7 Days in The Arts

[additional-authors]

Keren Engelberg

September 1, 2005

Saturday, September 3

Levantine Cultural Center celebrates its new Culver City home with a series of events aimed, as always, at celebrating the many cultures of the Middle East, North Africa and Mediterranean countries. Clearly meant to push buttons, the series title “Camel Jockeys and Flying Carpets,” may be aggressive, but it certainly got our attention. Tonight’s inaugural event for the series and for the center’s new permanent space features music by Hicham Chami’s Mosaic Trio and Arab world-beat electronica by Naked Rhythm, comedy by Ahmed Ahmed and, of course, bellydancing.

7:30 p.m. (reception), 8 p.m. (concert). 5920 Blackwelder St., Culver City. (310) 402-6469.

Sunday, September 4

The History Channel re-airs the 1985 made-for-TV movie, “Hitler’s SS: Portrait in Evil.” Starring John Shea and Bill Nigh as German brothers who come of age during Hitler’s reign, the film also features performances by Carroll Baker and David Warner, who reprises his “Holocaust” role as Reinhard Heydrich. The movie also serves as a bizarre footnote on Tony Randall’s career, with his performance as an androgynous cabaret entertainer that bears more than a little resemblance to Joel Grey’s emcee in “Cabaret.”

4 p.m.

Monday, September 5

It’s your last chance, at least for a while, to encounter more than 7,000 free-flying butterflies in The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Robinsons-May Pavilion of Wings. The giant swallowtails, monarchs, American painted ladies and California dogfaces will soon flit into hibernation until next spring.

900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 763-3466.

Tuesday, September 6

Depression-era Manhattan provides the backdrop for the first production of the Ahmanson’s 2005-2006 season. The play is “Dead End,” which preceded the 1937 Humphrey Bogart film. Written by Sidney Kingsley, it tells the story of a gang of poor teenagers being displaced by the wealthy tenants that threaten to move into their neighborhood. Expect stunning visuals with a set that includes a 40-foot-high New York City skyline and a simulation of the East River, accomplished by filling the playhouse’s orchestra pit with more than 10,000 gallons of water.

Runs through Oct. 16. 135 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 628-2772.

Wednesday, September 7

Just when you’d forgotten about Tara Lipinski, she turned up as the mystery guest at ACME Comedy Theatre’s “What’s My Line?” Journal singles columnist J. Keith Van Straaten moderates the weekly live act based on the television show of the same name. You’ll recall that’s the one where celebrity panelists try to guess the occupation of a guest by asking only yes or no questions. Other past mystery guests and panelists have included Camryn Manheim and Hector Elizondo.

8 p.m. $15. ACME Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 525-0202.

Thursday, September 8

Ditch the striptease aerobics and focus inward today. Get your soul in shape with Atid’s Spiritual Bootcamp III: Jewish Meditation With the Zen Rabbi. Young professionals are invited to spend the evening with Rabbi Alan Lew, who discusses the upcoming high holidays utilizing the Jew-Bu (that’s Jewish Buddhist, to you) philosophies of his latest book, “Be Still and Get Going: A Jewish Meditation Practice for Real Life.”

7 p.m. Free (Sinai Temple members), $5 (nonmembers). R.S.V.P., (310) 481-3244.

Friday, September 9

We here at Seven Days can’t resist good wordplay. And so we must devote today’s space to Beth Shir Shalom’s cleverly named open house, barbecue and Shabbos tish, which is called … wait for it … “Tish Kabob!”
It’s too cute to resist, and so you shan’t either. You shall go and eat and pray and enjoy music by the progressive Reform synagogue’s all-member band, the Tish Tones.

6 p.m. 1827 California Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 453-3361.