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All day Museum

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all day Museum

Call it the exhibit that came in from the cold. “Spies: Secrets From the CIA, KGB and Hollywood,” which opens Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, explores high-stakes espionage and the life undercover. Culled from the collections from the CIA, the National Archives and private collector Keith Melton, the show provides an insider’s look at the techniques and sophisticated gadgetry used by agents. A Hollywood portion touches on big-screen lore about spying during the Cold War and beyond.

“Spies: Secrets From the CIA, KGB and Hollywood,” Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley. Ends July 14. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General, $5; senior citizens, $3; children 15 and younger, free. (800) 410-8354.

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10:30am Family

Parson’s Nose Production’s zany comedy “The Family Miser,” based on Moliere’s “The Miser,” kicks off a new family matinee theater series at the Geffen Playhouse. In this abbrevi-

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ated adaptation, Lance Davis is the outrageously stingy Harpagon, who thinks everyone, including his children and servants, is plotting to send him to the poorhouse. This new “Saturday Scene” series is a program that even Harpagon could love: The performances are free.

“The Family Miser,” Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood, Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Free; reservations required. (310)

208-6500, Ext. 198.

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7:30pm Pop Music

Quiz: The Jack Johnson who’s playing three Southland shows is (a)the legendary boxing champion, (b) rapper Mos Def’s rock band project, (c) a former surfing prodigy and surf-movie maker who’s become a pop-music contender. The answer is C. The surfer-turned-singer-

songwriter will be making a near-homecoming--the Hawaiian-born musician studied filmmaking at UC Santa Barbara.

Jack Johnson, with Glen Phillips, House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 7:30 p.m. $20. (323) 848-5100. Also Sunday with Mason Jennings. Also Wednesday with Jennings at the Galaxy Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, 8 p.m. $20. (714) 957-0600.

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9:30pm Jazz

Electric bassist Bunny Brunel, formerly a sidekick for Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and others, nominated for a Grammy along with Dennis Chambers, Tony MacAlpine and Brian Auger for their CD “Cab 2,” comes to Studio City for a one-night stand with Patrice Rushen, Frank Gambale and Ndugu Chancler.

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Bunny Brunel & Friends, Baked Potato, 3787 Cahuenga Blvd., Studio City, 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. $20. (818) 980-1615.

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all day Festival

Here’s some competition you won’t see at the Olympics: tug of war, sheepherding, bagpiping, Highland dancing. For the ninth annual Scottish Festival and Games this weekend at the Queen Mary, local Scots will pull out all the stops. With the Highland games will be performances by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society as well as the bands Men of Worth, Bad Haggis, Craicmore and Tuppence. Just watch out for hammer throwing.

Ninth annual Queen Mary Scottish Festival and Games, Queen Mary, 1126 Queen’s Highway, Pier J, Long Beach, Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. $11 to $23. (562) 435-3511.

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2 & 8pm Dance

Founder Mark Howard and his Trinity Irish Dance Company pioneered theatricalized step dancing in this country long before the arrival of--what’s-

its-name? “Streamdance”? “Creekdance”? “Rippledance”? Now in its 12th year, Trinity performs everything from traditional Celtic steps to contemporary experiments, including choreography by the unpredictable and often uproarious Sean Curran, a dancer who displayed his mastery of postmodernism in the Bill T. Jones company and unleashed his wilder side in the Broadway cast of “Stomp!” The West Coast premiere of Kevin McCormack’s “Leeson Street” also graces the program.

Trinity Irish Dance Company, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, 2 and 8 p.m. $35 to $45. (562) 916-8500.

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7:30pm Theater

In Bernard Farrell’s wicked comedy, “Stella by Starlight,” two married couples, friends since high school, have come to a crossroads: One couple is barely making it; the other is a recent beneficiary of Ireland’s robust new “Celtic Tiger” economy. During a reunion of sorts, secrets and lies come to light, and so do the mixed results of Ireland’s new prosperity. The United States premiere production features a respected national and international cast, headed by Bairbre Dowling, Thomas MacGreevy, Warren Sweeney and Amelia White. It’s the second Laguna outing for critically acclaimed Irish playwright Farrell: His “Kevin’s Bed” had its U.S. premiere at the playhouse last year.

“Stella by Starlight,” Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Regular schedule: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends March 17. $38 to $45; opening night, $80. (949) 497-2787.

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