South Bay arts calendar for March 15 to 21
“Surface and Structure” features the work of 17 members of California Fibers, and it opens Saturday with a reception at 3 p.m. in Branch Gallery, Inglewood. Each piece uses fiber as either a material or a process. Through May 6. Pictured, “Microbes,” by Charlotte Bird. (310) 395-3880
Put it in gear
Speaker and author Curtis Zimmerman discusses “Living Life at Performance Level” at 7 p.m. in Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College, Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards, Torrance. Zimmerman is an entertainer and the author of six books. Tickets, $10 to $24. Call (800) 832-ARTS or go to centerforthearts.org.
Not quite Romeo and Juliet
“The Balcony Scene,” by Wil Calhoun, opens at 8 p.m. in Little Fish Theatre, 777 S. Centre St., San Pedro. Bill Wolski directs this play about two very different people living in adjacent apartments, and let’s see what develops, shall we? Performances are Wednesday and Thursday, plus a couple of Sundays, through April 5. Tickets, $27 general; $25 seniors; $15 is you’re 25 or under. $23 on opening night. (310) 512-6030 or go to littlefishtheatre.org.
“Sister Act,” a musical with tunes by Alan Menken and based on the 1992 film of the same name, opens Friday at the Westchester Playhouse. Performances, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., through April 21. Tickets, $25, less $2 for seniors and students. Pictured, Maya Véronique Pérez as Deloris and Randy Acosta as Eddie. (310) 645-5156 or go to kentwoodplayers.org
Lovestruck, apparently
“Crazy for You,” the Gershwin musical, is being presented by Redondo Beach Performing Arts on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., plus next weekend, March 23 and 24, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee on March 25, in the Redondo Union Auditorium, 1 Seahawk Way, Redondo Beach. Direction and choreography by Melissa Staab, musically directed by Michelle Bourque, and with Ray Vizcarra conducting the RUHS Pit Orchestra. Tickets, $10 in advance and $15 at the door or online. Details at ruhsdrama.com.
Gene Tierney and Don Ameche star in the witty comedy “Heaven Can Wait,” screening Friday and Saturday in the Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo. Tickets, $10 general; $8 seniors. (310) 322-2592 or go to OldTownMusicHall.org
The rock musical “Green Day’s American Idiot” is being performed at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, plus 3 p.m. on Sunday, in the Campus Theatre of El Camino College, Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards, Torrance. This ECC Theatre Department production is directed by Bill Georges, with music director Greg Mullen, vocal director Anthony Moreno, and choreographer Liz Hoefner Adamis giving it their best shot as well. The show won two Tony Awards and, in addition to the title track, features tunes from “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” to “21 Guns.” Also being performed at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, as well as the next two weekends. Tickets, $18 to $25. Call (800) 832-ARTS or go to centerforthearts.org.
Double the pleasure
The South Bay Chamber Music Society presents Trio Celeste, with guest violist Michelle Gasworth, at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Music Dept. at L.A. Harbor College, 1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington. The group (Kevin Kwan Loucks on piano, Iryna Krechkovsky on violin, and Ross Gasworth on cello) performs work by Beethoven and Schumann. They also perform the same program at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the Pacific Unitarian Church, 5621 Montemalaga, Rancho Palos Verdes. Free. More at sbcms.net.
Exhibitions, and dinner
The Palos Verdes Art Center is hosting two exhibitions, “Capturing a Vision: The Portuguese Bend Tradition,” curated by Katrina Vanderlip, and “Inhabit: The Olmsted Brothers on the Palos Verdes Peninsula,” curated by Hilarie Schackai, which goes from 6 to 10 p.m. You can also partake in “Palos Verdes Wild! which is a farm-to-table foraged feast with Chef Paul Buchanan of Primal Alchemy Catering. The exhibitions are free; dinner is $125. PVAC is located at 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes. (310) 541-2479 or pvartcenter.org. For information and tickets to the feast, go to PalosVerdesWild.com.
During the Third Saturday Art Walk we can visit the “Not Only So” group art show (open from 2 to 6 p.m.) at the Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro. Curated by Scott Canty. Pictured, “South Bay Point of View,” by Larry Manning. (310) 245-0517
The 19th annual “Glen Kamida & Friends Fundraising Concert” benefits nTyme, an all-volunteer organization that provides music education to the youths of the community, and it takes place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre,3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Tickets, $10; $5. Call Kerianne Lawson at (310) 989-4550 or go to ntyme.org.
They’ve got time up there
Gene Tierney and Don Ameche star in “Heaven Can Wait,” directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and screening at 8:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, plus 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, in the Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. Tickets, $10 general; $8 seniors. (310) 322-2592 or go to OldTownMusicHall.org.
Hum those melodies all day long
“Sister Act,” a musical with tunes by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, opens at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. Ben Lupejkis directs. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., through April 21. The uplifting comedy is based on the 1992 film of the same name. Tickets, $25, less $2 for seniors and students. (310) 645-5156 or go to kentwoodplayers.org.
And for the connoisseur…
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is presenting the West Coast premiere of “Formosa” in Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Cloud Gate has been acclaimed as Asia’s leading contemporary dance theater. Tickets start at $29. Call (714) 556-2787 or go to SCFTA.org.
Pianist and conductor David Benoit and the celebrated Ahn Trio (sisters Maria, Lucia, and Angella) will be joined by the Asia America Youth Symphony in a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Harlyne J. Norris Pavilion. Tickets are $30, $50 and $15 (students). Available at aasymphony.org and at the box office at 501 Indian Peak Rd., Rolling Hills Estates. Photo
Let’s all look to Ireland
The Palos Verdes Symphonic Band performs at 7:30 p.m. in the Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. “Irish Eyes are Smiling: A St. Patrick’s Celebration” features music from “Riverdance,” selections from “Titanic,” and high-energy compositions by Leroy Anderson and Johan de Meij. Dancers from the Kelly School of Traditional Irish Dance will perform live to music with the band. Addan MacDonnell plays Celtic harp before the concert. Tickets, $25 general and $15 for those 18 and younger. (310) 544-0403 ext. 221 or go to palosverdesperformingarts.com.
Mythic and legendary
Now, from the Emerald Isle to Emerald Street: Led by Dr. Berkeley Price, Peninsula Symphonic Winds perform at 3 p.m. in the Salvation Army facility, 4223 Emerald St., Torrance. We’ll hear arrangements of the Overture to “Candide,” “The Winds of Poseidon” from “The Odyssey” (Symphony No. 2), “Gandalf (The Wizard” from “Symphony No. 1 ‘Lord of the Rings,’” “Danny Boy,” plus “The Beatles: Love.” Admission, $10 general; children under 12 are free with an adult. More if you rush over to pswinds.org.
“Almost, Maine,” presented by the Torrance Theatre Company, consists of nine vignettes about love and loss. Opens Saturday with regular performances Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., through April 15. Also Thursday, April 5, at 7 p.m., as well as Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m., the latter show followed by a Q&A with the cast. Tickets, $30. Call (424) 243-6882 or go to TorranceTheatreCompany.com
“Almost, Maine,” written by John Cariani, is being presented by the Torrance Theatre Company, 1316 Cabrillo Ave., Torrance. The play consists of nine vignettes about love and loss, and it’s being directed by Gary Kresca. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., through April 15. Also Thursday, April 5, at 7 p.m., as well as Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m., the latter show followed by a Q&A with the cast. Tickets, $30. Call (424) 243-6882 or go to TorranceTheatreCompany.com.
“Leisure Time” is a group art exhibition at Artlife Gallery, and there’s a reception for it on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. with live music and refreshments. Just point your vehicle to 720C S. Allied Way, Plaza El Segundo, in El Segundo. Through March 31. Pictured, “Beach Roots,” by Melody Brown. (310) 938-2511
“Leisure Time” is a group art exhibition at Artlife Gallery, and there’s a reception for it from 6 to 9 p.m. with live music and refreshments. It’s located at 720C S. Allied Way, Plaza El Segundo, in El Segundo. The work is up through March 31. Call (310) 938-2511.
Earth Angels, a female trio, salutes the sounds and styles ranging from the 1930s to World War II and the Big Band era, and they perform at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the El Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave., at Main St., in El Segundo. Free. (310) 524-272
The improvisational comedy troupe Jump Start improvises funny scenes using your suggestions, and they’ll be doing that at 7:30 p.m. in the Second Story Theatre, 710 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach. Tickets are $10. Under age 12? It’s $5. Give Julie Martin a ring at (310) 697-3674 or go to JumpStartImprov.com.
A trip down memory lane
Earth Angels is a group that salutes the sounds and styles ranging from the 1930s to World War II and the Big Band era, and it features Albina Fleishman, Lynn Fanelli, and Lori Mark. They perform at 2 p.m. in the El Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave., at Main St., in El Segundo. Free. (310) 524-2728.
With tools and ingenuity…
The Torrance Craftsmen’s Guild presents its 19th annual “Spring Arts & Craft Faire” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Free. More if you go to TorranceCraftsmenGuild.org.
A magic realist opera
Adolfo Bioy Casares (a friend and sometime collaborator of Jorge Luis Borges) wrote a surrealist novella back in 1940 called “The Invention of Morel,” and Stewart Copeland (former drummer with the Police) has turned it into an opera. It’s being presented by Long Beach Opera at 7:30 p.m. in the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. In case you miss it or want to see it again, it’s also being performed on Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $49 to $150. Call (562) 470-7464 or go to longbeachopera.org.
The Los Angeles Ensemble performs Mendelssohn and Brahms at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the First Lutheran Church and School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance. Free; donations appreciated. (310) 316-5574
The Los Angeles Ensemble features Sung Chang on piano, Bingxia Lu on cello, Tanner Menees on viola, and Joanna Lee on violin, and they perform Mendelssohn and Brahms at 3 p.m. in the First Lutheran Church and School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance. Free; donations appreciated. (310) 316-5574.
Sing into spring
The “Haru Utamatsuri Spring Show,” presented by the Pasadena Nikkei Seniors, gives us “the fun of karaoke music” at 1 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Tickets, $25. More at pasadenanikkeiseniors.weebly.com.
Take a hike
Or at least a walk, and during the Third Saturday Art Walk visit the “Not Only So” group art show (open from 2 to 6 p.m.) at the Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro. Curated by Scott Canty. Also open April 5 during the First Thursday Art Walk. (310) 245-0517.
Non-phantom threads
“Surface and Structure” features the work of 17 members of California Fibers, and it opens with a reception at 3 p.m. in Branch Gallery, 1031 W. Manchester Blvd., Suite 3, Inglewood. Each piece uses fiber as either a material or a process. Through May 6. Call (310) 395-3880.
Actors, take note
Kentwood Players holds auditions for the drama “Match,” by Stephen Belber, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and 7 to 10 p.m.on Sunday. Callbacks on Monday from 7 to 10 p.m. by appointment only. Non-equity, non-paid. Performance dates are May 11 to June 16 at the Westchester Playhouse. Questions, concerns? Contact match@kentwoodplayers.org.
“The Invention of Morel,” based on a surreal novella by Adolfo Bioy Casares, is a new opera by Stewart Copeland (former drummer with the Police), and it’s being presented by Long Beach Opera at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Also Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $49 to $150. Pictured, the cast from the Chicago Opera Theater production. Photo by Liz Lauren. (562) 470-7464 or go to longbeachopera.org
Chanting down through the ages
Los Cancioneros Master Chorale presents “Classical Concert: Celebrating Music” at 7 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. They’ll proceed from Handel and Schubert down to Rutter, Memley, and Petker. Tickets, $25. Call the box office at (310) 781-7171 or Diana at (310) 779-3072. Or visit lcmasterchorale.com.
Help her find shelter
Singer-songwriter Cindy Alexander has released her ninth album, “Nowhere to Hide,” and she’s performing Sunday evening at Saint Rocke, 142 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach. On the bill also are Colin Devlin and Scout Durwood. (310) 372-0035 or go to saintrocke.com.
Land of opportunity?
Councilwoman Emeritus Maureen O’Donnell discusses “Irish Women in 1900s America” at 2 p.m. in the Torrance Historical Society Museum, 1345 Post Ave., Torrance. Free; light refreshments to be served. (310) 328-5392.
As the years slip past
“Wartime Radio Revue” plays the hits from the 1930s and ‘40s and features a 16-piece big band, based on the style of World War II USO show, led by bandmaster Pete Jacob. It takes place at 2 p.m. in Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College, Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards, Torrance. Tickets, $10 to $26. Call (800) 832-ARTS or go to centerforthearts.org.
Singer-songwriter Cindy Alexander has released her ninth album, “Nowhere to Hide,” and she’s performing Sunday evening at Saint Rocke, 142 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach. Also playing: Colin Devlin and Scout Durwood. (310) 372-0035 or go to saintrocke.com
Upbeat and high energy
Palos Verdes High School Choreo presents “The Palos Verdes Dance Concert” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Tickets are $15. To learn more visit pvpusd.net. ER