BEST BETS Saturday 3/31

ORANGE

8:30 am

Family

The Orange County chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society will host its annual MS Walk at three county locations Saturday or Sunday. Walkers are encouraged to seek pledges that will fund programs, services and research for people with MS, the No. 1 neurological disease of young adults. Last year’s walk drew more than 3,000 people and raised $480,000. KABC-TV’s Ric Romero will greet participants at the Orange site. Check-in begins at 7 a.m. and the walk begins at 8:30 a.m. There will be 5K and 10K routes at all three sites. Volunteers also are needed for check-in and to man the courses.

* MS Walk, Santiago Canyon College, 8045 E. Chapman Ave., Orange. 7 a.m. registration; 8:30 a.m. walk. Also Sunday at Salt Creek Beach Park, Dana Point; and Huntington State Beach, Huntington Beach. (949) 752-1680.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

7 & 9pm

Pop Music

Bass-baritone Michael Paul Smith presents his one-man tribute to the great African American singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson on Saturday in San Juan Capistrano. Smith will survey Robeson’s multifaceted career, which extended well beyond “Ol’ Man River,” his signature tune from “Showboat,” the musical for which lyricist Oscar Hammerstein created the character Joe expressly for Robeson.

* “A Tribute to Paul Robeson” with Michael Paul Smith, San Juan Capistrano Regional Library, 31495 El Camino Real. 7 and 9 p.m. $7 general; $3 for children 12 and younger. (949) 248-7469.

COSTA MESA

8pm

Dance

Julie Kent of American Ballet Theatre and Damian Woetzel of the New York York City Ballet will appear in the principal roles of “The Sleeping Beauty” in a production by Festival Ballet Theatre. The company, located in Fountain Valley, was founded in 1988 by Salwa Rizkalla, who studied at the Bolshoi and Leningrad schools of ballet. Rizkalla founded the Southland Ballet Academy, the school of Festival Ballet theater, in 1983.

* Festival Ballet Theatre, Robert B. Moore Theatre, Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Also, Sunday, 2 p.m. $18 in advance; $19 at the door (if available). (714) 432-5880.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

8pm

Pop Music

Rodney Crowell wrote a slew of country music hits in the ‘70s and ‘80s for himself and dozens of other performers, but he’s never been prouder of anything than the songs on his new album “The Houston Kid.” Through a group of strongly autobiographical songs, it paints a vivid picture of the life of a boy growing up on the poor side of Houston.

* Rodney Crowell, Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. $16.50 and $18.50. (949) 496-8930.