Arts & Life
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
UKIAH, Calif. — At 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Mendocino College Center Theatre, the Ukiah Community Concert Series will kick off its 78th season with New York City-based Horszowski Trio, described by the New Yorker as “the most compelling American group to come on the scene.”
Giving performances that are “lithe, persuasive” (The New York Times), “eloquent and enthralling” (The Boston Globe), the Horszowski Trio has quickly become a vital force in the international chamber music world since their formation in 2011.
In 2019, the Horszowski Trio made its London debut in a sold-out concert presented by Wigmore Hall.
Their success has led into a 21-concert-tour in Germany in 2022, and they were acclaimed by major critics: "This ensemble can play anything."; "With all the intensity of the expression that the three musicians achieve, they play in a finely tuned manner, span gripping musical arcs, work out surprising details, amaze with their interpretive imagination and stylistically confident sensitivity.”
The Horszowski Trio has appeared at major venues in the U.S., including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, as well as Mexico, Canada, Japan, and throughout Europe and Asia.
Their recording of the complete piano trios of Robert Schumann on AVIE Records received tremendous acclaim: “great care and affection” (BBC Radio); “intoxicating” (Gramophone); “exciting and deeply felt” (Strings); “fresh, supple and fantastic” (The Strad).
The Trio takes its inspiration from the musicianship, integrity, and humanity of the pre-eminent pianist Mieczysław Horszowski (1892–1993); the ensemble’s pianist, Rieko Aizawa, was Horszowski’s last pupil at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Described as “power players” by the Los Angeles Times, the Horszowski Trio’s repertoire includes works by many of the composers with whom Mr. Horszowski had personal interaction, including Gabriel Fauré, Enrique Granados, Bohuslav Martinů, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
The Horszowski Trio is based in New York City. It is Ensemble-in-Residence at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and of the Leschetizky Association in New York City.
Tickets in advance are $35, available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits, and online at ukiahconcerts.org. They are available at the door for $40.
Free concert tickets are offered to high school students, younger children when accompanied by an adult, and full-time college students enrolled in 12 or more units. Please call 707-463-2738 to reserve a free ticket.
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘NOBODY 2’ RATED R
Four years ago, along came a nebbish as the titular figure in the appropriately titled “Nobody,” in which Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), an outwardly passive family man unveiled his true nature after petty thieves broke into his house, attacked his son, and stole his daughter’s treasured bracelet.
Although he was ostensibly a lunchpail worker at a mundane job, Hutch’s profession as a workaholic assassin enabled him to track down the thieves, but the real story was what happened on the late-night ride home on a municipal bus.
The sudden transformation from an ostensible milquetoast to a streetfighter with special skills like that of a martial artist led to a serious beatdown of five thugs who harassed and threatened a couple of passengers.
To say that things didn’t turn out so well for the menacing hoodlums is the proverbial understatement. Brazenly unloading the bullets from his handgun, Hutch proved that all he needed were his fists, feet, and the nearest blunt instrument to vanquish the goons.
Similar to a “John Wick” movie, what ensued in “Nobody” was a battery of gun battles, explosions, car crashes, and fist fights resulting in an orgy of intense action. The tone of ridiculously violent action now carries over to the second round of Hutch’s simmering penchant for violence.
With “Nobody 2,” Hutch’s beleaguered everyman is now working overtime in a war with assorted criminals as he’s in a huge bind of having to repay $30 million belonging to a Russian mob that he torched in the first film.
Meanwhile, Hutch is trying to repair his fractured family life due to his frequent absences. His beloved wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) is becoming as equally estranged from her husband as the children Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath) are from their father.
After pummeling five thugs in a hotel elevator, and then facing off with machine gun toting Corsicans and a subsequent violent encounter with Brazilians with machetes, Hutch has to reckon with how his non-stop killing of criminals on behalf of other criminals is stretching home life to a breaking point.
The family needs a break, and when Becca mentions it, Hutch seizes the moment and decides the family would bond by taking a road trip to Wisconsin to the water park that was the only vacation he ever had as a kid with his father David (Christopher Lloyd) and brother Harry (RZA).
Because of fond memories from his childhood, Hutch pulls his elderly father out of the retirement home to join the family vacation. That David has already demonstrated his proficiency with firearms just might come in handy at some point.
The amusement park in the summer resort town of Plummerville has seen better days. The hotel accommodations are barely adequate; it’s not a four-star resort by any means. The park’s rides and attractions are rather mundane. But the family is willing to make the most of it.
It doesn’t take long for things to get interesting. An altercation at the arcade is a little unsettling, but it gets worse when a security guard slaps Hutch’s young daughter on the head.
Not wanting a confrontation in front of his family, Hutch returns to the scene under the pretext of having forgotten his cell phone, and proceeds to pummel the offending park workers.
Of course, this clash at the park draws the attention of the town’s sinister Sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks), who has ulterior motives of concern that a stranger poses a threat for causing trouble. That the lawman is psychotic adds another edge to his wickedness.
Hutch also gets sideways with crooked theme park owner Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz), who has so much to hide in that his ramshackle resort is a cover for a massive illegal operation that is under the protection of the corrupt sheriff.
The criminal enterprise belongs to female crime boss Lendina (Sharon Stone), also a casino owner, who treats a cheating customer at cards by nailing his hand to the table with a knife.
With slicked-back hair and wearing dark glasses and a sharp suit, Lendina is the epitome of a viciously unhinged psycho who goes to great lengths to send goons to attack Hutch on a duck boat.
The ensuing fight scene on the boat is so wild that the unarmed Hutch uses everything he can grasp as a weapon, from flotation devices and fire extinguisher to an anchor he plants in a goon’s back.
Despite all the violence courtesy of an unassuming suburban family man, the “Nobody” films are delightfully amusing in that the nerdy Hutch is so improbably preposterous as the slickly brutal avenger.
While lack of familiarity with the original film is only detrimental in that you missed out on the fun, “Nobody 2” can stand on its own for delivering ridiculous action-filled pleasure in a crisp running time of about ninety minutes.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘HAPPY GILMORE 2’ ON NETFLIX
According to AI, 1980’s “Caddyshack,” starring Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray, is considered by many to be the quintessential golf comedy, with Adam Sandler’s 1996 “Happy Gilmore” highly rated. The robot is probably right in this instance.
Almost thirty years later, Sandler returns as the short-tempered eponymous hockey-obsessed golfer in Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2.” A lot of the original cast returns, with a notable exception of not another fistfight between Happy and Bob Barker.
The film leans so heavily into flashbacks and the numerous original cast members on hand that there is no need to watch the 1996 version to have a grasp on what unfolds. All you need to know is that Happy is still plagued with anger management issues at the core of his wacky persona.
Glory days on the course are gone. An incident during a 2014 tournament resulted in an errant golf ball turning lights-out for Happy’s beloved bride Virginia (Julie Bowen). He’s now an alcoholic with a minimum wage job stocking a grocery store. The house the family once owned went into foreclosure.
The Gilmore household consists of four rowdy sons and lone daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler), a talented dancer who’s been accepted into an elite Paris ballet school with a hefty price tag of $300,000 for tuition.
Once at the top of his game, Happy ditched his clubs and vowed never to return to the game. Working at a supermarket does not afford Happy the ability to finance Vienna’s education. He will have to unretire, which is not as simple as one might think, with his practice run a total misfire.
The eventual outcome is predictable, but there is plenty of hilarity with Happy’s continuing antics, along with tapping a busboy to be his unorthodox caddy (Bad Bunny), who provides a lot of comic relief on the course.
Arch rival from the first film, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), is released from an insane asylum and fights Happy in a cemetery before they team up to take on a mutual enemy.
Cameo appearances come from golf legends like Lee Trevino (also in the original film), Nick Faldo, and Fred Couples. Infamous golf pro John Daly lives in Happy’s garage. Jack Nicklaus orders ice tea and lemonade, apparently not knowing the combination drink is named for golf icon Arnold Palmer.
“Happy Gilmore” remains a cult classic comedy. The sequel may not quite measure up to the same exalted status, but fans of Adam Sandler and the original should be satisfied overall. Amidst all the fun and insanity, Sandler’s likeable flawed character’s comeback is worth rooting for.
US OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT FAN WEEK
The last leg of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments concludes with the US Open getting under way on Sunday, August 24th, but fans get to enjoy a plethora of free admission events on the grounds of New York’s Flushing Meadows beginning the week before.
On Monday, Aug. 18, the main attraction will be the opportunity to enjoy the Arthur Ashe Stadium experience for a pre-US Open Singles Men draw to watch top players practice throughout Fan Week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration for the free Fan Access Pass is required for admission.
Running all day, the Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand allow fans to get an up-close look at their favorite players and the tournament’s biggest stars as they prepare for the US Open Singles Main Draw.
On Courts 4-17, the US Open Qualifying Tournament will once again feature 128 men and 128 women competing for one of the final 16 spots in the Singles Main Draw. The Qualifying Tournament, running all day is free to the public.
The US Open Mixed Doubles Championship has been reimagined for this year for a blockbuster lineup where entrants include nine of the world’s top-ten women and nine of the world’s top-ten women. American teams consist Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton.
The competition takes place during the fan week on Tuesday, August 19th and Wednesday, August 20th, with $1 million in prize money being awarded to the winning team. Moving this event to the fan week schedule allows it take center stage during the tournament.
On Thursday night, August 21st, the Stars of the Open presented by Chase returns to bring together an electrifying mix of legends and top players on the court to dazzle fans with their incredible skills.
This special event is expected to showcase the talents of Coco Gauff (who won her first major title here two years ago); former World No. 1 players Andre Agassi and Venus Williams; 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, also World No. 1 player; and the mercurial legend John McEnroe.
While participants are subject to change, teenage phenom Joao Fonseca will make his Stars of the Open debut. 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will once again participate.
US Paralympian Casey Ratzlaff and Dana Mathewson, first American woman to win a Major wheelchair tennis title, will also debut.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — Middletown will get a taste of Nashville when Cash Creek and Friends take the stage at Middletown Central Park on Friday, Aug. 15.
The event kicks off with dinner from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by live music from 5 to 10 p.m., with special guests The Happy Axedents.
Tickets are $35 for dinner and dancing or $25 for dancing only.
The lineup features Megan Mullins Owen, joined by Andrea Guess, Tim Pardee and Travis William — the lead singer for Kentucky Straight — alongside the seasoned members of Cash Creek.
Known for their ties to country greats like Alabama, Shania Twain, and John Michael Montgomery, these musicians are set to deliver a night of top-tier performances.
Sponsored by Premier Pools & Spas and West Lake Auto Center, proceeds of the evening of entertainment will benefit Middletown High School FFA, the Middletown Central Park Association and the Lions Club.
Middletown Central Park is located at 15299 Central Park Road.
