TODAYMUSEUMSExamining HippolytusIn the Greek tragedy of Hippolytus,...

TODAY

MUSEUMS

Examining Hippolytus

In the Greek tragedy of Hippolytus, the son of Theseus is a victim of Aphrodite’s wrath for refusing to worship the goddess of love. Phaedra, Hippolytus’ stepmother, becomes a pawn in Aphrodite’s plot to punish the boy. Objects from antiquity to the present on view in the exhibition “Enduring Myth: The Tragedy of Hippolytos & Phaidra” examine how the story has managed to inspire and evolve through the ages. The exhibition accompanies “Hippolytos,” the Getty Villa’s first major theater production opening next month.

“Enduring Myth: The Tragedy of Hippolytos & Phaidra,” Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Opens today. Free; advance tickets required. Parking, $7. (310) 440-7300.

* Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Ends Dec. 4.

JAZZ

From Italy, with chops

Turin (or Torino to Italians) is well-known for mountain landscapes, the 2006 Winter Olympics, Fiat automobiles and Roman ruins -- but not for jazz. That may change, however, if singer Roberta Gambarini -- a native of the north Italian city -- receives the attention her extraordinary talents merit. Adept in every aspect of jazz vocalizing, including gorgeous balladry and convincing scat improvising, she is that rare combination -- a singer who is loved both by musicians and her audiences. She’ll be accompanied on an L.A. date by the sensitive, supportive backing of the Tamir Hendelman Trio.

Roberta Gambarini, the Vic, 2640 Main St., Santa Monica. 8 and 10 tonight. $20 plus two-item minimum; reservations required. (888) 367-5299.

DANCE

Bringing

the thunder

A newly configured version of China’s sensational Beijing Modern Dance Company (called Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company) returns to the Watercourt in California Plaza this weekend with its familiar “All River Red” (choreographed by Li Han-Zhong and Ma Bo to Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”), along with Tao Cui’s brand new “Pilgrimage” and artistic director Willy Tsao’s site-specific “In Search of Grand View Garden,” with two of those three works scheduled on each program. Expect recorded Stravinsky but live accompaniment otherwise. And, yes, those new initials are Chinese code, for “Lei Dong Tian Xia” (Thundering Under the Sky), an apt description of the company’s powerful style.

Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company, Grand Performances, California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 8 tonight. Free. (213) 687-2159 or www.grandperformances.org.

* Also 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (program varies).

FRIDAY

MUSEUMS

Shaping of an identity

Before and during the Civil War, photographs of abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth were mass-produced -- their images alone were powerful enough to rally and inspire. Their portraits, along with 60 other paintings, photographs and silhouettes of African Americans, are on display in “Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century.” The exhibition examines how the visual representations beginning at the American Revolution up until 1896 played a role in shaping racial identity.

“Portraits of a People: Picturing African Americans in the Nineteenth Century,” Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Opens Friday. $6 to $7; 11 and younger, free. (562) 439-2119.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ends Nov. 26.

THEATER

Diva of Broadway

Sassy, fire-haired actress Bernadette Peters is well-known on the big screen for her work in “Pennies From Heaven,” “The Jerk” and a slew of other films, but where her dynamic presence really shines is on the stage in musicals such as “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Mack and Mabel.” The two-time Tony Award-winner performs showstoppers from the Great White Way and the American songbook, accompanied by a full orchestra.

Bernadette Peters, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. 8 p.m. Friday. $45 to $75. (800) 300-4345.

MUSIC

Celebrating a ‘Planet’

To connoisseurs of electronic music, the names Bebe and Louis Barron have a special resonance: The couple composed the first wholly electronic score for a feature film, the 1956 sci-fi classic “Forbidden Planet,” and hence they probably did more than anyone to bring Space Age sounds to the attention of a wide public. Certainly they influenced generations of other composers. Four of the latter -- Thomas Dimuzio, Tom Grimley, Sukho Lee and David Rothbaum -- will gather at the Schindler House under the auspices of the Society for the Activation of Social Space Through Art and Sound, or SASSAS, to play music of their own inspired by the pioneering soundtrack.

“A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Sounds of Forbidden Planet,” MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House, 835 N. Kings Road, West Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Friday. $18 general; $14, students and members of SASSAS and Friends of the Schindler House; $25 at the door. (323) 960-5723; www.soundnet.org.

MOVIES

OutKast

on new turf

The members of Grammy-winning hip-hop supergroup OutKast -- that is, Andre “Andre 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton -- star in “Idlewild,” a musical period piece/dramedy/shoot-’em-up/visual extravaganza that’s bubbling over with ragtime-inspired rap songs. Set in the Prohibition-era Deep South, the film was written and directed by music video ace Bryan Barber.

“Idlewild” opens Friday in general release. Rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity and language.

SATURDAY

BOOKS

Raging in the canyon

Laurel Canyon may seem pretty sleepy these days, with the exception of the not-so-occasional landslide, but in the ‘60s, the near Westside hood was a haunt of folksy creativity, poolside hobnobbing and, gulp, lots of lazy-Sunday partying that seeped into every other day of the week, not to mention the hippie set at-large. In his book “Laurel Canyon,” Michael Walker details the scene populated by such Woodstock-era heroes as Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Frank Zappa and Neil Young.

Michael Walker presents “Laurel Canyon,” Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd. 5 p.m. Saturday. (310) 659-3110.

BOOKS

A show of support

Located in Venice, 826LA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with their writing skills. It’s also part of the literary kingdom including magazines and other nonprofits erected by indie-minded but mainstream-successful author Dave Eggers, whose good taste is perhaps best showcased when trying to make money for one of his domains. Named after a story by an 826 student, Revenge of the Book Eaters features entertainment from some of the biggest names in indie rock, comedy and literature, including Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis, singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, indie-rock poet John Darnielle (otherwise known as the Mountain Goats), bestselling author Sarah Vowell, comedian Andy Richter and Eggers.

Revenge of the Book Eaters, Royce Hall, UCLA. 8 p.m. Saturday. $30 to $100. Ticketmaster: (213) 480-3232.

SUNDAY

POP MUSIC

Covering all corners

This edition of KCRW-FM’s World Music Festival is, appropriately, all over the map, starting with the headliner, Gotan Project. The international collaboration earned acclaim with its mix of tango and electronics on its debut album, and it’s returning with a more “organic” take on the Argentine form. English electronic duo Zero 7 will be joined by singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, a prominent voice on its latest album. Gonzalez will also play his own set on a bill that includes another Zero 7 collaborator, Sia, and English electronic composer Matthew Herbert.

Gotan Project, Hollywood Bowl. 2301 N. Highland Ave., L.A., 7 p.m. Sunday. Sold out. (323) 850-2000.