Picks and Clicks

Modern folk artist Clare Burson, a Fulbright Scholar who has recorded with T Bone Burnett and performed with Alison Krauss, holds a release show for her new album, “Silver and Ash.” Each track imagines the life of Burson’s grandmother, who was born in Germany in 1919 and escaped one year before the outbreak of World War II. Burson traveled to the childhood homes of her ancestors in Germany, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine for the project, which also speaks to her own struggles with rupture, silence, guilt, empathy and continuity. Rounder Records, JDub Records and Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists cosponsor the event, which is made possible with support from The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles. Mon. $10. 7-10 p.m. Hotel Cafe, 1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 461-2040. hotelcafe.com.

Avery, an African American Brooklyn teen and promising track star, struggles with her “true” identity. Adopted by white Jewish lesbians, she struggles with the circumstances of her adoption and her estrangement from black culture in “Off and Running,” a documentary by Nicole Opper. When Avery writes to her birth mother, the response throws her into crisis and forces her to make sense of her identity. Thu. 9:30 p.m. KCET. pbs.org/pov.

Larry King hosts the 30th annual Chabad “To Life” Telethon. This year’s celebrity guest list includes Tom Arnold, Ed Begley Jr., James Caan, NBA champ Jordan Farmar, Louis Gossett Jr., Elliott Gould, Howie Mandel, Bob Saget, Martin Sheen and Jon Voight. Scheduled to perform are Broadway and Yiddish theater actor Mike Burstyn, singer-songwriter Matt Morris, 9-year-old piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick, M-Generation and Avraham Fried. Also, rabbis dancing in front of the tote board is a pretty safe bet. Money raised during the telethon helps support more than 200 community Chabad outreach centers and programs that provide social services to the needy and support for children with special needs. Sun. 8-11 p.m. KTLA 5, JLTV. Webcast at tolife.com.

Jason Mraz and Monica Mancini headline a tribute to songwriting siblings George and Ira Gershwin during the Hollywood Bowl’s “Gershwin Across America.” BeBe Winans, Nancy Wilson and St. Vincent join Mraz and Mancini on the bill, along with a big band and strings ensemble. A soon-to-be-released tribute album, “Gershwin Across America,” produced by Phil Ramone, boasts contributions from Paul Simon, Mraz, Darius Rucker, Jewel and others. Wed. 6-10 p.m. $8-$129. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. (323) 850-2000. hollywoodbowl.com.

Drawing comparisons to “Brokeback Mountain,” the award-winning “Brotherhood” is a tragic love story set within the ranks of the Danish white supremacist movement. Lars, a career army officer, leaves the service when rumors of homosexual conduct surface. Recruited by a neo-Nazi group, Lars finds himself falling for a fellow skinhead, Jimmy. The unlikely pair struggle to keep their love a secret, but it isn’t long before their taboo relationship is revealed by their gay-bashing brethren. Opening in limited release, “Brotherhood” took the top prize at the 2009 International Rome Film Festival for first-time director Nicolo Donato. Laemmle Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.

Director Rob Reiner adapts Wendelin Van Draanen’s young-adult romance “Flipped,” which follows neighbors Juli and Bryce from second to eighth grade, through family drama and first love. The film, opening this weekend, plays in limited release. Sat. flipped-movie.warnerbros.com.

“The Extra Man” adapts Jonathan Ames’ 1998 comic novel about Louis Ives (Paul Dano), a lonely Princeton prep school teacher who seeks a fresh start in New York when he’s forced to leave his job. After renting a room from a failed playwright (Kevin Kline), Ives is mentored in the art of being an “extra man” — a social escort for wealthy widows in Manhattan high society. Fri. Various times. Laemmle Sunset 5, West Hollywood; Playhouse 7, Pasadena; and Town Center 5, Encino. laemmle.com.

thursday pick\n\n(MUSIC) \n\nHungarian Romani folk artists Parno Graszt — an eight-piece ensemble with strings, good vibes and innovative instruments (trash cans included) — rock the Skirball Cultural Center’s courtyard, kicking off the museum’s “Sunset Concert Series” highlighting global sounds. Thu. 8 p.m. Free. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

“Jewtopia,” the successful off-Broadway production, returns to Los Angeles. The comedic tale, newly updated by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, follows two 30-year-old single guys — one Jewish and hopelessly inept in love, the other a gentile seeking a Jewish woman so, absurdly, he’ll never have to decide anything for himself again. After meeting at a singles mixer, the two form a pact to help each other. Sat. Through Aug. 22. Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sat. 3 p.m., Sun. 3:30 p.m. $39.50-$49.50. Greenway Court Theater, 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (800) 595-4849. jewtopiaplay.com.