Itinerary: Go Greek

In Greece, every village has a festival to honor the saint the village is named after. And though there is no “Little Athens” here, there are plenty of opportunities to appreciate Greek culture, both ancient and modern.

Thursday

Start on a lighthearted note; there will be plenty of tragedy to come.

“Medea: The Musical” (Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thursdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Oct. 1. $20 to $22. [323] 856-4200) livens up the story of the queen married to Jason of golden fleece fame.

As written and directed by John Fisher, this Medea is a gay-themed backstage comedy. Heavier on camp than on mythology, it uses satirical lyrics to well-known songs--”I Will Survive” and “YMCA” among them--in telling the story of Medea’s revenge.

Friday

Step back in time with a visit to the collection of antiquities at the Getty Center (1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, [310] 440-7300. Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. Parking $5). J. Paul Getty was fascinated by ancient Rome and Greece and started his collection in 1939. Among the pieces in the museum’s collection are a sculpture of a male harp player dating to 2500 BC, a statue suspected to be Aphrodite from around 400 BC and Greek vases, such as the Calyx Krater from 340 BC depicting Zeus’ seduction of Europa.

Take in a concert at the Greek Theatre (2700 N. Vermont Ave., [323] 665-1927), the 6,100-seat outdoor amphitheater that is a joy to summer concert-goers and a five-month headache to residents of the Los Feliz neighborhood. Built in 1929 and 1930, it benefited from the generosity of Col. Griffith J. Griffith, who also donated the land for Griffith Park. Though he died a decade before the Greek was built, it’s said that he designed much of the theater’s original detailing.

Concert options this weekend are limited to the rock group Chicago, which plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets: $20.25 to $60.25.

Not a fan of “Hard to Say I’m Sorry”? Then head south to San Pedro for what is consistently proclaimed the best Greek food in L.A. at Papadakis Taverna (301 W. 6th St., San Pedro, [310] 548-1186. Dinner only). Open since 1973, the restaurant is a neighborhood institution. The staff breaks into Greek dances periodically--and guests occasionally break the glassware in a gleefully destructive tradition. But it’s the food as much as the fun that draws the crowds.

Saturday

Greek Fest ‘99--the 41st annual festival sponsored by St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church--runs Saturday and Sunday at Santa Anita Park (285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. $5. Ages 11 and younger free. [626] 449-6943).

The west end of Santa Anita’s infield will be transformed into a mini Greek village, complete with crafts, folk dancing, music and food. Dozens of volunteers from St. Anthony’s make baklava, spanakopita, souvlakia and moussaka by hand.

Sunday

Catch up on the classics all in one day. Kenneth Cavander abridged the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Homer and others to create “The Greeks,” a two-part epic in every sense of the word.

Part of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s 30th anniversary, the show ties together tales surrounding the Trojan War in two parts, “The Cursed” and “The Blessed.” You can see both on Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. (Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., [310] 477-2055. $20.50 to $24.50; $38 to $46 for both. Through Dec. 5).--ROBIN RAUZI