7 Days In Arts

SATURDAY March 23

Don’t waste another Saturday night date on dinner and the movies.

Be creative, be romantic. Plan a special night out at the symphony. Even if violins send you snoozing, your effort will score big points. Check out the West Hollywood Orchestra’s, “Jewish Voices,” featuring the West Hollywood Chorale, Pasadena Classical Singers, tenor Mark Saltzman and violinist Svetlana Ziver. Come hear John Williams’ “Three Pieces from Schindler’s List” and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s “Oratorio-Scenes From The Bible.” 8 p.m. Nan Washburn, the orchestra’s artistic director and conductor, will present a pre-concert talk at 7:15 p.m. $23 (general) and $13 (seniors and students). Fiesta Hall, Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. For more information, call (866) 946-2255.

SUNDAY March 24

No chametz, no cry. If only Bob Marley was alive to perform his infamous “Redemption Song” at “Reggae Passover: Songs of Freedom.” Choirs from Temple Beth Hillel and Parks Chapel A.M.E. Church join Alan Eder’s Reggae Ensemble in singing West African arrangements of music celebrating Passover’s universal themes of liberation and redemption. 1 p.m. Free. 12326 Riverside Drive, Valley Village. For more information, call (818) 763-9148.

MONDAY March 25

Calling all stage mothers! Think your kid could be a star? Why not bring them to audition for the Children of the World Choir. The choir, founded to promote unity and humanity’s well-being through music, participates in live performances, studio-recordings, music videos and TV shows. So Jews of every nationality and background feel free to step-up. Sorry mom, leave your headshot at home, its only for children and teens ages 5-19. 5:30 p.m. in Beverly Hills. For more information or to schedule an audition time, call (310) 285-9791.

TUESDAY March 26

Four glasses of wine not the only thing blurring your
vision? Perhaps an “Extra-Large Print Passover Haggadah” would help. Order one
for yourself, or do a mitzvah and surprise someone with this special Passover
gift. Braille editions also available. Free. Send the giver’s name, address and
phone number, and the receiver’s name, address and phone number to: The Jewish
Heritage for the Blind, 1655 East 24th Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11229; or
send via fax to (877) 230-2205; or e-mail to jhb.ny@verizon.net .

WEDNESDAY March 27

Countdown to a house full of relatives. You know your pain-in-law will glance over your seder table and say: “Your potato kugel looks bland, your brisket looks dry and your brownies are a poor disguise for matzah meal. My child certainly didn’t marry a cook.” Between chametz hunting and carpooling, you just didn’t have time to run out and buy an innovative Passover cookbook. No worries. Just hop online. Get new and creative Passover recipes at www.koshercooking.com and www.kosher4passover.com and show her that you are master of the Pesach meal.

THURSDAY March 28

When the kids at your second seder start building wine-glass towers and playing table tennis with the matzah balls, sentence them to a half-hour of “Rugrats Passover.” When Tommy and his friends get locked in the attic with Grandpa Boris during the seder, they learn all about the meaning of Pesach. Tommy imagines that he is Moses and demands that Pharaoh (played by his bratty cousin, Angelica): “Let my babies go!” This comical — but educational –cartoon airs at 7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

FRIDAY March 29

You can never have too much of a good thing. So how about a third seder? You know you want to sing just one more round of “Chad Gad Ya.” And it’s not like you can go out and grab a pizza for dinner. So, why not head out to Beit T’Shuvah for “A Special Shabbos Pesach Seder.” Why on all other years do you attend just two seders, but on this year, three? Because this unique third-night celebration combines the weekly mitzvah of Shabbat with the annual mitzvah of Passover. 6:30 p.m. $36 (adults) and $18 (children). 8831 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (310) 204-5200.