Best Bets / Sept. 3-9, 2000

Movies

Neil LaBute’s dark comedy “Nurse Betty” stars Renee Zellweger as a young woman determined to make her dreams come true against considerable odds. With Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock and Greg Kinnear. Opens wide on Friday.

Theater

“Everett Beekin,” a world premiere by Richard Greenberg, Pulitzer-Prize finalist for “Three Days of Rain,” chronicles an immigrant family’s assimilation, from 1940s New York to California’s Orange County. Spanning 50 years and three generations, the comedy, staged by original “Three Days” director Evan Yionoulis, opens Friday at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa.

Art

Eleven prominent artists--including Eleanor Antin, Michael Asher, Jim Isermann, Dave Muller and Jennifer Steinkamp--create interactive works of art designed for children, their families and teachers in “Made in California: Now,” the inaugural project created by LACMALab, a new experimental research and development unit opening Thursday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Pop Music

Eminem has fueled the sales of his controversial album “The Marshall Mathers LP” with a string of headline-making incidents and tireless concert appearances. The Detroit rapper follows the Dr. Dre-headed Up in Smoke tour and this weekend’s KPWR-FM benefit with the oddest gig of all--headlining an indoor snowboard expo Saturday at the Great Western Forum.

*

Hard-rock fans found a potent alternative to the Korn field with the arrival of A Perfect Circle a few months ago. Led by songwriter-guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool’s singer Maynard James Keenan, Circle pounded its way onto rock radio with the single “Judith,” and with “3 Libras” now joining the playlists, the group headlines the Hollywood Palladium on Friday.

Music

Los Angeles Opera launches its 15th season Wednesday with the long-awaited production of Verdi’s “Aida.” Conducted by incoming artistic director Placido Domingo, below, at four of the nine performances, the opera will be sung by Deborah Voigt, Nina Terentieva, Johan Botha and Simon Estes, among others. The season continues with Rossini’s “La Cenerentola,” starring Jennifer Larmore, opening Friday.

Jazz

The late Mel Torme made more appearances at the Hollywood Bowl than any other jazz performer. He is saluted this Wednesday by Maureen McGovern, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, clarinetist Ken Peplowski with Torme’s former rhythm section and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Family

The free, annual family-oriented Moon Festival, Saturday in Chinatown, features music, dance, theater, the festival story performed by Ms. Chinatown and her Court, excerpts from Lisa See’s “On Gold Mountain, the Opera.” It will also offer feng shui and astrology lectures, martial arts, crafts, a lantern-making contest and tours of galleries and the Chinese Historical Society Heritage House.