WEEK IN PREVIEW

MOVIES

Mark Christopher’s “54” stars Mike Myers, right, as Steve Rubell, whose Studio 54 defined the New York club scene in the ‘70s and became the hang-out for the likes of Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol and designer Halston. The film, with Neve Campbell and Ryan Philippe, opens Friday in general release.

THEATER

The West Coast premiere of “Elephant Sighs” marks Theatre/Theater’s return to production after its move to new quarters in the Pacific Theaters Hollywood Building. The comedy, by Ed Simpson, is about loss, loneliness and the healing power of male friendship. It opens on Saturday.

DANCE

With another Irish step-dance champion, John Carey, filling the shoes of choreographer and original star Michael Flatley, “Lord of the Dance” plays the Greek Theatre from Wednesday through Friday: a mythic sci-fi epic set on Planet Ireland and offering Celtic dance as spectacle, not as folklore.

ART

A combination of photographs, text and projection inspired by a series of familiar fairy tales will be among the video works included in “Returning to Ordinary Life,” an exhibition devoted to photographer Eileen Cowin. It opens Tuesday at the University Art Museum at Cal State Long Beach.

MUSIC

The Budapest Festival Orchestra, with conductor Ivan Fischer, above, arrives for an extended stay at the Hollywood Bowl starting Tuesday, along with some stellar soloists--pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, soprano Andrea Rost-and five programs that spotlight Beethoven, Mozart, Vienna and all things Hungarian.

POP MUSIC

As the summer leg of its “Re-Load” tour winds toward its conclusion next month, to be followed by another leg this fall, Metallica plays Friday at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. The hard-working Bay Area rock quartet is joined on the bill by Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and Days of the New.

JAZZ

The film scores of Duke Ellington are brought back to life by the Louie Bellson Big Band and fluegelhornist Clark Terry at “Jazz Goes to the Movies II” on Saturday at John Anson Ford Theatre. The program will also feature film clips from “Paris Blues,” “Assault on a Queen” and “Anatomy of a Murder.”

VIDEO

Spike Lee is best known for such films as “Do the Right Thing,” but one of his finest is the Oscar-nominated “4 Little Girls.” Lee poured his heart and soul into this documentary about four young black girls killed in a church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., in the early ‘60s. The film arrives Tuesday on video.

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Early Warning: Expect the usual high jinks when the 15th annual MTV Video Music Awards take over the Universal Amphitheatre on Sept. 10.