WEEK IN PREVIEW

MOVIES

A new comedy from the makers of “Dumb and Dumber,” Bobby and Peter Farrelly’s “There’s Something About Mary” stars Ben Stiller as a man who hires a private detective (Matt Dillon, at right) to locate the love of his life: his high school sweetheart (Cameron Diaz). It opens Wednesday in general release.

THEATER

Celebrated South African playwright-actor Athol Fugard returns to the Southern California stage, playing a leading role in the West Coast premiere of his newest work, “The Captain’s Tiger, A Memoir for the Stage.” It opens today at the La Jolla Playhouse in the Mandell Weiss Theatre.

DANCE

“Stomp,” the freewheeling, high-energy, all-percussion showcase, returns to the area on Tuesday for a run at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus. The primal, post-industrial production, which utilizes such unlikely objects of rhythm as keys, push brooms, lighters and car parts, continues through Aug. 2.

MUSIC

American pianist Garrick Ohlsson’s complete cycle of Chopin’s solo works garnered rave reviews in performances over the last few seasons. On Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl, he offers a recital including the composer’s B-minor Sonata, B-flat-minor Scherzo, three waltzes, four mazurkas and more.

MUSIC

John Williams, above, got his start as a concert conductor two decades ago at Hollywood Bowl. He returns with movie music Friday and Saturday, leading the L.A. Philharmonic in scores by Korngold, Hermann, Steiner and others from the golden age of filmmaking, plus works by Elmer Bernstein and Williams himself.

POP MUSIC

The teen-idol trio Hanson burst onto the pop music scene last year with the infectious “MMMBop.” When the group from Tulsa makes its Southland debut tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, it’s a tossup as to who will be louder--brothers Zachary, Isaac and Taylor, or their screaming fans.

JAZZ

Kenny Rankin gained fame as a pop-oriented singer and guitarist. However, in recent years he has proved himself to be a superior interpreter of vintage standards, often improvising melody lines while sticking to the lyrics. Rankin will be featured at the Cinegrill this week, starting Tuesday.

VIDEO

Gary Oldman (“Lost in Space,” “Sid & Nancy”) penned the screenplay and directed “Nil By Mouth,” a harrowing drama about a dysfunctional South London working-class family. Kathy Burke, who was named best actress at Cannes, stars in the film, which debuts Tuesday on video.

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Early Warning: Anticipation is high for “Picasso: Masterworks From the Museum of Modern Art,” slated to run from Sept. 6 to Jan. 4, 1999, at LACMA.