On The Town: June 7, 2026

on the town

GEORGE MAGUIRE GETS STAR TREATMENT

IN NEW FILM

THEATRE BEHIND THE SCENES: MEET CHRISTINE MANI plus

Meet SCC Director Christine Mani

Christine Mani is a multi-award winning theater director, actor, singer and dancer – and is the artistic director and theater instruc tor for Solano College Theatre.

Q: What was it that sparked your interest in theater?

class who was kinda cute and he is now my husband.

Q: After you graduated from college and earned your teaching credential, where was your first teaching assignment?

A: When I was a teen, I watched the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” movie with the Bee Gees over and over. I have been teased relentlessly for liking it, but that was my first introduction to a lot of the theatricality that could happen with music.

Q: I am definitely going to hold liking that movie against you (laughs).

A: A lot of people have tried, but it came along at the right time for me. It’s the reason I want “The Long and Winding Road” played at my funeral.

Q: OK, that was inspirational, but what directly turned your theater spark to flame?

A: It happened when I was at Sem Yeto High School. I was there because I was a teenage mother. I’m a voracious reader and my English professor who was theater adjacent handed me “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare. I adored it and read it straight though. She asked (me) to start a drama club on campus. Then I went to Solano Community College (SCC) and took theater and dance classes. While I was there, this guy, John Mani, walked into a

A: Benicia High School. In my first year there a teacher was trying to choreograph “The Boy Friend” and asked for help. I soon began directing almost every musical they did. My second year there I started a dance program.

Q: I saw a couple of productions when you were teaching there, “Xanadu” and “The Elephant Man,” and was blown away by the quality of the shows.

A: I never considered myself as “just” a high school teacher. High school theater doesn’t have to look like what some people assume high school theater is like. It should be as professional as you can get it. I absolutely adored my 16 years at Benicia High.

Q: When did you start at SCC?

A: I applied three times before I got it and the first show I put on was “Spring Awakening” in 2016. Then we did “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and “Cabaret.” The new theater building opened in 2018 and then the pandemic hit in 2020 and shut us down.

Q: Well, it shut your live productions down, but I saw a couple of the Zoom shows you directed then.

A: We learned a lot because of the pandemic. I turned my

on the town

home office into a production studio. We still use the green screens and body mics we started to use back then.

Q: Do you have student success stories?

A: Sure, a lot of theater is life skills. Theater and psychology are best friends. Psychology is the study of human nature to understand it. Theater is the study of human nature to understand it and then replicate it. Standing in a boardroom with five people or an audience of 5,000 you need to be able to read the room. You need to know if they are with you. I have a lot of students who went into politics. I never thought of that connection.

Q: What about students with onstage successes?

A: I have tons of former students who are working in the theater industry or adjacent industries like TV, film, costuming, wig making and music producing. The biggest goal is to be a Broadway performer and

Broadway has good money, but you are in a machine. A former student of mine, Austin Scott, is playing Alexander Hamilton on Broadway. I got to talk with him in his dressing room backstage after seeing him perform and I told him I wished I could have heard him sing more. He said he was not allowed to because (role originator and “Hamilton” creator) Lin-Manual Miranda didn’t. Lin has his own way, which is great, but he’s not the powerhouse singer that Austin is.

Also Isaiah Boyd was in “Beach Blanket Babylon” and he told me he had lots of ideas about how he wanted to play a character and the powers that be said he had to do it in the exact same way as everyone that came before him did.

Do you want the money and fame or are you doing it for the art and the passion of it? It’s like how the Missouri Street Theatre does “The Rocky Horror Show” every year and they change the

Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton, T. Burt McNaughton

Editor: Todd R. Hansen

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

Project Manager: Nancy Meadows

theme. How unique is that?

Q: I have seen over the years you leaving your directorial fingerprints on whatever you bring to the stage.

A: I like to push the envelope and do things audiences haven’t seen. Shakespeare took stories created from other people and made them his own. I enjoy adding unique elements like having ASL interpretation throughout a musical.

The point of live theater is that it’s not a movie where every time you see it it’s going to be the same. From production to production, from company to company, from night to night, theater can look different and can inspire new opportunities.

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

This

TO DO week

THINGS

com/events/index.

3 p.m. Sunday

Ke’Marie

Suisun Valley Filling station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. https://suisunvalleyfilling station.com/event/musicat-mankas-may-2026.

5 p.m. Wednesday

6 p.m. Thursday Whiskey & Honey Paradise Valley Golf Club, 3950 Paradise Valley Drive. https://fairfieldgolf.com/ events-calendar.

5 p.m. Friday

Real Imposters

Bally Keal, 4286 Suisun Valley Road. www.ballykeal.

Suisun Valley Filling station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. https://suisunvalleyfilling

Suisun Valley Filling station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. https://suisunvalleyfilling

Road. www.facebook.com/ profile.php?id=61566929 950504#.

5:30 p.m. Sunday

Gerry Ramos Music Studio: Summer 2026 Piano and Voice Recital Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive. www.vpat.net.

5 p.m. Thursday

Town Square Thursdays: Shuffle Band

Town Square Place, 11 Town Square. https://downtown vacaville.com/events-indowntown-vacaville.

6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10:30 a.m., 1 and 4 p.m.

Saturday

Dinner and Movies in the Park: ‘Zootopia 2’ Heritage Park. www. facebook.com/suisunrpm

I Vacaville

3 p.m. Sunday Duo Sonics Dwain’s Bar, 110 Peabody

Elevate Dance Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive. www.vpat.net.

6 p.m. Friday

I Heart Zep – A Tribute to Heart & Led Zeppelin Journey Downtown, 308 Main St. https:// journeydowntown.com/ events.

I Benicia

1 p.m. Sunday

Matt Jaffee

First Street Taphouse, 440 First St. www.mare islandbrewingco.com.

2:30 p.m. Sunday Quattro

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

4 p.m. Sunday

Xavier

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

5 p.m. Thursday

Duo Sonics

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

4:30 p.m. Friday

Jubal Jake

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

8:30 p.m. Friday

The Dream Tellers

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

4:30 p.m. Saturday

Syria

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

8:30 p.m. Saturday

Inner States 80

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

I Vallejo

1 p.m. Sunday

Midnight Flyer

Vino Godfather, 1005 Walnut Ave. www. vinogodfather.com.

2 p.m. Sunday

Mike Emerson celebration

Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. www. empresstheatre.org.

2 p.m. Sunday

Pianist Ting Luo and violinist Lilian Lu violin

Red Man’s Hall, 431 Georgia St. www.eventbrite.com/e/ ting-luo-original-pianomusic-in-minimalist-andcinematic-soundscapestickets-1988997997553? aff=oddtdtcreator.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Smoke House

Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https:// empresstheatre.org.

8 p.m. Thursday

Julia Neville

Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive. https://scfair.org/2026solano-county-fair.

8 p.m. Friday

Marc Hummel

Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https:// empresstheatre.org.

8 p.m. Friday

Different Drum: Linda Ronstadt tribute Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive. https://scfair.org/2026solano-county-fair.

9 p.m. Friday

Goth Night

Odd Fellows Hall, 342 Georgia St. www. facebook.com/events/ 1245492024333720.

See Week, Page 6

GOHEAR

Comedy, country, Heart tribute

DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Song and comedy will greet visitors at local performing arts venues.

Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre

The Gerry Ramos Music Studio hosts its summer piano and voice recital at 5:30 p.m. today (June 7.) The students perform solos, duets and in groups. Learn more at https://gerryramosmusic.com.

VPAT tickets can be be purchased by phone at 707-469-4013, in person at the box office and online at www.vpat.net. The venue is at 1010 Ulatis Drive.

Journey Downtown

Comedy, Christian music and a group paying homage to Led Zeppelin and Heart are on the calendar at this venue, 308 Main St.

I Heart Zep – A Tribute to Heart & Led Zeppelin performs at 7 p.m. Friday.

Mike E. Winfield, actor and comedian, stops by at 7 p.m. June 20. You have

seen him on “America’s Got Talent.” Hailing from Baltimore, he moved to California to pursue comedy and escape the rough streets of Baltimore. He had a recurring role on NBC’s “The Office.” Learn more at https://mike winfield.com/live.

Headphones are encouraged at DJ Chriztian’s Family Rave, 6 p.m. June 25. Whether you come with toddlers, teens or grandparents, this is your chance to hit the dance floor and enjoy a night made for the entire family.

Christian singer Jason Gray wraps up the month with a 7 p.m. June 27 show. His son is battling cancer for the second time. He has also authored a children’s book, “Sparrow.” Learn more about him at www.jasongraymusic.com.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit https://journey downtown.com.

Empress Theatre

More than 50 musicians will gather at See Hear, Page 6

on the town

Hear

From Page 5

2 p.m. today (June 7) to pay tribute to master key boardist Mike Emerson. Best known to many as a longtime member of the Tommy Castro Band / Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, he brought fire, feel, groove and heart to every performance.

Smokehouse, Anthony Paule, Willy Jordan, Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano, and Endre Tarczy will perform at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 10.)

Paule is one of the Bay Area’s great blues and soul guitarists and bandleaders. He is known for his work with the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra.

Jordan brings serious fire on vocals and drums. A soulful singer and powerhouse drummer, Willy has worked with major blues artists includ ing Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Louis Walker and John Németh.

Lufrano is a Hammond B-3 and piano master with an incredible résumé, including work with Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Robben Ford, Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop, Eddie Money, James Cotton, Booker T. Jones and many more.

Tarczy, a first-call bassist with deep blues and soul experience, is known for his work with top Bay Area musicians and the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra.

Mark Hummel brings an all-star band to the venue at 8 p.m. June. 12. Steve Freund, Paul Revelli and Karl Sevareid – musicians with deep roots in Chicago blues, West Coast blues, soul and roots music – will join Hummel.

Mad Youth incorporates various artists in a 8 p.m. show June 26.

Performers include:

Aizik Ulysses brings a moody, expressive sound rooted in alternative R&B and experimental pop –introspective, but built for a live room.

DJ Pers keeps the floor moving with a mix of hip-hop, house and club edits – expect transitions that don’t let the energy drop.

Luvr Grl taps into that new wave of emotional, internet-era pop – melodic, atmospheric and vibey.

Hugo rounds out the lineup with a versatile set that leans into rhythm, texture and crowd connection.

The venue is at 330 Virginia St. For more details, visit www.empresstheatre.org.

Downtown Theatre

The Braxton Brothers bring some funky smooth jazz to the venue at 8 p.m. Saturday (June 13).

The Braxton Brothers began by popularizing the blended sound of sax and six-string bass melodies, which became their signature. The brothers, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, write,

record and produce their songs, giving them a sound that is both undeniably unique but still familiar to fans of the smooth jazz genre.

The tunes of Sade can be heard from Ariel Marin at 8 p.m. June 26. Marin is a staple on the Northern California music scene,

The venue is at 1035 Texas St. For information, and tickets, visit www.downtowntheatre.com.

Solano County Fair

8 p.m. Thursday (June 11): Julia Neville

8 p.m. Friday (June 12): A Different Drum

Linda Ronstadt tribute

2 p.m. Saturday (June 13): East Side Story Revue

All concerts are in the arena at 900 Fairgrounds Drive. Each requires separate admission from the fair.

Purchase tickets at https://scfair.org/buy-tickets.

COVER STORY

George Maguire

getting star treatment in new film

AMY MAGINNIS-HONEY

AMAGINNIS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

By George, there will be a film –“Babysnakes!” – highlighting longtime Solano Community College’s Actor Training Program teacher, George Maguire.

The documentary will focus on his early career, milestones in acting, time at Solano College and the Actor’s Training Program, his retirement, senior living and working through health and reflecting on a life well lived.

The filmmaker is Jaime Lucero, who launched a Kickstarter to fund the labor of love.

“George played a major role in the beginning of my career,” Lucero said. “I was finishing up an AA degree in film and television at Solano Community College and I was beginning to look for film work in the area.

“His Theater 50 on camera acting class was looking for a new camera operator and I was recommended for the job. The job evolved more into an unofficial co-teaching position where I not only filmed scenes with the students, but also gave valuable input during lectures from behind my side of the camera.”

Maguire introduced Lucero to his nephew, who at the time was a production coordinator in the Bay Area. He hired Lucero, who worked as a production assistant on commercials all throughout the Bay Area.

Lucero worked his way into the camera department, earning him a spot in a camera union as

a digital imaging technician.

The duo teamed up for on-camera acting classes at various casting agencies throughout the Bay Area. Maguire retired in 2012.

Seven years ago, Lucero moved to Atlanta and has not seen Maguire in person since. Maguire is in New Mexico.

Maguire and Lucero were chatting on the phone when the film idea surfaced. He would tell Lucero people were asking him to write his autobiography.

“Honey, I don’t have time for that,” Maguire said.

Lucero spoke up.

“Why don’t we just do a documentary?” he asked. “I’d rather hear your

GOSEE

Meet Wendy the Welder in Vallejo; enjoy Art on the Vine

DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

See the works of local artists at Art on the Vine, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 13-14, at BackRoad Vines Winery, 2221 Julian Lane.

Admission is free. Wine, music and food are also on the program. This is the 28th year for the event.

Solano Town Center Gallery

“Mother Earth” continues at the Solano Town Center Gallery until June 21. It spotlights the watercolor paintings of Vineeta Dhillon and features the digital art of Sheila Wilkerson’s adventurous travels of her dog Cheetah Mae.

The Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., inside the Solano Town Center, 1350 Travis Blvd.

“The Inner Mind” opens June 24 featuring fused glass work from JoRene Danel.

Visitors are encouraged to play the scavenger hunt and enter for a chance to win an FSVAA gift certificate.

Laura Klein offers two opportunities each month to enjoy creative experiences by holding art classes. All materials are included. Classes are the first Fridays and third Sundays.

For more information, contact Laura Klein at lauraklein1228@gmail.com.

Fairfield Arts, 710 Jackson St., recently opened a showcase featuring Klein's mixed media, fiber art and acrylic paintings. Meet her at the June 19 reception, 5 to 8 p.m.

Fairfield Arts continues to sponsor the downtown Fairfield third Friday Art Walks, which supports local artists. The next one is 5 to 8 p.m. June 19. The

See Art, Page 9

Maguire: New film

From Page 7

story in your own voice rather than on a page. You can’t do it justice on paper. People will want to see you. I swear for a moment he almost had me convinced that it was his idea.”

“I was both surprised and humbled that he thought of it,” Maguire said. He refers to his years at SCC as a magical time in his life. Maguire was first hired as a director and became full time a few years later.

In 2009, Maguire hosted a visit from Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks at the main campus. He described the event as “glorious.” Hanks met with the students prior to talking to patrons in the theater.

“It again solidified our friendship from 1977 at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival,” Maguire said.

Maguire was credited with directing 50 shows during his years at SCC. Among them, “Dead Man Walking,” “Secret Garden,” “Cabaret” and “Jekyll and Hyde.”

“Each was like a child for me,” he shared. “Fed, loved and nurtured. My pride always were the students who excelled and became friends. As I was changing their lives, they were changing mine.”

Suisun City Councilwoman Princess Washington noted Maguire’s influence was immeasurable.

“Theater is magic, and

no one embodied that magic more completely than George Maguire,” she said.

“Like so many of his students, I carry his lessons with me every day. Many of us came from a small, close-knit theater community and have gone on to pursue meaningful paths in life. I have no doubt that George’s belief in us played a significant role in that journey.”

The film crew will travel this month to film Maguire. The remainder of the year will be spent doing more interviews, archival material and the start of post production.

“One of the best things about beginning this documentary is the amount of support I’ve been getting from not only those close to George, and trust me, there’s a lot, but so many friends, colleagues and former students have reached out to let me know what a wonderful idea this,” Lucero shared. “In my research so far I’ve found many people with amazing stories and experiences involving George, and I intend to get all that on the record.”

Where did the title originate?

“Anyone who knows George, knows Babysnakes,” Lucero said. “It’s just something we all know – it’s a title, a nickname, an exclamation and really just something fun to say, right?”

View the trailer at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=V4Ze5M7It8U.

From Page 8

gallery will have live music, snacks and wine from BackRoad Vines Winery.

Fairfield Arts also welcomes its newest artist, Tait Rasmusson, who creates functional ceramics and stoneware.

The gallery will be open on July 4 as the country celebrates 250 years of freedom.

Benicia Library

“Signs in Nature,” an exhibit featuring oil and acrylic paintings by Audrey Brown and Angela White, is on display through June 25.

It explores how we find and create meaning in the natural world. Brown’s paintings suggest hidden paths and mysteries within the landscape, while White’s mixed media works embed symbolic marks and objects.

A sigil creation workshop with Gareth Branwyn is slated 1 to 3 p.m. June 14 in the Dona Benicia Room, 150 E. L St.

Explore the art of sigils, which are personal, abstract “magical marks” used to translate intentions, ideas or states of mind into a logolike symbol. Branwyn will guide participants through a unique method of sigil creation using words, ancient planetary tables and dice.

air painters whose colorful, Fauvist style relates back to such groups as the Society of Six, the Fauves and other colorist schools. Turner is a structural engineer who is primarily self-taught in art. He has painted with Lundy Siegriest and Terry St. John. His early influences were Daubigny, Matisse, William Keith, Seldon Gile and Lundy Siegriest.

Benicia Plein Air

Michael Dadasovich is the featured June artist at the Benicia Plein Air Gallery. The show is titled simply “Michael Dadasovich.”

No experience is needed, and all materials will be provided.

“At the Table” continues through June 20 at the Vacaville Art Gallery, 781 E. Monte Visa Ave., www.vacavilleartgallery.org.

Gallery 621

Jerrold Turner's “A Life in Art” runs through June 28 at 920 First St., Suite 203. The reception is 4-6 p.m. June 20.

Turner is one of the Bay Area’s prominent plein air painters and a founding member of the Outsiders, a group of plein

Recipe OF THE MONTH

Hawaiian Shrimp Salad

By Chef Stephanie Seaberg

“My June art display at the Benicia Plein Air Gallery is a mixture of painting subjects and styles. I tend to use bright colors and most of my art blends both urban and rural perspectives,” he said in press materials.

“As a founding member of the gallery it is rewarding to see how the quality of work and artists has grown over the last 15 years.”

He will be at the gallery 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 21 and June 26-27. The address is 307 First St.

Mare Island

Art Studios

“Wendy the Welder & The Mare Island Shipyard Workers” is a new exhibition by artist JeanCherie. It honors the women who helped shape Mare Island history during World War II.

At the heart of the exhibit is Wendy the Welder, a sculpture inspired by the more than 11,000 women who built ships on Mare Island during the war effort.

JeanCherie, a Vallejo artist and member of Mare Island Art Studios, created the sculpture as a tribute to the workers of her mother’s generation.

The opening reception is noon to 4 p.m. June 7 at 110 Pintado St. View the exhibit each Sunday in June from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information about the artist and project visit www.jeancherie.com.

Learn more about the gallery at https:// mareislandartstudios.com.

I can’t explain why, but shrimp and summertime just go together so well Don’t they? ey just seem to taste better when it’s 75° out and there’s a glass of white wine in your hand. I’m also a Hawaiian Mac salad snob in the summer time And when you put the two together, it becomes this great big bowl of summer magic. I’ve served this both as a side and a main entrée, and they’re both fantastic. So, if you’re headed to a pool party this week, bring this dish along and wait for the compliments to come your way.

Serves 8-10

You will need

1 pound of shrimp - medium, large or colossal, peeled and deveined (avoid tiny cocktail shrimp)

8 oz. dry elbow macaroni pasta or ditalini

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated 1 large celery rib, nely diced 1 1/2 C. of real mayonnaise 1/3 C. apple cider vinegar

Putting it togethe r

2 TBS granulated sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 TBS onion powder

1/2 TBS of paprika

Salt and pepper to taste, divided 1/2 C. green onion, sliced 1 tsp. sesame seeds or furikake for garnish

Start by cooking the pasta as you would normally in salted water. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water, then set aside In a medium size bowl, mix the mayonnaise, carrots, celer y, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Combined with the cooled pasta and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When you’re ready to serve, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oi l in a skillet on medium heat. Add the peeled shrimp and cook until they turn pink, ipping them half way. It should take one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper Transfer the shrimp to a plate to cool. Once they are cool, chop half of the shrimp into small pieces and mix into the pasta salad. Lay the remaining whole shrimp over the top (so it looks nice for the pictures). Top with green onion, and a generous dusting of sesame seeds. If you’re serving this in a hot backyard, remember that it has to be thrown out a er two hours.

Suisun Valley Rotary Operation: Care & inaugural Sip, Smoke McNaughton Park

and Savor

GO READ

Get a gander at what your neighbors are reading. And, sign up for the Summer Reading program.

ADULT

• “Dear Debbie,” Freida McFadden

• “The Housemaid, Freida McFadden

• “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans

• “My Husband’s Wife,” Alice Feeney

• “Great Big Beautiful Life,” Emily Henry

• “Say You’ll Remember Me,”

Abby Jimenez

• “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi

• “Rights of the Starling,” Deveny Perry

• “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” Shelby Van Pelt

• “The Let Them Theory,” Mel Robbins

TEENS

• “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Suzanne Collins

• “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” Sarah J. Maas

• “Throne of Glass,” Sarah J. Maas

• “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,”

Suzanne Collins

• “Crown of Midnight,” Sarah J. Maas

• “Heir of Fire,” Sarah J. Maas

• “The Assassin’s Blade,” Sarah J. Maas

• “Kingdom of Ash,” Sarah J. Maas

• “The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins

• “Powerless,” Lauren Roberts

KIDS

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

• “Big Nate: Code Red,” Lincoln Pierce

• “The Dragonet Prophecy,” Tui T. Sutherland

• “The Wild Robot,” Peter Brown

• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Jeff Kinney

• “The Brightest Night,” Tui T. Sutherland

• “Hot Mess,” Jeff Kinney

• “Karen’s Worst Day,” Ann M. Martin

• “Big Jim Begins,” Dav Pilkey

• “Karen’s Kittycat Club,” Ann M. Martin

Author talks

There are two in-person author talks, both at the Benicia

Library, 150 E. L St.

They are:

2 p.m. June 7: Mary Eichbauer

1 p.m. June 13: Farima Berenji

Online author talks are:

11 a.m. June 9: Ezekiel Emanuel

4 p.m. June 11: Matt Dinniman 11 a.m. June 23: Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy.

To register, visit https://libraryc. org/benicialibrary.

GOSEE

Dance recitals, staged readings and Pride Month

DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Dance

Motion is the buzzword for the start of summer as two dance recitals are on tap the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive.

Elevate Dance presents its 12th annual recital, Rise. Performances are 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, (June 11-12), 10:30 a.m, 1 p.m., 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. June 13. Performances benefit Dancer’s Against Cancer. Learn more at www. elevatedancecenter.com.

Dixon Dance Studio will have three performances of its summer recital, Making the Band. Show times are 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. June 27 and 2 p.m. June 28. For more information, visit https://

dixondancestudio.com.

VPAT tickets can be be purchased by phone at 707-469-4013, in person at the box office and online at www.vpat.net.

Theater

On the Fringe Visual and Performing Arts have paired with the Downtown Theatre, Solano Pride, Solano AIDS coalition and Solano Serenity Center for “The Importance off Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde.

House opens at 6:30 p.m. where attendees can tour the venue gallery filled with the “Wild about Wilde” exhibit and art by local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual and two spirits artists.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18-20 and 2 p.m. June 21 at 1035 Texas St.

The production moves to the Missouri Street Theatre for 7:30 p.m. June 23-25 performances at 1125 Missouri St., Fairfield.

To purchase tickets, visit downtowntheatre.com.

The Valley Players have announced their Summer Staged Reading Series, six evenings of brand-new original plays. Performances are at the Napa Valley Education Foundation Discovery Campus in Napa, 530 Third St.

All shows begin at 4 p.m. They are:

• June 14: “Mother, I Could Kill You” by Barbara A. Silverstone. What starts as a powder-keg Thanksgiving dinner slowly detonates into a night of shocking confessions, longburied secrets and unexpected grace. Darkly funny and deeply human, this is a play about the family we’re given, the damage we carry, and whether forgiveness is ever really possible.

• June 28: A Night of One-Acts: “When We Ceased to Be?” by Jack Bushnell. Three of history’s most

extraordinary figures stand outside of time – each one vanished, each one unforgettable. A soaring, intimate play that asks what it means to push past every limit the world sets for you, and what you find when you finally break through.

“At Midspan on the Andy Warhol” by Kirk Johnson. It’s just after midnight on a Pittsburgh bridge. A woman stands alone. A stranger appears. They start to talk – about comedy, grief, mathematics and the strange ways people find their way back to life.

• July 12: “Waldorf School” by Nate Currier. Seven 13-year-olds navigate the final year of their Waldorf education: a true believer, a skeptic, the kid who’s best at everything, a girl who can’t remember her birthday verse, the coolest boy in class, and one very committed cape-wearer. Funny, tender and surprisingly moving, “Waldorf School” is a love letter to childhood, to the teachers who shape us, and to the messy, beautiful business of growing up.

• July 26: “Deadly Pursuits” by Lorraine Midanik. When a sharp-tongued dean starts losing her most insufferable faculty members one by one, the campus buzzes with dark speculation. A bumbling detective circles. A brilliant young researcher makes herself indispensable. And the body count quietly climbs. Part sharp academic satire, part whodunit, “Deadly Pursuits” asks: in a world full of people who deserve comeuppance, who decides who gets it?

• Aug. 9: A Night of Shorts:

“Madam Director” by Gary A. Davis. It’s 30 years from now and the world is in crisis. Jordan comes home from a

hard day at work to the one constant in her life – her devoted, funny, warm husband Rory. But tonight, something goes wrong. A quietly devastating play about the question of what can’t we bear to lose.

“Date Night” by Barbara A. Silverstone. Every Friday night, no matter what, Lise and Tomas have a date. Tonight might be their best one yet.

“Table in the Air” by Rex McGregor. Paris, 1905. Marie Curie, her husband and a notorious Italian psychic. A witty, surprising comedy about science, fraud, and two very different women who have more in common than either would like to admit.

“An Empowered Woman” by Barbara Anderson. Anderson has written a play about her own life – her struggles, her hard-won confidence, her power. The producers love it. They absolutely love it. They just have a few small changes.

• Aug. 23: “Night Shift” by Mack Wright. In a nearly empty diner at 2 a.m., a lonely night-shift worker and a late-night singer find each other in the glow of an “Open” sign – trading barbs, bad coffee and slowly, their hearts. A tender, achingly beautiful love story.

What’s a staged reading? It’s a rehearsed performance of a script –complete with actors, movement and emotion – but without full sets or costumes. It’s a vital step for playwrights, giving them the chance to see their words come alive.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.valley-players. com/2026/03/06/valley-players-summer-2026-staged-reading-series.

GO SEE A MOVIE: Monster, minions, the kraken and young Washington

School’s out for summer. Air conditioned movie theaters are an option for entertainment over the summer months. Some theater chains offer deep discount tickets for family-related movies.

There’s a bevy of flicks seeking tickets.

June 12

Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” features him, Emily Blunt and Colin Firth in the story of discovering we are not alone. If someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. The film is rated PG-13.

“The Furious” is the tale of a humble tradesman whose daughter is kidnapped, thrusting him into a deadly underworld of corruption and violence. His only ally is a relentless journalist haunted by his own past. Together, they fight their way through an international criminal network in a desperate bid to save her and uncover the truth. The film is rated R.

“Stop! That! Train!” follows best friends who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first class attendants. The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release are:

“Kraken,” which follows a marine biologist who encounters several strange occurrences while researching at a local fish farm. Following the brutal death of two local teenagers, all clues

NIKO TAVERNISE/UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT/TNS

Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor in “Disclosure Day.”

point to Norway’s deepest fjord, where a gigantic mythical monster is hiding. The film is not rated.

“This Tempting Madness,” which centers on a woman who, after a near-fatal fall, awakens from a coma grievously injured, her memory fractured, and her husband missing. As fragments of her past resurface, love, guilt and fear blur together until she can no longer tell what’s real. The film is rated R.

“O Horizon,” which features Paulina Porizkova in the tale of a young neuroscientist dealing with the death of her father, drowning her grief by spending her days working with a monkey. She meets a programmer who has created

a technology that reconnects her with her beloved father. The film is not rated.

June 16

Opening in limited release are:

“40 Dates and 40 Nights,” which features a woman who accepts her grandma’s outrageous challenge: 40 dates in 40 nights for a full year of rent. From awkward dinners to unexpected sparks, she discovers the biggest obstacle to love might be herself. The film is not rated.

June 19

“The Death of Robin Hood”

stars Hugh Jackman, in the title role. He finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation. The film is rated R.

The toys are back as Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voice the Buzz Lightyear and Woody in “Toy Story 5.” The gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid. The film is rated PG.

“Girls Like Girls” is based on writer/director Hayley Kiyoko’s hit single and best-selling novel of the same name. The coming-of-age

story is set over the course of one sun-drenched summer. The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release:

“Leviticus,” the story of two star-crossed teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other. The film is rated R.

June 26

“Supergirl” is the tale of Kara Zor-El, who is sent to Earth by her parents to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Supergirl adopts the secret identity of orphan Linda Lee and makes Midvale Orphanage her home. The film is rated PG-13.

“Couture,” starring Angelina Jolie, is set during the frenzy of Paris Fashion Week, where three women’s lives intersect: a film-

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maker who discovers she has breast cancer and is drawn into an unexpected connection with a familiar collaborator, a fresh face in modeling and a makeup artist. The film is not rated.

“Jackass: Best And Last” brings Johnny Knoxville and the gang back for one final fling at the big screen. Featuring all-new stunts and stupidity along with the greatest hits and biggest laughs from the past. The film is not rated.

“The Invite” features Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penelope Cruz and Rashida Jones in the story of a couple on thin ice. Their upstairs neighbors are about to arrive for dinner, and everything that can go wrong goes worse. The film is rated R.

Opening in limited release:

“Lucky Strike,” which tells the story of one soldier trapped behind enemy lines during the last major German offensive during WWII, what will become known as The Battle of the Bulge. Armed only with his Motorola SCR-300 radio, a new technology only battleready near the end of the war, he must use his wits and spy craft to thwart the advancing Nazi Panzer army and find his way back home. Scott Eastwood stars. The film is not rated.

“The Get Out,” which centers on a nightclub owner on the verge of leaving his dangerous past behind to retire with his girlfriend. When masked gunmen rob him and he finds himself squeezed by ruthless cartels, a mysterious newcomer arrives with interest in buying the business. With Russell Crowe and Aaron Paul. The film is rated R.

“Camp,” the tale of a woman who, haunted by a traumatic past, finds solace as a camp counselor while navigating grief, witchcraft and the power of female friendship. The film is not rated.

“Blood Lines,” which centers on a woman who spends her days working at the local corner store

From left to right: Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) and Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5.”

in her tight-knit Métis community, trading stories and laughs with her best friend. When a newcomer searching for her biological family arrives in town, she is instantly drawn to her and becomes determined to help in any way she can. The film is not rated.

July 1

“Minions & Monsters” in which Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg and Zoey Deutch lend their voices to the animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters. The film is rated PG.

July 3

“Young Washington” features Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer and Mary-Louise Parker in the tale of the nation’s first president as a soldier fighting to survive. As alliances crumble and the frontier erupts into war, he must confront not only his enemies but the man he’s becoming. The film is rated PG-13.

Scott Eastwood in “Lucky Strike.”

For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www. regmovies.com/theatres/regaledwards-fairfield-imax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www. brendentheatres.com. For Vallejo showtimes, check www.cinemark. com/theatres/ca-vallejo. More

information about upcoming films is available at www. movieinsider.com.

19th Annual

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Rudd, Jonas hit bum note in ‘Power Ballad’

ADAM GRAHAM THE DETROIT NEWS

John Carney is cinema’s most soulful student of rock.

Through his movies – “Once” is his masterpiece, but also “Sing Street,” “Begin Again” and “Flora and Son” – he focuses on characters who find themselves through song, and who are driven by the need and will to make music. He sees the world through the lens of pop hits.

His latest movie, “Power Ballad,” hits a bit of a bum note. It’s about Rick Power, played by Paul Rudd, whose eternal youth is finally starting to give way to some wrinkles of wisdom. He’s the lead singer of an Irish wedding band, and there’s no mention of whether Power is his stage name or his given name, but you get the picture; it’s the former. (He’s also playing an American, so there’s no goofy attempts at Rudd doing an Irish accent.)

His band, the Bride and Groove –billed as “Ireland’s grooviest wedding band” – is there to cover the hits; “we’re not rock stars, we’re human jukeboxes” is how one band member puts it. But Rick does dabble in songwriting, even though he long ago gave up his dreams of being a rock star when responsibility came calling in the form of his wife and his daughter. The tinges of regret over What Might Have Been for him tremble just beneath his and the movie’s surface.

At a fancy wedding shindig one night, Rick shares the stage with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy bander on the verge of being officially washed up. They hit it off on stage and jam together later that night in Danny’s guest quarters.

it into a worldwide smash, ushering in his comeback.

‘Power Ballad’ Rated R

minutes HH (OUT OF FOUR)

What transpires is the best scene in the movie, following two people lifted by collaboration, bonded through booze and creativity, freely sharing notes on each other’s songs. It’s the kind of scene and interaction Carney excels at, letting his characters live through music and the pure joy of song.

During that freewheeling jam session, Rick shares a piece of a song he wrote, “How to Write a Song (Without You),” and thinks nothing of it. But months later, Rick discovers Danny lifted his song without permission and has turned

Rick has no documented proof the song is actually his, and his efforts to reach Danny and his management to claim ownership of the song are thwarted. So he slowly begins to unravel, and the movie does too, as it loses its connection with the characters that was so rich early on.

Rick feels he’s owed millions in compensation, and he’s also been robbed of the credit of crafting a hit song, the validation from which is worth even more to him than the money.

Danny is torn: He’s instructed by his manager Mac (Jack Reynor, a Carney regular, thinly sketched here) to ignore Rick and to keep his head down, as any hint that he stole his comeback song

could derail his return to the spotlight, and thereby Mac’s piece of the action. Telling the truth would cost millions and would spoil every car on the gravy train.

“Power Ballad” is about the intersection of creativity and capitalism, and who gets to own inspiration. Rick wrote the song, but Danny brought it to life. So who gets to lay claim to what?

But there’s not a lot of drama in songwriting credits, and Carney loses his way with the story as it turns into sitcom silliness. Rick and his loyal bandmate Sandy (Peter McDonald) decide to board a plane to Los Angeles to confront Danny in a scene which keeps finding new ways to fall away from the believability he built up in his characters early on. It’s like an ill-advised drum solo in the middle of a concert, and it sucks the energy out of the room.

And the characterization of Danny – he’s not a villain, but he’s also not a hero – exposes either the limits of Jonas’ talents or the underdeveloped nature of the character, or possibly both. But by the end we don’t know enough about his internal motivations to feel one way or another about him.

At least the song is good. “How to Write a Song (Without You),” is a solid earworm, maybe not the worldwide chart topper we’re told it becomes, but strong enough that you don’t mind the dozen-odd times you hear it in the movie. You might even leave the movie with it rattling around in your head.

But “Power Ballad” doesn’t have the same staying power as its lead single. It’s a quick pass at a pop song, but not one of Carney’s greatest hits. Consider it a B-side, only for the superfans.

Apple TV’s ‘Cape Fear’ mixes dread with dreadful silliness

MARK MESZOROS THE NEWS-HERALD (WILLOUGHBY, OHIO)

Acertain type of headline has become commonplace on the internet: the I-tried-itso-you-don’t-have-to model.

I ate this new 2,000calorie fast food burger so you don’t have to.

I rode this new insanely terrifying roller coaster so you don’t have to.

Well, I watched Apple TV’s new limited-series take on “Cape Fear” so you don’t have to.

And you really shouldn’t.

Understandably, you may be tempted, as the show boasts noteworthy stars in Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson and Javier Bardem and counts among its executive producers acclaimed directors Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

“No Country for Old Men.”

The latter, of course, directed the film that serves as the primary source of inspiration for this new “Cape Fear” – the generally well-received 1991 film version, produced by Spielberg. That “Cape Fear” is a remake of the 1962 film of the same name and, like all the incarnations of the horror-tinged psychological thriller, an adaptation of the 1957 John D. MacDonald novel “The Executioners.”

In the 1991 film, Robert De Niro portrayed the psychotic Max Cady, earning an Academy Award nomination for his memorable take on the revengeobsessed character. Now we get Bardem’s likewise tattooed iteration of the dangerous man with a similar focus, and his work is the series’ strongest asset – even if his Cady is far less interesting than Anton Chigurh, the criminally deranged individual he so hypnotically embodied with his Oscar-winning work in 2007’s

The new “Cape Fear” starts strongly enough, its first hour, “Fingers & Toes” – debuting this week along with the far less successful second installment, “Why Would I Want to Hurt You?” – penned by showrunner Nick Antosca (“Channel Zero,” “The Act”) and helmed by Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game,” “Passengers”). It sets the table nicely, with the dread that will permeate the series beginning to seep into the walls of the Savannah, Georgia, home of the Bowdens – successful attorneys Anna (Amy Adams) and Tom (Patrick Wilson) and their teenage kids Zack (Joe Anders) and Natalie (Lily Collias).

“Do you ever look around and wonder, ‘Do we deserve all this?’” Anna asks as she embraces her husband outside the house as the pair is hosting a barbecue.

“No,” Tom replies and kisses her.

Max may beg to differ. After all, Anna served as

his defense attorney 17 years ago and later married the man prosecuting his murder case –Tom – after sitting opposite him in the courtroom. Furthermore, Max is out of prison after being cleared of the killing – without the help of Anna, who, for the last several years, has spent her time and energy working on exonerating the wrongly accused.

If he wants, Max has multiple avenues to attack the Bowdens, thanks to the microdosing, potentially unfaithful ex-Marine Tom, a 17-year-sober Anna, emotionally troubled Zack and attention-starved Natalie.

With so many hours of television to play with, Antosca and the other writers attempt to create ambiguity surrounding the mounting troubles for the Bowdens … but come on. It’s not exactly going out on a limb to stick with the theory that Max –with the help of possible allies including Neveah (Malia Pyles), a mysterious young woman who becomes close with Zack and then Natalie – is the root

of all their problems. After all, this guy is constantly in their business, appearing at a fundraiser for the efforts of Anna’s firm and later that night at their home, when a highly disturbing discovery is made at the conclusion of the debut episode.

Aside from the reasonably compelling performance by Bardem (“F1: The Movie,” “Dune: Part Two”), “Cape Fear” has too many negative aspects, from the downright silly plot developments to the cartoonish performance of the typically terrific CCH Pounder (“The Shield”) as Anna’s boss, Noa.

Speaking of Anna, Adams (“Arrival,” “Sharp Objects”) is the other true heavy-hitter in the cast, but the Academy Award nominee turns in a performance that, if not exactly flat, feels off. It’s the cherry on top of this disappointing sundae.

Worse, between the writing of the character of Zack and the performance by Anders – the son of actor Kate Winslet and

director Sam Mendes and the writer of the so-so 2025 family drama “Goodbye June” – it’s difficult to become invested in the increasingly important figure. Fortunately, it’s much easier to care about Natalie, thanks largely to the work of Collias (“Good One,” “Roofman”). And then there’s Wilson, the face of Hollywood’s “The Conjuring” and “Insidious” franchises, who fails to move the needle either way as the bland-ish Tom. I do appreciate the series' obvious nod to the 1991 movie. It’s considered a spoiler, so I can’t reveal it, but it’s similar to an homage to the 1962 film in Scorsese’s version.

Apple made only the first eight episodes available for advanced viewing, so who knows? Perhaps, with the series poised to finally move the action to the titular Cape Fear River, all of this will come together into some gloriously macabre symphony in its final two hours. Well, I think I know.

A common refrain you’ll hear from reviewers of a streaming series is that it should have been a movie, that it lacks a narrative strong enough to sustain several episodes. That idea perhaps has never been more apparent than with “Cape Fear,” as it has already worked – twice – on the big screen but falls extraordinarily flat as an extended experience designed for the living room.