Best Bts / APRIL 11-17, 1999

Movies

Directed by Ted Demme, “Life” is a comedy about two men (Eddie Murphy, above left, and Martin Lawrence) wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Opens wide Friday.

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Alejandro Amenabar’s “Open Your Eyes” is a psychological thriller in which fantasy and reality begin to blend together for a young man (Eduardo Noriega) who seemingly has everything going for him. Opens Friday at selected theaters.

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Supermodel Claudia Schiffer makes her big screen acting debut in “Friends & Lovers,” which co-stars Stephen Baldwin and Robert Downey Jr. It opens Friday.

Theater

Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy “Round and Round the Garden,” part of “The Norman Conquests” trilogy about a librarian’s efforts to incite a swinging weekend, opens Friday at South Coast Repertory.

Art

Candid photographs of expatriates Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti and Henry Miller will be among the many images of Parisian life included in the retrospective exhibition “Brassai: The Eye of Paris” opening Tuesday at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Above right: “Pont-Neuf, Paris” (1949).

Music

The near-legendary Martha Argerich returns this week to the L.A. Philharmonic, where she last played in 1981. The Argentine-born pianist, 57, performs Chopin’s E-minor Concerto. Argerich made a cameo appearance at UCLA a year ago; before that, her most recent local performance was a recital with violinist Gidon Kremer, in 1988.

Pop Music

Hip-hop or teen pop? The lines are drawn when ‘N Sync (Thursday at Cox Arena in San Diego, Friday at the Great Western Forum and next Sunday at the Arrowhead Pond) faces off against rappers DMX and Jay-Z and their Hard Knock Life tour (Friday at the San Diego Sports Arena and Saturday at the Pond).

Jazz

Kendra Shank is among the best up-and-coming jazz singers, able to sing ballads effectively and improvise. She will be at Lunaria on Thursday, Ca’ del Sole on Friday and the Jazz Bakery the following Monday.

Dance

Modern dance icon Merce Cunningham turns 80 on Friday, opening night of his company’s engagement at Royce Hall. But it looks like he’s bringing the presents, above: five local premieres, including “Windows,” “Pond Way” and “CRWDSPCR” on Friday; “Rondo,” “CRWDSPCR” and “Ground Level Overlay” on Saturday.

Video

“A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries” is the latest production from the team of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. It arrives Tuesday on video shelves.