Three-day forecast

THEATER

Threads of a drama

“Intimate Apparel” is the story of an African American seamstress who creates lovely lingerie for society women and prostitutes alike, but who lives her own intimate life by exchanging letters with a man who is working in Panama -- until he decides they should meet face to face. Lynn Nottage’s play, set in New York City in 1905, receives its world premiere at South Coast Repertory.

“Intimate Apparel,” Segerstrom Stage, South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tuesdays and Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; ends May 18. $27 to $54. (714) 708-5555.

DANCE

A tango with real grit

Praised by a Times reviewer in 1999 as “gloriously lurid ... the rawest and grittiest of recent touring tango revues,” “Tango Buenos Aires” explores the history and forms of Argentina’s most celebrated cultural export. Founded by tango composer Osvaldo Requena, the company is now led by director of choreography Hector Falcon and music directors Fernando Marzan and Cristian Zarate. Using a small musical ensemble and a large complement of dancers, they conjure up what they call “the golden age of the tango,” which seems to be any time and place the company performs.

“Tango Buenos Aires,” Marsee Auditorium, El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance. Saturday, 8 p.m. $24 to $28. (310) 329-5345.

THEATER

Korea’s ‘Empress’ reigns again

“The Last Empress,” the internationally touring Korean musical epic spectacular, returns. Written by Mun Yol Yi, with music by Hee Gap Kim, it stars Tae Won Yi as Queen Min, whose 19th century struggle to open Korea to new ideas changed the course of the country’s history.

“The Last Empress,” Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Opens Friday. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. Exceptions: dark April 26; May 4, 2 p.m. only; ends May 4. $40 to $75. (323) 308-6363.

POP MUSIC

High and low and now

Is there life after iconhood? Nirvana’s drummer, Dave Grohl, and the Smashing Pumpkins’ leader, Billy Corgan, both went through the stratospheric highs and heartbreaking lows of alt-rock stardom in the ‘90s, and both have dusted themselves off and returned in apparently less volatile surroundings. Grohl, now singer and guitarist, has already established the Foo Fighters as an inventive fixture on the modern-rock landscape, and Corgan’s new entry, Zwan, has just released its debut album.

The Foo Fighters, Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. Thursday and Friday, 7:45 p.m. $32.50. (818) 622-4440. Zwan, the Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. $32. (213) 380-5005.

MOVIES

Catching up with Victor

Filmmaker Peter Sollett, whose short “Five Feet High and Rising” won awards at Sundance and Cannes three years ago, picks up where he left off with “Raising Victor Vargas.” Featuring the same leads -- Victor Rusak and Judy Marte, nonprofessionals cast from Sollett’s Lower East Side neighborhood -- “Vargas” catches up to a slightly older Victor, now a teenage Lothario bent on romance while living with his old-school Dominican grandmother and two younger siblings.

“Raising Victor Vargas,” rated R for strong language, opens Friday in selected theaters.

MUSIC

A living memorial

Bartok wrote his Third Piano Concerto as a birthday present for his pianist wife, Ditta, in the summer of 1945. But he had an ulterior motive: He knew he was dying of leukemia and wanted her to have an income-producing vehicle to play in concert after he was gone. The Third Concerto is lovely, lyrical and rarely fails to win audiences. Garrick Ohlsson will be the soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by guest Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer. The program also will include Dohnanyi’s “Symphonic Minutes” and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.

L.A. Philharmonic, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Today and Saturday, 8 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. $14 to $82. (323) 850-2000.

POETRY

Shaking things up with words

“Word Shakers/World Changers,” a program sponsored by the Los Angeles Poetry Festival, features poets from Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, the World Stage, Poet.X, the U.N.’s International Readings program and others. Fred Dewey, Richard Moniano, Bruce Williams, Larry Jaffe, Imani Toliver, Jeanette Clough and Elena Karina Byme shake the words to change the world.

“Word Shakers/World Changers,” Wells Fargo Theatre, Autry Museum, 4700 Western Heritage Way, L.A. 7 p.m. Free. (323) 255-5223.

JAZZ

Bass as you like it

In 1990, bassist Christian McBride left Juilliard after only one year when he got a chance to tour with jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. He hasn’t looked back. McBride has since become one of the world’s most acclaimed acoustic and electric bassists. He’s worked with a wide range of artists, including not only jazz performers Chick Corea, Diana Krall, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Green and Quincy Jones, but also classical and pop figures Kathleen Battle, Bruce Hornsby and Sting. This week at the Catalina Bar & Grill, he’ll work with his own band: keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer, saxophonist Ron Blake and drummer Terreon Gully.

Christian McBride Band, Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Thursday-Saturday, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $17 to $25. (323) 466-2210.

FESTIVAL

Medieval adventures and song

The sixth annual Koroneburg European Renaissance Festival -- with a 1500s-style European village as the centerpiece -- begins this weekend. There will be hundreds of singers, dancers, actors, musicians, magicians and jugglers. Invaders will take on villagers, reenacting traditional battles. And what would a medieval gathering be without jousting knights? There will also be a carousel, a giant rocking horse, a giant swing, food and special surprises for the kids.

Koroneburg European Renaissance Festival, Crossroads Riverview Park, 14600 River Road, Corona. Weekends through May 26. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $12.50; children 6-12, $7; younger than 6, free. (800) 320-4736.

ART LECTURE

Contrarian, maybe, but still strictly up to code

Artist Chris Burden will discuss his latest work, “Small Skyscraper,” which takes a whimsical look at Los Angeles County’s building codes. The codes allow a property owner to build a private home without a permit as long as it takes up no more than 400 square feet and is no taller than 35 feet. Strictly following the code, Burden designed a house with each room on one of four floors, linked by a spiral staircase. Burden and architect Alan Koch will analyze the structure as part of a lecture series organized by Cara Mullio for L.A. Forum for Architecture and Urban Design. The “Small Skyscraper” exhibition opens May 1.

Chris Burden, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, 6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tonight at 7. (323) 957-1777.