South Bay arts calendar for Jan. 12 to 18

The L.A. Art Show opens tonight (Wednesday, Jan. 11, 7 to 11 p.m.) with a gala (tickets $125, $200, $250) and then continues Thursday through Saturday from 11 to 7 and Sunday from 11 to 5, at the L.A. Convention Center West Hall, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. General admission each day, $30. Over 100 galleries; 18 countries. Pictured, “A Mischievous Boy,” by Sakiko Nakamura. Information at laartshow.com

“Very Cinematic Narrative” features kinetic sculptures by William Sandell and paintings by Cynda Valle, and it opens Friday with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Manhattan Beach Art Center. Pictured, “The Honeymooners,” by Cynda Valle. (310) 802-5440 or go to infombac@citymb.info

Friday, January 13

Special effects

“Very Cinematic Narrative” flows with the kinetic sculptures of William Sandell (see last week’s Easy Week feature) and the paintings of Cynda Valle, and it opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Manhattan Beach Art Center, 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach. (310) 802-5440 or go to infombac@citymb.info.

Inspiration points

The “Palos Verdes Painters Exhibition 2017” has its opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Main Hall of the Palos Verdes Main Library, 7011 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. Light refreshments will be served. Through Feb. 4. Call (310) 377-9584.

Devil in a blue dress

“I’m No Angel,” starring Mae West, screens at 8:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, plus Saturday at 2:30 p.m., in the Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. Tickets, $10 general; $8 seniors. (310) 322-2592 or go to OldTownMusicHall.org.

Battling for survival

“Freedom Writers: Stories from an Undeclared War” screens at 8 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. It’s a documentary about 150 at-risk Long Beach students considered unteachable until inspired by Erin Gruwell and the writings of Anne Frank. For the students, writing becomes their salvation. Conversation with Gruwell and several of the original Freedom Writers follows. Tickets, $30, $25, $20. Call (310) 781-7171 or go to torrancearts.org.

“I’m No Angel,” starring Mae West, with a young Cary Grant, screens Friday and Saturday night plus Saturday afternoon, in the Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo. Tickets, $10 general; $8 seniors. (310) 322-2592 or go to OldTownMusicHall.org

Only the best

Each January, Little Fish Theatre presents 8-10 short plays, all originals, selected from hundreds that have been submitted. This year’s festival runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. through Feb. 11, with Thursday night performances on Jan. 21, 28, and Feb. 4, plus Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22 and 29. The theater is located at 777 Centre St., San Pedro. (310) 512-6030 or go to littlefishtheatre.org.

Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid,” a satire of medicine and its practitioners, opens Friday at 8 p.m. and plays weekends through Feb. 18 in the Westchester Playhouse. Tickets, $20 general; less $2 seniors, students. Pictured, l-r, Beau Smith, Jenna Tovey, Michele Selin, and Harold Dershimer. Photo by Shari Barrett. (310) 645-5156 or go to kentwoodplayers.org

No, doc, the pain’s real

The Kentwood Players are presenting Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid,” a satire of medicine and its practitioners, Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., in the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. Susan Stangl, an MD herself, directs. Tickets, $20 general; less $2 seniors, students. Through Feb. 18. Call (310) 645-5156 or go to kentwoodplayers.org.

“Pulped Fictions,” a group exhibition that features works on or comprised of cardboard, opens Saturday with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Torrance Art Museum. Through March 4. Pictured, “Not Sure About the Title” (2014), by EVOL. (310) 618-6388 or go to TorranceArtMuseum.com

Saturday, January 14

Let’s get the juice out

“Pulped Fictions,” an exhibition featuring artistic practices that explore the material and social qualities of cardboard, opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Torrance Art Museum (TAM), 3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Featured artists include Libby Black, DOSSHAUS, EVOL, Scott Fife, Chris Gilmour, Taro Hattori, Kiel Johnson, Manfred Muller, Michael Stutz, Chris Tallon, Vincent Tomczyk, Dani Tull, and Ann Weber. In Gallery Two there are new paintings by Jon Flack. Through March 4. Call (310) 618-6388 or go to TorranceArtMuseum.com.

If you didn’t catch Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk” in Ontario, here’s a chance to see it closer to home. There are six shows, beginning this Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with one on Friday and two each on Saturday and Sunday, at The Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. It’s an arena show, based on James Cameron’s “Avatar,” and parts of it are stunning. Tickets begin at about $72-$73 and go up from there to around $228. Photo by Lawrence Errisson. Start by going to cirquedusoleil.com/toruk

Watch it grow

Inspired by Japanese mythology, “A Seed” (Ichi-Ryu Man-Bai) features performances by Japanese hand drum player Saburo Mochizuki, koto players Yukiko Matsuyama, the Wadaiko team Indora, Japanese and Baliasi dance groups, as well as flower arrangement and a kimono show. It takes place at 8 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance. Tickets, $40, $35, $30. Call (310) 781-7171 or go to torrancearts.org.

The “Palos Verdes Painters Exhibition 2017” has its opening reception on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Palos Verdes Main Library in Rolling Hills Estates. Through Feb. 4. Pictured, “South Bay Necklace,” by Bernard Fallon. (310) 377-9584

Prize-winners, both

The Hernandez/Giacopuzzo Duo, with Canadian violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez and Italian pianist Jacopo Giacopuzzo, perform at 3 p.m. in the First Lutheran Church and School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance. Free; donations appreciated. (310) 316-5574.

A word with you, Sir

“Dear President: An art show about important American issues” opens with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. at South Bay Contemporary at the Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., third floor, San Pedro. Singer/songwriters Raye Zaragoza and Tyler James perform at 5:30. Through Feb. 19. Call (310) 429-0973 or go to southbaycontemporary.org.

Sink or swim

The Kentwood Players hold auditions for the musical “Big Fish” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, with callbacks on Monday, at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. Performance dates are scheduled from March 17 to April 22. Questions? Please email BigFish@kentwoodplayers.org.

The “Southern California Slack Key Festival” takes place at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, with a lineup that includes the Lim Family, Jeff Patterson, Jim “Kimo” West, Ledward Kaapana, and more. Tickets, $20 to $55. Call (800) 595-4849 or go to slackkeyfest.com

Sunday, January 15

From their island to ours

Presented by Kala Koa, and now in it’s tenth year, The “Southern California Slack Key Festival” takes place at 2 p.m. in the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd. (at Aviation), in Redondo Beach. The lineup, with some of Hawaii’s best-known names, includes the Lim Family, Jeff Patterson, Jim “Kimo” West, Ken Emerson, Keao Costa, Ledward Kaapana, George Kuo, Jerry Santos, and Kamuela Kimokeo. Tickets, $20 to $55. Call (800) 595-4849 or go to slackkeyfest.com.

Fiber artist Valya talks about her techniques and inspiration for “Recycled” at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Branch Gallery, 1031 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. The show is up through Jan. 19. More at thebranchgallery.com

Out to pasture, that’s where

Rachel Surls and Judith Gerber, authors of “From Cows to Concrete,” will talk about their book at 2 p.m. in the Torrance Historical Society & Museum, 1345 Post Ave., Torrance. All those dairy farms in L.A., and there were some locally as well, have mostly gone the way of the dodo. The book is available for $40. Also, Judith Gerber’s “Farming in Torrance and the South Bay” is available for $20. Free event. Call (310) 328-5392 or go to TorranceHistoricalSociety.org.

Now, this is grand opera!

Continuing with the San Francisco Opera Cinema Series, Verdi’s “Aida” screens at 2 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Micaela Carosi is Aida and Marcello Giordani is Radames. Tickets, $17.50. Call (310) 781-7171 or go to torrancearts.org. Better yet, check out sfopera.com.

Sonorous, thundering…

Ron Rhode plays spectacular tunes on the Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ at 2:30 p.m. in the Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo. Tickets, $20. Call (310) 322-2592 or go to OldTownMusicHall.org.

photo l.a. takes place from Thursday, Jan. 12 (Gala, 7 to 10 p.m.) to Sunday., Jan. 15, at The Reef, located in the LA Mart building at 1933 S. Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. For every serious photographer it’s a must. Thursday’s Gala is $80 in advance and $100 at the door. Otherwise it’s $20 and $25. Pictured, “Swimm 11” (2016), from the Swimm series by Maria Svarbova (courtesy Momentum Gallery). Info at photola.com

Wednesday, January 18

Ties in with “The Founder”

Not to be confused with the Günther Grass novel, “The Flounder,” Lisa Napoli’s “Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away” is just in time for the Michael Keaton film, “The Founder.” Napoli discusses her book at 7 p.m. at Pages, 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach. Free; RSVPs appreciated. (310) 318-0900 or go to pagesabookstore.com.

High-stakes art world

“Adler & Crouch,” by Tim Crouch, opens at 8 p.m. at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, and plays through Jan. 19. It’s the fictional story of two boundary-pushing conceptual artists working in New York late last century. A look at how events in the highly volatile art world play out. Tickets, $25 to $70. Call (213) 628-2772 or go to CenterTheatreGroup.org. ER