8 Weekend Picks including Pacific Opera Project, ‘Star Wars in Concert’ and GMCLA

Best Bets for things to do in L.A. this weekend include the return of Pacific Opera Project’s “The Mikado,” Pacific Symphony’s “Star Wars in Concert” and the Los Angeles Philharmonic presentation “America in Space.” “Romeo and Juliet” plays at San Diego’s Old Globe, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony perform in separate concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the “Women Rising” dance showcase and the MixMatch Dance Festival put their best feet forward.

POP goes ‘The Mikado’

Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum are back as Pacific Opera Project, the company that brought you “Star Trek”-themed Mozart and a Japanese-language “Madama Butterfly,” reprises its colorful 2013 Harajuku-style update of “The Mikado,” Gilbert & Sullivan’s satirical musical fable set in Japan. Highland Park Ebell Club, 131 S. Avenue 57, Highland Park. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; other dates through Aug. 31. $15-$25; tables, $60, $180. (323) 739-6122. pacificoperaproject.com

These women’s works

L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, Blue 13 Dance Company and Luminario Ballet are among the troupes that will share the stage for “Women Rising: Choreography From the Female Perspective.” BrockusRED founder Deborah Brockus curates this showcase presented by Los Angeles Dance Festival. Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. 8:30 p.m. Friday. $25-$65. (323) 461-3673. FordTheatres.org

Never was a story of more woe ...

Love hurts and then — spoiler alert! — you die. The Old Globe’s “Romeo and Juliet” returns us to the tale of two young people from rival families who fall hard for each other before it all goes tragically wrong. Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; other dates through Sept. 15. $30 and up. (619) 234-5623. TheOldGlobe.org

3 ... 2 ... 1 ... liftoff!

For the multimedia-enhanced concert “America in Space,” guest conductor David Newman leads the L.A. Phil in a program that includes “Mars” and “Jupiter” from Holst’s “The Planets” and Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Contemporary selections include music from the scores for “Hidden Figures,” “Apollo 13” and “The Martian.” Also featured: a talk by Abigail Fraeman of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Thursday. $1-$162. (323) 850-2000. hollywoodbowl.com

The Force will be with you, always

Speaking of space, return to a galaxy far, far away with “‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ in Concert.” Pacific Symphony performs John Williams’ classic score to a screening of director George Lucas’ blockbuster 1977 space opera. Pacific Amphitheatre, OC Fair & Event Center, 100 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Saturday. $12.50-$99. (714) 755-5799. PacificSymphony.org

Out, loud and proud

Happy birthday, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. You don’t look a day over 39. The ensemble celebrates its 40th anniversary with the gala concert “GMCLA 40/Stonewall 50.” Guests include Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”), Broadway’s Shoshana Bean (“Waitress”) and members of New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Friday. $50 and up. (323) 850-2000. gmcla.org

Don’t stop the dance

Presented by Hart Pulse Dance Company, the 13th annual MixMatch Dance Festival features more than a dozen dance artists and troupes including Contemporary Ballet Collective/L.A., White Crane Dance Theatre and Sonia Ochoa Dance Co. The Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $20. (800) 838-3006. HartPulseDance.com

Cultural exchange, local edition

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, the Jewish Community Chorale and the orchestra and choir from the Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Assn. come together in “Friendship & Harmony.” This festive program includes works by Lucas Richman and Byunghee Oh plus the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Saturday. $20-$100. lajewishsymphony.com