Itinerary: Livin’ La Vida Luna

The sunrise every day is the definition of consistency. But the moon--it waxes and wanes. As Shakespeare’s Juliet tells the courting Romeo:

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,

That monthly changes in her circled orb,

Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Tonight the moon displays one of its rare moods--a total eclipse. Enjoy it, and a whole weekend of lunar activity.

Today

Southern California has prime-time viewing for the first total lunar eclipse since 1996. It begins at 6:03 tonight, and by 7 the moon will darken and take on a reddish hue. “Totality,” when the moon is completely engulfed by the shadow of the Earth, lasts from 8:04 to 9:22 p.m.

If the skies are clear, Griffith Observatory (Griffith Park, [323] 664-1191) will be open for viewing until 11 p.m.

Friday

Still playing in a theater near you: “Man on the Moon.”

They don’t come much odder than Andy Kaufman, but the late comic gets fairly reverential treatment from director Milos Forman and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski in this film, which takes its title from an R.E.M. song about Kaufman.

The film got mixed notices, but most critics consider Jim Carrey’s performance remarkable--even worthy of an Oscar nomination. The Times’ Kenneth Turan noted: “Besides sharing a birth date with Kaufman, Carrey is a major fan and seems to have an intuitive understanding of his bizarre subject. His performance is a brilliant, almost terrifying impersonation, and he’s so committed to the role he seems to understand Andy better than Andy did himself.”

Afterward, unwind with some jazz at Lunaria (10351 Santa Monica Blvd., [310] 282-8870). The Doug Cameron Quartet is playing Friday and Saturday night.

Saturday

Want to see what put a man on the moon? It’s in the Valley.

Out in front of Rocketdyne, on De Soto Avenue, north of Victory Boulevard, are several models of engines that powered the Apollo spacecraft, including Apollo 11, the first to land on the moon’s surface in 1969.

Then, get a group together because that’s the best way to eat tapas, those wonderful, Spanish, appetizer-sized dishes. At La Luna Negra (44 W. Green St., Pasadena, [626] 844-4331) the menu includes 16 different tapas--from stuffed calamari to Spanish potato salad. The more people, the more dishes you can try.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and on Friday and Saturday nights, there’s flamenco dancing. The entertainment is popular, so call for reservations.

Sunday

“The Un-Cabaret” has been holding down the Sunday night fort at LunaPark (665 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, [310] 652-0611. Un-Cab hotline: [323] 993-3305) since the place opened in 1993.

Host Beth Lapides created the perfect space for what’s now been dubbed “alternative” comedy. What’s that mean? Well, it’s like alternative music--it all depends on who’s performing. This Sunday, it’ll be Taylor Negron, Mike McDonald and Patton Oswalt.

The show’s at 7:30 p.m. each Sunday. Tickets ($15) can be purchased in advance by calling the club.

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* For a guide to tonight’s total lunar eclipse, see Science File, Page B2.