South Bay Arts Calendar September 5 – 8
“Collections 2 Save Lives” is a three-day art show, opening tomorrow, Friday, and going through Sunday at Christ Episcopal Church, 408 S. Broadway, Redondo Beach, with an amount of the proceeds going to Be the Match Testing for Bone Marrow. Pictured, art work by Ernie O’Dell. Call Barbara ramsey-Duke at (310) 251-6830.Thursday, September 5
Thursday, September 5
Every person a story
“Personal Tales,” narrative work by such artists as Terry Braunstein, Stan Edmondson, Jim Morphesis, and Nancy Mozur, has its artists reception tonight, Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the El Camino College Art Gallery, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance. There is an artists’ lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m. Closes Sept. 19. Call ( 310) 660-3010 or go to elcamino.edu.
Fitting in
“Peace in the Chaos,” new work by Estela Gama, goes on view from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gallery Azul, 520 W. Eighth St., San Pedro. The artist’s reception is slated for Saturday, Sept. 21, from 5 to 9 p.m. More at galleryazul.com.
The “All Star Comedy Festival,” screening classic comedy shorts (with the likes of Laurel and Hardy, pictured), takes place tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday at 8:15, as well as Saturday and Sunday 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.
Consequences
“Prometheus Bound,” presented outdoors at the Getty Villa’s Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater, was first performed (although not in English) in the 450s B.C. When you steal from the gods, this is what they do to you. Directed by Travis Preston, Artistic Director of the CalArts Center for New Performance, the play is being staged Thursdays through Saturdays, at 8 p.m. Tickets, $42 general; $38 seniors, students. Closes Sept. 28. Call (310) 440-7300 or go to getty.edu.
Friday, September 6
They’ll eat you up!
“Shark Lagoon Nights” begin this evening, from 6 to 9 p.m., and they’ll continue on many Fridays through Dec. 27, at the Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. Come in and touch over 150 of them. Better yet, it’s free. (562) 590-3100 or go to aquariumofpacific.org.
Eva Marie Vargo has a solo art exhibit called “Rhapsodies en blue” and the opening reception is tomorrow, Friday, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Ma Griffe Galerie, 3624 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro. (310) 547-2154 or go to magriffegalerie.com.
Flying fingers
“Populaire,” a French comedy starring Bérénice Bejo (“The Artist”), opens for one week at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Los Angeles. It’s an homage, sort of, to the light comedies of the ‘50s or ‘60s, and in this case a young office worker is catapulted to instant fame when she becomes a contender for the title of “Fastest Typist in the World.” (310) 281-8223 or go to LandmarkTheatres.com.
Saturday, September 7
Two for one
Angels Gate Cultural Center is opening two shows, “Picking up the Pieces: a suicide prevention project” and “What We See,” with a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. at 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro. “Picking up” is a collaboration with residents of Harbor View House; “What We See” are selected works that represent experiences in perception. (310) 519-0936 or go to angelsgateart.org.
Just when you thought you had Long Beach Opera figured out! The company is presenting a “campfire opera” by Peter Lieberson called “King Gesar” at 8 p.m. on Saturday as well as next week, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 4, also at 8 p.m., in the Harry Bridges Memorial Park, 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach. One hour, no intermission; opera talk with Andreas Mitisek 30 minutes before show time. Tickets, $29 to $69. Pictured, Roberto Perlas Gomez and Danielle Bond, with Javier Gonzalez behind. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Opera. (562) 432-5934 or go to longbeachopera.org/tickets.
Feathered friends
ArtLife Gallery presents “Thirty Birds” by Pollux, opening with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. at ArtLife’s new gallery, 1217 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach. It’s a collection of avian portraits, each depicted with some feature of human life or society. (310) 938-2511 or go to artlifesouthbay.com.
Liven it up
The Richard Sherman Trio performs at 7 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. They’re being presented by Seaside Community Church. Tickets, $25. Call (310) 781-7171 or go to seasidecommunitychurch.org.
Sign up and act away
The South Bay Conservatory’s Youth Musical Theatre program is looking for students ages 5 to 13 to join for the upcoming production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” No auditions required, but this is a tuition-based program. Today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Palos Verdes, 28 Moccasin Lane, Rolling Hills Estates. The show itself is planned for Dec. 6 to 8. Call (424) 262-9722 or go to southbayconservatory.com.
Sunday, September 8
The real deal
The South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club meets from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Knights of Columbus Hall, 214 Avenue “I” in Redondo Beach. The featured band is Barry Anthony and The Wailers. Admission, $7 members and $9 non-members. Free for visiting musicians who come in to play additional “sets.” (310) 376-2591.
Mark Fitchett & Chasing The Blues, featuring Gary Ferguson on drums and Rick Hollander on bass, perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) in the Hermosa Saloon, 211 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach. No cover. Pictured, the incomparable Mark Fitchett. (310) 374-9060 or go to thehermosasaloon.com.
“True Believers: Horror Movies, Strange Tales, Comic Book Worlds and Weirdness” opened last Saturday at the Torrance Museum of Art, 3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. It was presented (or directed) by (l-r) Jason Ramos, Max Presneill, and Adam Miller. Through Oct. 12. Photo by Gloria Plascencia. (310) 618-6340 or go to TorranceArtMuseum.com.
Keeping the tradition
Nanka Nihon Minyo Kyokai presents “Japanese Folk Song & Dance Show” at 1 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Tickets, $10. Call (310) 781-7171.
She’s doing Rachmaninoff
New York City-based pianist Kariné Poghosyan performs at 2 p.m. in the Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, 26438 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates. Free; donations appreciated. (310) 316-5574.
Wednesday, September 11
“Contemporary Sculpture,” curated by Peggy Zask, opens on Saturday, Sept. 14, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at Zask Gallery, 550 Deep Valley Drive #151, Rolling Hills Estates, in the Promenade on the Peninsula. The group show (more next week!) will be up through Oct. 26. Pictured, artwork by Seth Kaufman. (310) 429-0973 or go to pszaskgallery.com.
Art house feature
Jem Cohen’s “Museum Hours,” about two adrift strangers who find refuge in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Art Museum, screens at 7:30 p.m. in the AMC Rolling Hills 20, located off of Airport Drive in Torrance. Tickets, $10. It’s a benefit for the Palos Verdes Art Center, presented by The South Bay Film Society.