BEST BETS / MARCH 12-18, 2000

ART

An 18th century drawing designed to be lighted from behind and cranked through a viewing box demonstrates early insight into animation in “Carmontelle’s Transparency: An 18th Century Motion Picture,” opening Tuesday at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Made of watercolor and gouache on translucent paper, the 12-foot drawing will be displayed with 20 other watercolors and paintings, including “Figures Walking in a Parkland,” right, and a replica that can be hand-cranked by viewers through a viewing box.

THEATER

El Portal Center for the Arts’ inaugural season continues with its second Mainstage Theatre production, “Rollin’ on the T.O.B.A,” a tribute to the last days of black vaudeville. With songs, tap dance and comic sketches, the musical theater revue was conceived by Ronald “Smokey” Stevens and Jay Stewart; Stevens, Sandra Reaves-Phillips and Ted Levy head the cast. Opens Friday.

POP MUSIC

The field in the diva derby is in flux these days, with Celine Dion withdrawing for a while and new entries such as Christina Aguilera making their presence felt. Through it all, Mariah Carey is holding her own, keeping a constant presence at the forefront of the pop mainstream. Still scarce on concert stages, she surfaces with a Staples Center appearance Thursday.

MUSIC

Visitors from afar: Monday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Moscow Soloists, with conductor-violist Yuri Bashmet. German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff makes his local recital debut at Royce Hall, UCLA, Thursday. In Orange County the same night, harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock brings his English Concert to the O.C. Performing Arts Center in Bach’s six “Brandenburg” Concertos.

MOVIES

Devon Sawa, above with Ali Larter, stars as a teenager whose vivid premonition gets him and handful of classmates off a doomed jetliner in “Final Destination,” but their luck doesn’t last long. James Wong directs. Opens wide Friday.

DANCE

Back for its annual residency, the innovative, influential Paul Taylor Dance Company presents two programs at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Friday and Saturday. The opening-night repertory includes the local premiere of “Cascade,” along with “Sunset” and “Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rehearsal).” Look for “Aureole,” “Big Bertha,” “Syzygy” and “Company B” on Saturday.

VIDEO

Two of this year’s Oscar nominees, Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, star in the violent police thriller “The Bone Collector.” Washington plays a quadriplegic ex-cop who is planning an assisted suicide until he hears about a serial killer. He enlists the help of a young officer (Jolie) to help him trap the killer. Philip Noyce directed the film, due out on video and DVD on Tuesday.