Calendar Picks and Clicks August 29–September 4, 2009

SAT | AUGUST 29
(BENEFIT)
The Young Divisions of The Guardians of the L.A. Jewish Home for the Aging are going retro with a ’70s-style fundraising pool party, Boogie Nights, at the recently renovated Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica. Boogie to Studio 54 beats at this seaside art deco hotel as you raise money for the Jewish Home’s residents. Sat. 8 p.m. $50. Hotel Shangri-La, 1301 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 479-2468. ” title=”skirball.org”>skirball.org.

(THEATER)
A bitter 86-year-old Jewish widower develops an accidental friendship with a young Jewish corporate executive who nearly runs him over in Jeff Baron’s first play, “Visiting Mr. Green.” Set in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, this heartwarming, comical play about two people who resent having to spend time together — a judge orders the young man to visit his almost-victim as penance — has been produced more than 300 times in 22 languages around the world since it premiered in 1996. Sat. 8 p.m. Through Sept. 27. $37-$50 (opening night performance with reception). The Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third St., Burbank. (818) 558-7000, ext. 15. ” border = 0 vspace = ‘8’ hspace = ‘8’ align = ‘left’>(ART)
The Jewish Artists Initiative has organized three concurrent exhibitions in Los Angeles for the first time in its history. “Fresh Voices of Contemporary Jewish Artists” (through Dec. 31) will be on display at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and will feature artists such as Carol Es, Josh Abarbanel, Marcie Kaufman and others; “Big Questions new works by: Gilah Yelin Hirsch and Elizabeth Bloom” (through Nov. 8) will be held at the University of Southern California Hillel; and “The L.A. Story” (Oct. 20-Jan. 20) will be featured at the American Jewish University’s Platt Gallery with works by Ruth Weisberg, Bill Aron, Tony Berlant, Joyce Dallal, Eugene Yelchin and others. “Fresh Voices” artists’ reception: Sun. 2-4 p.m. Free. HUC-JIR, 3077 University Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 765-2106. “Big Questions” artists’ reception: Sun. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Free. USC Hillel, 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. “L.A. Story” artists’ reception: Oct. 25. 1-3 p.m. Free. AJU, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel Air. (310) 476-9777. For more details about all three exhibitions, visit