The Best Things To Do In Los Angeles And SoCal This Week: Aug. 16 - 19

With the COVID-19 Delta variant spreading, it's best to check ahead of time to make sure events are still happening as scheduled.

Get physical at a retro workout under the stars. Don't throw away another shot to see Hamilton. Check out a hip-hop dance-theater production. Watch one of Hollywood's biggest flops and judge for yourself. Sip gin, slurp soup dumplings and score a free sammie.

Michelle Obama speaks during the 2019 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(Bennett Raglin

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Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Monday, Aug. 16 - Friday, Aug. 20

The 19th Represents Summit
Nonprofit newsroom The 19th hosts a weeklong summit that explores why representation matters in democracy, sports, business, culture and voting. Guests include Michelle Obama, Billie Jean King, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Priscilla Chan and Nikole Hannah-Jones. Enjoy performances by the Linda Lindas, Julien Baker, Gina Chavez and the Broadway cast of Jagged Little Pill.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Watch Elaine May's 'Ishtar,' starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, to see if it's aging well.

(Courtesy of American Cinematheque)

Monday, Aug. 16; 7 p.m.

Ishtar
Los Feliz 3
1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz
The American Cinematheque continues its Elaine May Mondays series with a screening of a film written and directed by her. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty as talentless songwriters who get mixed up in a Cold War power play, the 1987 comedy was an epic flop but over time has amassed a cult fanbase. There’s an encore screening on Friday, Aug. 20 at 4 pm. at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre.
COST: $8 - $13; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 17; 8:15 p.m.

Jane Fonda’s Workout
Cinelounge Outdoors
1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood
Grab the leg warmers and headbands for a retro workout under the stars. Bring a yoga mat and dress for the occasion. (Prize given to the best dressed.) After the workout, belly up to the juice bar and popsicle cart. A portion of the ticket sales will go to Greenpeace. Ages 21+. The Jane Fonda workout continues on Tuesdays through October.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

A general view during player introductions before game one of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on October 9, 2015 in Los Angeles.

(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America)

Tuesday, Aug. 17; 7:10 p.m.

Mexican Heritage Night
Dodgers Stadium
1000 Vin Scully Ave., Chavez Ravine, downtown L.A.
Celebrate Mexican culture and heritage as the Boys in Blue take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The ticket package includes game access and an exclusive Mexican Heritage Night jersey.
COST: $42 - $160; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 17 - Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022

Hamilton Reopens
Pantages Theatre
6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
If you threw away your shot to see Hamilton, the Broadway musical returns to Hollywood for an extended run. Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda's retelling of the story of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand and the United States' first Treasury Secretary. There’s a maximum purchase limit of eight tickets per household. Details for the daily lottery for $10 orchestra seats are forthcoming.
COST: $55 - $369; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 18 - Thursday, Aug. 19, Sunday, Aug. 22

The music organization MUSE/IQUE presents a concert featuring the cinematic works of Bob Dylan

(Courtesy of MUSE/IQUE)

Dylan Goes Hollywood
The Huntington (Aug. 18-19)
1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

The Skirball (Aug. 22)
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood
The performing arts organization MUSE/IQUE explores Bob Dylan's oeuvre, especially his most cinematic songs, from a West Coast perspective. The event is part of L.A. Composed: A Festival of Los Angeles Music.
COST: General admission is $75 for nonmembers (which includes admission to three MUSE/IQUE events); MORE INFO

18th December 1979: The pop group Police outside the stage door of a Hammersmith venue in west London, with a policeman standing behind them. From left to right, they are Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland.

(Martyn Goddard/Getty Images

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Hulton Archive)

Wednesday, Aug. 18; 7:30 p.m.

Fretted and Moaning: Short Stories
The Grammy Museum
800 West Olympic Ave., downtown L.A.
The museum’s in-person programming continues with a conversation and book reading with Andy Summers, composer, photographer and longtime guitarist for the Police. The event celebrates his first published work of fiction, a collection of 45 short stories.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 18; 8 p.m.

Tune-Yards
The Ford
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood Hills
The indie-pop duo plays the intimate outdoor venue to support their 2021 release, sketchy. Salami Rose Joe Louis opens.
COST: $29 - $55; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 18; 8 p.m.

Good Aura Comedy
Cinelounge Outdoors
1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood
Hosted by Sean Leary, the stand-up show features comedy by Sarah Silverman, Alonzo Bodden, Beth Stelling, Rory Albanese and Anna Simeri. Bar by Lost Property and The Bombbachi Truck (Asian Fusion) will be onsite. Doors at 7 p.m.
COST: $30; MORE INFO

Assault rifles hang on the wall for sale at Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly, Virginia, on October 6, 2017.

(AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

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AFP)

Thursday, Aug. 19; 6 p.m.

Can California Help America Reduce Gun Violence?
This online discussion examines ways to keep American safe from gun violence, one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Reporter Lois Beckett moderates a discussion with California Assemblymember Phil Ting, emergency medicine physician Dr. Garen J. Wintemute and Hope and Heal Fund executive director Brian Malte.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

UCLA's Film and Television archive presents the program, 'Music by Max Steiner, An Illustrated Webinar with Steven C. Smith.'

(Courtesy of UCLA's FIlm and Television Archive)

Thursday, Aug. 19; 4 p.m.

Music by Max Steiner
At this illustrated webinar, Steven C. Smith shares his research on early film composer Max Steiner. Despite being called "silent films," these movies were never really silent. They were accompanied by live music. No one was more instrumental in creating the film composer role than Austrian-born émigré Steiner. The online lecture will include film clips, music cues and rare interviews with Steiner.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 19; 7:30 p.m.

Jarabe Mexicano
Muckenthaler Cultural Center
1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton
The Muck hosts Jarabe Mexicano, a band that takes audiences on a journey through Mexican folk, rock and roll, Tex-Mex, Latin rock and reggae-cumbia.
COST: $15 - $30; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 19; 8 p.m.

2021 Sunset Concerts: The Delirians
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood
Live, in-person concerts continue at the Skirball, focusing on L.A. musicians that support justice, community building and kindness. This week, East L.A.’s the Delirians bring their vintage ska beats across town. COST: FREE with RSVP, parking $10 - $20; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 19; 7 p.m.

A Dose of Laughter Gala
The Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Watch a night of standup comedy that benefits a new app and peer-support community for nurses. The lineup includes Jay Mohr, Max Amini, Darrell Hammond, John Di Domenico, Jimmy Shin and Greg Baldwin.
COST: $100 - $150; MORE INFO

Versa-Style Dance Company makes its Wallis debut with 'Box of Hope.'

(Courtesy of Versa-Style Dance Company)

Thursday, Aug. 19 - Saturday, Aug. 21; 8 p.m.

Versa-Style Dance Company: Box of Hope
The Wallis
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly HIlls
The dance company performs its latest hip-hop dance-theater production on its outdoor pop-up stage. Set to vintage sounds of R&B and Motown, Versa-Style uses hip-hop dance to explore inequalities and struggles among African American and Latin communities.
COST: $35; MORE INFO

Streaming Pick

The Killing (Forbrydelsen)
If you were a fan of the moody 2011 AMC series The Killing starring Mireille Enos as an intense Seattle detective, you might be interested in its 2007 Danish predecessor. The first season of the Nordic crime thriller delves into a murder with possible political ties. It's now available in the U.S. for the first time, on indie streaming service Topic. The first season debuted on Aug. 12 with the subsequent two seasons coming out weekly on Thursdays.

Chef Ludo Lefebvre teams with Amazon Prime Video to create custom sandwiches and a custom cocktail inspired by the show 'The Boys.'

(Courtesy Amazon Studios)

Dine and Drink Deals

Here's the 411 on restaurant happenings in SoCal:

• Move over, Din Tai Fung. There’s a new soup dumpling behemoth making inroads in Southern California. Paradise Dynasty, the Singapore chain with 45 outposts in nine counties, soft-opened its first U.S. location at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
• Mun Korean Steakhouse in K-Town is soft open. We spied a charcuterie board, parmesan “ban ban” fries (half potato, half sweet potato) and lots of meat on its Instagram page.
• Also in Koreatown, a hotbed of new restaurants, HanEuem has opened with a menu of traditional Korean dishes including ganjang saewoo jhang (soy fermented raw shrimp), marinated and fermented raw crab, bone broth and braised prime beef back ribs.
• Female-owned, gin-centric Genever Craft Cocktails in Historic Filipinotown recently reopened. If you don't want to visit in-person, they offer monthly gin and cocktail subscriptions for pickup. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 48 hours is required for entry.
• Wild Alaskan halibut season has arrived at Water Grill. Both of the restaurant's locations (DTLA and Santa Monica) offer several preparations of the fish including pan-roasted halibut cheeks, roasted halibut tail, tempura-fried halibut cheek salad, marinated halibut collar and pan seared halibut.
• It's Emmy voting season and Amazon is bankrolling a mobile coffee truck where you can get a free espresso, cold brew, latte or cappuccino while supporting the Underground Railroad, the Boys, Sylvie’s Love, Uncle Frank and Small Axe. The truck will be stationed on Monday at 7850 Melrose Ave., Fairfax and 893 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake. (h/t Variety).
• Amazon is also teaming with chef Ludo Lefebvre for a pop-up deli with sandwiches and a cocktail inspired by the Boys. It happens at Lefebvre’s Petit Trois locations on Highland Ave. and Ventura Blvd. The free sandwiches are available on a first-come, first-served basis at each location each day, through Aug. 19.