Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

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Renegade Orchestra returns to Contra Costa on March 30th in Martinez

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The Beauty of a Symphony, the Soul of a Rock Band

Following a great show at Antioch’s historic El Campanil Theatre in November, the Renegade Orchestra will be back in Contra Costa County at the Campbell Theater in Martinez on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

About the event

Welcome to the Renegade Orchestra – it’s time to throw out all the old conventions of a quiet, sleepy, stuffy show of musicians locked in straitjackets of tradition.

Clap your hands, tap your feet, and yell all you want — the Renegade Orchestra embraces the virtuosic skills of top bay area musicians and turns them loose on songs orchestras have never or maybe shouldn’t do. No sleepy pop songs, no overly-lush jazz standards, but the pure unbridled fury of what an orchestra can truly do

“Classical Rebels.” —The Bohemian

“The Renegade Orchestra would rather tackle Hendrix than Handel.” —Mercury News

“If there’s one piece of advice I would give to anyone interested in seeing this group perform, it would be to expect the unexpected, or better yet, leave your expectations at the door and go in prepared for a ride. If there’s one thing that’s for certain, it’s that this writer will be catching them again the next time they perform in town.” —Napa Valley Register

Source: RenegadeOrchestra.com

“…Under the baton of co-founder, guitarist and conductor Jason Eckl, [the Renegade Orchestra] turn Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” into a shimmering string-centric odyssey, capture the classic helter-skelter vibe in Paul McCartney’s and John Lennon’s “Helter Skelter,” find the funk in “What’d I Say” by Ray Charles and crash with vibratory verve through Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.” —East Bay Express

Tickets are now available at Renegade Orchestra | The Campbell

The performance will run 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM and the Martinez Campbell Theater is located at 636 Ward Street.

To learn more about the band visit RenegadeOrchestra.com.

California State Parks invites you to explore the magic of Hearst Castle® After Dark with new evening tour series

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Galatea on a Dolphin, a 19th century Italian marble sculpture, illuminated in the Lily Pond on the Main Terrace of Hearst Castle – one of the many works that can be viewed as part of the ‘Art Under the Moonlight’ tour. Photo from California State Parks

‘Art Under the Moonlight’ tours will allow guests to explore William Randolph Hearst’s famed art collection like never before

By California Department of Parks and Recreation, Divisions of Boating and Waterways, Historic Preservation and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation

SAN SIMEON, Calif.— California State Parks is excited to announce a new limited series of evening tours at the iconic Hearst Castle® this fall. The “Art Under the Moonlight” tours will offer guests a unique opportunity to explore William Randolph Hearst’s world-renowned art collection like never before – under the enchanting glow of the moon. These guided tours will be available on select Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 4 through Nov. 16. Due to the limited availability, reservations are highly recommended.

WHAT: ‘Art Under the Moonlight’ tours
WHEN: Select Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 4 – Nov. 16, 2024
WHERE: Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (Hearst Castle®)
COST: $50 for guests over 12 years old, $25 for children ages 5-12, no cost for children under 5.
ACCESSIBILITY: The tour will involve navigating 160 stairs and will take moderate effort. An ADA-accessible version of the tour that involves no stairs and can accommodate up to four people per tour is also available.
HOW TO JOIN: Visit HearstCastle.org or ReserveCalifornia.com to make your reservation. The tour lasts 100 minutes.

The new tour offers a rare chance to view illuminated outdoor works of art while learning about their significance through time and enjoying their beauty as one of Hearst’s honored guests would have done in the 1930s. Inside the historic castle, guests will get an intimate look at the art collection that the influential media mogul amassed during his time there.

“This is an incredible opportunity to be under the moonlight on the same path that Mr. Hearst and his guests strolled while smelling the fragrant blooms and hearing the calming sound of the hilltop fountains,” said San Luis Obispo Coast District Superintendent Dan Falat. “The evenings are magical here, and this one-of-a-kind art collection is shown off in the best lighting.”

About Hearst Castle®

La Cuesta Encantada, “The Enchanted Hill” high above the ocean at San Simeon, was the creation of two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for 28 years, transformed an informal hilltop campsite into the world-famous Hearst Castle® – an estate that comprises the magnificent 115-room main house plus three sumptuous guesthouses, pools, and 127 acres of terraced gardens, fountains, and paths. The main house, “Casa Grande” and the three guesthouses, “Casa del Monte,” “Casa del Sol,” and “Casa del Mar” are home to Hearst’s extraordinary art collection and have hosted many influential guests, including President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Hedda Hopper, Joan Crawford, Charlie Chaplin, and a diverse array of luminaries from the sports, show business, and publishing industries.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.

2024 East Bay Gallery Tour begins October 1st

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Source: Samantha McNally

Visit 13 art galleries in Contra Costa County and Benicia for a chance to win prizes

By Samantha McNally, Main Street Arts Gallery

The Second Annual East Bay Gallery Tour has added six Benicia Art Galleries to the Tour this year! We now have 13 Art Galleries for you to visit during the month of October. You have the whole month to visit them and get your Gallery Tour postcard stamped for a chance to win a prize worth $300!

There will be a couple of smaller prizes if you don’t get to visit all of them. The winners will be chosen at random, picked from the completed postcards. The winners will get a certificate to purchase any artwork at any of the galleries in the Tour! This event is free and open to anyone who’d like to participate.

Visit any of the galleries listed below at the end of September or in October to pick up your postcard with a map and addresses of all the Art Galleries. The galleries will start stamping postcards on October 1.

The participating galleries are:

aRt Cottage 2238 Mt. Diablo Street, Concord www.artcottage.info
Bedford Gallery 1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek www.bedfordgallery.org/home-bedfordnew
Benicia Art Glass 309 1st Street, Benicia www.beniciaartglass.com
Benicia Plein Air Gallery 307 First Street, Benicia www.beniciapleinair.com
Blackhawk Gallery, ADAS 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville www.adas4art.org
Gallery 621​ 920 First Street, Suite 203, Benicia https://gallery621.com
HQ Gallery 333-D First Street, Benicia www.hqgallery.net
JOR Clayton Gallery 1026 Oak Street Suite 102, Clayton https://jorfineartgallery.com
The Little Art Shop 129 First Street, Benicia www.thelittleartshop.com
Main Street Arts Gallery 613 Main Street, Martinez www.mainstreetarts.net
Moraga Art Gallery 432 Center Street, Moraga www.moragaartgallery.com
NY2CA Gallery 617 1st St, Benicia https://ny2cagallery.com
Valley Art Gallery 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek https://valleyartgallery.org

QR code to the Google map showing locations of all galleries in the tour.

For more information visit www.mainstreetarts.net/east-bay-gallery-tour-2024.html.

The Sandlot movie 30th Anniversary Tour coming to Walnut Creek Aug. 24

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See the film, hear from and meet the actors; tickets on sale July 26

Walnut Creek native, former Antioch resident is a producer of the tour

By Allen D. Payton

Cast members from the classic baseball movie “The Sandlot”, known to be one of the most famous of all time, are coming to Walnut Creek, California on Saturday, August 24th, 2024. 30 years after The Sandlot’s 1993 debut, a few of those former kids, now men in their 40s, are celebrating the film’s lasting power and its devoted fans.

Featuring Tom “smalls” Guiry, Chauncey “squints” Leopardi, Marty “yeah yeah” York, and possibly others of the original cast will be in person to watch the film that found its way into so many baseball fans’ hearts.

After the movie the cast will describe events and activities while on the set as well as tell anecdotes of their experiences, behind-the-scenes stories and why it is still a great memory to them. The audience will also be engaged in an interaction for a question-and-answer session with the cast members. VIP ticket holders will have the opportunity to meet personally with the cast members and get pictures and autographs with them.

Andrew Lenz, of NuWorlds Productions, is one of the producers of the Sandlot Anniversary Tour and is excited to bring it to his hometown area.

“I was born and grew up in Walnut Creek and Antioch so this area means a lot to me,” he said.

Lenz graduated from Las Lomas High School in 1984.

“My parents moved then to Antioch,” he shared. “I went to college at Diablo Valley and worked in San Francisco so at the time I had to drive to Concord to catch BART and then to Antioch every day for two years. So, I remember what it was like back then and how it has changed since!”

He was an actor and actually performed years ago in the same theater where this performance will be held.

“So, it is very nostalgic for me,” Lenz added.

About the tour, the St. Louis Post Dispatch wrote, “THANKS to the boys of summer – nine wonderful child actors – and a sweetly nostalgic story well told by writer-director David Mickey Evans, The Sandlot is a winner.”

The 30th Anniversary Tour lands at the Lesher Center for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek and tickets go on sale to the public July 26th. Special Presale access available to those who sign up at: https://www.hollywoodonbroadway.com/sandlotwalnutcreek

Historic, refurbished Delta Theater reopens in downtown Brentwood

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The historic marquee, outside entrance (bottom right) and inside entrance wall of the modernized Delta Theater in downtown Brentwood is open again as of Thursday, June 13, 2024, Photos by Allen D. Payton

Classic on the outside, modern on the inside

Another Sean McCauley success story in East County

By Allen D. Payton

The long-awaited, refurbished Delta Theater is finally open in downtown Brentwood thanks to the efforts of owners Sean McCauley, Ron Harrison and Josh Cadle and their team, with the first showings on Thursday, June 13, 2024. They held two VIP Soft Openings on Wednesday night allowing family, friends and community leaders to enjoy a short film about Brentwood.

The VIP Soft Opening guests were served by the friendly Delta Theater concession stand workers.

The guests entered below the historic, colorfully lit marquee, and were treated to complementary popcorn, snacks and soft drinks. After they each found one of the modern, reclining seats with attached trays, but before showing the film, McCauley welcomed the audience saying, “We’re working through the bugs and we’re trying to get this right. So, we appreciate you guys being our Guinea pigs.”

“We have a really cool video we produced through Weblative about Brentwood,” he continued. “We’re really proud of our city and I think this video will really move everybody. We’re so happy to have you guys here. You guys are the first ones to view it besides the 3:30 VIP Soft Opening folks. Anyway, it’s fantastic. So, I hope you enjoy it.”

A Bit of History

At the evening event, Doreen Pierce Forlow and her sister Lill Pierce were in attendance. Their parents, Clifford and Rose Pierce were the second owners of the theater from 1955 to 1969. Also, in attendance was Antioch dentist, Dr. Rigo Martin, a former employee at the theater during the 1970’s. He worked in the concession stand-candy counter “and did the cleaning,” Martin added.

The three shared some history of the theater and reminisced about their own experiences while growing up and working there.

Opened in 1938 with two screens, the original owner was a magician, Lill shared. He sold it to the Pierces in 1955. One of the theaters had (and still has) a stage which featured live “Mexican stage shows including top billed acts and traveling troops from Mexico,” Martin mentioned.

“They showed Mexican movies two days a week,” Doreen stated.

“Tuesday nights were Ladies Night and they got in for free because the movies changed on Wednesdays to Mexican films,” Lill explained. “There was a double feature every night with cartoons in between and they showed news reels, too.”

Sisters Doreen Pierce Forlow and Lill Pierce, Sean McCauley and Dr. Rigo Martin shared their varied experiences at the theater. The hallway displays historic photos of the theater and movie posters.

Doreen said she was eight years old when her parents bought the theaters.

“I watched every movie shown in the theater,” she added.

The sisters’ cousin, Johnny Giannini, bought it from their parents, Doreen said. “Then sold it around 1979,” Rigo stated. “Then it was purchased by Roberto Arteaga and family.”

“On Sundays, it was a packed house all day watching the Mexican movies,” he added.

“Some people would bring their folding chairs and sit in the aisles,” said Doreen with a chuckle.

On-screen advertising is offered, and a second theater which includes screen and stage is available for rentals.

New Owners

McCauley and Harrison said they bought the building on First Street, which includes the theater, in 2019. Then COVID hit. They started refurbishing all three units which took them over four-and-a-half years.

“We’re glad it’s over,” McCauley said with a laugh. “Seriously, we look forward to serving the community.”

“And giving back,” Harrison added.

The third partner, Cadle is the General Manager.

“He’s a movie geek,” McCauley interjected.

“We’re so happy we’re finally to this point,” a clearly relieved Cadle stated.

“We have contracts with all the big companies: Warner Brothers, Disney, Universal, Paramount,” McCauley shared. “But we’ll also show local films, short films, hold corporate events and we have a stage for live performances.”

“The two theaters seat 200 total,” he added.

Delta Theater, located at 641 First Street in Brentwood, opens to the public on Thursday and will be “showing Inside Out 2 in both theaters. It’s a perfect movie to open with. It’s family friendly,” Cadle said. As of Wednesday night, they were almost sold out with only 11 tickets remaining for opening day.

For movie tickets visit DeltaTheater.com. For on-screen advertising or rentals for the theater with the stage and screen only, call (925) 634-1253.

The project is one of McCauley’s many success stories in and improvements to East County’s historic downtowns including in Antioch and Pittsburg, as well. To learn more about his other successful ventures visit the Sean McCauley Investments website.

 

Maya Cinemas Pittsburg holds scholarship drive through April 15th

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Get free passes for donating to Maya Community Foundation

By Greg Heckman, Director of Marketing, Maya Cinemas

Maya Cinemas, known for developing movie theatres in underserved communities with state-of-the-art presentation, first-class amenities and community involvement, is offering free movies passes for donations to the Maya Community Foundation. Beginning on April 1st and running through April 15th, movie-goers can make a donation at any Maya Cinema and receive 1 free movie passes (valid 4/1/24 – 5/15/24) for every $10 they donate and 3 passes for every $25. One hundred percent of donations will be granted as college scholarships to members of the communities surrounding the theaters. Scholarship applications are live at wearemaya.org/scholarship-applications.html and will be open until May 30th.

The Maya Community Foundation is dedicated to the development and enrichment of the lives of people in the community in which Maya Cinemas’ theatres serve. The foundation is dedicated to fostering and supporting under-served, low-income communities through a variety of programs.

Donations can be made in-theatre at any of Maya’s six locations:

Pittsburg, CA – 4085 Century Boulevard

Salinas, CA – 153 Main Street

Delano, CA – 401 Woollomes Avenue

Fresno, CA – 3090 East Campus Pointe Drive

Bakersfield, CA – 1000 California Avenue

North Las Vegas, NV – 2195 North Las Vegas Blvd.

“Support of higher education is an important building block. The Maya Community Foundation and Maya Cinemas endeavors to enrich the community through several efforts with education being a primary focus.” said Heidi Garcia, Maya Community Foundation.

ABOUT MAYA CINEMAS

Maya Cinemas was chartered in 2000 with a mission to develop, build, own and operate modern, first-run, multi-plex movie theaters in underserved, family oriented, Latino-dominant communities.  Maya Cinemas offers first-run Hollywood movies and unique content through its Canal Maya program in high-end theaters focused on quality of design, state-of-the-art film presentation technology, and providing first-rate entertainment with superior customer service.  The Maya Community Foundation is dedicated to the development and enrichment of the lives of people in the community in which Maya Cinemas serve.