Singer Nesta Rae will perform at the Soper Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif., on Saturday, November 12, 2011. Courtesy photo.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Nesta Rae, a Kelseyville High School graduate who has made a name for herself on the national country music scene, is returning to Lake County in November for a concert and celebration of the release of her debut album entitled “Fly Free.”
The show, with full band, starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, with all seats selling at $15.
Andy Rossoff, local singer and pianist, opens.
“Fly Free” was released in July 2011 after a week long writing session in Nashville, Tennessee, with fellow song writers Scott Krippayne, Kent Hooper and Ron Robinson.
It chronicles Nesta's journey of letting go of the past in order to make room for the future. The songs have a beachy, acoustic pop vibe, highlighted with a little reggae, and underscored with a few darker melodic ballads.
“The ocean has always been an inspirational element in my life. I wanted this album to feel like a warm campfire after a day of surfing. You have a sense of calm as you just let the stories wash over you,” Rae said.
The Soper Reese Community Theatre, located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport, is a restored, historic, performing arts venue established in 1949 and seating 300 patrons.
Run by an all-volunteer organization, the theater operates under the guidance of the non-profit Lake County Arts Council.
The Soper-Reese brings dance, music, plays and poetry to all members of the Lake County community and to visiting tourists.
The rubber-faced British comedian Rowan Atkinson is best known for his role as Mr. Bean, a bumbler who would never have been confused for a James Bond type.
Yet, here he is in the titular role of “Johnny English Reborn,” spoofing the spy genre as a disgraced former MI7 secret agent being rehabilitated back into the business.
With his odd quirks, Rowan Atkinson, though often funny in his slapstick silliness, is an acquired taste for many filmgoers; you either love him or maybe not.
He might be compared to Peter Sellers’ clueless Inspector Clouseau in the “Pink Panther” films or to Don Adams’ fumbling Maxwell Smart in the iconic TV series “Get Smart.”
As Johnny English, Atkinson only wants to put a smile on your face, and if you let yourself enjoy the moment, he’ll win you over.
The original “Johnny English,” released in 2003, is almost a forgotten relic, but it did seem funny at the time, considering the British comic works hard for laughs.
Eight years later, Johnny English has matured a bit, yet he remains steadfastly game for ridiculous pratfalls and errant behavior that mocks the civility of the cultured spy world.
One of the best things about “Johnny English Reborn,” which is borne out by its PG rating, is that it is so delightfully old-fashioned that the inevitable sexy glamour of this genre becomes family-friendly.
The story opens with English living in a Tibetan monastery, where he trains his mind and body with spiritual guidance, as well as plenty of kicks to the groin, from monks.
Having botched a mission in Mozambique, English has been out of circulation for years, but then the brass at MI7 come calling for his services.
The British spy business is now a corporate affair; the headquarters is named after Toshiba, with the slogan of “Spying for You.”
Crusty old men are no longer in charge. The head of MI7 is a working mother called Pegasus (Gillian Anderson), who is less than thrilled by the return of a dinosaur.
For reasons unexplained, a plot to murder the Chinese prime minister at a summit is afoot, and English is deemed to be the one to foil this nefarious scheme.
Even though he’s back on the job, English remains under the watchful eye of the agency’s shrink, the pretty Kate (Rosamund Pike). Not surprisingly, she’s the eventual love interest.
Meanwhile, English takes on a junior partner (Daniel Kaluuya), who is often about two steps ahead in figuring out what sinister perils lurk around the corner.
Of course, many of English’s former colleagues resent or mock his return. The suave yet smarmy Ambrose (Dominic West), who smugly thinks he’s the top agent, is downright contemptuous.
What keeps English confidently moving ahead is that, much like Inspector Clouseau, he remains blithely unaware of his shortcomings. This, of course, results in some nice humor.
To be sure, there’s plenty of slapstick goofiness. Atkinson only needs to arch his eyebrow to achieve great comic effect.
A scene at a conference table is greatly amusing because of a simple glitch in the self-adjusting chair in which English sits as he struggles to be attentive to a briefing.
Almost as funny is English’s maladroit unwillingness to accept that the youthful-looking person at the briefing is in fact the British prime minister.
The formula for English’s success as an agent is predictable. Averting one disaster after another, he stumbles into triumph.
Still, it’s plenty of fun that this genial comedy spoofs the sturdier aspects of the heroics found with a James Bond or Jason Bourne.
“Johnny English Reborn” may not be the cleverest spy spoof, but it is sufficiently ridiculous and has enough hilarity to be a fun family entertainment.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
While we are on the subject of bumbling comics, it’s fitting that “Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection” is being released on DVD.
The digitally remastered and restored 10-disc set, loaded also with over two hours of special features, includes 58 of the comic team’s talking shorts and feature films.
These Laurel and Hardy shorts and features were produced under legendary movie mogul Hal Roach from 1929 through 1940; this is the first time in the U.S. that they have been available all together in one collection.
The DVD set offers the finest quality available to date, including such favorites as “Another Fine Mess,” “Helpmates,” “Sons of the Desert” and “Way Out West.”
The “Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection” DVD set comes housed in collectible, book-style packaging with an extensive, detailed film guide.
Interviews with comedy legends Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Lewis, Tim Conway and more are part of the special features.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two very special groups of women musicians will meet this weekend at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport.
Shows will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Triskela Harp Trio (www.triskelaharptrio.com) returns for their third concert at the Soper Reese, highlighting Celtic and Latin harp music on a variety of traditional harps.
Your heart strings will be touched by romantic Irish airs and ballads, and by the exciting rhythms of South America.
Triskela's beautiful, hand-made harps and fresh arrangements are complimented by lush vocals, flute, penny whistle and percussion.
On Sunday, there will be a special presentation “History of the Harp” from 1:15 p.m. to 1:35 p.m.
Il Mio Divas (www.miodivas.moonfruit.com), are eight local Lake County women who have formed a spinoff group from The Noble Singers (the group that performs in the Renaissance Christmas Pageant & Feast every year in Middletown).
The group, under the direction of Claudia Listman, has been developing a repertoire of a cappella songs from England and Italy from the 15th through 17th centuries.
From rounds to drinking songs, love songs, dances and more, the songs range from fun and bawdy to haunting and lovely.
Sung entirely without accompaniment, the songs themselves weave into complex arrangements with beautiful harmonies.
Il Mio Divas sang all of the music in this summer’s production of Romeo & Juliet at the Soper Reese, and made such an impression that they were invited back to be the opening act for Triskela
The Il Mio Divas act will consist of over a dozen songs. Il Mio Divas also performs annually at the Lower Lake Renaissance Festival on Memorial Day Weekend, as part of The Nobles Singers in the Renaissance Christmas Pageant in December, and at various local theatrical productions, parties, wineries, etc.
The box office can be contacted at 707-263-0577. Tickets can be ordered online at: www.ticketturtle.com/index.php?ticketing=srct. Tickets cost $20 for general admission, $22 for reserved seating.
The Soper-Reese Community Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, www.soperreesetheatre.com.
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will be sponsoring an art contest to select the design for the state’s 2012 upland game bird stamp.
This is the third design that will be featured in the “Encore Edition” since returning to the use of original artwork for the stamp’s image in 2009.
The contest is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 18 . Entries will be accepted from Oct. 22, 2011, until the contest deadline on Jan. 31, 2012.
The species to appear on the 2012 upland game bird stamp is the band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata).
The design must include at least one adult band-tailed pigeon. Designs will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and print.
An upland game bird stamp is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California.
The money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on upland game bird related conservation projects, education, hunting opportunities and outreach.
Hunters are no longer required to physically attach the stamp to their license, but the stamps are still produced and mailed to purchasers upon request.
DFG sells about 200,000 upland game bird stamps annually, which includes sales to collectors who value them for their artist depiction of upland game birds.
In addition to the stamps, DFG typically issues signed, limited edition prints that are valued by art collectors.
The upland game bird stamp contest will be judged by a panel of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing.
The winning artist will be selected during a public judging event to be held in the spring of 2012.
A date has not yet been set for the judging.
For contest information and entry forms, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/upstamp.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Watershed Books will host Native American storyteller and musician Kevin Village Stone on Saturday, Oct. 22.
The event will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Being of Cherokee and Japanese ancestry and living in Lake County, Kevin Village Stone records and performs original instrumental compositions of Native American and Ecuadorian flutes over both modern and traditional instruments.
Having been classically trained and now a retired professional from the music industry, his main instruments of study are native flutes. bass guitars, keyboard and piano following jazz and classical trumpet.
Depending on the venue, his music sets can range from soothing backgrounds to smooth jazz, to high energy progressive rock/jazz/electronica fusion.
As a storyteller of traditional Native American stories, Stone is also known to take breaks from his music performance to bring laughter and wonder anytime children are around.
The unique flavor of Stone's music is that he writes and arranges it all himself and plays every instrument on his CDs.
His recordings also include the renowned “Whispering Light” series of meditation music, a favorite of yoga instructors, massage therapists and well-being practitioners throughout California.
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