many of us do, but he also has to save the city day in and day out. Balance is something Peter’s always had to master. He once had to learn to shoot his webs, managing his weight between skyscrapers just so in order to fly, and while he still has his skills, internally, things have gotten out of whack. What’s happening on the inside is affecting his outside, and what he has to realize is that he can’t biohack his way out of this. Nope, he’s got to face down his own

issues and trauma to get things right. Saving New York City on the daily would be easier. Cretton, who helmed “Short Term 12,” knows how to hit an emotional beat, and he does here, again and again, with Peter’s story. Reeling from the loss of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Peter has overcorrected when it comes to his loved ones, wiping the memories of his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and high school girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) in the hopes of protecting them, from him. But what Peter’s finding is that, try as he might, he simply can’t be Spider-Man alone. Peter has to learn to invite his loved ones back in, and hope they’re willing to take that step. That’s just half the story. He also has to fight a bunch of baddies, face down a corrupt and predatory government organization, and interact with the most random grouping of MCU superheroes ever assembled. One of his regular nemeses, Scorpion (Michael Mando), leads Peter to the

Department of Damage Control, where Peter suspects a mysterious entity that has the power to possess bodies and minds is leading a nefarious attack on the agency. While he pursues that lead, he’s also struggling to manage his outof-control arachnid hormones, reaching out to Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) for help. He pines after his old pals, who now live in the city as roommates, and seeks kinship with gruff, grieving brother-in-arms (literally), Frank Castle, the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Cretton attempts to strap together, in the same way Peter wraps a bad guy to a building with gooey webbing, the two parts of this story: Peter’s attempts to repair his inner life, and the larger concerns of the MCU, which means tossing together a bunch of superheroes like figurines at a sleepover party. The strain sometimes shows in clunky transitions, but thematically, there is consistency across the idea of needing community in order to be this powerful. Perhaps the great responsibility isn’t to others, but to our own needs. However, there’s plenty of charm to

paper over any flaws. Holland remains appealing, his emotion palpable, especially opposite his real-life wife Zendaya. When amnesiac MJ admits she’s not in love with this Peter, the pain on his face is devastating. Holland has always been a cute Peter. Here, he’s angsty and serious, shouldering the weight of his past.

Then there’s his connection with another close friend, Bernthal (the pair first worked together on “Pilgrimage” when Holland was a teen). A scene featuring Holland, Bernthal and Zendaya ribbing and ripping on each other is all too short, but their real friendship informs the unlikely bond between your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and the strapped-up, vengeful Punisher.

Cretton ensures that distinctive style and emotional stakes take precedence over necessary MCU groundwork. When Peter learns that he has the whole city behind him, even as an anonymous crime fighter, it’s a beautiful moment. He might be walking his own path, but he’s not walking it alone. He can be seen, and known, and just maybe he can incorporate a little more life into the balance.