MATTHEW GRASSO
THE 7-STRING GUITAR MAN
BEHIND THE SCENES: MEET MIKE “SOUNDY MCMICROPHONE” MESZAROS
DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF
Mike Meszaros is an accomplished sound engineer and set designer.
Q: You’re a Fairfield native?
A: Yes, I was born at NorthBay hospi tal. I was supposed to be born at Kaiser in Vallejo, but I was a bit of an emergency. I’ve been dramatic from Day 1.
Q: Was your family into theater?
A: My grandfather was former Solano County Administrator David Balmer and he was a big supporter of the arts. We went to the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts (now the Downtown Theatre) when it was new and to Solano College Theatre in its heyday when David Leonard and George Maguire were running it. That’s where I developed an appreciation for theater.
Q: Were you into theater in high school?
A: I was a JV baseball player at Fairfield High and mainly did scorekeeping instead of playing, so a friend asked me to help out with some theater lighting. Then I started building sets and from freshman year to graduation I spent as many waking minutes as I could in Fairfield’s Way Off Broadway theater doing sound, building sets and running lights.
BEHIND THE SCENES
on the town Meet Mike Meszaros, SOUND ENGINEER AND SET DESIGNER
Bob Wagner wasn’t an English teacher doing theater. He was a theater teacher with a theater background. The sets Bob came up with were incredible. He was a wonderful artist.
Q: So how did you get into sound design?
A: One of the Way Off Broadway dads was a finish carpen ter so the summer of my junior year I worked for him part-time. Then I got a job for a local company called Ken’s Pro Sound in the late 1990s. They were build ing proprietary speaker cabinets for concerts at the Creekwalk concert series in Vacaville and the Marina shows in Suisun. They taught me how to do sound, and like a baby bird being kicked out of the nest, I was sent to a Cajun festival to run the sound. My main job was to bring back a check, all the equip ment and not break anything.
Q: You do sound for live bands and musical theater –what’s the difference?
A: With a rock band you set the show and if the vocals need to come up, you do that, if a guitar solo is going, you bump it up, you’re just mixing. With musical theater there’s the orchestra, but with 30 other microphones that are on and off and at different levels between dialogue and music and singing and people coming on and off
A: Contrary to popular belief, Soundy McMicrophone is not what’s on my birth certificate. On my second or third show at the Downtown Theatre in 2014 there were four or five Mikes there. Michael Cross, Mike Williams, there were a lot of us. So (MST Artistic Director) Dae (Spering) said, “You’re Soundy McMicrophone” and it stuck like glue. It didn’t take long before I didn’t even turn my head if someone
Mike “Soundy McMicrophone” Meszaros is a sound engineer, set designer and Fairfield native.
said “Mike.” Before my mom moved to Virginia she volunteered at the theater. She was talking to a cast member and said she was Mike’s mom and they didn’t know who she was until she said Soundy.
Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton, T. Burt McNaughton
Editor: Todd R. Hansen
Contributing Writers: Amy Maginnis-Honey, Todd R. Hansen
Project Manager: Nancy Meadows
In the programs under set building I’m also called Screwy McHammerton because Soundy doesn’t build sets.
Q: What was your favorite set that you created?
A: I’m most proud of the one for “Man of La Mancha” with the drawbridge that I had to engineer with the sound effects.
“The Rocky Horror Show” sets can be a lot of fun to conceptualize. The Christmas-themed one kept snowballing, pun intended. We were like, “Ooh! Rocky should come out in the bunny suit from ‘A Christmas Story!’ And we should use the crate from Sweeney Todd and paint “FRAGILE” on the side of it! Oh and we need a leg lamp!” and it kept going.
Q: You and Artistic Director Dae Spering have been a couple for 12 years, how did that come about?
A: It was basically “boy meets girl on the theater campus.” We weren’t dating before I started working at the Downtown Theatre, it just happened. I didn’t audition for the role of Dae’s boyfriend. I guess you could say she directed me to be her boyfriend (laughs).
Fairfield freelance accidental local historian Tony Wade is the author of eight books. Reach Wade at toeknee weighed@gmail.com.
Tony Wade
COURTESY PHOTO
GOSEE
July art offers a variety of creations in different mediums
DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF
DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
Art abounds in Solano County. Check out exhibits ranging from fused glass creations to colored pencil pictures.
Fairfield Arts
The downtown venue will celebrate its second anniversary on July 25. Artist Dennis Ariza, who launched the gallery, will be present for a reception the same day from 1 to 7 p.m. It is also Artwalk Day, from 5 to 8 p.m. The gallery will have live music, snacks, and wine from BackRoad Vines Winery.
A poetry reading is planned at 4 p.m.
Fairfield Arts is home to landscape and wildlife of award-winning photographer Dennis Ariza. 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 available at Fairfield Arts, 710 Jackson St.
Solano Town Center gallery
“The Inner Mind” features the fused glass artwork of Spotlight Artist JoRené Danel. Her one-of-a-kind designs reflect a distinctive vision of light, color and movement. Since becoming an artist in 2010, Danel has developed a creative style that is both playful and expressive.
The reception and poetry reading is 3 to 6 p.m. July 18 at 1350 Travis Blvd., inside the Solano Town Center mall on the second floor.
Visitors are encouraged to try the Scavenger Hunt and enter for a chance to win an Fairfield-Suisun Visual Arts Association gift certificate. They can also vote for their favorite creation at the exhibit. The piece with the most votes at the end of the show will win the People’s Choice Award and will stay for the next show, “Members Open Show.”
The FSVAA July Artist PopUp is at Shed Creek Cellars, Friday at 80 Grapevine Lane, Napa, off Gordon Valley Road.
There are seven artists scheduled to be on site from noon to 5 p.m. There will be live music.
A special popup event is planned noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Solano Town Center in the south parking lot near Macy’s. The artists will participate.
Mare Island Art Studio
“Feline and Movement” is featured Sundays through the month. It features three women explore a variety of mediaincluding ceramics, paintings and bead mosaics.
Enchanting feline-inspired creatures is a central theme. The exhibition highlights the unique creative voices of three friends whose individual styles come together to form a vibrant and captivating show. Come enjoy the show with artists Lony Maya Neubauer, Susan Noll and Rosalyn Parhams.
The studio is open noon to 5 p.m. Sundays at 110 Pintado St.
Vacaville Art Gallery
The artwork of Gary Keeter wraps up on July 12. His work has been featured in numerous regional exhibitions, earning him multiple awards, including Overall Best of Show, Best of Show and First Place honors.
Colored pencil is his preferred medium. Drawing inspiration from photographic references, he transforms his subjects through subtle changes that reflect his distinctive artistic style.
The gallery will take in artwork from noon to 4 p.m. July 24-26 for its annual Juried Art Show. Jury day is Aug. 1. The reception is 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8.
The gallery is at 718 E. Monte Vista Ave. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Benicia Library gallery
Lamorinda Arts Alliance member show, “Close Encounters,” is featured through July 29. The reception is 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 18.
“Close Encounters” explores the nuances of connection, shared experiences and the ways we interact with our world – both fleeting and profound. It invites artists to delve into the complexities of relationships with people, places, nature and to express them through various artistic mediums.
The gallery is inside the library at 150 E. L St.
“Hummingbird,” a fused glass piece by JoRene’ Danel.
COURTESY PHOTO
COURTESY PHOTO
“Progress Something Unexpected,” an oil painting by Melchia Kutches, is on display at the Benicia Library gallery
AFI names this Mel Brooks movie the funniest of all time
TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY
LOS ANGELES — The American Film Institute is giving Mel Brooks one more reason to celebrate his 100th birthday.
In honor of the comedy legend’s centennial, AFI announced Sunday that it was reorganizing its “100 Years ... 100 Laughs” list, moving Brooks’ gleefully offensive 1970s western satire “Blazing Saddles” from No. 6 to No. 1 and bumping “Some Like It Hot” into the runner-up slot. AFI said the move came after Brooks had “long kvetched” that his film was funnier than Billy Wilder’s 1959 classic.
“He’s right!” AFI President and Chief Executive Bob Gazzale said in a statement. “We are happy to right this wrong and proclaim ‘Blazing Saddles’ the funniest film of all time. It’s good to be the king.”
Released in 1974, “Blazing Saddles” was both a critical and commercial hit that pushed the boundaries of mainstream studio comedy while satirizing racism, western mythology and Hollywood itself. Co-written by Brooks with Richard Pryor and others, the film earned three Oscar nominations, including one for Madeline Kahn’s supporting actress turn as the Marlene Dietrich-styled Lili Von Shtupp.. Just months later, Brooks returned with “Young Frankenstein,” giving him one of the most remarkable years that any director has ever enjoyed. He remains the only filmmaker with three movies in AFI’s top 15 funniest films: “Blazing Saddles,” “The Producers” (No. 11) and “Young Frankenstein” (No. 13).
Monsoon Burger: A Fairfield Favorite for More Than 25 Years
For more than t wo decades, Monsoon Bu rger ha s been ser vi ng m ade-to -order bur gers, lo ad ed f ri es , an d crea ti ve s peci al ty sa ndwiches t hat have made it one of Fa ir eld’s favorite loc al burger rest au ra nt s. W hat bega n as a simple idea i n 2001 for generous por tion s, qu al it y in gr ed ient s, a nd a c ommi tment to giving c ustomers exact ly what t hey want.
When Mon soon Burger rst opened it s doors, gour met bu rger restaurants were st il l a new concept in Fair eld. W hi le t raditional burger chai ns dom inated t he cit y, Monsoon Burger set out to o er s omet hing d i erent.
Fr om t he b eg i nni ng , th e rest au ra nt di st in gu ishe d it se lf w it h menu opt ions t ha t went b eyond the st anda rd bur ger- and-fr ie s formula. Guest s ca n order bu rgers topped w it h ha lf a n avoc ado, c hoose from multiple patt y si zes, or opt for altern at ives s uc h as g rilled ch ic ken sa ndwiches , tu rkey bur gers , ga rden bu rgers, a nd qua rter -pou nd hot dogs. Mos t importantly, every burger wa s cooked to order and the commitment to f resh ness rem ai ns a ha ll ma rk of Mon soon Burger today
One of t he restaurant’s de ning characterist ics is its focus on cust om iz at ion. L on g be fore pers on al iz at ion beca me a t rend i n th e rest au ra nt i nd us tr y, M on so on B ur ge r encouraged c ustomers to bu ild meals to t heir ow n ta stes The rest au ra nt’s popular toppi ng ba r al lows c ustomers to add as m any of t heir favorite toppi ngs as t hey l ike.
Ever y sa ndwich a nd burger comes with F rench fr ie s, b ut c us tome rs c an a ls o up gr ad e to specia lt y side s includ in g cu rly fr ie s, s we et pota to f ries , onion ri ngs, a nd g arlic fr ie s— a long time favor ite a mong reg ulars.
Although burgers rem ai n the st ar attrac tion , Monsoon Bu rger o ers a menu that appea ls to a wide var iety of ta stes Sa lads have become increa si ng ly popular add itions, includ ing the Ch ic ken Caes ar S al ad a nd t he r estaur ant’s st andout Keto Salad.
The Keto S al ad h as quick ly b ec ome one of Monsoon Bu rger ’s most popu la r menu items, feat uring a ha lf-pound beef patt y, bacon , ha lf an avocado, and cr umbled blue cheese ser ved over f resh g reen s.
Am on g it s specia lt y bu rg ers is t he NOL A Cheesebu rger, feat uring a spicy-rubbed burger topped w it h ha lf of a hot link for a n ex tra kick . Anot her customer favorite is t he famou s Meat Frea k Bu rger, a he arty c reat ion topped w it h both pastram i and bacon
The Monsoon Bu rger story i s al so deeply connected to Fair eld it self. Wa ng’s parents moved to Fair eld in 1981 to operate the Mandarin restaura nt, and the fa mily has remained pa rt of the loca l business communit y ever since.
In a dd it ion to M on so on B ur ge r, Wan g op ened Ava la nche F rozen Yo gu rt i n Fa ir fi el d in 2 00 9 an d ex pa nd ed the Mon so on B ur ge r br an d to N at om as 321 Texas Street, Fair field, CA 94533 (707) 429- 9888 Open 7 days a week 11am - 9pm
IFA FILM VIA ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES/ZUMA PRESS WIRE/TNS
Cleavon Little, left, and Gene Wilder in “Blazing Saddles.”
COVER STORY
Matthew Grasso THE 7-STRING GUITAR MAN
AMY MAGINNIS-HONEY
AMAGINNIS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
Seven is considered a lucky number by many.
For Matthew Grasso, who grew up in Suisun City attending local schools, it’s a different approach.
He’s mastered the seven-string guitar and will celebrate it, with others, at a 7:07 p.m. Tuesday concert in Davis. Joining him will be fellow seven-guitar players Eric Rasmussen and Sam Ritchie.
George England, the guitar professor at Sacramento State University, will perform on a period instrument, the 14-stringed archlute.
Grasso switched to the instrument more than 20 years ago, due to per-
sonal frustration with the limits of a six-string guitar.
“I wanted to increase my palette of both musical and aesthetic possibilities,” he said.
The instrument attracts little attention. Grasso said he thinks the seven-string guitar is one that goes over people’s heads. Sometimes, he will get certain individuals who are musically xenophobic.
Grasso didn’t let that stop him. He has converted more than 25 students to the seven-string or multi-string guitar over the years.
The seven-string guitar has a history that stretches back more than 230 years. It evolved from earlier stringed instruments and became popular in various cultures, particu-
larly in Russia and Brazil.
When bands like Korn popularized it in the nu-metal genre in the 1990s, it showcased its extended range for heavier music styles.
Pictures of Grasso’s guitars can be found on his website. They include the extended seven-string guitar, a Tantrakari guitar and a 15-stringed guitar to play North Indian classical music on, and his 18-intonation guitar that has more than 70 frets.
The Armijo High School graduate, who now calls Davis home, teaches music theory, music composition and guitar at Yuba College, Sacramento City College, American River College and privately at his home.
Grasso also taught at the California College of the Arts in Critical Ethnics
Preview
19th Annual Celebration of the 7-String Guitar concert
7:07 p.m. July 7
Odd Fellows Hall, upper hall, 415 Second St., Davis Donation: $14-$28 www.matthew grasso.com
Studies department for 14 years.
“I enjoy seeing what the next generation is doing with music making,” he shared.
He credits his elementary music school teacher, Joan Gaut, for passing along some important rudiments of musical notation, expression and real love of the craft.
Grasso does not draft potential seven-string guitar players.
“The player has to see the greater possibilities of the instrument to make that change,” he said.
A lifelong commitment to the art form and greater creative force are key, Grasso said.
He also works as an audio engineer recording classical music and does live recordings to CD projects.
GOHEAR
July music, dance, more with Poe, Suga-T, Bee Gees
DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF
DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
Live performances abound in July.
Empress Theatre
Suga-T’s Boom Boom Room presents a special 707 Week celebration at the Empress Marquee Club, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Suga-T takes the stage with her father, Earl the Pearl, for some soul and blues. Also included are classic favorites, 1990s highlights, storytelling and special guests.
Vallejo-born Suga-T made history as part of The Click alongside E-40, D-Shot, and B-Legit. Her voice can be heard on the classic E-40 collaboration “Sprinkle Me,” and her solo career includes decades of music, performance, business, mentoring and community work.
Tia Carroll returns to the Empress Marquee Club at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. She is one of the Bay Area’s most commanding and beloved blues vocalists. Born and raised in Richmond, she has spent decades building an international reputation as a dynamic singer and entertainer.
The S.E. Willis Band brings American roots music to the venue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
He’s a masterful singer and multiinstrumentalist whose music moves effortlessly through blues, boogie-woogie, country, gospel, rockabilly, zydeco and New Orleans rhythm and blues.
Joining him are Takezo Takeda, guitar and vocals; Ruth Davies, bass; and Paul Revelli, drums.
Rappin’ 4-Tay, Trinity Sax, Thee Andrea Nicole and DJ MysteeQ stop by 8 p.m. Friday.
Headlining the evening is legendary San Francisco rapper Rappin’ 4-Tay, one of the most recognizable voices from the golden era of West Coast hip-hop.
Raised in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, 4-Tay first appeared alongside Too $hort before launching a solo career. His 1994 anthem, “Playaz Club,” became a Billboard Top 40 hit and remains an essential West Coast classic.
Joining him is Trinity Sax, a Bay Area saxophonist, songwriter and audio engineer.
Thee Andrea Nicole brings Oakland R&B and soul energy to the evening. Her music blends confident vocals, personal storytelling, contemporary production and the independent spirit of Bay Area music.
DJ MysteeQ, will set the the atmosphere with Bay Area classics.
Relive the music of Rush as R50, a Rush tribute band, performs at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The band brings the music of Rush to life as a real three-piece band, covering the sound, precision and energy of one of rock’s most ambitious catalogs. No shortcuts. No tracks. Just three musicians taking on the full weight of Rush the way it was meant to be played.
At the center of the sound is Chris Meek on guitar, vocals and synths. Mike Carlington drives the show on drums and percussion. Mike Peattie covers bass, vocals and keyboards, Step into the romance of a Parisian café as Innuendo brings an afternoon of French cabaret, café music and oldworld charm at 1 p.m. July 12.
Innuendo performs French popular songs spanning multiple decades, creating a warm and intimate sound built around accordion, viola da gamba, acoustic guitar and upright bass.
The quartet features Big Lou, accordion; Kit Robberson, viola da gamba; David Golia, guitar; and Bing Nathan, bass.
Get ready for a roaring night of saxdriven blues, soul, R&B and old-school rock ’n’ roll when the Terry Hanck Band takes over the Empress Marquee Club on July 15.
A three-time Blues Music Award winner, Hanck is one of the most respected and exciting tenor saxophonists, singers and bandleaders working today. His sound draws from the raw energy of early rock ’n’ roll, the deep grooves of Memphis soul, classic New Orleans R&B and hard-swinging West Coast blues.
Hanck spent roughly a decade touring and recording with legendary guitarist Elvin Bishop.
Get ready for a night of high-octane blues rock as the David M’ore Band
takes over the Empress Marquee Club, 8 p.m. July 17.
He’s an Argentina-born, California-based guitarist, singer and songwriter known for an aggressive guitar style, gritty vocals and a sound that pushes traditional blues into hard rock territory.
He arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1990s and quickly developed a reputation for blazing guitar work, powerful live performances and songs built around blues feeling with the volume and energy turned all the way up.
M’ore’s latest album, “Holy Sinners & Sinful Saints,” was released in 2025 and features 13 tracks of guitarheavy blues rock.
Saxophonist Stabe Wilson performs at 8 p.m. July 18. He takes command of the Empress Marquee Club with a sound shaped by gospel, jazz, soul, blues and R&B.
He began playing saxophone at age 10 and developed his craft through music studies at Chabot College, College of Alameda and San Francisco State University.
Wilson has also been recognized as Saxophonist of the Year by the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame and the National Gospel Academy.
Ryan Allay wraps up the busy month at 8 p.m. July 24.
Born in Cape Coast, Ghana and now
See Music, Page 8
You Should Be Dancing –A Tribute to the Bee Gees
Tia Carroll
S.E. Willis
GOSEE
Music, memories, melting hearts seek audiences
DAILY REPUBLIC STAFF
DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
Get ready to rock, feel a chill and shed a few tears as July brings three shows to local stages.
Missouri Street Theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “School of Rock – The Musical” comes to life on the Downtown Theatre stage. It’s based on the hit movie that follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who
decides to earn an extra bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
There he turns a class of straight–A pupils into a guitar-shredding, bassslapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school’s headmistress finding out?
Performances get underway
July 18 at 1035 Texas St. Show times are 7:30 p.m. July 18, July 22-23, July 29-31, 2 p.m. July 19, July 26, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
July 25 and Aug. 1. More details and tickets at www. downtowntheatre.com
Bay Area Stage brings “The Cem etery Club” to Vallejo. The story centers on three Jewish widows who meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husbands’ graves.
Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life; Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun; and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene. He meets the widows while visiting his wife’s grave.
Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida. They are guilt-stricken when this nearly breaks Ida’s heart. Laura Martin-Chapin has been cast as Ida, Linda Scaparotti as Doris and Linda Howard as Lucille. Scott Slagle plays Sam.
Performances begin July 31. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 15 and 3 p.m. Sundays through Aug 16 at 515 Broadway St.
More information and tickets at www.bayareastage.org.
Starbound Theatre
“Frozen Jr.” is slated at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive. Performances are 3 and 7:30 p.m. July 31 and 1 and 6 p.m. Aug. 1. It’s based on the 2018 Broadway musical, and brings Elsa, Anna and the magical land of Arendelle to life onstage. It expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa.
For more information and tickets, visit www.vpat.net.
From Page 7
based in Northern California, Allay is a gifted singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose music crosses borders and genres.
He plays guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, saxophone, percussion and other instruments. His songs explore love, growth, faith, healing and human connection. His recent releases include “Slow Down,” “Major” and the 2026 album, “Ellipsis...”
The venue us at 330 Virginia St., Vallejo. For more information, visit www.empresstheatre.org.
Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre
Elevate Dance Center brings “Celebrate Hope” at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Together with dancers from studios across Northern California, they are raising funds for Dancers Against Cancer to continue its mission to
support, uplift and unite dancers and families battling cancer.
Guest performers include the Vacaville Ballet Company, Arteritano Flamenco Company, and Omni Dance Academy.
Omni Dance Academy hosts its annual recital at 10 a.m. 1 and 4 p.m. July 18 and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. July 19.
Cassie Daley is the owner and artistic director. She graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance with an emphasis on teaching and choreography.
The Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre is at 1010 Ulatis Drive. To ensure your tickets are genuine, purchase directly from VPAT. Tickets are available by phone at 707-469-4013, or online by visiting vpat.net.
Journey Downtown
An Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy is on tap Friday.
It’s described as a chilling, immersive cocktail experience that brings four of his most famous stories off the page and onto the stage. Poe his-
torians guide the audience through a 90-minute journey of dark literature, paired perfectly with four exquisite, classic cocktails. Mocktails are avail able on request.
The event is open to those 21 and older. It’s the brainchild of Mid night Creative.
You Should Be Dancing - A Tribute to the Bee Gees is featured on July 17.
Audience members can dance and sing along to “Stayin’ Alive,” “More Than A Woman,” “Night Fever,” “How Deep Is Your Love” and more.
The group has appeared on ABC, CBS and the CW, headlined the biggest stages across the U.S., and featured in line-ups that include America, The Beach Boys, Boyz II Men, Chicago, Daryl Hall, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Smokey Robinson.
Def Lepp and Bad Jovi are two incredible tribute bands bringing the energy, sound and spirit of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi to the stage on July 18.
The venue is at 308 Main St. For more information, visit https://journey downtown.com.
COURTESY PHOTO
A portion of the poster for Bay Area Stage’s production of “The Cemetery Club.”
Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy
OUT!
Soroptimist International of Central Solano County
2026-27 Installation of Officer’s lunch
1. Members of the Soroptimist International of Central Solano County gather for a photo. The club is entering its 25th anniversary year.
2. The 2026-27 Board of Directors, from left, are Debbie Peralez (club president), Vicki Bailey, Joan Towner, Lynn Maryatt, Karen Faria, Suzanne Ng and Judy Lloyd
3. Kay Kelley, Founder Region District II Fellowship Director, presented Fellowship Awards to members, from left, Lynn Rechnagel, Jennifer Barton and Vicki Bailey
4. Charter members and charter presidents of the Soroptimist International of Central Solano County: Annie Vogelpohl and Dorothy Andrews 1 2 3 4
Fairfield Lions Club
2026-27 Installation of Officer’s dinner
Mimi’s Cafe, Fairfield | 6.26.26
1. Incoming President Sandy Whaley and outgoing President Rick Writer
2. Lions Past District Governor Barry Fredenburg installs new members Dave Griffis, Kim Kibler, Ellie Writer into the
by their side.
4. Club President Rick Writer names Nancy Meadows the 2025-26 Lion of the Year for all her contributions to the club.
5. Rick Wood is installed as 1st VP for the club by PDG Barry Fredenburg
NASCAR driver Ross Chastin and Green Valley Tractor owner, Kim Loney, took a moment for a photo at the special event. Chastin drives the No. 1 Kubota Chevrolet, and with over 500 races to his name, Chastin has earned himself the title of NASCAR’S busiest driver and he has multiple victories to his name. The club chartered in August 1924 making this the 102nd installation of officers.
event with Kubota’s NASCAR driver Ross Chastin Green Valley Tractor, Suisun Valley | 6.26.26
Fairfield Lions with their sponsor, Rick Writer
3. 2026-27 Board of Directors: Nancy Meadows, Henrik Hansen, Bob Perkins and Wayne Knight
This THINGS TO DO week
Corner Road. https:// suisunvalleyfilling stationevents.com.
5 p.m. Friday
Git With It Bally Keal, 4286 Suisun Valley Road. www. ballykeal.com/ events/index.
5 p.m. Friday
Rusty Giraffe
Suisun Valley Filling station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. https:// suisunvalleyfilling stationevents.com.
5 p.m. Saturday
Strange Brew Suisun Valley Filling station, 2529 Mankas Corner Road. https:// suisunvalleyfilling stationevents.com.
ISuisun City
8:15 p.m. Friday Dinner and Movies in the Park: “The Bad Guys 2” Heritage Park, 611 Village Drive. www. suisun.com/eventsdirectory/dinner-andmovies-in-the-park.
6:30 p.m. Saturday Music on the Waterfront: Top Secret
600 Main St. www. suisun.com/eventsdirectory/music-on-thewaterfront-2026.
Vallejo
7 p.m. Tuesday
Suga-T and Pops
Empress Theatre
Marquee, 324 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org.
6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Tia Carroll
Empress Theatre Marquee, 324 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org.
6:30 p.m. Thursday
S.E. Willis Band
Empress Theatre Marquee, 324 Virginia St. https://empress theatre.org.
Recipe OF THE MONTH
Great Americ an Cheeseburger Dip
By Chef Stephanie Seaberg
journeydowntown.com/ events.
6:30 p.m. Friday Club 90 Creekwalk, Andrews Park. www.cityofvaca ville.gov/government/ parks-and-recreation/ special-events/ creekwalk-4th-of-july.
4 p.m. Saturday Papa Day Blues Dwain’s, 110 Peabody Road. www.facebook. com/profile.php?id= 61566929950504#.
6 p.m. Saturday Elevate Dance Center: Dancers Against Cancer Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, 1010 Ulatis Drive. www.vpat.net.
IBenicia
1 p.m. Sunday
Tori Roze & Johnny Alexander First Street Taphouse, 440 First St. www. mareislandbrewing co.com.
2:30 p.m. Sunday
Jenny Kerr Band Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.
4:30 p.m. Sunday
Doug Houser
The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therellik tavern.com.
King Tritone Lucca, 439 Frist St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.
4:30 p.m. Friday
Ken Maffeo
The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therellik tavern.com.
6:30 p.m. Friday
Beso Negro Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.
8:30 p.m. Friday
The Dream Tellers
The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therellik tavern.com.
1:30 p.m. Saturday
The Tuneriders Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.
4:30 p.m. Saturday
Ticket to the Limit
The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therellik tavern.com.
6:30 p.m. Saturday
Papa Joe & The New Deal Lucca, 439 First St. www.luccabar.com/ custom/page/events.
8:30 p.m. Saturday
Glenn Snyder & Friends
The Rellik, 726 First St. https://therellik tavern.com.
5 p.m. Friday
Bands and Brew: Good Time
Collective Band
Blue Rock Springs Park, 650 Columbus Parkway. www.gvrd.org/2026-0710-bands-and-brewssummerconcert-series-2026.
6 p.m. Friday
Don Bassey & Friends
Vallejo Brewing Company, 430 Virginia St. www.vallejo brewing.net/events.
6:30 p.m. Friday
Bands and Brews: Hey Jude
Blue Rock Springs Park, 650 Columbus Parkway. www.gvrd.org/202606-26-bands-andbrews-summerconcert-series-2026.
8 p.m. Friday
Rappin’ 4-Tay Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. https:// empresstheatre.org/ event/boogie-nights.
8 p.m. Friday
Kind Void with SIXLEGS
4th Corner Speakeasy, 431 Georgia St. https://4thcorne rspeakeasy.com.
1 p.m. Saturday
Soul’d Out Vino Godfather, 1005 Walnut Ave. www. vinogodfather.com.
America has a big birthday coming up, so we need to go big this year. I really did struggle to nd a dish that really screams ‘America’ since we are such an eclectic melting pot of cuisines. What would be a delicious American dish? Cheesecake? Ribs? Pot roast? I farmed the conversation out to a group of friends that I was entertaining one weekend. I had just whipped up a batch of cheeseburger dip to snack on and they all agreed that this was the most obvious choice. As a countr y, we love cheeseburgers and we love snacks. So, there you have it. Cheeseburger dip is so easy it’s almost not a recipe. If you have a crockpot and 10 minutes to prep, you have a great dip for Fourth of July. It’s one of those ‘Set it and forget it’ appetizers. Start it two hours before company arrives, and watch it disappear once it hits the table.
You will need
1 pound ground beef
1TBS of a neutral oil
1 pound Velveeta American cheese loaf, cut into 1 inch slices.
15.5 ounce jar of any salsa you like (hot or mild) 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder Tortilla chips
Putting it togethe r
In a skillet, heat the oil and brown the beef until it is cooked through. Transfer the meat to a small crockpot and sprinkle over the garlic powder. Next, add the Velveeta cheese and pour over the salsa. Don’t mix it. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 1 hour A er one hour, give it a good stir and cover again for 30 to 60 more minutes. Serve it with tortilla chips. It can be served straight out of the crockpot or in a fancy fondue pot. Highly recommend serving it out of a container that will stay warm
GO SEE A MOVIE: Odysseus, Moana, Spider-Man battle at the box office
You have celebrated the nation’s 250th birthday. Now it’s time to catch up on the summer movies.
July 10
“Evil Dead Burn” is the tale of a widow who seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. One by one they are transformed into Deadites – turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell. The film is rated R. Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia, head up the cast of the live action “Moana.” The movie tells the tale of Moana, who answers the ocean’s call and voyages beyond the reef of her island. There she meets the infamous demigod Maui. The film is rated PG.
“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” features Zoey Deutch and Jon Hamm in the tale of a hairdresser engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart. Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to her fiancee meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass.” She impulsively joins her friend on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces her that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass. The film is rated R.
Opening in limited release are:
“Gangland,” which centers on a by-the-book tribal cop who must team up with a vengeful ex-con to stop him from reuniting with gang members and exposing the reservation’s darkest secrets. Lou Diamond Phillips stars. The film is not rated.
“Night Nurse,” which is set in a luxury retirement community where an employee is drawn into a series of scam calls targeting the elderly residents. She grows increasingly intimate with an elusive patient. The film is not rated.
“The Isolate Thief,” which is set after the Civil War when a young woman steals gold from a gang of outlaws who’ve taken over her home. She must use her wits to evade them and survive the harsh winter. The film is not rated.
“Reading Lolita in Tehran,” which focuses on a teacher who secretly gathers six of her most committed female students to read forbidden western classics. They
remove their veils and their stories intertwining with the novels they read. The film is not rated.
July 17
Shot entirely with IMAX cameras, “The Odyssey” follows Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Depicting encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in his long-awaited reunion with his wife, Penelope. Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Christopher Nolan, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya are featured. The film
is rated R.
“Cut Off” follows two rich siblings who are cut off from their parents. Jonah Hill and Bette Midler are featured. The film is not rated.
Opening in limited release are:
“The Bay,” the tale of best friends who go out on a sharkfeeding tour that turns deadly when an aggressive tiger shark cripples their boat. Stranded in a remote bay’s breeding grounds, panic spirals into violence as survival instincts take over. The film is not rated.
“Horsegirls,” the tale of an autistic woman who reluctantly has to grow up fast. Dealing with the complications surrounding her mom’s illness, she discovers
a competitive hobby horse dance team – a sport in which young athletes mimic equestrian activities such as jumping and galloping by utilizing a stick horse – and throws herself into training. The film is rated PG-13.
“The Kidnapping of Arabella,” which tells the tale of a woman who spends days at her dead-end job fantasizing about holes in the space-time continuum, Then, she meets an 8-year-old rebel hoping to run away from her self-absorbed author father. The two embark on an unconventional road trip between two lost souls who might be exactly what the other needs. The film is not rated.
July 24
All are opening in limited release: “Motor City,” which is set in 1970s Detroit, where a working-class romantic is framed by a ruthless gangster after falling for his girlfriend. After years in prison, he returns with only one mission: revenge. The film is rated R.
“Her Private Hell,” the story a mysterious mist that engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity. As a troubled young woman searches for her father, her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from hell. The film is rated R.
July 31
“Spider Man: A Brand New Day” features Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal and Zendaya in the tale of the superhero, who no longer remembers his name, but is devoted to protecting to his city. The film is rated PG-13.
MELINDA SUE GORDON/UNIVERSAL PICTURES/TNS
Matt Damon is Odysseus in “The Odyssey.”
‘Elle,’ Prime Video’s ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series, is a charmer
MOIRA MACDONALD THE SEATTLE TIMES
If you happened to be wonder ing about Elle Woods’ origin story – I wasn’t, but surely somebody was – help is at hand in the form of “Elle,” a prequel turning up exactly 25 years after “Legally Blonde” became a frothy summer hit for Reese Witherspoon. Having viewed all eight episodes of “Elle,” which begins streaming Wednesday on Prime Video, I can tell you that it’s pretty much exactly what you would expect: “Elle” is a cute, funny fish-out-ofwater comedy series that unfolds rather slowly (it might have worked much better as a twohour movie), and Lexi Minetree in the title role is uncannily good at channeling young Witherspoon’s performance in the 2001 movie, with that sweet breathiness and wide-eyed comic timing down pat. (What, like it’s hard? Sorry, couldn’t resist.) It’s an enjoyable watch, full of winking references to the original (“Have you ever considered being a lawyer one day?” somebody asks Elle, admiringly) and to other classic rom-coms, most notably “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Clueless.”
But here’s what’s potentially of most interest to those of us contemplating “Elle” from our perch here in the Pacific Northwest: In the first episode, Elle and her parents (June Diane Raphael, Tom Everett Scott) move from Los Angeles to Seattle, which means that perpetually pinkclad Elle must find her way in a mid-’90s Seattle public high school where nobody is blond and everyone’s in grunge flannels. (Seriously, everybody. Even the cheerleaders wear choppedoff plaid flannel shirts with their
little skirts, which is an unexpectedly cute look. This is, from what I hear from actual mid’90s Seattle public high school alumni, not really how things rolled back then, but never mind.) Elle’s L.A. friends are horrified by the move (“It sounds … north,” says one), but the ever-positive Elle is determined to make things work, even bedazzling a Nirvana T-shirt in a failed attempt to fit in. The actual Seattle content, unfortunately, is mostly nonexistent: Except for a few establishing shots, “Elle” wasn’t actually filmed here. Like so many pro-
ductions, it was shot in my other hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, and sharp-eyed viewers will note the Granville Island Public Market standing in for Pike Place, complete with fish throwers. Elle’s Seattle high school, “Rainier West,” is actually Point Grey Secondary School in Vancouver – which just happens to be a block from the house I grew up in, which means that if you watched “Elle” with me, you would have been very annoyed by my constant and extremely knowledgeable interjections of “There is ALREADY a stop sign at that corner” and
other important information. (Seth Rogen is an alumnus of Point Grey, and his production company is Point Grey Pictures. The GIPM does not actually have fish throwers. OK, I’ll stop now.)
But even the faux-Seattleness of “Elle” is decidedly odd. Teens throw outdoor parties in November; there’s a general agreement that nobody wears suede; and, in a development that caused me to pause my screener and ask dramatically, of nobody, “WHAT???,” it’s casually revealed that – not a spoiler! Nobody would notice this but us! – Elle and her family live in Medina. Which, I need
STREAMING Review
‘Elle’
Rated TV-14
Watch on Prime Video
not tell you, is not Seattle. Late in the series, somebody unveils a sign for a retail establishment located in “Medina, Seattle,” and yes, I’m harping on this a bit, and maybe in 1995 Medina everybody was wearing flannel all the time and this show is actually a documentary, but it was quite a distraction. Between Vancouver and Medina, we’re pretty far from actual Seattle, but I appreciated the references to Amazon (known back then as “that dinky little online bookstore”), “Sleepless in Seattle” (which Elle watches, of course, on VHS) and the late Mercer Arena.
But the nonetheless likable “Elle” – already renewed for a second season – does have a few things to say about Seattle, in its binary way. Seattle is set up as the backwards-day version of Los Angeles, until Elle figures out that Seattle teens are every bit as conformist as L.A. ones, but just don’t like to admit it. “They’re really afraid of being like everyone else,” a sympathetic adult tells Elle, who adds in soft dismay, “except when it comes to plaid.” And, despite some romantic complications and mild rebellion (involving some “Breakfast Club” cosplay) and pink-tinged frustrations, young Elle finds herself falling in love with Seattle – and beginning to find her voice. So, apparently we in Seattle can take some credit for Elle Woods’ brilliant career. No objections here.
JESSICA BROOKS/PRIME VIDEO/TNS
Lexi Minetree stars as the titular character in “Elle,” a prequel series to “Legally Blonde.”
‘Minions & Monsters’ is Coffin’s love letter to Old Hollywood
KATIE WALSH TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Pierre Coffin would like a little respect – and maybe an Oscar. So would James, the Minion hero of Coffin’s new movie, “Minions & Mon sters,” and they’re both going to go about it in the same way, by making a movie about Hollywood. Flattery will get you everywhere, especially in this town.
Coffin is the French madman behind the Minions, those little yellow guys in overalls that are now ubiquitous. He’s the voice actor, fluent in Minionese (a lan guage he invented, a blend of Spanish, French, Italian, gibber ish and various other sounds), and the director of the first four movies in the “Despicable Me” franchise (he was nominated for an Oscar for “Despicable Me 2”). While he has continued to lend his vocal skills, he has returned as director with a new Minions vehicle that’s a bit more high-minded than the usual fare, both a love letter to Old Hollywood and a lightly spiky critique.
silent movie star like Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton gone through a few iterations?
(Though the “Jackass” boys would like a word on that front.)
The Academy loves to reward films about the noble quest of making art, especially movies, because who wouldn’t want to see themselves reflected onscreen? Coffin may be banking on that narcissism, while simultaneously giving the American film industry a light, good-humored flambé. But he’s also legitimizing his Minions, placing them, Forrest Gumpstyle, in the lineage of cinema history. What is a Minion if not a
By placing the Minions in early films like “L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat,” and the Georges Méliès sci-fi flick “A Trip to the Moon,” Coffin suggests that the earliest DNA of the Minions is in these experiments of sensation and spectacle. They’re not just silly little creatures, they’re cinema, he argues (with co-writer Brian Lynch).
Coffin literally places his star Minions, Henry and James, in a movie museum next to George Lucas, where Allison Janney voices a tour guide who provides the framing device for this historical yarn. As she tells a group of unruly kids, in the old days, Minion tribes roamed the
planet searching for evil masters to serve – no wonder they ended up in Hollywood, right?
After stints with a cyclops, wizard, mummy, king, samurai, etc., this crew of Minions barrels into the Hollywood of the 1920s on a runaway train, where they become movie stars, taken under the wing of a movie director named Max (Christoph Waltz), who works for oversized super producers the Bright Brothers (Jeff Bridges). It’s a heady, wild, decadent and debauched time (see also, Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon”), until the advent of sound. Much like Lina Lamont in “Singin’ in the Rain,” the Minions can’t make the leap, and end up out on the street. Henry, James and Ed pursue their dream of making James’ monster movie, while the rest of the gang team up with Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), a friendly alien robot who’d like to take over the planet. Big dreamer James is like any aspiring young film-
maker – blindly driven to the point of ignoring every red flag that comes his way. He and his pals want to conjure up a kaiju from their old wizard’s spell book for the movie, but end up manifesting scheming monster Goomi (Trey Parker), who becomes a classic smarmy producer talking out of both sides of his mouth. The monster pals Goomi summons are liable to destroy everything, including a giant, all-consuming orange blob covered in eyeballs named Irene (Eye-rene?). Choose your own metaphorical adventure with the lovely Irene, a monster whose only motivation is to mindlessly devour. Does she represent corporate mergers and monopolies that swallow up every creator and craftsperson in her wake? Or is does she represent the kind of (dumb) artificial intelligence that consumes a whole town and industry, leaving us with only mass surveillance and
nothing of use? Why not both? Either way, “Minions & Monsters” is a lightly barbed cautionary tale about the collective (hordes of brave little Minions) coming together to protect a certain way of life, and a certain way of making movies. It might be represented by a world that’s now a hundred or so years old, but it’s an era that we romanticize nevertheless.
With the joyous James his avatar, “Minions & Monsters” is Coffin’s Hollywood mash note, his cinephile cri de coeur, stuffed with historical in-jokes to please the movie nerds, and lots of other silly stuff to please the kids (and hopefully this movie can be a gateway drug to “Singin’ in the Rain”). For this film lover, it’s probably the first actual capital G Good “Minions” movie, but, there’s a first time for everything. Always expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to the Minions.
A scene from “Minions & Monsters,” directed by Pierre Coffin. ILLUMINATION &
‘Zorro’ is LA’s masked hero, but
France makes him magnifique
ROBERT LLOYD LOS ANGELES TIMES
If you were a TV show, nothing would be more certain to gain my attention than to be a French-made, French-language series about Zorro, the masked vigilante swordsman of old Los Angeles. Sword fighting plus cape plus Francophilia plus hometown pride equals yes, please.
Introduced in Johnston McCulley’s 1919 serialized novel, “The Curse of Capistrano” (with some 60 stories to follow), a kid of Californio Robin Hood cum Scarlet Pimpernel, the character jumped quickly to the screen in the 1920 “The Mark of Zorro,” with Douglas Fairbanks demonstrating his remarkable facility for parkour before anyone thought to call it that. It was remade in 1940 with Tyrone Power; later, comic-book canon made it the film the family was leaving the night Bruce Wayne’s family was killed; in any case, there’s a whole lot of Zorro in Batman. Antonio Banderas played the character twice, in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998) and “The Legend of Zorro” (2005).
CHRISTOPHE BRACHET/MHZ CHOICE/TNS
Jean Dujardin as the titular swashbuckling vigilante in ”Zorro” on MHz Choice.
Most significant, in the late 1950s, it became the basis of a Disney-produced TV series, starring Guy Williams, who is Zorro, I’d imagine, to most people, here and abroad. It has had a long, international afterlife; you can watch it now on Disney+. (France has local history with the character, Alain Delon having played him in the 1975 “Zorro.”) It might not have been the most consistently exploited IP over the last century, but who doesn’t know Zorro? Hands? Just as I thought.
The new “Zorro,” which arrived here Tuesday on MHz Choice, some two years after its
European debut, is a thoroughly original and quite wonderful take on the material; it’s one of my favorite new shows this year, possibly the one that made me happiest. Starring Jean Dujardin, whom American audiences will know as the star of the 2011 silent film
“The Artist,” which won him an Oscar for lead actor, it’s thoroughly a comedy without being a spoof – it isn’t “Zorro, the Gay Blade.” (Though, to be fair, most Zorro films, going back to Fairbanks, have comedy in them.)
It’s 1821 in Alta California, in the twilight of Spanish rule. Don Diego de la Vega (Dujardin), known as Zorro only to his
trusted mute manservant, Bernardo (Salvatore Ficarra) – a servant only in the sense that Batman’s Alfred is a butler – has been out of the hero game for 20 years. It’s not exactly clear why he took off the mask and put down the rapier, but he’s espousing a more reasonable approach to conflict resolution, which, as an opening scene demonstrates, works less well than it might. He’s gotten married, to Gabriella (Audrey Dana), and has been working for his flamboyant father, Don Alejandro (André Dussollier), who is retiring as mayor of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles (as we learned to say it in elementary school) after
48 years – which is to say, before the town, founded 1781, even existed. (The show is a fantasy.)
In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies. But he’ll return, as a ghost, to criticize his son, who, admittedly, has grown staid and stale in his life, his marriage and his work, whatever that’s been. Indeed, he seems to know little about the actual operation of the town, and it comes to a particular surprise to him to learn that, owing to his father’s profligacy, it’s heavily in debt
Rated TV-14
Watch on MHz Choice
to Don Emmanuel (Éric Elmosnino), a local businessman who has more than a finger in every pie – he owns all the pie plates as well. Now he’s about to build a casino – destroying a neighborhood, paying workers in alcohol – which drives Diego back into costume and onto the saddle of the son of his old trusty steed, Tornado, also called Tornado. His other antagonist is the corpulent, comical sergeant (Grégory Gadebois) who, upon Zorro’s return, reads a letter he has been keeping for the occasion (“I want you to know that the way you made fun of me on numerous occasions 20 years ago had serious consequences for my self-esteem”). Now he is set on unmasking the caped crusader.
It’s a romance, a swashbuckler, a melodrama, a relatively light-handed critique of capitalism, demagoguery and the malleability of the crowd. It’s a farce – a French farce, literally, and stylistically, a la Feydeau, with characters appearing and disappearing, changing costumes and identities. It’s occasionally a sex farce. The dialogue (as subtitled) is witty. The action, which is not bloody or at all deadly, has the fizzy charm and slapstick charge of prime Jackie Chan. At the heart of the series is a not unprecedented love triangle between
See Zorro, Page 18
‘Zorro’
GO READ
July brings good reads, author visits
• “The Dragonet Prophecy,” Tui T. Sutherland
• “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Jeff Kinney
Summer offers plenty of hours to enjoy a book. And, a good way to find out what your neighbors are perusing. Here are the Top 10 lists:
Adults
• “The Calamity Club,” Kathryn Stockett
• “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans
• “Yesteryear,” Caro Claire Burke
• “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi
• “My Husband’s Wife,” Alice Feeney
• “The Housemaid,” Freida McFadden
• “Dear Debbie,” Freida McFadden
• “Say You’ll Remember Me,” Abby Jimenez
• “Great Big Beautiful Life,” Emily Henry
• “Rites of Starling,” Devney Perry
Teens
• “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Suzanne Collins
• “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” Sarah J. Maas
• “Throne of Glass,” Sarah J. Maas
• “Heir of Fire,” Sarah J. Maas
• “The Assassin’s Blade,” Sarah J. Maas
• “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Suzanne Collins
• “Crown of Midnight,” Sarah J. Maas
• “The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins
• “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Jenny Han
• “Divine Rivals,” Rebecca Ross
Kids
• “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” J.K. Rowling
• “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” J.K. Rowling
• “The Wild Robot,” Peter Brown
• “The Titan’s Curse,” Rick Riordan
• “Stacey’s Mistake,” Ann M Martin
• “Talons of Power,’ Tui T. Sutherland
• “Winter Turning,” Tui T. Sutherland
• “Dawn on the Coast,” Ann M. Martin
• “Hot Mess,” Jeff Kinney
Meet the author
, 10 a.m. July 15, Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St. , 10 a.m. July 22, Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St. , 10 a.m. July 29, Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St.
Online Author Talks (registration is required)
Mark Wolynn, 11 a.m. Tuesday (July 7), https://libraryc.org/benicialibrary/175343.
Karin Slaughter, 4 p.m. July 14, https:// libraryc.org/benicialibrary/176637.
Reyna Grande, 11 a.m. July 16, https:// libraryc.org/benicialibrary/177284.
Alford Grande Cino Slaughter Rucker Wolynn
‘Enola Holmes 3’ a tad elementary, but winning formula holds
MARK MESZOROS THE NEWS-HERALD (WILLOUGHBY, OHIO)
Istill remember how, upon firing up an advanced screener for the Netflix movie “Enola Holmes” in September 2020, it immediately jumped out to me that the film’s production values were signifi cantly higher than that of the average streaming release. (After all, I was, like many of you, watching A LOT of streaming fare in 2020.)
I was far from surprised to learn the film originally was des tined for theaters, the pandemic leading to Warner Bros. Pictures unloading the project – an adapta tion of the first book in the series by Nancy Springer about Sherlock Holmes’ sister and fellow detective with an unusual first name – to Netflix. It was a hit with both critics and viewers, as was its 2022 sequel, “Enola Holmes 2.”
It’s nice to see money is still being spent on the franchise, as the reasonably enjoyable “Enola Holmes 3”– debuting on Netflix on this holiday week – looks positively pricey thanks to on-location shoot filming and extras aplenty.
Millie Bobby Brown is front and center again as Enola, of course. The young actor most synonymous with the hugely popular Netflix series “Stranger Things” continues to seem more comfortable in the skin of this English sleuth than in other characters, including Eleven in the later seasons of “Things.” She’s entirely charming as the fourth wall-breaking, whip-smart mystery solver.
Enola is proud to have finally joined “the pantheon of great Victorian detectives” alongside her brother (Henry Cavill).
“He helps those with means,” she says in the movie’s regularly occurring narration, “and I help those with needs.”
It is the mystery at the center of
“Enola Holmes 3” that sets it a tick behind the first two films in terms of quality, this one built around yet another kidnapping – well, a pair of them eventually. As with the second installment, this endeavor boasts an original story by series screenwriter Jack Thorne, with franchise newcomer Philip Barantini handling the directing duties.
After the film’s opening minutes, involving a hooded figure in prison presented with a proposition, the first mystery is why Enola isn’t at her own wedding – a fancy affair in the beautiful surroundings of Malta. Turns out it’s merely a pair of cold feet, the independent woman having second thoughts about marrying her beloved Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), whom she met during the events of the first film. Soon, though, she’s en route to the church via horse and carriage, Enola climbing onto the roof and almost shooting the head off Sherlock’s trusty assistant, Dr.
Watson (Himesh Patel), mistaking the masked man on horse as a would-be attacker. In actuality, Watson was pursuing her to deliver the highly troubling news that her brother is missing. (The good doctor was wearing a handkerchief over the lower part of his face to protect against dust.)
Now the game is afoot, with Enola working a trail of clues in an attempt to find Sherlock – “a Holmes does not disappear without leaving clues for a Holmes,” she proclaims – who is with her in her mind, nudging her to ask the right questions. The plot thickens when another person is kidnapped, and Enola encounters familiar folks, such as her adoring but frustrating outlaw-with-a-cause mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), and the devious and vengeful Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster). Simply put, “Enola Holmes 3” loses some steam as Thorne (“Harry Potter and the Cursed
From Page 16
STREAMING Review
‘Enola Holmes 3’
Rated PG-13
105 minutes
Watch on Netflix
HH (OUT OF FOUR)
Child,” “Wonder”) and Barantini – who helmed all the episodes of the engrossing and awardwinning one-shot drama series “Adolescence” – work to juggle the romance between Enola and the persistently patient Tewkesbury and the central mystery. The latter eventually ties to a decades-old misdeed, but it’s just not captivating to the degree it needs to be.
As much as I enjoy the work of Brown here – she’s delightful in a flashback sequence as she turns to the camera during her would-be husband’s proposal to tell the viewer that she, too, is surprised to learn the man she consistently calls “Tewkesbury” has a first name – I’m again wishing for a bit more of Cavill. It’s appropriate that he’s a secondary figure, of course – there are plenty of Sherlock-centric products to be consumed, and these are Enola’s story – but there’s something about the former Superman actor’s take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s enduring character that is particularly potent. In this film, his Sherlock is barely short of appalled that his sister is, as he sees it, about to throw away her freedom for the life of a wife.
Netflix has yet to announce a fourth “Enola Holmes,” but we don’t think there’s much mystery as to whether the streamer will move forward with the franchise. And it should – for as long as Brown is game.
Gabriella and Diego, as himself and Zorro, though it’s unusually well developed and sort of … deep. The emotional stakes – which also involve a thieving street urchin (Baltasar Espinach) the De la Vegas adopt – are real.
The entire cast is first-rate. Ficarra is a brilliant clown – his part is all miming – and also the most level-headed of these characters. Dana, falling in love with Zorro and out of love with Diego, and being deceived by both, is sublimely affecting. Elmosnino is an amusing villain, making his most selfserving machinations sound reasonable. Dujardin, who had spoken of his desire to play Zorro as early as 2010 (“He wears all black, he has a mask, and I could do fencing and horseback riding – I think it’s my last childhood desire”), makes the strongest impression in the trickiest role. He somehow makes Diego and Zorro at once psychologically distinct and convincingly whole, even as their, which is to say his, identities grow cloudy.
MHz Choice, which imports series from around the world, may not be high on your list of must-have streamers – chances are it isn’t. But how else are you going to watch this good thing?
JOHN WILSON/NETFLIX/TNS
Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes in “Enola Holmes 3.”
