How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Arts & Life
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Symphony’s Christmas concert this weekend will include guest vocalist Christy Yohanan.
Yohanan will sing three songs: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “White Christmas,” and “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.”
A relative newcomer to performing, she found her musical voice via karaoke three years ago after moving to Lake County from San Jose.
“I sang in the choir when I was a kid, but that was about it,” said Yohanan.
Her life/work for the last 40-plus years was centered around the global label printing company she still runs (and raising her three children), but she felt “drawn” to music.
“I always liked music, and when I started singing, it made my heart soar. It’s so emotionally freeing,” she said.
She started singing regularly when she ran karaoke at Riviera Hills Restaurant in Kelseyville. Later she sang karaoke at Andre’s Lounge in Lakeport and also at the Boathouse in Nice.
Yohanan credits Andre Williams, owner of Andre’s, with encouraging her to stretch her musical talents.
“He came up to me during karaoke and told me, ‘You can sing,’” she said, recalling that she was floored by his comment. “Since moving to Lake County, everything seems to have fallen into place. I love it here and have been lucky enough to meet some wonderful and very interesting people.”
She ended up working part time at Andre’s as a bartender and continuing with karaoke. “I also sang there once a week for about a year with Nicky Hind- a wonderfully talented classical pianist. We did quite a few songs together like ‘Imagine’ and ‘Knights in White Satin.’ I learned so much working with him during that time. He is an incredible artist. He’s at Andre’s on Wednesday nights.”
She says others involved in the music scene have also had an influence on her growth, including Mike Keating, “a band guy and also a very good singer” who runs karaoke at the Boathouse.
Singing with the symphony is a new challenge for Yohanan and she is looking forward to it. “I went to my first rehearsal last week and the music was just beautiful. I am so impressed by how good the symphony is.”
- Details
- Written by: Debra Fredrickson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The 50-plus members of the Lake County Symphony will celebrate the 2025 holiday season on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport, with a joyful presentation of traditional Christmas music.
Guest vocalist Christy Yohanan will be there too, singing three holiday favorites: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “White Christmas,” and “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.”
The symphony will play all the favorites that audiences enjoy, like Leroy Anderson’s memorable “Sleigh Ride” filled with unusual percussion effects.
Parkinson’s arrangement of “A Cowboy Christmas” is a special treat for the audience, offering sounds of horses’ hooves from different sections of the symphony for a musical glimpse of Christmas on the open range.
Audience members also do their part as they participate in the traditional carol sing-along that has long been a special part of this concert. Included are selections like “Joy to the World,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.” The grand finale is another group effort as everyone sings “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”
Tickets for the regular 2 p.m. Christmas Concert are $25 for general seating or $30 for premium seating in the balcony. They will be available on the Soper Reese website for purchase or at the box office at 275 S. Main on the day of the concert.
The open dress rehearsal performance starts at 11 a.m. with discounted tickets for $10 and free admission for those 18 and under. Please arrive 30 minutes early when buying tickets at the door.
- Details
- Written by: Tim Riley
'JINGLE BELL HEIST' ON NETFLIX
London has its share of fancy, upscale department stores that are famous for luxury goods, cultural iconic status, and architectural grandeur. Harrods comes to mind as a prime example, as well as Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges, among others.
For the Christmas backdrop of “Jingle Bell Heist,” the fictional Sterling’s department store is modeled after these opulent shopping palaces, and it serves as the setting for a contrived crime caper of a robbery during the holiday season.
Olivia Holt’s Sophia is an American expatriate living in London, where her British mother is hospitalized with cancer and needing an expensive treatment available only through costly private medical care.
A clerk at the fancy Sterling’s store, Sophia has a knack for picking pockets as well as locks, having learned sleight-of-hand from her grandfather, a magician and locksmith. She also works after hours at a local pub.
While Sophia is a petty thief, she’s more like Robin Hood in that her victims are unsympathetic characters deserving bad karma and she’s giving the stolen cash to the less fortunate.
An ex-con arrested for stealing from Sterling’s, Nick (Connor Swindells), who had been involved with installing the security system at the department store, now works at a phone repair shop where he still has access to the store’s security cameras.
While Nick enjoys watching security footage, he catches Sophia purloining some cash and valuables in Sterling’s storage. With this knowledge, he makes a move to enlist Sophia into a major heist of jewels kept in the store’s impenetrable vault.
At first, Sophia doesn’t want to be involved in an elaborate grand theft, but then there’s the case of her mother’s dire plight, and besides, store owner Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz) is a wealthy jerk and odious boss.
It appears that Nick was framed in the Sterling theft and ended up serving a five-year prison term, which is why his wife divorced him and now threatens to move away with their daughter because he’s behind on child support.
Thus, Nick and Sophia have reasons to carry out the heist and split the money, and getting revenge on Maxwell Sterling is only a part of the equation. Sophia can take care of her mom, and Nick can prove that he can be a reliable father.
Given that this pair of heist plotters are amateurish, not everything goes according to plan until another connected surprise party provides invaluable assistance to make the robbery possible.
The inevitable romantic angle, sealed with a kiss, that comes into play seems to be unnecessary, but then this is a holiday movie where it seems almost obligatory, given the heist happens on Christmas Eve.
“Jingle Bell Heist” strains credulity as a serious crime caper, because the planning that goes into it is basically ludicrous. And yet, the writers came up with every contrivance to have you rooting for Sophia and Nick, and that might be enough to make it work.
HALLMARK CHANNEL HOLIDAY MOVIES
During the holiday season, Hallmark Channel reliably turns its schedule into a 24/7 festive feast of mostly movies and some episodic series into a celebration of the happiest time of the year.
When “Christmas Above the Clouds” finds workaholic CEO Ella Neezer (Erin Krakow) trying to skip Christmas by flying to Australia, she’s in for the flight of her life. Haunted by her past, present and future, Ella is forced to confront the choices that led to her success yet left her flying solo.
With the help of three quirky spirits and a surprise reunion with her ex (Tyler Hynes), Ella might just rediscover the magic of Christmas and the love that she thought she’d lost.
“Three Wisest Men” reunites Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, and Margaret Colin as the Brenner family for another Christmas story, this time their lives are more chaotic than ever.
As Luke (Walker) is expecting twins, Taylor (Hynes) is debating a monumental job opportunity out-of-state, and Stephan (Campbell) attempts to plan for his upcoming nuptials.
Everyone’s stress heightens when they learn their mom (Colin) has put their childhood home up for sale, marking their final Christmas in the Brenner house.
With unexpected in-laws visiting, wild animals lurking in freshly cut Christmas trees and a hesitant mall Santa, the boys will have their work cut out for them as the holiday begins to loom.
As they navigate adulting at a level they have yet to reach, they must learn to once again lean on one another to rise to the needs of their growing family, conquer the newest challenges in their lives, and have the best Christmas ever.
In “The Snow Must Go On” Broadway actor Isaiah Heyward (Corey Cott), last on stage ten years ago, is visiting family in upstate New York when he learns the local high school may have to cancel their Christmas musical because they need a director.
Isaiah decides to save the show, and in the process stumbles on a romance with guidance counselor Lilly-Anne (Heather Hemmens) for a nice Christmas surprise.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
- Details
- Written by: Middletown Art Center
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center, or MAC, invites the entire community to a festive Posada Navideña celebration during Christmas in Middletown on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m.
Join them for an afternoon and evening filled with piñata breaking, villancicos — caroling in Spanish and English — along with art and craft vendors, kids’ artmaking, cultural food and beverages, and a warm community spirit that will delight participants of all ages.
Festivities begin at 3 p.m. throughout Middletown. The first piñata breaking at MAC will take place at 4 p.m. for children ages 4 to 10. A second piñata for medium-sized youth, roughly ages 10 to 16, begins at 7 p.m., followed by a final round at 7:30 p.m. for taller and older youth and adults who want to join in.
The large, colorful piñatas at MAC were created in a community piñata-making workshop attended by people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
From 5 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to join villancicos — caroling led by Los Magos de California and Gilbert Rangel with a community choir — outdoors at MAC (indoors in case of inclement weather).
At 5 p.m., Middletown High School’s Folklórico Troupe will perform at the Middletown Plaza across from the schools (where Buddha Thai Kitchen is located).
Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition of more than 400 years, also celebrated in Guatemala and Honduras. It commemorates the search for shelter by the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, with festivities that include food, music and piñatas.
Today, Las Posadas transcends its religious origins and is celebrated widely as a joyful, inclusive cultural tradition embraced by people of all beliefs.
Posada Navideña en Middletown at MAC has become an annual holiday celebration that uplifts Latin American communities, their traditions, and the broader community.
MAC is honored to continue this tradition as part of its commitment to creating an inclusive space for cultural celebration and artistic expression.
“Bringing Las Posadas to Middletown brings a little piece of home for families who originate from Mexico and provides an opportunity for first-generation children to connect with their ancestral traditions,” said Gilberto Rangel, HSRA coordinator at Lake County Tribal Health, Kelseyville School Board President and owner of Equilingual translation services. “This approach strengthens our community by fostering understanding and connection across diverse backgrounds.”
Rangel and MAC believes that with ponche Navideño, champurrado, villancicos and piñatas we can bring a truly authentic and traditional posada to Lake County.
Cultural programming at MAC this year is partially funded by a prevention and early intervention mini-grant from Lake County Behavioral Health Services, by Equilingual and by MAC’s Cultural Fund.
Purchase your holiday gifts at the MAC and from vendors throughout Christmas in Middletown. Enjoy special holiday prices on gallery artwork, and discover unique, meaningful gifts while supporting our local creative community.
For more information about how you can contribute to MAC’s intercultural programs, email
The Middletown Art Center is a Lake County nonprofit dedicated to fostering art education, appreciation, and creation.
Through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community events, the Middletown Art Center provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, creating an inclusive and accessible space for all.
