BEST BETS Sunday 10/28

7pm

Music

Conductor John Alexander will open the 34th season of the Pacific Chorale with Verdi’s mighty “Manzoni” Requiem, written to commemorate the death (May 22, 1873) of the Italian poet, novelist and patriot that Verdi and most of Italy venerated. A large-scale, operatic work, the requiem makes tremendous demands upon the chorus, orchestra and soloists. Assisting here will be soprano Camellia Johnson, mezzo-soprano Robynne Redmon, tenor Philip Webb and bass-baritone Stephen Bryant.

* Pacific Chorale, Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 7 p.m. $18 to $55. (714) 662-2345.

7:30pm

Festival

Chinese artists and performers will grace the stage of the Irvine Barclay Theatre with folk, ballet and modern dance, fashion, traditional instrumental music, a silhouette show and martial arts performances. The fifth annual U.S.-Hong Kong Culture and Arts Festival is an opportunity for cultural exchange and will feature China’s top folk dancer, Song Xi. Presented by the China Culture and Arts Assn. of USA, the group’s mission is to provide educational and artistic programs for youths and promote cultural exchanges for the community.

* “U.S.-Hong Kong Culture and Arts Festival,” Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. $10 to $20. (949) 854-4646.