Popcast, episode 1 by Michael Boylan and Emily Baldwin

Show re-lives the magic

After four unprecedented years on London's West End, “The Rat Pack – Live at the Sands” will take the stage for its final weekend in Atlanta at The Fabulous Fox Theatre.

The show, which opened on Tuesday, vividly recreates a legendary evening at the Sands Hotel with the most famous performers of our time: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin. Atlanta audiences have been re-living the excitement of those nights with the Rat Pack, on stage, and will continue to do so with the final five performances, concluding Sunday, Sept. 30.

Lending aid to man’s best friend

The Georgia Heartland Humane Society (GHHS) and the Peachtree City Dog Park will sponsor the fifth annual 5K Doggie Dash tomorrow in Peachtree City.

“Resident Evil” was first a video game and then it made the transition from video game to movie. The first movie was a bit of a surprise. It was fun and a little scary and it came out of nowhere. It was much better than anyone was expecting.

“Never Say No” Joe Kingman (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is a self-obsessed football player who is chasing a national championship. He scores the final touchdown (as usual) and qualifies his team to be in the championship. Things are looking up for Joe when suddenly, his 8-year-old daughter, Peyton (Madison Pettis, “Cory in the House”), shows up at his doorstep. When Joe does not believe she is his daughter, she shows him her birth certificate, therefore giving him no choice but to let her stay with him while her mom is in Africa.

A Trike-A-Thon event, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will be held on Sept. 28 from 9-11 a.m. at Bright Star Learning Center, 245 Clover Reach, Peachtree City, Ga. Lisa Roberts, the event’s volunteer coordinator, said everyone is invited and encouraged to participate.

Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization that raises and trains service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities, seizure disorders or other special needs, is hosting a presentation on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. at the Peachtree City Library in the Floy Farr room at 201 Willowbend Road.

Mark Smith, L, and Dave Dorrell get the crowd going in The Legacy Theatre’s production, “Greater Tuna,” which opened last Friday night at the Tyrone theater. This off beat side-splitting comedy runs for three more weekends, Sept. 28-Oct. 14. Performances will take place on Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults; $22 for seniors and students; and $12 for children 12 and younger. Groups of 20 or more can purchase tickets for $20 each. For more information visit www.thelegacytheatre.org or call 404-895-1473. Photo/Steve Thrasher.

The marching bands from the Fayette County high schools played at Sandy Creek on Saturday evening.

Annual fund raisers underway

Friday night lights beam over high school football fields across the nation, bands perform for cheering crowds, evenings cool and backyard fires blaze: autumn officially arrives this weekend, and the evidence is all around.

What would fall be without the traditional local fairs full of food, exhibits and rides for the whole family? After a host of events held early in the fall, Fayette and Coweta county residents still have several annual events to look forward to, including both the Fayette County Kiwanis Fair and the 2007 Coweta County Fair, sponsored by the Newnan Kiwanis Club, Inc.

With all of the celebrity “news” these days talking about Britney’s parenting, alcohol and drug problems, Lindsey’s second (or was that third?) DUI and Nicole’s day in jail, it’s nothing less than refreshing to see a young Hollywood starlet who brings talent, humor and (what’s that?) straight-laced living to the table. Unfortunately that category of actress seems to be facing a current deficit, but one name inevitably comes to mind and that is Amanda Bynes.

I wanted to call this review “Dragon Conned” but that would suggest that I thought this was going to be a good movie and was tricked. I knew it was going to be bad, I just didn’t know it was going to be this bad.

Rock legend Peter Frampton will close out the 2007 Lexus of South Atlanta Summer Concert Series at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater September 21-22 at 8 p.m.

Frampton was one of the biggest arena rock stars of the '70s. The twice Grammy-nominated musician emerged onto the rock scene in the late ‘60s and has written and recorded dozens of albums with David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd among others. Frampton was named “The Face of 1968” by the UK press and “Artist of the Year” by Rolling Stone Magazine in 1976.

The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater will hold their annual end of the summer auction on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 22 before the Peter Frampton concert to benefit the Fayette County Humane Society.

Fayette County Public Library’s final book sale will take place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds of the sale benefit the library’s numerous programs. The popular and much anticipated book sale, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, will be held in the main meeting room at the Fayette County Public Library, 1821 Heritage Park Way, Fayetteville. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Peachtree City will host the largest military flying demonstration in the state this year, thanks to the United States Air Force and the 10th edition of The Great Georgia Airshow (GGAS). GGAS will be presented Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14, at Falcon Field, Peachtree City, Ga. The air show, produced by the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City and the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), Dixie Wing, will showcase an unprecedented array of modern military aircraft.

Acclaimed Georgia author Amy Blackmarr will read and sign her books and a newly released CD audio-book during "An Evening With Amy Blackmarr" at the Newnan-Coweta Public Library on Tuesday, September 25, beginning at 7:00 pm. The reading and book signing will follow a reception at 6:30 pm.

A folklorist is accused of murder. And you can hear about it straight from the author when mystery novelist, playwright and Clayton State University professor Phillip DePoy reads from his latest fiction novel, “A Widow’s Curse” (St. Martin’s Press), on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Fayette County Public Library, 1821 Heritage Park Way, Fayetteville, Ga.

Eventful weekend underway

The festival season is in full swing this weekend as Fayette and Coweta counties hosts four annual celebrations: the Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival in Peachtree City, Old Town Sharpsburg’s Fall Festival, the Inman Farm Heritage days, and Tyrone Founders Day.

Smash hit returns to The Fox Theatre

From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 13 years, having performed in over 350 cities in 36 countries worldwide.

Nick Snider has some very specific ideas on the subject of patriotism.

So specific in fact that he conceptualized the National Museum of Patriotism in 1996. He purchased a 20,000 square foot building on the corner of Spring and 18th streets in Atlanta to house it and the doors to this one-of-a-kind museum opened on July 4, 2004.

Every once in a while a movie comes along that is so crazily brilliant and brilliantly crazy that it needs to be hailed from the mountain tops for all of its ludicrous glory. That movie is “Shoot ‘Em Up,” a wild ride about a man named Smith, an orphaned baby he feels duty-bound to protect and hundreds upon hundreds of goons with guns out to blast Smith and the baby off the planet.

The Citizen Newspapers recently had the opportunity to have a phone conversation with Michael Britt, the lead guitarist and background vocalist for the popular country music group Lonestar.

Country outfit comes to town Saturday

This weekend will be one of the last opportunities music fans will have to see country music band, Lonestar, with the remaining members of its original lineup. Richie McDonald, the group’s lead singer, will perform his last show with the band on November 7 before moving on to pursue other opportunities.

Pop icon Tony Orlando will perform at The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City on both Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m.

Orlando, born to a Greek father and Puerto Rican mother, was born and raised in Manhattan’s infamous Hell’s Kitchen. He began his musical career with a doo-wop group he formed, The Five Gents. Orlando began hitting the national charts at the age of 16 with “Halfway to Paradise” and “Bless You” as the first vocal artist to sign with Epic Records. He later routed his musical career to the nonperformance side and became one of the youngest vice-presidents for CBS Records.

Rob Zombie has made some very nasty horror movies in the past and his version of “Halloween” keeps his streak alive. Zombie is a very capable director, but it is hard to get through either of his previous films. They aren’t just filled with disturbing images and violence, they tend to be kind of mean, too. His version of “Halloween,” which isn’t necessarily a remake or a reboot, but rather a kind of prequel, is way more brutal than John Carpenter’s (classic) original and it just isn’t necessary.

Robert Stokley, who lost his son in combat in Iraq two years ago, will be the special guest speaker at Fayetteville Main Street’s God & Country Night this Sunday night.

This weekend will herald the 37th year of the Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival, which draws thousands of visitors each Labor Day weekend.

I don’t know why two of the guys behind “The State” and “Reno 911” have made so many mediocre, so-so comedies, but “Balls of Fury” continues this maddening streak. This comedy about ping pong has lots of smirk and chuckle-worthy humor, but it would never be mistaken for a comedy classic.