BEST BETS Saturday 3/10

COSTA MESA

8pm

Music

In 1776, the American Revolution broke out, and the Bolshoi Symphony was born. There’s no connection, but the Bolshoi has always been a popular attraction on these shores. Under the direction of guest conductor Valery Polyansky, Russia’s oldest orchestra will play two different programs this weekend in Orange County. Both feature pianist Denis Matsuev, in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on Saturday and in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on Sunday. Works by other Russian composers complete the programs, which are presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

* Bolshoi Symphony, Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Also Sunday (different program), 3 p.m. $15 to $55. (714) 556-2787.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

8pm

Pop Music

The ‘80s pop revival shows no sign of abating--now L.A. techno-pop group Animotion is back on the road, reviving such hits as “Obsession,” “Room to Move” and other material from the three albums the group released from 1985-89. This tour features the original lineup, including singers Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams, who were replaced when four of the five musicians left the group in 1988. They’re paired on this Coach House date--the resuscitated band’s second since a Feb. 8 reunion show in Portland, Ore.--with San Francisco new wave group Tommy Tutone. The band members consider it something of a homecoming, given their first show after landing a record contract was at the old Golden Bear in Huntington Beach.

* Animotion, Tommy Tutone, Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. $20 to $22. (949) 496-8930.

IRVINE

7-9pm

Art

Five photographers who use staged imagery in their works are featured in “Phigment,” a new exhibition at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. Oliver Boberg, Miles Coolidge, Allan DeSouza, David DiMichele, Eva Leitolf and David Levinthal construct tableaux that, like movie sets, create a false perception or a skewed sense of reality. These tableaux include images of archeological objects, the Old West and faux gallery exhibitions.

* “Phigment,” Irvine Fine Arts Center, 14321 Yale Ave. Artists reception: today, 7-9 p.m. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Through April 14. (949) 724-6880.

ORANGE

3-6pm

Art

Guggenheim Gallery’s “2001 Vital Signs” exhibit is a peek at what artists living in Orange County have to offer. From paintings of beach scenes to miniature sculpture toys, the show features dozens of works by visual artists of all ages and the pockets of Orange County that inspired them.

* “2001 Vital Signs,” Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange. Reception: Saturday, 3-6 p.m. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Ends April 6. (714) 997-6729.

DANA POINT

Family

More than 3,000 people in the county and about 400,000 nationwide have multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that attacks the brain and central nervous system. It is the No. 1 neurological disease of young adults. The Orange County chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will sponsor a whale-watching outing for people with MS and their families. The boat is wheelchair-friendly to accommodate those with disabilities.

* Whale-watching trip, Dana Point Harbor. 7:30-10 a.m. $5 per person. To register, call (949) 752-1680.