Best Bets / October 8-14, 2000

Movies

Richard Gere plays a Dallas gynecologist in Robert Altman’s “Dr. T. and the Women.” The women of the title include Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Farrah Fawcett, Kate Hudson, Tara Reid, Liv Tyler, Shelley Long, Janine Tayler and Lee Grant. Among the men is Andy Richter. Opens Friday.

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Also: Tim Meadows stars as “The Ladies Man”--a slick woman-chaser who dispenses advice to the lovelorn on his late-night radio show. Billy Dee Williams is among Meadows’ co-stars in the comedy directed by Reginald Hudlin. Opens Friday.

Dance

From the “Bronx” railroad yards of Nevers, France, the 20 percussionists of Les Tambours du Bronx present a “Stomp!”-style fusion of free-form motion and unorthodox instruments. The company performs this evening in the Smothers Theatre at Pepperdine University in Malibu and also appears Friday through next Thursday at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Jazz

Able to uplift standards, blues and ballads with swing, wit and subtle creativity, Rebecca Parris is one of the finest singers in jazz. On Wednesday she will appear at the LAX Westin Hotel; the next night she will perform at the Jazz Spot in Los Feliz.

Music

American composer Philip Glass, above, will be on hand for the West Coast premiere of his evening-long Symphony No. 5, Friday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Carl St.Clair will lead the Pacific Symphony, Pacific Chorale, Children’s Chorus and vocal soloists.

Theater

In its North American debut tour, India’s renowned Chorus Repertory Theatre presents Ratan Thiyam’s “Uttar-Priyadarshi (The Final Beatitude),” a vivid, epic centering on the 2nd century BC emperor who spread Buddhism throughout India. Designed by Thiyam, the theatrical spectacular explores consequences of violence and a search for enlightenment. Thursday and Friday at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Above: R.K. Bhogen, left, and Obomcha Sorok.

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Also: Julie Kavner, Juliana Margulies and Rosie Perez kick off a long-term engagement of Eve Ensler’s international hit “The Vagina Monologues”: funny, shocking and soulful stories that explore women’s experiences of mind, spirit and body. Directed by Joe Mantello, the celebrity cast changes every three weeks. Opens Friday at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Pop Music

The Grammy-night rush has faded and “Supernatural” finally gave up its spot in the Top 10, but the Santana lull is about to lift--the group comes into the Hollywood Bowl for high-profile concerts on Saturday and next Sunday. It’s good timing for opening act Everlast--his new album comes out next week. (The bill also plays Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Oct. 17.)

Art

“2000 BC: The Bruce Conner Story, Part 2,” the eagerly awaited traveling retrospective of the quirky and enigmatic San Francisco artist, opens Saturday at the Museum of Contemporary Art. While Conner is best-known for his complex assemblages of found objects, the survey--the first devoted to the artist--will also feature sculpture, intricate drawings, film, collage, prints and photographs that touch on Conner’s lifelong interest in the physical, metaphorical and metaphysical properties of light and dark. Below: “The Bride, 1960.”