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By far the hottest concert month of 2009, July brings such big-ticket acts as Beyonce (July 9, Arco Arena), Coldplay and No Doubt (July 14 and July 24, respectively, Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Wheatland) to the Sacramento area.

In terms of pure variety, however, one day in July stands out: On July 10, the squeaky-clean American Idols will play Arco as the darker-tinged Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Tour, headlined by Marilyn Manson and Slayer, happens 40 miles away in Wheatland.

Too bad Adam Lambert will be too busy with his own show to hang with Manson. Because Manson could teach the "Idol" runner-up a thing or two about Goth androgyny and Lambert could instruct Manson on the joys of smiling on stage and non-monotone singing.

For tickets to these July shows, go to the the Ticketmaster site.

The Saturday night concert series at the Fountains at Roseville was soooo successful last year that it's back - with two additional nights of free entertainment.

And that includes disco lessons this Friday!

According to folks at the Fountains, almost 2,000 people attended the first week of events last month, so they're adding events for July. Here's the schedule - and let me know if you need to find some polyester!

* Friday entertainment: The first Friday of each month (that would be tomorrow) will see the main street closed to only pedestrian traffic. There will be a farmers market, performers, a sidewalk sale and a car show from 6 to 9 p.m. On stage, the All Star DJ Group will host a dance exhibition, karaoke and the aforementioned disco dancing. For the rest of the Fridays in July, here's the lineup.

July 10: Rising Star Karaoke contest
July 17: DJ/Motown Madness (soul/R&B)
July 24: DJ/World Dance (all nationalities)

* Saturday entertainment: All concerts are set for the main stage and begin at 7 p.m. Here's the lineup.

July 4: Black Tuesday Jazz Band (Dixie/New Orleans style). Note time change: 5 to 7 p.m.
July 11: Code Blue (rock/R&B)
July 18: Loose Change (rocking blues)
July 25: Groove Thang ('70s and '80s/disco)

* Wednesday entertainment: These concerts will feature a mix of bands, trios and duets on stage from 7 to 9 p.m. Here's the lineup.

July 8: The Hucklebucks (light rock)
July 15: Jerry Martini Trio (jazz/R&B)
July 22: Bobby D & the Blues Org (blues/rock)
July 29: Vibrocounts (surf/R&R)

Also, every second Saturday of the month, the Fountains will host Kids Club , featuring entertainment, crafts and activities for the younger crowd. The next event is at 10 a.m. July 11 and will highlight Michael Bayard's exhibition of percussion instruments from Africa, Mexico, South America, Asia, Europe and right here at home.

For more info. click here.

Starting next Monday, seven Sacramento Public Library branches will be open just 36 hours a week, thanks to city budget reductions.

Not to worry: You'll find an open library somewhere in the system every day of the week - and three libraries will have longer hours.

Here's the schedule for the 10 affected branches:

Colonial Heights, 4799 Stockton Blvd.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday; noon-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, and 1-5 p.m. Friday. Closed Saturday-Sunday.

Belle Cooledge Library, 5600 S. Land Park Drive
Noon-8 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 1-5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.

Del Paso Heights Library, 920 Grand Avenue
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 1-5 p.m. Friday. Closed Saturday-Sunday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 7340 24th Street Bypass
Noon-8 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and 1-5 p.m. Friday. Closed Saturday-Sunday.

Ella K. McClatchy Library, 2112 22nd St.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, noon-8 p.m. Wednesday, 1-5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.

McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd.
Noon-8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, 1-5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.

North Natomas Library, 2500 New Market Drive
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; and 1-5 p.m. Friday. Closed Saturday-Sunday.

North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library, 2109 Del Paso Blvd.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, noon-8 p.m. Wednesday, 1-5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.

South Natomas Library, 2901 Truxel Road
Noon-8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 1-5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.

"Sacramento Public Library card holders can also continue to access our free, online services any time of day from any computer with Internet access," said spokeswoman Alison B. Landers.

Go to www.saclibrary.org to research databases, download books, music and videos and language courses, and find homework help for grades 3-12.

For more info on our public libraries: (916) 264-2920

When the famed Van Cliburn International Piano competition is over is when some intense touring begins for its finalists.

After all, one of the perks of placing at the festival is the extensive booking network the Van Cliburn offers.

So it is no surprise that it didn't take long for Di Wu, one of the finalists of the 13th Van Cliburn competition, to make a local concert appearance.

That concert will take place at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto on Aug. 3 at 7 p.m., and is presented jointly with the Bear Valley Music Festival.

The 24 year-old Wu will play Clara Schumann's Mazurka from "Soirées Musicales", Op. 6, Richard Schumann's "Davidsbündlertänze", Op. 6, and Joseph-Maurice Ravel's "Miroirs," and Gounod-Liszt's Concert Waltz from "Faust".

Like the three medal winners at the competition, Wu originally hails from the Far East. She was born in China and made her professional debut at age 14 with the Beijing Philharmonic. Since then, she has performed with several U.S. orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.

Wu moved to the United States in 1999 to study at the Manhattan School of Music and later relocated to Philadelphia to study with noted piano teacher Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Upon completing her undergraduate education at Curtis, Wu returned to New York City where she is currently in the masters program at The Juilliard School of Music.

When: 7 p.m., Aug. 3
Where: Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St., Modesto
Cost: $20-$30
Information: (877) 488-3380 or www.galloarts.org.

I have fantastic news for those midtown coffee elitists who routinely schlep it all the way to 10th street for what many consider to be the best cup in Sacramento.

On Monday, Temple Fine Coffee & Tea opened a new shop, located at 2829 S St.. The shop is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through August, and, beginning Sept. 1, hours will be extended to 11 p.m.

The menu includes the same delicious coffees, teas and baked goods found at the original location, and the new space is larger and lighter, with a gorgeous wooden coffee bar any barista would covet.

The interior of the shop is, in my opinion, a freelance writer's dream. In front, there's a large grid of small tables, and they've all got access to electrical outlets (no more table stalking!). The WiFi is up and working beautifully, and the bike racks are already situated outside (many kudos for being ahead of the game).

Bravo to ample seating (including shaded patio seating), a gorgeous wood-inspired interior and, perhaps most important, excellent air conditioning. Looks like I've found a new workspace.

Temple Fine Coffee & Tea
2829 S Street, Sacramento
www.templecoffee.com
(916) 454-1272

Roseville's annual children's art show will have the theme "Colors of Culture" this year to celebrate the diversity of cultures in local communities.

Kids 5 to 13 can submit works on the theme for a show at the Blue Line Gallery that will run from mid-August to November.

Works accompanied by a $5 entry fee will be accepted from 1-5 p.m. Aug. 7-8 at the gallery, 405 Vernon St., Suite 100, in Roseville.

For more precise information on entry requirements, drop by the gallery, or check online at rosevillearts.org.

Rosevlle's libraries and utilities are getting together to sponsor a new "green" book club for readers interested in environmental issues.

The club is holding its first meeting at 5 p.m. July 10 in the Maidu Branch, and will meet on the second Friday of the month after that.

Participants are invited to share their favorite books or films that deal with water conservation, recycling or climate change. No starting suggestions are offered, so the group's topics and its formats are open to whatever participants want.

For more information, call the library at (916) 774-5221.

I just got an e-mail from a company in New York that's pitching mSpot.com's ringtones that pretty much sum up the predicament - make that a 150-year prison stint - that Bernie Madoff is facing. The mobile music site has pulled together a list of 12 tones perfect for anyone wanting to put the financial schemer in his proper place - and in their ears!

What's cool is you can edit up to 30 seconds of your favorite tone, and you don't have to download what the carrier pre-selected.

Like I said, there are 12, but get creative and make up your own tone!

Here's what mSpot.com recommends:

* "For the Rest of My Life" - Dionne Warwick
* "Jailhouse Rock" - Elvis
* "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
* "Cell Block B" - Survival of the Fittest
* "You Had It Coming" - June
* "Locked Up" - Akon
* "Solitary Confinement" - The Weirdos (my personal favorite)
* "Apologize" - OneRepublic
* "What You Deserve" - De/Vision
* "When Goodbye Means Forever" - I Killed the Prom Queen
* "Seasons of Love" - Soundtrack from "Rent"
* This Is How I Disappear" - My Chemical Romance

For more information, click here.

There's famous and there's infamous, and Michael Jackson, over the past several years, had become the latter.

A tabloid fixture better known for his wacky fashions, surgically altered features and Peter Pan complex than his music, Jackson's odd life had, at age 50, almost eclipsed his extraordinary career.

But no matter what one thought of the epaulets on his shoulders, the self-bestowed "King of Pop" title or the 2005 child-molestation trial (he was acquitted), there was no denying the pure magic of Jackson the performer.

From the time he first fronted the Jackson 5 as a boy, he showed he could sing beautifully and dance like a dream, transforming songs such as "ABC" from irresistible to unforgettable.

But he had something else, something extra, that even the very famous rarely possess. When you saw Jackson spin on stage as an 11-year-old or moon-walk as a 24-year-old or heard his high register on "Billie Jean," he induced chills. And not just the first time you saw the video or heard the song. Every time.

In his preternatural abundance of what is called "star quality," Jackson was rivaled only by Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, both of whom, not coincidentally, died too young.

Jackson's death, at 50, from a suspected cardiac arrest makes you wonder whether performers as special as he - people touched by some force none of us really understands - ever can enjoy normal lives.

"GOT MILK"

A tall glass of chilled milk probably will taste good when the temps heat up this weekend. Good timing for the Milk Mustache Mobile "Drink Well, Live Well" tour, which heads to Sactown for a short stint starting Saturday.

The tour does have a purpose: To educate folks about the benefits of gulping milk. While on tour, the "milk" team will offer free health assessments, five-minute massages (who couldn't use this?) and free lowfat and fat-free milk samples.

Quick factoid: Did you know that more than 250 celebrities/athletes have endorsed milk, and that includes those infamous "Got Milk?" mustache ads. Models Christie Brinkley and Naomi Campbell launched the original campaign. And you've probably seen other faces like Brooke Shields, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Heidi Klum. Even Britney Spears (pictured) got on board - nine years ago - before she opted for alternative beverages (natch).

Now, Sacramento folks can hop on the milk wellness wagon and pose for their own souvenir "Milk Mustache" photos at any of the events listed below.

Here's the sked:

* 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Saturday: Nugget Market, 7101 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
* 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday: Raley's, 4900 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
* 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday: Viva Market, 4211 Norwood Ave., Sacramento
* 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday: Target, 2505 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento

If you've been remotely conscious over the past couple of months, you know that SAMMIES fever is in the air. If you've been musically conscious over the past couple of months, you've probably gone to check out some pretty spectacular performances by Sacramento's best local bands.

Like a pimple that's come to a head, the culmination of SAMMIES season is about to pop, rock and jam at the Sacramento News & Review Music Fest, unfolding from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow, June 27 at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento.

Fourteen SAMMIE-nominated bands are scheduled to perform live on two stages at this free, all-ages event, so there's no good excuse not to go. Think of it as an investment for your Sacram-intellectualism: In one fell swoop, you can bring yourself up to speed on the rock stars of the local music scene. You'll kill it at cocktail parties this year.

Here's the lineup: Justin Farren, Sol Peligro, Agent Ribbons, Arden Park Roots, Light Rail, Righteous Movement, Category 7, Dog Party, Be Brave Bold Robot, Alak, The Other Poets, Sister Crayon, Silver Darling and DJ Shaun Slaughter.

In addition to music, there will be a beer and wine garden and a giant inflatable slide (Those things go together like peanut butter and jelly.), art and fashion vendors, a dunk tank "stocked" with Sacred City Derby Girls, a petting zoo, and misters for all you summertime vampires.

After the show, check out the after party at Marilyn's, featuring City State, Live Manikins and DJ Whores.

To find out what else is going on this weekend, don't forget to check out "Seven Things to Do This Weekend."

Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys (Calaveras County) kicks off its Summer Concert season on July 18 with a magnificent double bill: Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers) and Boz Scaggs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Here's the lineup for the rest of a star-studded season at Ironstone Amphitheatre:

July 24 - The Moody Blues and Dave Mason

Aug. 7- Alan Jackson

Aug. 16 - Diana Krall with Dave Koz and Brian Culbertson

Aug. 28- Jason Mraz and Raphael Saadiq

Sept. 6 - Chris Isaak with Brian Setzer & Nashvillains

Sept. 18 - Lynyrd Skynyrd and Los Lonely Boys

Sept. 19 - Crosby, Stills & Nash

For ticket prices and purchases, call (800) 745-3000 or go to www.ticketmaster.com

Ironstone Vineyards is at 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys. For more info: (209) 728-1251, www.ironstonevineyards.com

Yesterday, it was announced that archeologists have discovered a flute dated at 35,000 years old.

The announcement, which was published online by the journal Nature, couldn't be more timely.

Why is that, do you say?

Because it states the case that music was an important and integrated part of the lives of primitive humans, and even Neanderthals.

The flute, whose discovery was led by archeologist Nicholas Conrad from the University of Tuebingen, was found in the Hohle Fels cave area of Southern Germany.

The flute was made from griffon vulture bone. Initially, 12 pieces were scattered in the cave, prompting Conrad to rebuild a replica of the flute.

The replica proved eminently playable.

Other artistic artifacts were also discovered in the cave, suggesting that artistic endeavors were no minor concern at the time.

For times like ours, where orchestras and opera companies are cutting back seasons or shuttering doors for good, this discovery speaks volumes about why we should value the arts in dark economic times.

It can be argued that if valuing music was important to early humans and Neanderthals, shouldn't it be doubly important for the "enlightened" homo sapien of the 21st century?

But you wouldn't know it by looking at the state's public school music programs or the scant funds the U.S. government allocates to the arts in the NEA budget.

And that suggests this troubling thought: perhaps we're not nearly as evolved as we think we are.

www.nature.com/nature

It's a trek - by plane, train or automobile - but talented folks in Northern California shouldn't pass up the opportunity to be the next "American Idol." Auditions for Season 9 (can you believe it!) are already under way. They've made a stop in Chicago.

Next Tuesday, the "Idol" auditions head to Los Angeles with pre-registration Sunday and Monday at the Rose Bowl, which actually is in Pasadena.

Here's how it works: On the pre-registration days, wristbands will be distributed to auditioners once the tables open at 7 a.m. Camera crews will be hanging around, so feel free to sing at will - if you've got the pipes! But we know there will be those who just hope for their three seconds of fame.

On audition day, registered auditioners can start lining up at 5 a.m. For those "Idol" watchers wondering why we see snippets of their family and friends once the show airs next January, this is when all that stuff is filmed. Contestants who do make it through to the next round can't - I repeat can't - sing for the cameras after their audition. Those who don't make it through can show how generally upset and distraught and angry they are at being dissed. We'll see that, too, next year.

Let's hope someone from Sactown makes it through!

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is selling eight tickets per second across the country, according to the online ticket sales site Fandango.

In Sacramento, you don't want to try going to the 9 p.m. showing at Century Plaza Downtown tonight. Fandango already shows the film, also known as Transformers 2, sold out at that hour and some other times. The film sold out its midnight showings in some markets, and followed that up with sell-outs of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. shows.

The Megan Fox/Shia LaBeouf film is racking up viewers, despite reviews that are less than stellar. The Bee's review can bee seen at sacbee.com and a trailer for the film is at www.transformers.com.

For information on which shows are sold out, see www.fandango.com.

This week - and heading into the weekend - we found some events worth checking out:

• Nordstrom Arden Fair will host a trunk show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to preview the exclusive fall Gucci ready-to-wear women's collection. A representative from the fashion line will be in the in-store Gucci boutique (second floor) to answer questions and assist customers. There will be informal modeling. For more information: (916) 646-2400, ext. 1350.

• Total Beauty Experience (2929 Arden Way) will host two Jane Iredale makeup classes at 3 and 6 p.m. Thursday at the store. Celebrity artist Brian Lorenz will conduct the demos and teach the classes. Guests will get tips on makeup application to suit their daily routines. Following the demos, guests can actually apply their own makeup - assisted by the Jane Iredale team. Brian's background includes lots of face time with celebrities for the stage and the red carpet. You might have caught him on TV. If so, you know he's got a big personality and is fun to work with. There will be gifts with purchase and refreshments during each class. Reservations are a must because each demo is limited to 20 people. A non-refundable $25 reservation fee is required and can be redeemed in Jane Iredale products on Thursday. For more information: (916) 481-7994.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Unlike the other Grand Slam tournaments, the esteemed Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London always create some ripple of a fashion buzz. Mostly because the players - by rule - have to come up with couture apparel that's white.

Last year, it was the Williams sisters and their take on white raincoats. Serena Williams also played today and took the court in a white skirt and a long-sleeve, double-breasted jacket.

But all fashion eyes were on favored men's player Roger Federer of Switzerland who wowed the crowd with his opening-match ensemble, which included a tuxedo jacket with epaulettes, pockets on the sleeve and a gold zipper. (Gold is not taboo!) A white fitted vest and shirt were underneath, accompanied by long white trousers (white shorts underneath) and specially made Nikes with a gold "swoosh." His initials were also spotted on the jacket.

According to the Associated Press, Roger said of his clothing: "It's a little bit more modern look."

Federer, who is known to hang with fashion gal pal and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, probably didn't get any complaints from fans in the stand. Who did we spot? Actors Jude Law and Jonny Lee Miller were cheering the first-round match, which Federer won 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

Check out The Bee's sport section on Tuesday for all the tennis results.

Launch - a festival with live bands, djs, a fashion show and vendors with indie and vintage wares - will take place July 25 in North Sacramento.

The event, expected to draw as many as 2,000 people to the Greens Hotel, is the work of VHCLE, an online arts and culture magazine.

Musicians include: LA Riots, Dances With White Girls, Wallpaper, Love Like Fire, Tycho, Dusty Brown, Sister Crayon, DJ Gregg J, Must.Not.Die, The Robot & JJ, Mike Diamond, DJ Rockbottom.

The event will be from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., starting on July 25 at the hotel, 1700 Del Paso Boulevard. General admission tickets are $20, plus a service charge.

For more information, check out the Web site at launch.vhcle.com. As befits a design event, it's a pretty attractive site.

The luckiest kids in town get to spend part of their summer at Old Sacramento History Camp.

This year's day-camp sessions are July 13-17, July 20-24 and July 27-31.

To learn more about the sessions, call Janessa West, public programs manager for the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation at (916) 808-4980, or e-mail her at jwest@cityofsacramento.org

Camp fees are $175 per week. Extended care - 7:30-9 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. - is available for an additional fee.

History Camp focuses on California between the years 1848 and 1860.

Campers will visit museums in Old Sacramento and other historic sites, pan for gold, create currency, make a time capsule, play old-fashioned games, ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and go on a scavenger hunt.

Registration is under way now.

OK, so Dad's been hinting that fly fishing might be something he'd love to pursue.

Now, what to do?

Well, you're in luck if he's ready to cast off. The Fountains at Roseville - along with Orvis - will host a Father's Day Fly Fishing Demo, complete with casting lessons and several contests.

The two-demo event is this Sunday (Father's Day). The first demo is from 10 a.m to noon; the second from 2 to 4 p.m.. Both are at the "pond" at the shopping center. Dads and kids can learn to fish together courtesy of Orvis' trained guides. Winners of the fly fishing contests will receive Fountains VIP coupon books and gift cards to Orvis.

There also will be a contest to name the new pond. Those interested can submit their entries during either event. The winner will receive a $100 Fountains at Roseville gift card.

The shopping center pond is next to McCormick & Schmicks at the corner of East Roseville Parkway and Galleria Boulevard in Roseville.

Catch a big one!

Mumbo Gumbo, one of Sacramento's most beloved bands, will play a free concert downtown next Friday, June 26.

The band's appearance at the always popular "Concerts in the Park" is sponsored by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) and Downtown Sacramento Partnership as a celebration of the arts.

Some 25 local arts groups will be represented, and music-lovers can make donations to support the arts, as well as arts education, in our community.

The event is 5-9 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park, 10th and J streets.

For more info:www.SacMetroArts.org

Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, was the talk of this year's Tony Awards show after he crashed into a stage prop while performing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages."

A nose fracture and busted lip kept Michaels from enjoying the rest of the June 7 show. And it will keep anyone from seeing him this weekend at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks.

Michaels was scheduled to perform Saturday at the casino's Club 88.

"We were just informed this afternoon," says Cean Burgeson, casino spokeswoman. "We apologize to those who have previously purchased tickets."

Michaels' Cache Creek show has been rescheduled for Dec. 5, and tickets purchased for Saturday's performance will be honored then.

Those who can't attend the December show can get a refund wherever they purchased tickets.

Michaels wrote on his MySpace blog: "In hindsight, there is no doubt I got my bell rung, unfortunately it has been posted (on YouTube) and perhaps (is) funny to watch, but I can assure you it has been painful to experience."

Saturday is the deadline to apply as a volunteer at the Governor's Mansion State Historic Park.

The next nine-week training class begins in July. Interested volunteers will be interviewed in advance. Minimum age to volunteer is 18.

For more information, contact Kendra Dillard at (916) 323-2500 or by e-mail at kdillard@parks.ca.gov

The Governor's Mansion is an 1877 Victorian that housed 13 California governors and their families. It's at 16th and H streets in midtown Sacramento, with tours on the hour 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.

For more info: (916) 323-3047.

Grab a blanket, load the family into the car, and make it out to Elverta for Gibson Ranch Movie Nights this Friday and next.

This week's feature film is "The Sandlot" (1993), the story of boys, summertime and a dog. It stars Denis Leary, Karen Allen and a bunch of baseball-playing youngsters.

On June 26, it's "Hotel for Dogs" (2009), a comedy about children who secretly care for nine stray dogs in a vacant house. Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin and Don Cheadle star.

The gates open at 7:30 p.m. Showtime is at dusk.

The movies are free. Admission to the park is $6 per car. Concessions - hot dogs, cotton candy, snowcones and popcorn - are each $1.

Gibson Ranch, a Sacramento County regional park, is at 8556 Gibson Ranch Road, Elverta.

For more info on the two movie nights: (916) 875-6336, www.sacparks.net

Hollywood has hit the rails. "Disney's A Christmas Carol" Train Tour is on a 40-city, 16,000-mile whistlestop trip - and will be in Old Sacramento this weekend.

The free, family event includes a sneak peek of the digital 3-D "Disney's A Christmas Carol," which opens nationwide on Nov. 6. It'll be shown in a huge inflatable, traveling theater.

Meanwhile, snow will be falling, carolers will be singing and the decorations will be hung as if it were already the holiday season.

Inside the Amtrak train cars, visitors can see artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, including a first edition of Dickens' book "A Christmas Carol." They can play an interactive game to "visit" Dickens' London and can morph their face into characters from "Disney's A Christmas Carol."

The Disney train will sit near the California State Railroad Museum, 111 I St., Old Sacramento, and will be open to the public 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

"Disney's A Christmas Carol" stars Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and was directed by Robert Zemeckis. When it opens this fall, the film will be shown in both Disney Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D.

For more information, on the train tour go to www.christmascaroltraintour.com

The California State Railroad Museum is offering extended hours and a great admission deal just for this weekend.

Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. A coupon from the information booth in front of the museum is good for 2-for-1 admission. For more information: www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org

The good people of the cast and crew of Capital Stage's upcoming production of "Erratica: An Academic Farce" are letting me drop in on their rehearsals. I'll be blogging a couple times a week about the production process leading up to the July 17 opening night. The play is a world premiere by Reina Hardy and supported by a new works production grant by The James Irvine Foundation. I thank everyone involved especially Ms. Hardy and director Michael Stevenson for allowing me this unique opportunity.

The first day of rehearsal on Tuesday included introductions, a bunch of paper work (actors had to sign contracts), and a table reading of the script. The play was selected by Capital Stage from nearly a hundred submissions from around the country. Reina Hardy is from Chicago and young but already an accomplished writer (there will be more about her later).

From the table reading (actors sitting at a table reading their parts) I can see Reina's intent on improving the work and rewriting during rehearsals.
As I was leaving after the reading Reina and Michael were huddled together talking about changes she wanted to make to the last sequence of scenes.