Arts & Life

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Written by: Ted Kooser

Published: 10 April 2016

Richard M. Berlin is a doctor and poet, or a poet and doctor, and in this poem from his book Practice, from Brick Road Poetry Press, he honors the wisdom each of us gains through experience.

A Lobsterman Looks at the Sea

His new hip healed in, we're working
on a bluff, talking doctors and health care
reform as we shove a new propane tank into place.
A shape on the surface catches his eye:
"Right whale," he says, but I can only see
endless swells rolling in from the east.
He points out the gradations of gray
and green that mark deep ledge, the tide's
shape along the islands and rocks,
the whale's glistening back suddenly in focus.
I react with the same surprise
my patients feel when I observe
what they can't see—
a sudden shift in gaze, or a crease in a cheek,
understanding how a doctor becomes
like a man who has spent sixty years
on a lobster boat, watching the world
swim fast and shining, right before his eyes.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Richard M. Berlin, “A Lobsterman Looks at the Sea,” from Practice, (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Richard M. Berlin and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

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Written by: Tim Riley

Published: 10 April 2016

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (Rated PG-13)

Fourteen years ago, writer and star Nia Vardalos delivered a sleeper hit with the romantic comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” one that navigated the culture clash of her marriage to the Anglo Ian Miller (John Corbett), unprepared for the unruly energy of a large Greek family.

Now all these years later, in a timeline that goes even a few years beyond the lapse of time from the first, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” remains, with its easy charm and likable tone, a pleasant though predictable story that returns all of the original characters.

In that sense, “Greek Wedding 2” is not constructed, per se, for anyone stepping into this time machine of Greek culture that happens to be unfamiliar with Vardalos’ central character of Toula Portokalos, still held captive by the bonds of her immigrant Chicago-based family.

The patriarch of the Portokalos clan is Gus (Michael Constantine), so consumed with the old ways that he questions why his 17-year-old granddaughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) is letting herself age without any prospects of matrimony of her own.

Well, the wedding in this sequel turns out to be Gus’ own, as he discovers to his chagrin that the marriage certificate to Maria (Lainie Kazan) from the old country was never signed by the local priest.

So technically speaking, Gus and Maria, in the eyes of God (but not common law), are not married.

At his advanced age, he just wants a quickie ceremony. The brash, rowdy Maria has other thoughts, namely a full-blown wedding that would not only be romantic but fit with the Greek heritage.

The film is populated with a lot of Greek relatives, most of them hard to distinguish from each other.

Standing out in the animated family is Andrea Martin’s Aunt Voula, who wants to organize the event in such a grand, over-the-top manner that the wedding planner quits the job.

A subplot to the wedding business is the fact that Toula and Ian’s daughter Paris is considering attending an East Coast college, if only to be free of the constraints of her suffocating family, when her mother desperately tries to persuade her of the virtues of nearby Northwestern.

Though Ian has little to do as he appears crowded out of most scenes with the drama of Greek relatives constantly meddling, there is also a predicable story about Ian and Toula trying fitfully to rekindle romance that has been slowly depleted from their own lives.

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” though not particularly original or even necessary to have been revived at this late date, has its genial moments of levity and humorous situations.

The goodwill of the original will have to carry this sequel the best way it possibly can.

SHOWTIME’S “DICE” COMEDY SERIES

Showtime also appears to be relying on public memory to launch the six-episode comedy series “Dice,” an apparent semi-autobiographical account of the once top-billed standup comedian Andrew Dice Clay’s attempt at a comeback after two decades in the entertainment wilderness.

In his heyday (well, even now to be sure), the comedian known as the Diceman built his career on being so edgy in his routines that his divisive comedy managed to offend every ethnic, racial and sexual identity group that felt abused and vilified by his barbed rants.

His comedy routines appeared patterned upon Don Rickles, but without any of the charm and occasional restraint.

Now, the Diceman is in Las Vegas, hoping to gear up his faltering career, all the while struggling with his finances and employment prospects.

Meanwhile, his live-in girlfriend Carmen (Natasha Leggero), constantly fretting over his irresponsible behavior and seeming inability to focus, tries to bring a semblance of order to his life. Good luck with that.

Dice can’t help but mess up everything, including not following through on his simple promise to be ready for the wedding of Carmen’s brother at a Vegas chapel, because he’s too busy arguing with the casino manager about the $5 fee for use of the hotel’s ATM machine.

Actually, it’s worse than that. Rather than pony up a Lincoln for a simple cash transaction, Dice obtains a marker for $100,000 to play many bad hands of poker, and he ends up fighting with an Elvis impersonator that he accuses of being bad luck.

Showtime’s “Dice” is set to explore the highs and lows of the stressed comedian’s frenzied life. Be warned that Andrew Dice Clay, having made his career with an extremely liberal use of profanity in his acts, is uncensored in his frequent rants.

It’s not just the vulgarity of unvarying swearing that may offend so many, but Dice also has very graphic ways of talking about sexual activities.

“Dice” may run on cable, where it’s no-holds-barred, but this short series is likely to be limited in its appeal. But it’s only six half-hour episodes, so you won’t have to invest much time.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 06 April 2016

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Dubbed one of the country’s best female saxophonists, Nancy Wright performs at the Soper Reese Theatre on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m.

Wright has played her wailin’, soulful blues alongside John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King and Lonnie Mack.

She first appeared on the Bay Area music scene in 1984 with the critically acclaimed New Orleans rhythm and blues band, Hot Links.

Following a successful North American tour, Wright and Hot Links were tapped to perform with Swamp Boogie Queen Katie Webster, appearing on her Arhoolie Records release, “You Know That’s Right.”

Wright and Webster also performed together at the Chicago Blues Festival and appeared together on B.B. King’s album, “Blues Summit,” winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

In 2015 Wright’s CD “Puttin’ Down Roots” was voted one of the top 20 blues albums of the year in the Downbeat Readers Poll.

While the blues thread remains the strongest in the tapestry of Wright’s music, in the late 1990s a new thread appeared – the opportunity to work with local Hammond B3 organ artist Jackie Ivory (who also worked with sax luminaries Junior Walker and Willis Jackson).

This rekindled her love of organ combo music, which led to a performance with monster Hammond star Tony Monaco and to the release of her critically acclaimed debut CD “Moanin’” (produced by Monaco and backed by his trio) featuring a mix of soul jazz, blues, ballads, and boogaloo,

Playing with Wright on April 15 is the Rhythm & Roots Band which features Paul Revilli on drums, Anthony Paule on guitar, Tony Lufrano on keyboards and Paul Olguin on bass.

Revelli has performed with many great acts including Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton, Tracy Nelson, Marcia Ball and Charlie Musselwhite.

Paule has worked with Johnny Adams, Bo Diddley, Louisiana Red, and Boz Scaggs. Lufrano has also played with Boz Scaggs as well as Bonnie Raitt, and Huey Lewis & the News. Olguin has performed with Mary Wells, The Drifters, Roy Rogers and Augie Meyers.

Major sponsor for the concert is Strong Financial Network, with additional support from KXBX 98.3 and KNTI 99.5.

Tickets are $15. Tickets are available online at www.SoperReeseTheatre.com ; at the theater 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, Lakeport, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information call 707-263-0577.

The Soper Reese Theatre is at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.