The North American box office over Memorial Day Weekend might be described as a wasteland, with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie” pulling in disappointing holiday opening numbers, according to industry estimates.

“Furiosa” brought in an estimated $32 million Friday through Monday, with $25.5 million of that generated Friday through Sunday, representing the lowest total for a top-grossing film on Memorial Day weekend since 1995.

The prequel to 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, with Taylor-Joy playing a younger version of the character played by Charlize Theron in the 2015 film. It is the fifth film in the action-heavy franchise that began with 1979’s “Mad Max,” all directed by Australian George Miller.

“The Garfield Movie,” came in second, an animated comedy based on the popular comic strip created by Jim Davis, stars Chris Pratt as the voice of Garfield. It opened with an estimated $31.1 million Friday through Monday, Comscore reported.

Director John Krasinski’s fantasy film “IF” slipped to third place one week after opening in first place, grossing an estimated $21 million Friday through Monday, Comscore reported.

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” was fourth with $17.2 million in its third week, followed by “The Fall Guy” with $7.65 million in its fourth weekend. Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “The Strangers: Chapter 1” ($6.9 million), “Sight” ($3.6 million), “Challengers” ($1.76 million), “Back to Black” ($1.35 million) and “Babes” ($1.23 million).

This weekend’s overall four-day box office haul was estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore. The 2024 year-to-date total — $2.586 billion — was down an estimated 22% compared to the same time period in 2023.

City News Service contributed to this article.

The popular, free Sundown Sunday concert series at Civita in Mission Valley returns this summer on June 9 with a concert by the 1980s dance band BetaMaxx. 

The high-energy band delivers a non-stop, nostalgia-filled rock concert that keeps the dance floor packed with tunes from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode and more. 

The concerts run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the outdoor amphitheater in Civita Park at the intersection of Civita Boulevard and Russell Park Way. Guests are invited to bring blankets, beach chairs and picnics.

Take-out meals are available across the street at Poki Bowl and El Tianguis or from a selection of food trucks. 

On July 7 Republic of Music will take the stage. This cover band performs hits from every significant musical style. The band is known throughout Southern California for its raw, emotive energy and 600-song repertoire.

On Aug. 11, the Mighty Untouchables return to Civita Park. This popular multi-cultural mix of musicians and singers entertains throughout the world, bringing everything from Motown to classic rock, along with Latin, country and current pop hits. 

Their repertoire includes songs from Lizzo, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Prince, Toto, David Bowie, The Temptations, Journey, and more.

The wildly successful Kicks Band will debut at Civita Park on Sept. 8.  Kicks is a variety dance band whose musical repertoire spans six decades. The band got its start performing full-time in clubs throughout Southern California, then branched into the Las Vegas casino and corporate circuits.

The 14-acre Civita Park is the civic heart of Civita, a 230-acre master-planned community being developed by Sudberry Properties on a former rock quarry site in Mission Valley. The multi-level public park features active play areas, civic event areas, gardens, stylish group seating, a community garden, a dog park, outdoor game areas, a military tribute, and an interactive splash fountain.

Coronado has found a home among Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches.

Florida International University professor Stephen Leatherman, known to many as Dr. Beach, releases his famed list each year ahead of Memorial Day weekend. 

Coronado is a mainstay, this year rounding out the Top 10, while also being the only California beach to make the cut.

He called Coronado Beach “the toast of Southern California” and a “veritable oasis by the sea.”

Duke Kahanamoku in Hawaii earned his top spot because of its white coral sand and clear water. It doesn’t hurt, Leatherman said, that an volcano crater sits as its backdrop at the west end of Waikiki Beach and it’s also the widest beach on a world-famous stretch.

Hawaii claimed two other slots – Wailea Beach in Maui at No. 3 and Poipu Beach in Kauai at No. 7.

Leatherman has selected the Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Previous national winners are retired and listed on his web site.

Fifty criteria are used to evaluate beaches, including water and sand quality as well as safety and management. He awards bonus points for beaches with smoking bans. 

Leatherman is a coastal scientist who has published 20 books and hundreds of scientific articles and reports about storm impacts, coastal erosion and ways to improve beach health and safety.

Picture this: it’s 1983, the era of big hair, denim jackets, and air-guitar solos in front of the mirror. You pop in that cassette tape, press play, and Def Leppard’s third studio album, Pyromania, fills the air with some of the catchiest hard rock you’ve ever heard. It’s the first album to feature guitar wizard Phil Collen, and the second produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, following 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry. 

Unleashing a slew of infectious hit singles, Pyromania would go on to sell more than 10 million copies and — along with its follow-up, Hysteria — make Def Leppard one of only five rock bands in history to have two Diamond-certified albums. More importantly, the music would launch the band into the stratosphere and ultimately define a generation. 

Fast forward to 2024: Def Leppard — still filling stadiums with their anthemic hits — is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their landmark album with a beast of a reissue on UMC/Mercury. Aptly named Pyromania 40, the 4CD + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, executive produced by lead singer Joe Elliott and Ronan McHugh, comes packed with no less than 94 songs and five videos. No fa-fa-fa Foolin.’

To start, you’ve got a remastered version of the original album, sounding crisper and more powerful than ever before. “Right from the very early days we had a specific idea of how we wanted to sound,” recalls bassist Rick Savage. “A massive wall of guitars and drums supporting huge vocals and melodies. That vision came to fruition with the making of ‘Pyromania.’ Even now it still has that special quality that made it such a groundbreaking record.” 

Dive deeper, and you’ll discover a rarities disc dedicated to unheard demos, rough mixes, and studio outtakes, including the album’s long lost, unfinished eleventh track, “No You Can’t Do That.” These raw recordings give you a glimpse into the creative process behind the album, showcasing the evolution of monster hits like “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages.”

Flip to the two live CDs, and you’ll be transported to unforgettable concerts from the Pyromania era. Picture yourself rocking out in the front row at the LA Forum or joining the crowd at Westfalen Halle in Dortmund, Germany. It’s like having a time machine that lets you experience the energy and excitement of the band’s legendary performances. Even better: you can hear many of these songs live, and the band’s other hits, when Def Leppard plays Petco Park with Journey and Steve Miller Band on Aug. 30.

But let’s not forget about the Blu-ray. This audio-visual gem is a true feast for the senses. With a Dolby Atmos mix of the album overseen by Giles Martin (known for his work with another British band named The Beatles), you’ll feel like you’re standing in the middle of the studio as the band lays down tracks. Add in the 5.1 Stereo and instrumental mixes, and you’ll gain a whole new perspective of the sonically spectacular album. And the five official videos — “Foolin’” and “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” among them — will have you feeling like you’re watching MTV from back in the day.

The real cherry on top of this comprehensive reissue is the beautifully curated book filled with rare photos by Ross Halfin (Led Zeppelin, AC-DC, Van Halen) and new interviews with the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. It’s like a backstage pass to the making of Pyromania. 

In addition to the hefty Super Deluxe Edition ($99.98), there’s a 2CD version featuring the remastered album and a selection of rarities and four live tracks, as well as various single and double vinyl editions. You can purchase your preferred format (and some pretty cool swag) here. 

All in all, Pyromania 40 is worth the nostalgia trip and a must-have for any music lover’s collection. So, roll those windows down, crank up the volume, and let Def Leppard take you on a raucous ride down memory lane. 

Donovan Roche, a San Diego-based writer/editor, has covered the music, entertainment, and arts scene for more than 30 years. Send your story ideas to droche17@cox.net. 

Richard M. Sherman, the prolific composer-lyricist who with his late brother Robert penned some of Disney’s most popular songs including “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from the 1964 classic “Mary Poppins,” died Saturday at the age of 95, the Burbank-based entertainment giant announced.

“Richard Sherman was the embodiment of what it means to be a Disney Legend, creating along with his brother Robert the beloved classics that have become a cherished part of the soundtrack of our lives,” Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement Saturday. “From films like `Mary Poppins’ and `The Jungle Book’ to attractions like It’s a Small World, the music of the Sherman Brothers has captured the hearts of generations of audiences. We are forever grateful for the mark Richard left on the world, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”

Sherman died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to age-related illness, Disney said.

Sherman was born in New York City but moved to Beverly Hills with his family in 1937, where he later attended Beverly Hills High School. He majored in music at Bard College and later served as conductor for the U.S. Army band and glee club from 1953-55.

Gene Autry was the first to record a Sherman brothers song with 1951’s “Gold Can Buy You Anything But Love,” and the sibling songwriters got another big break several years later when Annette Funicello recorded their song “Tall Paul.” That tune, which peaked at No. 7 on the charts, caught the attention of Walt Disney, who hired the Sherman brothers as staff songwriters for The Walt Disney Studios.

They wrote songs for feature films including “The Absent-Minded Professor” (1961), “The Parent Trap” (1961), “Summer Magic” (1963), “Mary Poppins” (1964), “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” (1966), “The Jungle Book” (1967), “The Happiest Millionaire” (1967), “The Aristocats” (1970), and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971).

They would ultimately write more than 200 songs for some 27 films and 24 television productions.

They also contributed music for a number of theme park attractions around the world, including “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” and “It’s a Small World.” Richard once described the latter tune as “a prayer for peace.”

The brothers returned in the early 1980s to write songs for Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando and Tokyo Disneyland, including “One Little Spark” and “Meet the World.”

Beyond their work with Disney, the Sherman Brothers provided music, songs and occasional screen plays to such memorable family films as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968), “Snoopy Come Home” (1972), “Charlotte’s Web” (1973), “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1973) and “Huckleberry Finn” (1974).

Richard earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning two Oscars for his work on “Mary Poppins.” He also won three Grammy Awards, and received 24 gold and platinum albums over the course of his 65-year career.

Richard and his brother were inducted as Disney Legends in 1990. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, and were awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 2008.

“The Sherman brothers were professional optimists who found a perfect patron in Walt Disney,” film historian Leonard Maltin said. “Their songs had an upbeat outlook that spilled over into Richard’s life, which was not without its troubles and challenges. He was especially proud that he and his brother carried on a songwriting career like their father, who encouraged them early on.”

Robert Sherman died in 2012.

Richard stayed active through his later years, writing new lyrics for the live-action “The Jungle Book” in 2016 and composing three new songs for “Christopher Robin” in 2018.

In 2023, he wrote a new song with composer Fabrizio Mancinelli for Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s 2023 animated short, “Mushka.” Titled “Mushka’s Lullabye,” the song was sung by acclaimed soprano Holly Sedillos.

Richard is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elizabeth; son Gregory and grandsons William and Matthew; daughter Victoria Wolf, son-in-law Doug Wolf, and grandchildren Mandy and Anthony. He is also survived by his daughter from a previous marriage, Lynda Rothstein, as well as her two children and three grandchildren.

A private funeral is scheduled to take place May 31 at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles, Disney officials said. Plans for a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

–City News Service

Spreckels Organ Society, a nonprofit organization curating concerts and performances in the heart of Balboa Park, announced this week its 36th annual San Diego International Summer Organ Festival — the largest organ festival in the U.S.

Beginning June 17 through Sept. 2., the Spreckels Organ Society will host these special 90-minute concerts for free on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m.

Highlights include Jeff Thayer, San Diego Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster, performing for the first time in the Festival with San Diego Civic Organist Raul Prieto Ramirez; a Jazz & Organ Quintet from Montreal for Jazz lovers; the Spreckels Organ performing with a 32-member symphony orchestra; a not-so-Silent Movie Night; a Labor Day Classic Rock concert with the 7-member Pavilion Rock Band; and international acclaimed organists and competition winners.

“There is truly something for every music lover,” said Raúl Prieto Ramirez, San Diego Civic organist and artistic director for the Spreckels Organ Society. “It’s all here! The Society is proud to present an explosion of styles, sounds, colors, and cultures in the heart of Balboa Park!

“With such a large variety, our focus is on serving the community,” said Prieto Ramirez. “Nowhere else can a family take their kids to gain exposure to the purest of art forms, broaden their musical awareness, expand their musical joy, learn about new repertoires, and hear new and old styles far from mainstream.”

In addition to the special summer performances, the Spreckels Organ Pavilion also hosts weekly concerts every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Through the generosity of the City of San Diego, the weekly Spreckels Organ Society concerts at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion are presented at no charge in accordance with the 1915 Deed of Gift whereby the brothers John and Adolph Spreckels gave the organ and pavilion to the City of San Diego. Donations are always accepted.

Set in the beautiful backdrop of Balboa Park’s open-air venue at 2125 Pan American Road, performances bring a one-of-a-kind experience for guests. The elevated music venue brings world-class musical artists for San Diegans and visitors to enjoy, for free, on the largest outdoor musical instrument in the world!

For the full Festival program, visit spreckelsorgan.org/summer-organ-festival. For more information about the Spreckels Organ Society, visit www.SpreckelsOrgan.org.

A judge on Friday denied Alec Baldwin’s motion to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge against him stemming from the shooting death of a cinematographer on a New Mexico set.

Baldwin’s lawyers in March filed a motion to dismiss the grand jury indictment. They accused prosecutors of engaging in misconduct and said they “publicly dragged Baldwin through the cesspool created by their improprieties – without any regard for the fact that serious criminal charges have been hanging over his head for two and a half years.”

In her ruling in New Mexico on Friday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer rejected each of Baldwin’s lawyers’ arguments for dismissal, finding that the grand jury process was not prejudiced against the actor.

He was indicted by a grand jury on Jan. 19. His trial is scheduled to begin July 10.

It was the second time he was charged in the 2021 shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He had been similarly charged in January 2023 and pleaded not guilty, but three months later prosecutors dropped the charges, citing “new facts” that left them unable to immediately proceed with the case.

Those charges were dropped as Baldwin’s attorneys questioned whether the prop gun that Baldwin was holding on the set of the movie “Rust” during a rehearsal was functioning properly when it fired a live round that killed Hutchins and wounded film director Joel Souza.

“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said in a statement following the indictment.

Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger on the gun, and had been told it was “cold” – meaning, it did not contain live ammunition.

According to reports, special prosecutors had further tests conducted on the weapon after charges were dropped last year and concluded there was evidence to proceed with the case.

Baldwin had originally been charged along with the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, with involuntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in the commission of a lawful act stemming from the Oct. 21, 2021 shooting of Hutchins, 42, with the prop gun wielded by Baldwin.

Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, has insisted that while he pulled back the hammer on the weapon, he never pulled the trigger.

Gutierrez-Reed, who also pleaded not guilty, is serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March. Prosecutors argued that she was sloppy and unprofessional, and that she failed to make sure that no live rounds made their way to set.

“Rust” assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest earlier to a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon in exchange for a suspended sentence and six months probation.

Filming on “Rust,” suspended after the shooting, but has since resumed, with Hutchins’ husband serving as a producer under the terms of a legal settlement.

Hutchins’ parents, Olga Solovey and Anatolii Androsovych, and the film’s script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, also have filed a civil lawsuit in the case.

– City News Service

May gray, yeah yeah. You know what this San Diego weekend is? It’s the unofficial, unquestioned beginning of summer, sun or no (sorry, June 20). We don’t make the unwritten rules, but we sure do embrace ’em.

And also, summer symbolism aside, Memorial Day is a time to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. Never hurts to pause and send a thank you out into the universe.

Some of the biggest attractions in San Diego kick off the season with special celebrations:

• Legoland California in Carlsbad hosts the World Parade at 6 p.m. Friday featuring Lego floats, including a Lego City firetruck and for young swashbucklers, a pirate ship, a cast of costumed characters and more than 50 entertainers. The route runs through the west side of the park. Continues on select dates through Sept 2.
• The NAT in Balboa Park embarks on the “Summer of Wonder” with new exhibits, extended hours, special “Weekends of Wonder,” and Nat at Night every week, starting at 5 p.m. Friday.
• SeaWorld launches its Summer Spectacular with the “So Much More to SEA Parade” and “Shamu and Crew – Together Again” character show. Top off the day with the new Enchanted Wonders Fireworks show.

The Lebanese Festival 2024 at St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church in El Cajon begins at 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the country’s cuisine, folk dancing, a kids zone, wine and beer garden and hookah bar, along with live music in the evenings. Admission costs $5.

The San Diego-TEMA, Ghana Sister City Society hosts a celebration of Africa at Balboa Park’s International Cottages at noon Saturday. The event includes traditional foods, dancing and singing from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

The Vista Strawberry Festival opens bright and early, at 8 a.m. Sunday, and it’s not just about eating the delectable fruit in anyway possible. Dress up in your berry best and hey, make stuffing yourself a competition too, with strawberry pie and sundaes the fruitful fare. The new San Diego FC makes an appearance at the free fest too.

Looking for Memorial Day commemorations? Try:

• USS Midway Museum – The Remembrance Wall Exhibit will be up for the weekend beginning Friday. “Meet the Aviators” on the flight deck, at 10 a.m. Sunday, with much more to follow starting at 9 a.m. Monday. There’s a wreath-laying ceremony on the flight deck, followed by bands from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Arizona and Bonita Vista High School, ahead of the 3 p.m. National Moment of Remembrance. 
• Arlington West – San Diego Veterans for Peace holds a memorial on the front lawn of the Midway Museum for 288 service members from Southern California killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. it will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday off Harbor Drive and Broadway.
• Two national cemeteries will host events – Fort Rosecrans in Point Loma at 10 a.m. and Miramar at 1 p.m., where the program will mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day with local World War II D-Day veterans set to attend.

The San Diego Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “Jasper Johns: Drawings and Prints,” offers works on paper by a renowned and enduring American artist of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Running through Oct. 27, the show features 14 significant works on paper dating from 1960 to 2021, including six drawings on loan from the artist.

The exhibit offers a glimpse into Johns’ creativity through his innovative use of mediums and images in prints and rare drawings, part of an era that redefined contemporary art.

Works on display include Two Flags (1960), Figure 2 (1973) and several from The Seasons series (1985–1991).

Additionally, the show includes works that feature one of Johns’ most enigmatic motifs, a subject of speculation in the art world.

The central figure in Green Angel, a colored etching from 1991 that the artist gifted to the museum, along with related works, in 2006, is a mysterious juxtaposition of shapes that he used in multiple pieces of art while never revealing his source of inspiration.

In 2021, art critic John Yau published evidence that the Green Angel motif very likely arose from the contours of a sculpture by Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) entitled Torso of the Woman Centaur and Minotaur.

Now those who attend the exhibition may take a guess at what Johns might have been hinting.

Disneyland’s popular “Fantasmic!” show will return Friday, nearly a year after it went on hiatus due to a fire that engulfed the attraction’s giant prop dragon.

The show will include a “reimagined battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent,” according to the park.

“In the reimagined battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent, Mickey gathers all his magical powers, creating colorful swirls of light as sparkling pyrotechnics bolt from his fingers,” according to a statement from the park. “Cloaked in her dark gown with her powerful scepter in hand, Maleficent ascends to a height of 35 feet as she appears to ignite the Rivers of America in flames.”

The “Fantasmic!” show has been on hold since April 2023, when a fire erupted during a performance and burned the Maleficent dragon during the performance’s finale. The Anaheim Fire Department responded, and all Disney guests and employees were safely evacuated from the area. No injuries were reported.

The blaze prompted Disney to suspend its use of fire effects at select shows in parks worldwide.

The original “Fantasmic!” show opened in Frontierland in 1992 and featured fireworks, various Disney characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats and mist screen projections.

The show went inside Mickey Mouse’s imagination as he battled various Disney villains, including Maleficent in her dragon form, which was about 45 feet tall.

Disneyland officials said the revamped show maintains the original premise — minus the dragon — and “brings back the iconic `Peter Pan’ scene and introduces The Lost Boys as they join Peter Pan and Wendy to battle Captain Hook on a pirate ship that sails into view on the Rivers of America. They execute a stunning series of spectacular duels and falls during this swashbuckling sequence.”

–City News Service