Best Bets: Fri 8/21

Friday 8:30pm: Music

John Mauceri conducts the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and soloists Sylvia McNair, soprano, and Tracey Welborn, tenor, in “The Great American Concert,” with fireworks. The program celebrates two of America’s most beloved composers, beginning with selections commemorating George Gershwin’s 100th birthday: “Gershwins In Hollywood” and “Watch Yor Step.” The evening continues with selections from composer Leonard Bernstein’s musicals and film scores, including the “Candide” overture, the love theme from “On the Waterfront,” and music from “West Side Story.”

* “The Great American Concert,” Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. $3-$98. Also Saturday, 8:30 p.m. (323) 850-2000.

2 pm: Nostalgia

Jump into a pie fight with a Stooge impersonator, place yourself in the middle of a scene from a Stooge short film or get your picture taken with the threesome on “blue screen” at the Three Stooges West Coast Convention. This weekend’s event also offers “Curly Shuffle Dance” contests, guest speakers, screenings and tours. Opening ceremonies at 3 p.m. Friday will be hosted by legendary announcer Gary Owens.

* Three Stooges West Coast Convention, Friday, 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank. Adults, $25; children ages 6-12, $12.50; children under 6, free. Adult three-day pass, $65; three-day pass for children

7:30 pm: Music

Concluding its fifth summer season at the Huntington Library, Southwest Chamber Music offers a fascinating program of Americana: a string quartet by none other than Benjamin Franklin, short works by William Grant Still and Amy Beach, and the “American” String Quintet by Antonin Dvorak.

* Southwest Chamber Music, Huntington Library Gallery Loggia, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. $30. Also, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (800) 726-7147.

8 pm: Pop Music

What does a pop patriarch do on his millionth concert tour to keep things interesting? On the early dates of his new trek, Elton John has been trying out some old tunes that he usually doesn’t play live, including “Texas Love Song.”

* Elton John, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, 2695 E. Katella Ave. $49.50. Also Saturday. (714) 704-2500.

8:15 pm: Pop Music

Riding on the international success of its fifth album, “Suenos Liquidos,” Mexico’s Mana checks into the Universal Amphitheatre for a three-night stand.

* Mana, Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. Also Saturday and Sunday at 8:15 p.m. Sold out. (818) 622-4440. Also Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, 2695 E. Katella Ave. $25-$50. (714) 704-2500.

8 pm: Theater

It’s been three decades since the Age of Aquarius dawned in the groundbreaking rock musical “Hair,” a symbol of a generation’s cultural revolution. Candlefish Theatre Company is paying tribute to the original “American Tribal Love Rock Musical” with a 30th-anniversary revival, opening Friday.

* “Hair,” Candlefish Theatre, 1540 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Dark Aug. 29. Ends Sept. 27. $15; opening, $20. (323) 660-8587.

FREEBIE: Multicultural storytelling by Dael Orlandersmith, 350 S. Grand Ave., downtown, noon and 8 p.m. (213) 687-2159.