GOINGS ON : ‘Cabaret’ Dances its Way to SBCC : The smash Broadway and film hit, set in Berlin of the 1920s, is being reprised at the college’s Garvin Theatre.

It has been nearly 30 years since director Harold Prince and his cast took to Broadway with the musical “Cabaret,” a story of romance and decadence in 1920s Berlin, during the rise of Nazism.

Three years and eight Tony Awards later, the company toured the United States with the popular show. In 1972 it became an Academy Award-winning movie, directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey. And in 1987 the show returned to Broadway.

Now “Cabaret” is at Santa Barbara City College’s Garvin Theatre, in a production by the SBCC Theatre Group, under the direction of Pope Freeman.

The show, which opened last week, will run through July 23. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 (Friday and Saturday), $12 (Thursday and Sunday), with $2 discounts for seniors. Call 965-5935. The theater is located on the 800 block of Cliff Drive.

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SBCC’s Garvin Theatre Complex--the Studio Theatre part of it--will play host to another Broadway smash, with tonight’s opening of the 1970s rock musical “Godspell.” The cast consists of local junior high, high school and college students involved in Access Theatre’s Youth Access to the Arts program.

Through mime, slapstick, song, and dance, “Godspell” takes a carnival-like approach to the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and this Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 (general), $12 (seniors and children). Call 965-5935.

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The New Vic Theater will present the 24th International Tournee of Animation, a 1 1/2-hour collection of the world’s best, through Tuesday at the Lobero Theatre. Shows tonight, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. Admission is $6 (adults), $4 (children and seniors). The Lobero is located at 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761 or 563-1438 for more information.

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The Santa Barbara Jazz Society will host a Bastille Day Celebration this evening at the Cutter Motors Showroom, with an exhibit of artwork from 25 area artists and an “All-Star Jazz and Blues Review.” Musicians will include Fred Raulston, Harold Acey, Theo Saunders, and Ray Bailey. Admission is free. The party will begin at 6 p.m. French attire is optional. The showroom is located at 402 S. Hope Ave.

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Here are a couple of events at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History:

The museum’s Astronomical Unit will take over the planetarium tonight through July 22 to present a series of shows called “Comet Crash.” The timing coincides with the anticipated collision, later this month, between the comet Shoemaker-Levy, and the planet Jupiter. Shows will begin at 8 p.m. General admission is $3 (adults), $2 (children).

Beginning Saturday, museum visitors can check out antique natural history prints of exotic mollusks. The collection, based on discoveries made during 18th- and 19th-Century expeditions to North and South America, the Pacific Islands, the Philippines, and other locations, has been maintained in Europe for 150 years by the family of Baron de Ferussac.

The museum, located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $5 (adults), $5 (teens and seniors), $3 (children age 2-12). Call 682-4711.

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Take a really large model of the Eiffel Tower, add a parade of poodles, toss in some escargot, some crepes, and the cancan, and what have you got? No, not a stomachache.

You’ve got the 7th Annual French Festival (a Fete Francaise) Saturday and Sunday at Santa Barbara’s Oak Park.

There will be international dancing, music (including tunes by J.T. and the Zydeco Zippers and Renaissance songs by the Greenwood Singers), cultural exhibits, classic French cars and an abundance of food--prepared by local eateries the likes of Citronelle, La Casbah and The French Bakery.

The festival will run 11 a.m.-7 p.m. both days. Admission is free. The park is located off the Mission Street exit of U.S. 101. Call 564-PARIS for more information.

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Their music has been referred to as a mix of California Honky Tonk and psychobilly. And it’s been dubbed “Bakersfield Country Music.” Whatever the classification, the Twangin’ Iguanas will undoubtedly add an original twist to their country music, Sunday, in a free concert at Santa Barbara’s Alameda Park bandstand. The concert will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Call 963-0611 ext. 4530 for more information. The park is located at Micheltorena and Anacapa streets.