WEEKEND FORECAST

TODAY

MUSIC

Champagne in a Bowl

Up-and-coming French conductor Stéphane Denève closes his debut week leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl with a Gallic program. French-born pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be the soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 5, which acquired its title “Egyptian” from its evocation of an Arab zither. Denève, who led the Philharmonic in March at Walt Disney Concert Hall, also will conduct Berlioz’s Overture to “Les Francs-juges,” Debussy’s “La Mer” and the sumptuous Second Suite from Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe.”

Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., L.A. 8 tonight. $1 to $93.

(323) 850-2000; www.hollywoodbowl.com/tix

FRIDAY

DANCE

Tale of Alice

in India

Curiouser and curiouser: the idea of retelling Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” in the style of a

Bollywood dance extravaganza. But that’s exactly what Achinta S. McDaniel and her blue13 company have in store with “Paheliyan: The Story of Alice” at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Friday and Saturday: curried Carroll. Expect live music -- including a sitar-playing Caterpillar -- plus an Indian-style bazaar where Bollywood and Hollywood can meet in the spirit of free enterprise.

“Paheliyan: The Story of Alice,” John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Friday. $26 and $32; students and children, $5. (323) 461-3673. www.fordtheatres.org

Also 8 p.m. Saturday.

MOVIES

Modern

history

Isidore Rosmarin, a veteran of TV network news, focuses on one of the world’s most contentious regions in the documentary “Blood and Tears: The Arab-Israeli Conflict.” Dubbed “The Middle East for Dummies” by the Jerusalem Post, the film explores the origins of the struggle, and disputes many long-held beliefs, all in an ambitiously concise 73 minutes.

“Blood and Tears: The Arab-Israeli Conflict,” unrated, opens Friday at Laemmle’s Grande, 345 S. Figueroa St., L.A. (213) 617-0268.

FAMILY

A dog comes to the rescue

Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” gang come to life in the family-friendly “Snoopy! The Musical,” a benefit for Downtown Dog Rescue, founded to assist homeless dog owners spay/neuter, vaccinate and license their dogs. Presented by a cast of veteran theater professionals, including Suzanne Mayes and Lisa Marinacci, and director Jeremy Lewit and choreographer Lysander Abadia.

“Snoopy! The Musical,” McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, L.A. 8 p.m. Friday. $25. Seating is limited; reservations suggested. (310) 499-1465; www.MayesProductions.com

Also 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

WORLD MUSIC

The crown they wear

Before there was world music, as a genre, or rumba flamenca, as a style, there were the Gipsy Kings -- a band of singers and guitarists from the Reyes and Baliardo families, playing their effervescent rhythms throughout the Gypsy settlements in the South of France. Since the release of the hit single “Bamboleo” in 1987, they have been international stars, applying their unique creative enthusiasm to an ever-growing range of musical genres. The latest CD, “Pasajero,” is their high-spirited journey into the melodies and rhythms of South America.

The Gipsy Kings, the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Friday. $39.75 to $120.75. (323) 665-1927.

Also 8 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY

EVENTS

The fans

are revved

Exhaust fumes, music and testosterone will make for a potent brew at the Hot Import Nights show at the L.A. Convention Center. First, there’s the National Custom Car Assn. competition with prizes in almost 50 categories; a display of rare collectors’ cars; drifting, freestyle MX and driving demonstrations; and other gasoline-tinged attractions. Then, there’s Grammy-winning singer Eve, hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari and various DJs for those sonically inclined. And finally, there are the Boost Mobile Babes, NOS Energy Models Central, the HIN Go-Go Dancers competition and porn star Tera Patrick, who will host a fashion show of her new line of lingerie, for those who don’t know a carburetor from a carbohydrate.

Hot Import Nights, Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday. $30. (949)789-7439; www.hotimportnights.com

MUSEUMS

It’s right

at home

To mark its 15th anniversary and to celebrate the full range of artistic output of the Golden State, the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine presents “Made in California.” The works include ‘50s Abstract Expressionism and the Color Field paintings of Sam Francis, ‘60s Fetish Finish works by Larry Bell and Craig Kauffman, the quintessentially Southern Californian deadpan wit of artists such as Ed Ruscha and Joe Goode, and California Light and Space artists Mary Corse, Peter Lodato and Peter Erskine. The exhibition follows the thread up to the present day, with Postmodern and Appropriation Art of John Baldessari and Tim Hawkinson.

“Made in California: Contemporary California Art from the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Foundation,” the Fredrick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway. Malibu. Opens Saturday. Free.

(310) 506-4556.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Closed Mondays. Ends Dec. 16.

BOOKS

Sink in your teeth

The “Vampire Queen of YA” will visit Vroman’s Bookstore for a signing of her latest book, “Eclipse,” the third installment of the saga of moody teen Bella and her esoteric conundrum: caught between the affections of her vampire boyfriend Edward and her werewolf friend-who’s-a-boy, Jacob. Stephenie Meyer’s books have captivated legions of fans, who even staged an Eclipse “prom” to celebrate the new book, with Meyer as the belle of the ball in a blood red gown.

Stephenie Meyer, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 11 a.m. Saturday.

(626) 449-5320.

THEATER

New to

the ear

Theatre League’s Thousand Oaks Festival of New Musicals presents a first look at new musicals in staged readings, workshops, discussions and more. On the bill: “I Come for Love” by Jeffery Lyle Segal and Terrence Atkins, “Maccabeat!” by Harvey Shield, Richard Jarboe and Chayim Ben Ze’ev; “Showgirl of 52nd Street” by Charles Leipart and John Kroner; “The Grouch’s Daughter” by Jack Helbig and Mark Hollmann.

Thousand Oaks Festival of New Musicals, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Two-day pass, $24. (805) 583-8700, (213) 480-3232. Schedule information: www.theaterleague

.org/newmusicals

WEDNESDAY

JAZZ

Tribute

to a lady

of style

Nancy Wilson, as glamorous as ever, sings with the same seductive sound and sensual swing that have characterized her music since she made her first record deal in 1959. So it’s no surprise that a sterling lineup of all-stars will show up for Nancy Wilson’s 70th Birthday Celebration. Among them: singers Natalie Cole, Kurt Elling, James Ingram, Nnenna Freelon, Patti Austin and Ernie Andrews; trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Ramsey Lewis, saxophonist Tom Scott and violinist Regina Carter, with Arsenio Hall as the host.

Nancy Wilson’s 70th Birthday Celebration, the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $12 to $30.

(323) 850-2000.