Three-day forecast

DANCE

Spirited dancing by the diva of flamenco

When flamenco diva Maria Bermudez danced locally late last year, a Times reviewer praised her “spontaneity, and especially the sense she conveyed of hearing the music for the first time, which shifted the emphasis away from her forceful technique and onto self-expression: the portrait of a free, passionate spirit.” Now Bermudez returns for the fifth edition of “Sonidos Gitanos/Gypsy Flamenco,” a showcase of artistry honed in the traditional centers of flamenco lore but informed by contemporary international innovations. Dancers Antonio “El Pipa” and Andres Pena appear as guests.

Sonidos Gitanos/Gypsy Flamenco, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood. Friday to Sunday 8:30 p.m. $25; $12, children. (323) GO-1-FORD

THEATER

Merging mythology and pop

“Luna,” Kristine Dickson’s pop-culture- and mythology-inspired new play, pits Luna, goddess of the moon, against Venus in a battle for the attentions of Mercury, messenger of the gods. The musical score includes original songs as well as works from Tom Waits, the Beatles, Fugazi and Prince. The play is directed by L. Flint Esquerra.

MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., L.A. Opens Saturday. Runs Thursdays to Saturdays, 9 p.m.; ends July 19. $15. (323) 957-1152.

ART

Different topic, same lush look

Frank Romero is one of the most prolific artists in town. In his latest show, “Still Life Paintings and Works on Paper,” opening today at Double Vision Gallery, he shows a significant change in focus. Romero, known for his bright and vivid L.A. street scenes of lowriders and neon lights, has turned to the inner life of the city. Still, in the new works Romero’s trademarks are ever present: vibrant colors, lustrous brush strokes and thick textures.

“Still Life Paintings and Works on Paper,” Double Vision Gallery, 5820 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends July 10. (323) 936-1553.

MOVIES

Serving up a spaghetti western

The newly restored print of Sergio Leone’s 1966 spaghetti western, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” includes 18 minutes unseen in previous U.S. releases, the refurbished wide-screen vistas of cameraman Tonino Delli Colli and a state-of-the-art mix of Ennio Morricone’s eerie score. Clint Eastwood stars as the Man With No Name in this post-Civil War epic about buried Confederate gold, co-starring Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. (See related story, Page 11)

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” unrated, opens Friday exclusively at the Landmark Nuart, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. (310) 478-6379.

FESTIVAL

Bayou fest meets Beach

The 12th annual Long Beach Bayou Festival will feature Cajun and zydeco bands, dancing, Creole food, rides, workshops and craft vendors at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Performers include Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Bruce Daigrepont’s Cajun Band, the Creole Farmers, the Redstick Ramblers, Thomas “Big Hat” Fields. Leading a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras parade will be the Critical Brass Band.

Long Beach Bayou Festival, Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queen’s Highway, Long Beach. Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-8:15 p.m. $7 to $35, 5 and younger free. (562) 427-8834.

JAZZ

Genre bending

Versatility is the theme when Oscar Brown Jr. and Billy Childs reunite for another evening at the Jazz Bakery. The Chicago-born composer-singer-actor-playwright Brown and pianist-composer-arranger Childs make up an all-star hyphenate team. Septuagenarian Brown made his professional debut on radio when he was just 15. He first came to national prominence as a singer with the release of his album “Sin and Soul” in 1960. Over the years, he’s refused to limit his creative juices to one genre. Fortysomething Childs, an L.A. native, has composed works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Akron Symphony Orchestra in addition to establishing himself as one of the top jazz pianists to emerge in the 1990s.

Oscar Brown Jr. and Billy Childs, Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. Today to Sunday, 8 and 9:30 p.m. $25.(310) 271-9039.

POP MUSIC

The Pond stocks up on hip-hop

The hip-hop fans who packed the Pond last year for the annual Powerhouse concert will tell you that when a show needs a jolt, just plug in the Westside Connection. The trio of Ice Cube, Mack 10 and WC raised the roof in ‘02, and this year it’s back as the headliner on a bill rich in top-tier rappers (Nas and Busta Rhymes) and new faces (Fabolous and the Clipse), along with dance-hall reggae emissary Sean Paul.

Powerhouse 2003, Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. Saturday, 6:30 p.m. $39 to $78. (714) 704-2500.

ART

A show steeped in the unusual

Ever since Benvenuto Cellini created his monumental salt cellar during the Renaissance, creative masters have been turning everyday household objects into great works of art. Behold “The Artful Teapot,” opening Sunday. The largest exhibition ever to be mounted by the Long Beach Museum of Art features 250 exceedingly unusual teapots created by distinguished modern artists. Some of the teapots are squat, some are towering, some are endearingly cute and others carry serious messages about beauty, irony, politics and sex.

“This Artful Teapot,” Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Tuesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends Sept. 14. $5. (562) 439-2119.

MUSEUMS

Prestige on wheels

“Rolls-Royce: A Century of Elegance,” an exhibit exploring the 100-year history of the famous auto company, opens tonight with a gala event at the Petersen museum. Tracing the history of Rolls-Royce and examining how it came to be regarded as “the best car in the world,” the exhibit includes a collection of rare and significant Rolls-Royce models produced between 1904 and today. Included will be a 1927 Town Car once owned by Fred Astaire and a rare 1929 Derby Tourer. The exhibit, which the Petersen claims is the largest collection of Rollses ever assembled for public viewing, continues through Jan. 25.

“Rolls-Royce: A Century of Elegance,” Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Ends Jan. 25. $250 per person gala tickets; museum admission $3 to $10, 4 and younger free. (323) 930-2277.

DANCE

Frankly, Scarlett, this work is parody

“Gone With the Whim,” a parody of Margaret Mitchell’s classic “Gone With the Wind,” is presented with dancing, aerial ballets, singers and actors and rock music. The new show is choreographed by Josie Walsh. Walsh, a former Joffrey Ballet dancer, and singer-dancer Christina Norrup will portray the duality of the heroine in an odyssey through conspiracy, propaganda and corporate slavery. (See related story, Page 10.)

New Ivar Theatre, 1605 N. Ivar Ave., Hollywood. Opens Friday. Runs Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; ends June 29. (213) 481-1028.