8pm

World Music

Led by vocalist Marie Daulne, Belgium-based Zap Mama brings musical traditions from across Africa together with modern, urban sounds to create a cross-cultural mix that transcends time and space. Here, the nine-person troupe of singers, dancers and instrumentalists will perform the roots music and hip-hop hybrid heard on their latest release, “A Ma Zone.”

* Zap Mama, Royce Hall, UCLA campus, Westwood, 8 p.m. $13 (UCLA students) to $32. (310) 825-2101.

8pm

Theater

The Playhouse Balcony Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse, dark for five years, reopens with “Panache,” Don Gordon’s romantic comedy about a disillusioned artist and an eccentric socialite, played by Eric Pierpoint and Lisa Pelikan.

* “Panache,” Playhouse Balcony Theatre, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Runs indefinitely. $25 to $30. (626) 795-6000.

7:30pm

Theater

“The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” Charles Dickens’ epic of social commentary, is presented in two parts with Joe Hodges in the title role, directed by Tom Quaintance.

* “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” Theatre 40, Beverly Hills High School campus, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Part I: Wednesdays, Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 1 p.m. Part II: Thursdays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. Ends Dec. 19. $15 to$18. (323) 936-5842.

8pm

Music

Southwest Chamber Music continues its Open Rehearsal series with a live listen to Morton Subotnick’s “A Fluttering of Wings,” for string quartet and electronics, which Southwest premiered last year. The composer will be present to discuss the work.

* Southwest Chamber Music open rehearsal, Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 8 p.m. $5 to $10. (800) 726-7147.

all day

Movies

“The Insider” is a fact-based drama about tobacco industry whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe). The former head of research and development for Brown & Williamson risked his reputation, career and marriage by going public with shocking information about tobacco industry practices. The film, which is directed by Michael Mann and co-scripted by Mann and Pieter Jan Brugge, is based on the Vanity Fair article “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” by Marie Brenner. The ensemble cast includes Al Pacino (as the “60 Minutes” producer who rallies behind Wigand), Christopher Plummer (as Mike Wallace), Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar and Michael Gambon.

* “The Insider,” rated R for language, opens Friday in general release.

all day

Movies

“Embracing the Apocalypse: Visions of Faith and Fear” is the theme of this year’s City of the Angels Film Festival, an annual event that brings together filmmakers, theologians of all faiths and regular moviegoers to watch and discuss films that raise religious and social issues. This year’s lineup includes Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon,” Wim Wenders’ “The End of Violence,” Gianni Amelio’s “Lamerica,” Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and others, all at the Directors Guild of America. Most of the films include post-screening panel discussions.

* Sixth annual City of the Angels Film Festival, Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Friday through Sunday. $8 to $10. All-day passes are available for $20 to $25. Tickets, (626) 304-3775. See Special Screenings list for full schedule.

FREEBIES:

The Taper’s New Work Festival of workshop productions, staged readings and special events begins at 8 p.m. Also Saturday, 5 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 8 p.m. Continues through December. Actors’ Gang, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 972-7389.

Venture West Theatre Company stages a reading of “Institute of the Brains” in the Mark Taper Auditorium of the Los Angeles Public Library, 650 W. 5th St., L.A., 7:30 p.m. (213) 228-7331.