WEEKEND FORECAST

WEEKEND

EVENTS

It’s brighter from a boat

There’s something quintessentially Southern Californian about a parade of holiday-decorated boats parting the smooth waters offshore as spectators onshore go “ooh” and “aah.” In a culture that relishes the new and different, boat parades are an anomaly -- a Southland holiday tradition. The 97th annual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade of Lights, the 31st annual Dana Point Boat Parade of Lights, the 34th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights and the 14th annual King Harbor Christmas Boat Parade are all scheduled for this weekend and can be viewed for free from public areas and local restaurants. The 43rd annual Huntington Harbor Cruise of Lights is a variation on the theme: Sightseeing boats take people to view the holiday-decorated multimillion-dollar homes on the shoreline.

* Huntington Harbor Cruise of Lights offers narrated boat tours 6, 7 and 8 p.m. today and Friday; 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Monday through next Thursday; ends Dec. 23. $8 to $14. Reservations required. (714) 840-7542.

* Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today through Sunday. (949) 729-4400.

* Dana Point Boat Parade of Lights, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (949) 496-5794.

* San Diego Bay Parade of Lights 2005, San Diego Bay 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday. (619) 224-2240.

* King Harbor Christmas Boat Parade 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Redondo Beach Harbor, Redondo Beach. (310) 376-2459.

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TODAY

ART

A melding of science, art

Artist Eric Zammitt has said that he associates his works to energy fields, light and space, quantum and string theories, landscape and genetics. His continuing exhibition “Cabin Fever” at Newspace, a nod to science and technology using light-bearing surfaces, is a display of paintings and sculptures containing thousands of tiny, colored laminated plexiglass squares that play with visual perception, including a patterned 10-foot cylindrical sculpture.

“Eric Zammitt: Cabin Fever,” Newspace, 5241 Melrose Ave., L.A. (323) 469-9353.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ends Jan. 7.

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FRIDAY

MOVIES

In memory of balladeer Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt was a Texas songwriter who cast a long shadow, influencing generations of musicians. A balladeer of the lonesome and desperate, Van Zandt battled inner demons before dying in 1997 at age 52. Margaret Brown’s documentary, “Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt,” blends footage of the musician and interviews with Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris and Kris Kristofferson, in a portrait of an artist in turmoil.

“Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt,” unrated, opens Friday at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A., (310) 281-8223.

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MUSIC

Swept away by ‘El Nino’

American composer John Adams said he wanted to write a “Messiah” of his own. But his vision would encompass not only the

Nativity of Christ but also the miracle of birth in

general. The result was his “El Nino,” first performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen in March 2003. Many people weren’t able to get in then. They’ll have three more chances this weekend

when Salonen, the Philharmonic, soprano Dawn Upshaw, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, bass-baritone Willard White, the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus perform the haunting work again.

Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. 11 a.m. Friday. $37 to $129. (323) 850-2000. www.laphil.com.

* Also 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.

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JAZZ

Seasoned Monheit

Jazz singer Jane Monheit’s last album, “Taking a Chance on Love” featured such guest artists as pianist Geoff Keezer and bassist Christian McBride. But her new CD of holiday music, “The Season,” produced by 11-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt, has the 28-year-old native New Yorker working exclusively with her own regular quartet of drummer Rick Montalbano, bassist Orlando Le Fleming, guitarist Miles Okazaki and keyboardist Michael Kanan. Monheit and company will do four shows this weekend in Costa Mesa.

Jane Monheit, Founders Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday. $52 to $56. (714) 556-2787.

* Also 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

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SATURDAY

GALLERY

Hang this at the dorm

The collective group Post New Explosionism (P.N.E.) may sound like the latest band to go on the gig circuit, but it’s actually three poster artists whose impressive roster of clients include Radiohead, Neil Young, Beastie Boys, Queens of the Stone Age, Pixies and White Stripes. “Your Kids Belong to Us: Post Neo Explosionism in Los Angeles” is a look at the group’s experimental and classic designs and features more than 100 posters and serigraphs by P.N.E. artists Justin Hampton, Jermaine Rogers and EMEK.

“Your Kids Belong to Us: Post Neo Explosionism in Los Angeles,” Scion Installation Gallery, 8553 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Opens Saturday. (310) 841-0478.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Ends Dec. 30.

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MUSEUMS

Backstory on Ben Franklin

Next month marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of America’s founding father and first self-help guru. “The Art of Virtue: Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography” celebrates the life of the man and his lifelong dedication to self-improvement. The exhibition displays pages of Franklin’s handwritten manuscripts (featured partially unbound for the first time in almost 200 years), rare books and prints from the Huntington Library’s collection.

“The Art of Virtue: Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography,” Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Opens Saturday. (626) 405-2100.

* Hours: noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ends March 26.

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POP MUSIC

A cozier Kodak, full of Wonder

There will be a Grammy glow as well as seasonal cheer in the air as Stevie Wonder presides over his 10th annual House Full of Toys benefit concert, which moves from its customary home at the Forum to the cozier Kodak Theatre. The host himself picked up six nominations earlier this month, and other nominees on the bill (which traditionally expands right up to show time) include Earth, Wind & Fire, Maroon 5, Fantasia and Jamie Foxx.

House Full of Toys benefit concert, Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $60 to $250. (323) 308-6300.

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SUNDAY

FESTIVAL

A family

Hanukkah festival

The Skirball Cultural Center will hold its annual Hanukkah Family Festival on Sunday. Live entertainment will include Shira Kline and her New York-based ensemble Shirlala; lesbian folk singer Phranc and the Angahara Dance Ensemble. In addition, there will be storytelling, workshops, games, tours and a toddler room. Attendees will also be able to explore the center’s galleries. Currently on display in the main lobby is the Koder Family Hanukkah Lamp created in the traditional design of the Jews of the city of Cochin in India.

Hanukkah Family Festival, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. $6 to $8; 11 and younger and members, free. (866) 468-3399.

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THEATER

One show with snow

“Spirit of Christmas,” the holiday song-and-dance family spectacular out of London, features Santa Claus, snow and a sleigh full of seasonal music presented by nearly 50 performers, including high-kicking chorus girls.

“Spirit of Christmas,” Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Opens 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday. $25 to $50. (213) 480-3232. www.ticketmaster.com.

* Runs 7 p.m. Tuesday, 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 24, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 26-27. Ends Dec. 27.

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BOOKS

Novel talk with Boxer

Barbara Boxer, a Democratic senator from California since 1993, has written her first novel, with San Francisco writer Mary-Rose Hayes. It’s a straight-ahead tale of a rising political star who dies midcampaign, prompting his wife to step in and score an upset victory. But when an old flame with right-wing connections emerges with incriminating evidence, the picture clouds. John W. Dean, former White House counsel under President Nixon and author of “Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush,” discusses with Boxer the process of Supreme Court nomination and confirmation, and the equally inscrutable process of writing.

Sen. Barbara Boxer with John Dean, Writers Bloc at Temple Emanuel, 300 N. Clark Drive, Beverly Hills. 4 p.m. Sunday. $20. (310) 335-0917.