October 4, 2007

Arts events: This week's critics' picks
A best bets of what's coming up in the local arts scene

DANCE/LAURA BLEIBERG

Jazz Tap Ensemble artistic director Lynn Dally was given a challenge: take some of the great tap dance routines of cinema and reconstruct them for the stage. Using film clips and live dance, the resulting show, "American Tap Masterpieces: The Hollywood Journey," pays tributes to the greats, such as Bill Robinson in “The Little Colonel,” Fred Astaire in “Flying Down to Rio,” and Gregory Hines with Mikhail Baryshnikov in “White Nights.” The Jazz Tap Ensemble will also perform original pieces made especially for them, including “Groove,” choreographed by the late Gregory Hines, and Jimmy Slyde’s “Interplay.” This two-act show was commissioned by the California Arts Council as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces Program. At the Irvine Barclay Theatre (4242 Campus Dr.), 8 p.m., Oct. 13. Tickets are only $10. Call 949-854-4646 or go to www.thebarclay.org.

One of this country’s most provocative dance groups, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company will be presented by UCLA Live at Royce Hall, 8 p.m., Oct. 12-13. The group’s 10 dancers, with guest artist actor Andrea Smith, will perform Jones’ “Blind Date.” This 90-minute, multimedia contemporary dance work probes how society has strayed from ideals of tolerance and social progress. With projections of text and photographs by video artist Peter Nigrini and a sound score created by composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. Tickets are $48, $36 and $24. Call 310-825-2101 or go to www.uclalive.org.

And… don’t forget the Orange County Performing Artscenter’s Fall for Dance is this weekend, too, Oct. 11-14, call 714-556-2787 or go to www.ocpac.org.

VISUAL ARTS/RICHARD CHANG

What is “cool”? The Orange County Museum of Art will try to answer that question with a new exhibition that opens Oct. 7. "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design and Culture at Midcentury" explores the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film and music of the 1950s. Artists include Chet Baker, Karl Benjamin, Charles and Ray Eames, Helen Lundeberg, Richard Neutra and Julius Shulman – many of whom wound up on the West Coast and contributed to American modernism. Pictured is the album cover of Miles Davis’ 1957 album “Birth of the Cool” – one of the inspirations for the show. An opening reception ($10 for non-members) is planned for 7-9 p.m. Oct. 6. OCMA is at 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach. Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors and students, free for children 12 and younger. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays. Call 949-759-1122 or visit www.ocma.net.

The Irvine Fine Arts Center is presenting "Unexpected Vistas of Irvine: The Art of Thomas Brown" through Oct. 27. Nearly 100 of Brown’s plein air oil paintings are on display. Brown will give a free talk and painting demonstration at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11. The fine arts center is at 14321 Yale Ave. in Heritage Park, Irvine. Admission is free; hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call 949-724-6880 or visit www.irvinefinearts.org.

CLASSICAL MUSIC/TIMOTHY MANGAN

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic launch their Sibelius Unbound festival, Oct. 12-14, with performances of two of the composer's most beloved works, the tone poem "Finlandia" and the Second Symphony. Salonen adds the lyrical excesses of his own "Wing on Wing" to complete the program. The festival, running through Oct. 26, will eventually encompass all seven of Sibelius' symphonies, an inspired body of 20th century work like none other. At Walt Disney Concert Hall. $40-$142. 323-850-2000 or www.laphil.com

The prize-winning American pianist Gary Graffman, who due to injury now performs with the left hand alone, comes to Cal State Fullerton's Meng Concert Hall at 4 p.m. Oct. 7 to deliver a wide-ranging recital devoted to the one-handed repertoire, by masters and unknowns alike. $15-$20. 657-278-3371 or www.arts.fullerton.edu.