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8 best bets for your weekend: Tango, salutes to MLK Jr., a ‘Golden Girls’ tribute and more

Two tango dancers share a passionate embrace.
Ivana Ayala and Pedro Sanchiz in the stage show “Tango Argentina.”
(Segerstrom Center for the Arts)
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A tango spectacular, a drag salute to “The Golden Girls” and two virtual celebrations of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lead our shortlist of cultural offerings this weekend. Before you go, remember to call or check online for reservation requirements and other COVID-19 protocols.

‘Tango Argentina’
The power and passion of Argentine tango will be on full display in this stage spectacular featuring some of the country’s top talent, including dancers Ivana Ayala and Pedro Sanchiz. Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $19-$79. scfta.org

‘Golden Girlz Live: Cheesecake ’N’ Crème’
Two episodes of the classic 1985-92 sitcom are re-created by drag artists Jackie Beat, Drew Droege, et al., in the return of this comedy show. Opening weekend is nearly sold out but tickets are available through the rest of the run. Cavern Club Theater at Casita del Campo, 1920 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake. 8 and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 3, 7 and 9 p.m. Sunday; other showtimes, Jan. 21-23. $40, $50. jackiebeat.ticketspice.com

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‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and ‘Golden Girls’ actor died Friday, just weeks before celebrating her 100th birthday.

Dec. 31, 2021

King Day 2022
California African American Museum’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, previously scheduled as an in-person event, once again goes online and includes a virtual study group and a performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. 11 a.m. Monday. Free. RSVP at caamuseum.org

Virtual MLK Holiday Concert
Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra’s salute to the civil rights leader also moves online and features pianist Leonard Hayes in a program that includes Margaret Bonds’ “Troubled Water” plus pieces by Brahms, George Walker and Ellis Marsalis. A Q&A moderated by KUSC-FM’s Rich Capparela follows. 2 p.m. Saturday. Free (registration closes 9 a.m. Saturday). smsymphony.org

‘Mapping Fiction’
The geographies of fictional worlds created by such authors as James Joyce, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.R.R. Tolkien and Octavia E. Butler are explored in this exhibit on view Saturday through May 2. Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Closed Tuesdays. $13-$29; children younger than 4 are free; advance timed-entry tickets required. (626) 405-2100. huntington.org

‘Mapping Fiction’ at the Huntington. New pieces by Ho Tzu Nyen and noé olivas at the Hammer. A salute to a Black comic-book superhero at UCR Arts.

Jan. 15, 2022

TaikoProject’s ‘Benzaiten’
The L.A.-based ensemble that mixes traditional Japanese drumming with live dance and storytelling returns in this brand-new show. Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu. 7:30 p.m. Friday. $20-$40. (310) 506-4522. arts.pepperdine.edu

The Royal Philharmonic
Music director Vasily Petrenko leads the acclaimed orchestra in a program that includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring pianist Olga Kern. With a pre-concert lecture by KUSC 91.5 FM’s Brian Lauritzen. Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Lecture: 7 p.m. Friday; concert: 8 p.m. $48-$268. philharmonicsociety.org

Solofest 2022
Whitefire Theatre’s long-running showcase for solo performers returns with a mix of live and virtual offerings. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Various times, Friday through March 20. In-person: $25; virtual: $19.99. whitefiretheatre.com

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