WEEK IN PREVIEW

MOVIES

“Wild Man Blues,” from two-time Oscar-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple, follows Woody Allen and his New Orleans-style jazz band on a whirlwind European tour. It’s an unusual project for the notoriously private Allen. The film opens Friday at the Nuart in West Los Angeles.

MOVIES

“The Object of My Affection,” a romantic comedy that explores questions of love, sex and friendship, stars Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston and Tim Daly. Nicholas Hytner directed from Wendy Wasserstein’s adaptation of the Stephen McCauley novel. The film opens Friday in general release.

MUSIC

Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic present a seven-part celebration of Gyorgy Ligeti’s 75th birthday, starting Saturday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with a program offering the Hungarian composer’s Requiem as well as works by Bach and Haydn.

ART

Labeled “degenerate” by Nazi Germany and too avant-garde by Hollywood’s studio system, the abstract animations of Oskar Fischinger nonetheless revolutionized movie making. Films, paintings and drawings by the pioneering artist open Friday in “Optical Poetry” at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts.

DANCE

Former Angeleno Donald Byrd and his daring contemporary ensemble the Group appear Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The bill features “Quartet,” “Sentimental Cannibalism” (from “Bristle”) and the first section of the choreographer’s upcoming full-evening work “JazzTrain.”

POP MUSIC

The “Stormy Weather ‘98” concert Thursday night at the Wiltern Theatre, benefiting the Walden Woods Project, presents an all-star lineup: Sandra Bernhard, Bjork, Natalie Cole, Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt and Trisha Yearwood.

JAZZ

Jazz City ‘98, a free festival, takes place from Monday through Thursday at USC with Alumni Park concerts at noon and 5 p.m. and major names at Bovard Auditorium at 7 p.m. Among the performers are Ernie Watts, Wallace Roney, Kenny Garrett, B Sharp Jazz Quartet and Jon Faddis With Jimmy Heath.

VIDEO

“L.A. Confidential” may not have dominated the Oscars, but every critic in America seemed bedazzled by Curtis Hanson’s lush, violent film noir set in the City of Angels, circa 1953. Kim Basinger, who won an Oscar as a classy call girl, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey star. The video arrives Tuesday.

*

Early Warning: Butch Vig, Shirley Manson and cohorts turned Garbage into pop gold in 1995. The quartet’s second album, “Version 2.0,” arrives May 12.