WEEKEND FORECAST

TODAY

MUSIC

‘Planets’

lines up with

concerto

Although British composer Gustav Holst wrote other works that show off the orchestra, it is his brilliantly orchestrated seven-part suite, “The Planets,” that most keeps his music in front of the public. Each planet is distinct in sound and astrological characteristic. Andrew Davis and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will pair “The Planets” with Sibelius’ brooding and dramatic Violin Concerto. Celebrated Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider will be the soloist.

Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 8 p.m. $1 to $93. (323) 850-2000. www.HollywoodBowl.com.

JAZZ

Billy Childs plays the Vic

For pianist-composer-arranger Billy Childs, 2005 was a very good year. He won two Grammys -- one for his composition “Into the Light” and another for his arrangement (with Gil Goldstein and Heitor Pereira) of “What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life” for Chris Botti and Sting. Also, Childs’ large-scale choral work about the Holocaust, “The Voices of Angels,” received its premiere by the Los Angeles Master Chorale at Disney Concert Hall in April 2005. The L.A. native has also been busy establishing himself as one of today’s top, if not the most prominent, jazz pianists.

Billy Childs Quartet, The Vic, Heritage Square, 2640 Main St., Santa Monica. 8 and 10 p.m. $20. Reservations required. (888) 367-5299.

FRIDAY

MOVIES

As ‘Azumi,’ she’s deadly

Japanese pop star Aya Ueto plays a sexy assassin in “Azumi,” a manga-based martial-arts action film that was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. Azumi, who is an orphan during the Tokugawa Shogunate, is raised to parlay her killer looks and killer swordplay to mow down her many rivals on her way to a showdown with warped villain Bijomaru.

“Azumi,” unrated, opens Friday at the Landmark Nuart, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. (310) 281-8223; and Edwards University Town Center 6, 4245 Campus Drive, Irvine. (949) 854-8818.

EVENTS

An eclectic antiques fair

From Chinese antiquities and European furniture to cowboy memorabilia and vintage clothing, a varied lot of antiques and other collectibles from around the world will be on display this weekend at the Redondo Beach International Antiques Fair. The show features something for almost every taste and budget. For those who can’t wait, a two-hour preview will begin at 11 a.m. Friday before the official opening.

Redondo Beach International Antiques Fair Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. 1 to 7 p.m. Friday. $10; preview admission $30. (310) 287-1896; www.theosatco.com.

* Also 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

CABARET

In the key

of summer

Let’s face it: It’s going to be a long, hot summer. So it might be the season to set aside some time for witty, frothy, pun-tastic cabaret. The Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy with the Los Angeles City College Foundation and Cabaret West present a slew of Broadway stars in their inaugural season of Summer Evenings of Cabaret, a musical series lasting until early August. Catch “Three Men and a Baby ... Grand!” with Brian Lane Green, Lee Lessack and John Boswell. Other performers include Kevin Spirtas, Jason Graae and Linda Purl.

Summer Evenings of Cabaret, Caminito Theatre, Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Friday. $25. (323) 953-4000, Ext. 2990.

* Also 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 3-5.

SATURDAY

THEATER

Surgically Surreal

Romantic, perennially conflicted Dr. Carter is nowhere in sight as “ER” star Noah Wyle returns to the stage to play Surrealist Salvador Dali in “Lobster Alice,” Kira Obolensky’s comedic speculation about the six weeks that Dali spent at the Walt Disney studios in 1946. Though commissioned to do an animated short, the eccentric artist spent most of his time with the young animator who was working on Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland.” The play, an L.A. premiere, is presented by the Blank Theatre Company where Wyle is artistic producer.

“Lobster Alice,” 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Opens 8 p.m. Saturday. $22 to $28. (323) 661-9827; www.TheBlank.com.

* Runs 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Ends Sept. 3.

MUSEUMS

Fantastical landscapes

New York-based artist Angela Dufresne has called her large-scale paintings of people and places “bastard portraits.” Based on her broad interpretation of architecture history, landscapes and characters, her images have a familiarity that seems to mirror actual people and places. “Hammer Projects: Angela Dufresne” features works presented in a range of color schemes that continue her exploration of removed realities.

“Hammer Projects: Angela Dufresne,” Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Opens Saturday. Free. (310) 443-7000.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, except 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 22.

JAZZ

Celebrating Central Avenue

The Central Avenue Jazz Festival celebrates the 1920s-1950s artistic nexus of L.A.’s African American community with two days of music, ethnic cuisine, arts, crafts and educational exhibits. The fest will open Saturday morning with a panel discussion on the “Women of Central Avenue” followed by a musical lineup that will primarily feature female artists. Barbara Morrison, Carmen Lundy, the Jennifer York Quartet, the Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra will perform. Sunday’s lineup will feature the all-female big band Maiden Voyage, the Karen Briggs Band, the Nedra Wheeler Quintet, Katia Moraes and the Sambaguru band, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Jazz Ensemble, the Ernie Andrews Band and the Billy Mitchell Group with Alexandra Isley. The emcees both days will be Jose Rizo and Michael Dolphin.

Central Avenue Jazz Festival, 4225 S. Central Ave., L.A. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Free. (213) 473-2304.

* Also 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

MUSIC

iPalpiti Orchestra

Founded in 1991 by Eduard Schmieder and his violinist wife, Laura, the Young Artists International Laureates Festival is an annual weeklong summer event with various chamber music concerts and a larger orchestral program. Schmieder will conduct the iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble in an eclectic program that will include works by Salinen, Kazhgali, Arensky, Beethoven, Mozart and Dunayevsky-Dreznin. Kristaps Bergs will be the cello soloist in Salinen’s “Nocturnal Dances of Don Juan Quixote” (Chamber Music III, Opus 58).

iPalpiti, Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Saturday. $20 to $80. (310) 205-0511; www.YoungArtists.org.

MONDAY

POP MUSIC

Las Vegas’ Panic! hits California

It’s not just the Killers that are bringing some rock credibility to Las Vegas. Now there’s also Panic! At the Disco, which celebrates the band’s musical split personality on its debut album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” One side is all synths and futuristic-sounding electronics, the other throwback Vaudevillian accordion and piano-driven tunes. Like the group’s hometown, Panic! revels rather than shies from glorious excess.

Panic! At the Disco, Grove Theatre, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 7:30 p.m. Monday. $22. (714) 712-2700.

* Also 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Wiltern LG, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. $22. (213) 380-5005.