Movie Minute - The Condor Daughter

Directed by Alvaro Olmos Torrico, THE CONDOR DAUGHTER tells the story of Clara, a teenager growing up in a small indigenous community high in the Andes. Her adoptive mother, a midwife who took her in as a baby, has taught her the ancient songs used to guide women through childbirth, melodies passed down for generations, believed to bring new life safely into the world. But while her voice carries on this tradition, her dreams lie elsewhere: she longs to leave the mountains behind and become a folkloric music star in the big city.

Opens September 11 in NYC
and expands throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month

Caring Causes - Miracles for Kids Delivers Relief to Nearly 400 Families Through Annual Back to School Basket of Miracles Program

As families across the country prepare for a new school year, Miracles for Kids helped ease the financial burden for hundreds of families with critically-ill children through its annual Back to School Basket of Miracles program.

Thanks to the generosity of community volunteers, donors, and corporate supporters and partners, 399 Miracles for Kids families throughout Southern California, Northern California, and the Phoenix area received baskets filled with backpacks, school supplies, household essentials, food and seasonal necessities. The annual activity allows parents to focus on their child's medical care instead of the growing costs associated with back-to-school season.

 

A total of 86 baskets were personally delivered by Orange County community volunteers, while 313 additional baskets were carefully packed and shipped to families outside the local delivery area.

 

"Every backpack represents so much more than school supplies. It represents relief, encouragement, and the reminder that these families are not facing their journey alone," said Autumn Strier, Co-Founder and CEO of Miracles for Kids. "When a child is battling a critical illness, common expenses like backpacks, school supplies, and household essentials can become overwhelming. Thanks to our incredible volunteers, donors, and sponsors, we were able to lift some of that burden and help hundreds of children start the school year with confidence."

 

This year's event distributed an impressive amount of donated school supplies, including:

• 943 backpacks
• 2,816 pencils
• 1,224 pens
• 1,062 pocket folders
• Thousands of additional school supplies, household essentials, cleaning products, and food items were included in hand decorated boxes.

Over one hundred volunteers from Orange County and beyond came together for the assembly day on Saturday July 18, 2026 to sort, pack, and prepare nearly 1,000 backpacks and sort thousands of back to school supplies for Miracles for Kids families in need. Community volunteers represented a wide variety of businesses, schools, and community organizations, including the following:

• PIMCO
• NCL Saddleback
• High School Youth Action Team
• Invesco
• National League of Young Men, Tustin
• National Charity League,  Orange/ Villa Park
• 360° Miracle
• EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
• Chinese American Lions Club of Orange County
• National Charity League, Capistrano Coast
• National Charity League,  Laguna Beach
• National Charity League, North Tustin
• Santa Margarita Catholic High School
• Tesoro High School
• Girls Lion’s Heart
• Orange Lutheran High School
• Corona Del Mar High School

The event was made possible through the generous continued support of community partners, organizations and sponsors such as:

• Ingardia Bros. Produce Inc. - Fresh Food Sponsor
• Vessel Bags - Backpack Sponsor
• Invesco
• Baby2Baby
• Womble Bond & Dickinson
• Assa Abloy
• Perricone
• Hidden Villa Ranch
• Karina’s Backpack Project
• Takeya
• ITT Connect
• LifeMD
• Campos EPC
• Sprouts
• Bagels and Brew
• Second Harvest Food Bank OC
• United Way

For more than two decades, Miracles for Kids has remained committed to helping families with critically-ill children overcome the financial hardships that often accompany a child's diagnosis. Through programs that provide financial assistance, housing, food, transportation, wellness services, and seasonal support such as this Back to School Basket of Miracles program, Miracles for Kids helps families remain stable so they can focus on what matters most… their child's treatment and recovery. To learn more about Miracles for Kids, volunteer opportunities, or how to support future family programs and events, visit www.miraclesforkids.org.

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ABOUT MIRACLES FOR KIDS: Miracles for Kids is non-profit serving children with life-threatening illnesses and the families that care for them. Launched in 2004 and led by Co-Founder & CEO Autumn Strier for 22 years, the organization creates stability for families that are crumbling from the financial and emotional devastation of fighting for their child's life. With programs providing financial aid, basic needs, housing, and wellness to patients and their families, Miracles for Kids fulfills a mission to help caregivers battle bankruptcy, homelessness, hunger, and depression, so they can concentrate on what matters most. In 2024, 84.2 cents of every dollar collected was spent on programs that directly benefit the families they serve. Based in Orange County, California, Miracles for Kids currently serves families in treatment at CHOC Children’s, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Rady Children’s, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, By the Bay Health, City of Hope, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Dallas and Phoenix Children’s Hospitals. Follow on Instagram @MiraclesForKids to see how you can make a difference and get involved at MiraclesForKids.org.

Fun Freetime - Pinocchio at the CTC (MN)

 Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) is thrilled to announce the complete cast and creative team for the first production of the 2026-2027 Season, Pinocchio, based on Carlo Collodi’s timeless classic. Adapted and directed by Greg Banks, Pinocchio will run from September 8-October 18, 2026, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. Opening night is Friday, September 11, 2026, at 7pm.

 

“Pinocchio has endured for generations because it asks one of childhood’s biggest questions: What does it mean to become a good person?” said Rick Dildine, Artistic Director. “Greg Banks’ inventive adaptation is filled with humor, music, and theatrical magic, but beneath the adventure is a story about empathy, accountability, and finding the courage to make better choices. It reminds us that imagination isn’t an escape from growing up—it is one of the ways we learn how. That’s what makes Pinocchio the perfect way to begin a season celebrating the imagination, resilience, and possibility that live inside every young person.”

 

“I am thrilled to find myself back at the Children’s Theatre, and even more thrilled to be remounting our production of Pinocchio, a fabulously fast-moving show full of fun,” said playwright and director Greg Banks. “I am lucky enough to be getting the chance to work once more with some of our favorite actors from the theatre, as well as a couple of fresh new faces, and, of course, the wonderful composer/musician Victor Zupanc. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I am looking forward to directing it!”

 

Using only the tools of their trade—paint brushes, scaffolding, wallpaper rolls—five theatre painters inventively stage a spontaneous retelling of Pinocchio’s quest to become a “real boy.” Get real answers to burning questions, like: How do he and Gepetto end up inside a whale? Will the good fairy actually fly? And what’s up with Pinocchio’s nose anyway? Discover the truth, amidst a few lies, in this music-filled play where Pinocchio learns empathy and accountability, things that truly bring a person to life. 

 

CTC’s production of Pinocchio is recommended for ages 5-10. Tickets may be purchased at childrenstheatre.org/Pinocchio or by calling the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400. Ticket prices start at $25.

 

The cast of Pinocchio features Antonisia (Nisi) Collins (member, CTC Core Company) as Pinocchio, Reed Sigmund* (member, CTC Core Company) as Geppetto/Honest John, Autumn Ness* (member, CTC Core Company) as Policeman/Cat/Lampwick, Dean Holt* (member, CTC Core Company) and Chauncy Thomas* (member, CTC Core Company) sharing the role as Cricket/Showman/Fairy/Coachman/Old Man, and Victor Zupanc‡ as Musician.

 

The understudies for Pinocchio are Anya Naylor (member, CTC Acting Cohort) and Jeffrey Nolan (member, CTC Acting Cohort).

 

In addition to Greg Banks, the creative team and production staff for CTC’s production of Pinocchio includes Joseph Stanley (scenic designer), Mary Anna Culligan (costume designer), Rebecca Fuller Jensen (original lighting designer), Karin Olson (lighting designer), Victor Zupanc (sound designer), Reid Rejsa (associate sound designer), Stacy McIntosh* (stage manager), Taylor Engel (assistant stage manager), and Jada B. Smith (stage management fellow).

 

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

‡Member of the Twin Cities Musician Union, Local 30-73, AFM.  

 

Ticket Information
 

Tickets may be purchased at childrenstheatre.org/Pinocchio or by calling the Ticket Office at 612.874.0400. Ticket prices start at $25.

 

School groups interested in attending Pinocchio can contact schools@childrenstheatre.org for more information.

 

Pinocchio is proudly sponsored by Ameriprise and Best Buy.
 

Pinocchio has a run time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

 

This production is recommended for ages 5-10. Lap passes are available for children 3 years and younger.

 

Pinocchio
By Carlo Collodi
Adapted and Directed by Greg Banks

September 8-October 18, 2026

UnitedHealth Group Stage

 

Creative Team and Production Staff    

Scenic Designer | Joseph Stanley

Costume Designer | Mary Anna Culligan
Original Lighting Designer | Rebecca Fuller Jensen

Lighting Designer | Karin Olson
Sound Designer | Victor Zupanc

Associate Sound Designer | Reid Rejsa

Stage Manager | Stacy McIntosh*

Assistant Stage Manager | Taylor Engel
Stage Management Fellow | Jada B. Smith

Cast

Pinocchio | Antonisia (Nisi) Collins (Member, CTC Core Company)
Geppetto/Honest John | Reed Sigmund* (Member, CTC Core Company)
Policeman/Cat/Lampwick | Autumn Ness* (Member, CTC Core Company)
Cricket/Showman/Fairy/Coachman/Old Man | Dean Holt* (Member, CTC Core Company)
Cricket/Showman/Fairy/Coachman/Old Man | Chauncy Thomas* (Member, CTC Core Company)

Musician | Victor Zupanc‡

 

Understudies
Anya Naylor (Member, CTC Acting Cohort)
Jeffrey Nolan (Member, CTC Acting Cohort)
 

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

‡Member of the Twin Cities Musician Union, Local 30-73, AFM.  

Music Minute - Karen Waldrup: Best Friends & Lemon Drops

Country singer and songwriter Karen Waldrup is raising a glass to friendship with the release of her new single, "Best Friends & Lemon Drops," available today on all streaming platforms. The feel-good anthem, which premiered exclusively with Cowboys & Indians, blends heartfelt country storytelling with a soulful edge as it celebrates the kind of friends who stick by your side through every high, low, laugh, and lesson. Produced by multi-Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Jeff Huskins, the song invites listeners to look back on life's unforgettable moments with gratitude, knowing that the best stories are often the ones shared with your closest friends. 

To purchase/stream: hypeddit.com/karenwaldrup/bestfriendsandlemondrops
To see the “Best Friends & Lemon Drops” premiere by Cowboys & Indians, visit HERE.

Adding to the excitement surrounding the release, "Best Friends & Lemon Drops" was mixed in Dolby Atmos, delivering a rich and immersive listening experience. The innovative audio format enhances every lyric, instrument, and vocal nuance, creating greater depth and detail while inviting listeners into the heart of the song. 

"Best Friends & Lemon Drops' is more than a party song, it's an extended metaphor about the kind of friendships that stand the test of time. The lemon drop martini represents a strong, lasting friendship. Its sweetness symbolizes the joy, laughter, and memories we share with the people we love, while the strength of the drink reflects the resilience of friendships that carry us through life's hardest moments. - Karen Waldrup
 

Waldrup has recently released two other singles including "Good Guy" and "Keeping The Faith," a deeply personal song that premiered through GodTube. Inspired by her own journey of trusting God through life's unexpected challenges, including a difficult divorce and stepping into an uncertain future, the song shares a message of hope, perseverance, and unwavering faith. "Keeping The Faith" reminds listeners that even in seasons of heartbreak, there is strength in continuing to believe that brighter days are ahead. Building on the song's heartfelt message, Waldrup recently filmed an accompanying music video, which will be released soon. 

"Keeping the Faith is about always believing that good things will happen and then trusting that they will,” says Waldrup. “It’s about waking up every day with hope in your heart, even when you can’t yet see the outcome. Faith isn’t always easy, but sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps you moving forward and reminds you that better days are ahead.”

Karen Waldrup’s Tour Schedule:
AUG 08 - Chief’s on Broadway / Nashville, Tenn.
AUG 19 - Private Event / New Orleans, La.
SEP 11 - Private Event / Aurora, Ind.
SEP 12 - Butler County Music Festival / Saxonburg, Pa.
SEP 13 - Butler County Music Festival Worship Sunday / Saxonburg, Pa
OCT 08 - Infinity Music Awards / Nashville, Tenn.

For additional concert information and all things Karen Waldrup, visit HERE.

More About Karen Waldrup:
Karen Waldrup is an internationally recognized Country Soul artist with over 1 million fans online and more than 400 million video views. A Top 5 finalist on Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, she’s been featured in major outlets like Billboard, Rolling Stone, PEOPLE, Netflix, The Hallmark Channel, and more. She’s a BMI songwriter, a member of the Recording Academy (NARAS), CMA, and a proud partner with Mission of Hope: Haiti. Waldrup has won twelve Nashville Industry Music Awards, received the 2019 Torch Award from the Keith Whitley Fingerprint on Country Music Awards, and was named a 2023 Top 5 Artist to Watch by Country Evolution. With seven studio albums and over 50 songs released worldwide, she continues to make her mark on the country music scene.

Her debut album JUSTIFIED, produced by Garth Fundis (Trisha Yearwood, Don Williams, Alabama), appeared on four Billboard charts and featured “Sometimes He Does,” which was praised in Rolling Stone and named “Disc of the Day” by Robert Oermann. Waldrup has performed in over 15 countries, blending classic country with Louisiana soul. Her 2022 album Kendall County Road, produced by Grammy winners Paul Worley and Biff Watson, includes songs written with WWII veteran Jim Martin and a duet with Wendy Moten. She recently released singles including “Louisiana Hurricane,” “Fix It,” “Blue Cowboy Boots,” “Keeping The Faith,” “Good Guy,” and her new single, “Best Friends & Lemon Drops,” is out now.

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Movie Minute - The Kung Fu Kid

Get ready to witness the fight of a lifetime! A village boy travels to Shanghai, desperate to save his sick father and pay off medical debt. Recruited by a local Kung Fu gym, he enters "Shanghai Fight Night," a brutal tournament packed with elite fighters and techniques from around the world. Embodying the fading tradition of Chinese martial arts, he embarks on a gripping tale of heritage, sacrifice, and the ultimate pursuit of victory.

Book Nook - I Am Rare

Debut author Melissa White Boyer utilized her lived experiences to create her enlightening picture book "I Am Rare" (August 4, 2026, Yuni Press). After her son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome, Melissa was inspired to create a teaching tool that would help explain genetic differences to children. Her lyrical picture book doesn't focus on a singular diagnosis, instead it uses inclusive language that helps children better understand both themselves and others. 

“I Am Rare” is a lyrical picture book told in the voice of a boy with an ultra-rare genetic condition. As he explores what makes him unique, he discovers that rare doesn’t mean wrong — it just means few — and that even superheroes draw their powers from what makes them different. A heartfelt story about identity, belonging, and the light within us all.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why is it important for children with rare diseases to see themselves reflected in children's books?

• Children gain their confidence and self-esteem through the books they read. Seeing a character they identify with in the pages they read gives them a sense of belonging in a world they are learning to navigate. When that character is portrayed positively, it further reinforces a positive sense of self. This also normalizes differences among all humans, increasing the likelihood of neutral interactions in real life. 
• In Children’s literature, there are so few books that portray a child with a disability, let alone a child with a rare disorder. I believe a common misconception is that rare diseases are uncommon. Despite the phrasing, rare diseases may be individually rare, but collectively many. Over 300 million people worldwide have a rare disorder, 80% of which are genetic in nature, and most begin in childhood. For children, that’s about one in every neighborhood or classroom. 

What are some things that families can encourage their kids to do to help support friends and classmates who may be struggling with a lesser-known medical condition?

• Even small differences can feel isolating from peers in childhood. That isolation is especially amplified when some of those differences make even ordinary things more difficult. What may seem like a big difference to one child is likely another child’s norm, so don’t shy away from asking questions about what might be obvious anyway. It’s okay to be curious. Ask questions about how someone else might experience their life. A deeper understanding of another human’s experience builds empathy, which only deepens the opportunity for connection. 
• One thing that is not unique to a child with a lesser-known medical condition is their desire to belong. Making a child feel included—not out of pity, but out of a genuine desire to connect with that human—is more powerful than you could ever imagine. One good day can turn into a good week, a good year, which could change the trajectory of a child’s life, socially and emotionally. Invite them to play at recess and include them in a conversation. If you want to make a real difference, invite them to a birthday party or include them in the picture. It is in those moments and at those milestones that we, as parents, hold our breath, hoping that someone’s child or parent might remember that our children have feelings, too. 

How can books help teach other kids what it's like to live with a rare disease?

• Books can teach people, through stories, what it's like to experience life differently. Some books may shape understanding of a particular rare disease, either individually or collectively, while others may highlight the similarities in our shared human experience, despite our differences. Some books may focus on the physical or cognitive aspect of a disease, while others may emphasize the emotional aspect of living with a rare disease. Different books serve different purposes, but all are written with the intent to entertain or teach, helping others grow in their understanding and empathy. Different tones, characters, lessons, and even story lines all speak to each child differently. You never know which will resonate, so the more stories written about life with a rare disease, the more opportunities there are for those differences to become understood and for those living with rare diseases to feel seen.

Book Nook - The Next Shiny Object

Award-winning author and illustrator Hudson Talbott (A Walk in the Words) offers a heartfelt, deeply personal perspective in the picture book, The Next Shiny Object.

 

Inspired by his own childhood, The Next Shiny Object follows a young boy as his attention bounces from one fascinating discovery to the next. While his boundless curiosity often makes it difficult to focus, he eventually learns that the very traits that set him apart can also fuel creativity, problem-solving, and big ideas.

 

Through warm, expressive illustrations and an honest, encouraging narrative, Talbott reminds readers that different ways of thinking deserve to be celebrated.

Capturing both the challenges and rewards of having a super-active imagination, this empowering story encourages us all—neurodivergent and neurotypical thinkers alike—to embrace our perceived limitations and enjoy the journey of learning how to turn them to our advantage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hudson Talbott (HudsonTalbott.com) also wrote and illustrated Schneider Family Honor winner A Walk in the Words, as well as Picturing America, River of Dreams, From Wolf to Woof, United Tweets of America, and It’s All About Me-ow, and illustrated numerous picture books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson) and Leonardo’s Horse (by Jean Fritz), an ALA Notable and VOYA Honor Book.

Movie Minute - Middle Life

Middle Life follows Andie, a perfectionist wedding planner in her mid-thirties and a new mother, who has meticulously crafted her life but still feels unfulfilled. Fresh off maternity leave, she saves Ryan, a blue-collar plumber, from a roadside accident. As their paths intertwine over the next year, her craving for change and his newfound perspective on life spark an unexpected connection, leading her to discover that life could be great. 

Middle Life is a throwback romantic dramedy inspired by the character-driven relationship films of the 1970s and '80s, like An Unmarried Woman (Mazursky), Broadcast News (Brooks), When Harry Met Sally (Reiner), and Crossing Delancey (Silver). It explores the idea that two people can become incredibly important to each other before either understands exactly what their relationship is. A lot of the tension comes from what isn't said, where the expectation of a big romantic gesture is instead the characters sitting with a feeling. At its core, the movie is about the possibility that your life can always still surprise you. It's about friendship, reinvention, getting older and realizing that you don't necessarily have everything figured out. Funny, romantic and hopeful without pretending life is simple. 

Travel Tidbits - Celebrating New Year's Eve...Twice!

Two parties are better than one! Looking to go on a New Year's Eve adventure? Double the fun by throwing out these ideas! VALENCA, PORTUGAL + TUI, SPAIN: One of my personal favorites. Valença and Tui are essentially one continuous medieval town split by a river and connected by a beautiful iron bridge. On New Year's Eve you celebrate at midnight in Valença, then walk across the bridge into Tui and do the whole thing again an hour later, complete with a second countdown, second fireworks, and second glass of something sparkling. The setting is extraordinary: both towns are fortified, medieval, and photogenic in a way that makes the experience feel cinematic. LLOYDMINSTER, ALBERTA + SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA: This is perhaps the world's most legit double New Year's town. Lloydminster literally sits on the provincial border, and Saskatchewan doesn't observe daylight saving time, meaning the two sides of the same city ring in the new year at different times. Main Street is the time zone line. You can stand in one year and look across the street into another. BAARLE-HERTOG / BAARLE-NASSAU- BELGIUM + NETHERLANDS: This might be the most delightfully quirky border town on earth, border runs through houses, restaurants, and shops, with brass lines embedded in the floors and pavements marking where one country ends and another begins. Both are in the same time zone, it's more about the novelty of celebrating in two countries simultaneously rather than twice but restaurants literally straddle the border and it's extraordinary. CORDOBA, ARGENTINA + SANTANA DO LIVRAMENTO, BRAZIL: The Argentina-Brazil border runs through several small towns where you can cross and gain or lose an hour depending on the season, since Brazil observes daylight saving and Argentina doesn't consistently. This Brazilian border town is a particularly good one a single continuous city split by a line, 2 countries, 2 celebrations, 1 party street. GREENWICH, UK: A little less dramatic but historically irresistible, standing on the Prime Meridian line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich with one foot in the Eastern and one in the Western Hemisphere on New Year's Eve is one of those things that's completely meaningless and yet completely wonderful. It's a bucket list moment. KIRIBATI + SAMOA + AMERICAN SAMOA: For the most dramatic date line experience anywhere: Samoa and American Samoa are about 120 kilometers apart but on opposite sides of the International Date Line so when it's New Year's Eve in American Samoa, Samoa has already been in the New Year for 24 hours. Kiribati's Caroline Island is the first inhabited place on earth to greet each new year, and it does so while places to its west are still in yesterday.

Movie Minute - The Shadow of the Sun

In The Shadow of the Sun (Streaming August 4th on Apple, Amazon, Fandango, Google), Leo (Carlos Manuel Gonzalez) is a blue collar worker with a musical past living in the remote city of Acarigua, nestled in the Venezuelan inland empire. Haunted by financial debt and problems at home, he does anything to stay afloat. One day, his younger brother Alex (Anyelo Lopez) who has been deaf since birth, offers him a solution: to participate in a musical contest in the capital, Caracas, performing a song that he has written himself because the first prize may solve all his economic problems. Forced by circumstance, Leo must take a leap of faith, unearth his dormant musical talent and do the impossible to change his and his brother's future by joining their voices in an unforgettable journey.