Best Bets for Sunday Calendar, Oct. 10, 1999

Movies

David Lynch’s “The Straight Story” stars Richard Farnsworth in the true story of Alvin Straight, who in 1994 took a 260-mile journey through America’s Heartland on his 1966 John Deere tractor. With Sissy Spacek and Harry Dean Stanton. Opening Friday at selected theaters.

Glen Goei’s “That’s the Way I Like It” is a coming-of-age comedy set in Singapore in 1977 and offers vintage disco culture filtered through an Asian sensibility. Adrian Pang stars as a bored 20-year-old who dreams of owning the hottest motorbike money can buy. Opens Friday at selected theaters.

Theater

Celebration Theatre presents a gender-bending new production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical revue, “Marry Me a Little.” Usually performed by a man and a woman playing two single strangers, the show has been reconceived, with special permission, as an all-male show. Steve Gideon (“Naked Boys Singing”) headlines. Opens Friday.

Art

“Adriaen de Vries, Imperial Sculptor,” the first-ever survey of the brilliant late-16th/early 17th century Dutch bronze caster will go on display beginning Tuesday at the J. Paul Getty Museum. About 40 bronzes, will be included--some life-size and larger--as well as prints and drawings.

Music

Now in its second day, the nine-day World Festival of Sacred Music--The Americas hosts its major event, today from 4 to 8 p.m., in Hollywood Bowl. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will speak; then, along with nearly a dozen other musical groups, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform--Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, assisted by the L.A. Master Chorale and Paul Smith Singers, at 7 p.m.

Jazz

Al DiMeola originally came to fame as the fiery fusion guitarist with Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in the early 1970s. He has since also excelled as an acoustic player, performing World music and explorative jazz. DiMeola will be heading his World Sinfonia band at Catalina’s this week, starting Tuesday.

Pop Music

Here it comes--the tour that sold out in the blink of an eye, by a group that’s sold a gazillion albums in the last couple of years. The Backstreet Boys, who jump-started the whole teen-pop revival, play the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on Thursday and Friday, then move on to the Great Western Forum for shows Oct. 19 and 20.

Video

Shakespeare’s classic comedy “The Taming of the Shrew” is the basis for the Disney teen farce, “10 Things I Hate About You.” This time around, a handsome but mysterious high school senior accepts a challenge to woo and win the heart of his beautiful, brilliant but unfriendly classmate. The romance, which features Heath Ledger, arrives Tuesday on video shelves.

Family

The Purple One--the artist currently known as Barney--stars in a new touring extravaganza, “Barney’s Musical Castle,” along with pals BJ, Baby Bop and other members of the Barney brigade. Fans can sing and dance to their favorite feel-good Barney tunes at the Great Western Forum (Oct. 13-17) and the Anaheim Convention Center (Oct. 20-24).