Best Things To Do This Weekend In Los Angeles And SoCal: March 17 - 19

Attend the Hollywood Burlesque Festival. Watch tap dance artistry. Listen to the movie music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard. Hear stories from Steady Bad Luckers. Celebrate the luck of the Irish.

Events

Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18; 7 p.m.

Steady Bad Luckers
Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave., Fairfax
Listen to an evening of stories about lovable (and sometimes not-so-lovable) losers from history, presented by Woody Shticks, comic, stripper, queer porn archivist and historian and writer, producer and podcast host Alex Steed. There are plenty of jokes, plus PowerPoint.
COST: $15 suggested donation; MORE INFO

Friday, March 17 - Sunday, March 19

Marie Antoinette Experience
Third Street Promenade 
Between 2nd / 3rd and Arizona, Santa Monica
The series Marie Antoinette premieres this weekend, and PBS SoCal celebrates with a pop-up event celebrating all things Versailles. There will be Marie-inspired “glow ups,” themed photo ops, giveaways and treats (cake, maybe?).
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Friday, March 17 - Sunday, March 19

Hollywood Burlesque Festival
The Vermont
1020 N. Vermont Ave., East Hollywood
Now in its 10th year, the festival features 70 burlesque performers throughout the weekend, plus classes, workshops, a Saturday night afterparty and Sunday brunch.
COST: Single-day tickets start at $70; MORE INFO

Friday, March 17 - Sunday, March 19; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DIGMAN! Interactive Pop-Up Experience
La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
To celebrate the launch of the adult animated adventure comedy series, which premieres Wednesday, March 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central, the network holds an interactive weekend pop-up at the Tar Pits. The show’s written and produced by Andy Samberg along with co-creator and showrunner Neil Campbell. Explore the world of Digman and his archeologists with an AR experience and Digman! swag giveaways.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Zach Teague & Drew Lausch make their LA debut with 'Baby Gay,' an hour-long musical comedy.

(Courtesy of Zach Teague & Drew Lausch)

Saturday, March 18; 10 p.m.

Zach and Drew Present "Baby Gay"
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Zach Teague & Drew Lausch make their L.A. debut with “Baby Gay,” an hour-long musical comedy about mothers, fathers, friendship and poppers. They bring original songs, tap dancing and crowd work into the show.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Saturday, March 18; 7 p.m.

Colburn School presents Tap Fest 2023: A Soulful Sound
Zipper Hall at Colburn School
200 South Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
Watch performances by world-renowned tap artists, accompanied by joyful rhythmic soul and funk music. Artists include Melinda Sullivan, Joseph Wiggan, Karissa Royster, Leo Manzari, Jason Rodgers and KiLeigh Williams.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

A dance discussion and performance event celebrates the life and legacy of African American ballerina Raven Wilkinson.

(Robyn Gardenhire)

Saturday, March 19; 4 p.m.

Celebration of Raven Wilkinson
The Ebell of Los Angeles
743 S. Lucerne Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
Wilkinson was an American dancer who is credited with having been the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company, breaking the color barrier in 1955. She danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with the Dutch National Ballet as a soloist and with the New York City Opera. Robyn Gardenhire, City Ballet of Los Angeles founder and artistic director, and UC Irvine dance historian Ariyan Johnson discuss and celebrate Wilkinson’s life. The afternoon includes performances by LA County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and Colburn School Ballet Dancers with Saiko Fujii, Colburn School Pianist.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

Saturday, March 18; 6:30 p.m.

ICONS
ESMoA
208 Main St., El Segundo 
The Experimentally Structured Museum of Art presents a celebration of cinema history through the lens of queer performance and drag culture. Drag kings and queens have crafted their performances on the current exhibition, Time, which celebrates the work of Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter (Avatar, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Back to The Future). The night opens with a performance by The Trans Chorus of L.A. 18+.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Saturday, March 18; 8 p.m.

The Movie Music of Spike Lee & Terence Blanchard
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 
Listen to the scores from Spike Lee joints showcasing the music of trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Terence Blanchard. Blanchard’s quintet pairs with the L.A. Phil along with guest vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Tarriona “Tank” Ball, with curated images of the films projected throughout the performance.
COST: $49 - $140; MORE INFO

The Broad presents performances from Patrisse Cullors and Lazaro Arvizu, Jr. and Virginia Carmelo, taking place on March 18, presented alongside the special exhibition 'William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows.'

(Patrisse Cullors, Lazaro Arvizu, Jr., Virginia Carmelo)

Saturday, March 18; 7:30 p.m.

Speaking in Gabrielino + Patrisse Cullors
Oculus Hall at The Broad
221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 
The museum presents two performances alongside the special exhibition William Kentridge: In Praise of Shadows (on view until April 9). The evening showcases the relationship of colonialism on Black, Indigenous and people of color across literature, language, performance, and music. It includes Speaking in Gabrielino curated by artist and educator Lazaro Arvizu, Jr. followed by a new commission by Patrisse Cullors, titled Don't Disappear Us / Keep us Leaping / Low Riders and Bonnets that Heal. 
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Sunday, March 19; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Santa Ana Zoo’s 71st Birthday
Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park
1801 East Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana 
Attend the birthday party of numerous animals born in March as the zoo celebrates their birthday and its own anniversary. Look for giant anteaters, camels, lemurs, ocelots, sloths and the Zoo’s famous monkeys while visiting the Crean Family Farm and the “Flight” Butterfly Habitat.
COST: $9 - $12; MORE INFO

Sunday, March 19 - Monday, March 20

Getting Along
Elysian Theater
1944 Riverside Dr., Echo Park
Writer and performer Stephanie Thoreson presents a season of a ‘90s-era sitcom (with live musical accompaniment) in an hour-long show. She says, “My goal with this show is to retroactively rewrite the presence of bi-erasure in '90s television while still evoking the familiar cozy feeling of watching your favorite comfort TV." Guest stars include Babe Motel, Linzy Beltran, Spencer Turrubiarte and Sanjay Rao.
COST: $12; MORE INFO

Sunday, March 19; 6:30 a.m.

Los Angeles Marathon
Various locations throughout L.A.
Cheer on the elite runners, racewalkers, joggers and wheelchair racers as they navigate 26.2 miles of city streets on Sunday, March 19 for the L.A. Marathon. The “Stadium to the Stars” race begins at Dodgers Stadium and ends at Avenue of the Stars in Century City. For participants, families, friends and spectators, there’s a Finish Festival at Century Park with live music, food specials, beer gardens, pop-up retail vendors and spa treatments. The weekend also includes a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the stadium on March 17 and 18, the LA Big 5K on Saturday, March 18, and the Charity Half Marathon and Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 19.

Outdoor Pick

Bandit Running Pop-Up Events
The running brand Bandit was founded by members of NYC’s running community in October 2020. In conjunction with this weekend’s L.A. Marathon, Bandit holds several free events from Friday, March 17 through Wednesday, March 22 including shakeout runs, group runs, meetups and happy hours.

Viewing Pick

Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, with Dave Letterman
The docu-special Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, with Dave Letterman, premieres on Disney+ on March 17. The special, directed by Morgan Neville, captures Letterman on his first visit to Dublin as he hangs out with Bono and The Edge in their hometown, experiencing the city. Letterman also attends a show at the old Ambassador Cinema building in Dublin.

Maple Block in Culver City celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a corned beef dinner special.

(Courtesy of Maple Block)

Dine and Drink Deals

Here are a few dine and drink deals to indulge in this week.

• On St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, celebrate St. Penmar's Day: Festival on the Green at Penmar Golf Course in Venice from 2 to 10:30 p.m. There’s live music, DJs, a beer garden, whiskey tastings, games and more. Tickets are $20 - $55.
• Maple Block Meat Co. celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a traditional corned beef plate (with cabbage and potatoes) and specials on Guinness beer. They’re also offering pastrami and Reuben sandwiches.  
• Firestone Walker celebrates the Irish with $6 pints of Hopnosis IPA at the Venice Propagator on Friday, March 17 from noon to 10 p.m. 
• The world's largest traveling seedling show returns to Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark and Somis from Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19. The Tomatomania pop-up brings specialty and obscure tomato plant varieties including cherry, grape and heirloom, as well as garden varieties.  
• The new neighborhood gay bar, Schmitty’s in West Hollywood, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day on Friday with drinks specials all day, live piano sing-alongs, an all-vinyl DJ set, and surprises. Specials include $5 Irish Whiskey shots, $5 cans of Guinness, and $8 happy hour Irish whiskey cocktails (from 3 - 8 p.m.).
• Starting on March 17, The h.wood Group’s The Nice Guy and Delilah will celebrate St. Patrick's Day by offering two limited-edition dessert menu items. The Nice Guy in Hollywood offers a pistachio cannoli ($19) and Delilah in WeHo offers a mint-flavored version of the Kardashian/Jenner dessert Kendall’s Slutty Brownie ($14) complete with mint ice cream. 
• Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood debuts a complimentary Buckaroo Bingo every Sunday from 7 p.m. with winners earning prizes such as Desert 5 Spot swag and show tickets to performances.