LAKEPORT, Calif. – In a benefit for the Soper Reese Theatre, several talented musicians will pay tribute to the life of Pete Seeger who died last January at the age of 94.
The “Celebrating Pete Seeger” concert takes place on the theater’s stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 24. All seats are $15.
Seeger, a three-time Grammy winner and political activist, was best known for such iconic American folk songs as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Turn, Turn, Turn.”
His hallmark instrument was emblazoned with the words, “this banjo surrounds hate and forces it to surrender,” and he always encouraged his audiences to sing along.
Seeger’s life and times will be honored by several well known musicians from the area including Don Coffin on guitar and mandolin.
Coffin plays with the blue grass group, “Uncorked,” and is one of the original members of Kate Wolf’s band, “Wildwood Flower.”
Also playing is Will Siegel, on guitar and banjo. He teaches guitar at Mendocino College and was a member of the “Wildwood Flower” band.
Peter Baird, who will play guitar at the concert, once played with Seeger when Baird was director of the Sacramento Labor Chorus. Baird also interviewed Seeger for his doctoral dissertation on children's musicians. Baird's brother, Steve, who will play bass, also has a degree in music.
Verne Morninglight has been a Pete Seeger fan since childhood, learning to play the 12 string guitar in the Elizabeth Cotton style of picking, as did Seeger. Verne has performed at such historic folk venues as the Hungry Eye in San Francisco.
Special guest for the evening, Mandy Feder, will share her reminiscences of time spent with Seeger, who had been a lifelong family friend.
And then there will be the voices of the audience, so essential to a Seeger concert. The Emandal Chorale, directed by Don Willis, will get things started as they sing from the seats and encourage the rest of the audience to join in.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com ; at the box office, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; or at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main St., Lakeport, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sunday’s concert of the Lake County Symphony will feature classical music adopted for film and television programs, according to the orchestra’s conductor John Parkinson, who says he’s mined an even dozen of them from the works of such composers as Strauss, Rossini, Handel, Offenbach, Grieg and others.
The concert will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 11, at Lakeport’s Soper Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St.
The Symphony Association Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sue Condit, will open the show with challenging pieces from two contemporary movies.
Parkinson noted that motion pictures have been “borrowing” classical music almost since their invention. “Movie makers knew good music when they heard it, and they used it as a way to enhance their films” he said.
Because the Mother’s Day program has proved so popular, seating may be limited, but they can still be obtained online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by phone at 707-263-0577.
Tickets are $20 each for Symphony Association (formerly Clear Lake Performing Arts) members and $25 for general admission.
Young people under 18 are always admitted free to the 11 a.m. full rehearsal, while others may attend for only $5.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” screens at the Soper Reese Theatre as part of its Classic Cinema Series on Tuesday, May 13, with show times at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
This suspenseful film, made in 1963, is set in Bodega Bay and made the tiny coastal California town famous worldwide.
In classic Hitchcock style, the tension builds slowly, beginning with a small, unexplained quirk in bird behavior until eventually the attacks become widespread, violent and life threatening.
The movie marks the screen debut of Tippi Hedren. It also stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Veronica Cartwright.
Entry to the film is by donation.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-0577, www.soperreesetheatre.com .
When it comes to superhero action films, a cloud has seemingly formed inside my brain, either fogging up my judgment or, as it seems more likely, making it more difficult to differentiate between recent entries in the genre.
I may have lost count, but “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is only the second installment in a reboot of the franchise that initially started with Sam Raimi as director of films which starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
Raimi’s last film in the series was “Spider-Man 3,” and so I, and perhaps many others, may be forgiven for thinking that this newest entry is really “Spider-Man 5” and that its reason for being is setting up the inevitable “Spider-Man 6,” or what would be current director Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 3.”
The fog rolling over my brain also has something to do with keeping track of all the superheroes running loose at the cinema, whether or not they originate from Marvel Comics.
We’ve got Captain America, Superman, Batman, the Green Hornet, the Hulk and Kick-Ass, just to name a few. Am I alone in feeling overwhelmed?
Now that we have partially cleared up the Spider-Man entries, let’s talk about Andrew Garfield and his fit as the eponymous character in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” He’s joined again by his love interest, Gwen Stacy (a terrific Emma Stone). The best part of the movie just might be their romantic chemistry.
Of course, this is a relationship fraught with peril, because hanging out with Spider-Man or his alter ego, Peter Parker, is almost a death wish, which is why Gwen’s late father pleaded with Spider-Man to keep his distance.
Father issues are very much front-and-center for Peter Parker. He still needs to resolve the fate of his late father, who worked at Oscorp (the corporate tech villain in this and other stories) and wanted to prevent turning biological cures into weapons.
Peter’s old childhood friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) has his own father issues, being the son of Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper), the founder of Oscorp. It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Osborn family has many bad intentions.
Early on, Spider-Man saves a troubled Oscorp employee, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), from a car accident. But Max is transformed into new villain Electro when he falls into a vat of mutant and once fortified with electrical powers he turns on Spider-Man.
Another character introduced in the universe of Sinister Six villains is the Rhino (Paul Giamatti). At the film’s beginning, Spider-Man swings into action to thwart a heist being masterminded by Giamatti’s Russian thug, who only later acquires his new merrily fanatic Rhino identity.
The primary villain subplot, though not completely dominating the action, revolves around Harry Osborn’s creepily deranged obsession with defeating Spider-Man. It’s only later that Harry is transformed into the Green Goblin, setting up some crucial scenes near the film’s end.
Actually, it is rather hard to swallow the idea that Harry and Peter were friends during their youth. After all, Peter lived modestly in Queens, while Harry was a privileged trust fund kid whose father ruled a corporate empire.
Thus, it is not that surprising when Harry takes over the reins of Oscorp and marshals the vast resources of the company in an effort to save his own life from the disease that plagues his family.
Through his discovery of Oscorp’s secret lair of Special Projects, Harry comes to believe that Spider-Man’s blood is the answer to his prayers – and that belief becomes an obsession that eventually leads Harry to his transformation as the Green Goblin.
Circling back to the Peter and Gwen relationship, it should be noted that their romance, though it has an ersatz Romeo and Juliet quality, is a complicated teen love story. Gwen is bright, the class valedictorian who has the opportunity to go to Oxford.
Gwen knows her father wanted her protected from an association with Spider-Man, but she really wants to be with Peter, even though he swore to stay away.
Regardless, Peter remains conflicted about the situation, and that creates a lot of tension between them throughout the movie.
Both Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have grown into their roles. Aside from their chemistry, Garfield is also delivering plenty of cheesy one-liners, allowing a sense of humor to pervade the proceedings.
The younger audience is going to love all the action scenes, particularly the web-slinging that allows Spider-Man to sweep through the concrete canyons of Manhattan. For many of us, though, it all seems too familiar.
On the plus side, New York City landmarks appear in abundance, with the result that the Big Apple shines brightly. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” used actual locations rather than studio backlots.
Fans of the franchise may look forward to the evolution of the Sinister Six as the creation of the evil Oscorp. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” offers clues to the plots to come against Spider-Man. The wait probably won’t be long.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is hosting its monthly Open Mic Lucerne on Saturday, May 17, from 6 to 11 p.m.
The third Saturday of the month marks this month’s fun event with talent from all venues.
A variety of performers are on stage after the house band FOGG starts out the evening with classic, heavy metal rock and roll with original numbers and covers of your favorites. FOGG and other entertainers will wrap up the evening by 11 p.m.
Bands and individuals are already signing up for May. The last three months events saw full venues, so sign up early. Call 707-245-4612 or 707-274-8779 for your reserved time or come and sign-up beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday night. Don’t miss this chance to showcase your talent.
Lake County abounds with experienced and new talent. Come hear the exciting performances. Being audience is great fun and free. If you are a performer, this is a great free opportunity to show off your talent.
Music, comedy, mime, readings and any other activity that is family-oriented will be appreciated.
Room also is available for dancing and relaxing. There is no charge for attending or performing.
This is a child friendly event, so bring the whole family. For those wishing an inexpensive meal, there will be a traditional spaghetti feed available for $5. Also some desserts will be served starting at $2 per plate.
All proceeds benefit the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive, a nonprofit serving Northshore senior populations with onsite lunches, Meals on Wheels and personal advocacy.
For more information about services or Open Mic Lucerne, call Lucerne Alpine Senior Center at 707-274-8779.
