Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: March 3 - 6
Audrey Francis and James Vincent Meredith in Noises Off at Geffen Playhouse.
(
Jeff Lorch
/
Geffen Playhouse
)
Our Picks
I had the pleasure of spending last Tuesday morning in 1880s Paris — I mean the Getty — exploring the new exhibit on Gustave Caillebotte, and when those doctors in France decided to write prescriptions to an art museum for mental health, this must be what they meant. A little fresh air and pictures of Paris, what could be better?
If dancing it out in the living room is more your speed, Musicians For Fire Relief is holding a huge online concert and auction on Thursday, March 6, at 5 p.m., raising money for Sweet Relief. The show features Dawes, Moby, Pete Yorn, Los Lobos, Margaret Cho, and many more; it’s hosted by Nic Harcourt.
For more to explore, visit LAist.com where you can weigh in on the area’s worst parking lot, check out the best vegan eats, and grab tickets to the Nobody Knows Anything podcast's live taping from The Black List and LAist Studios on Thursday, March 6 at the Crawford.
Events
Feb. 25 - May 25
Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men
Getty Museum
1200 Getty Center Dr.
Brentwood
COST: FREE, PARKING $25; MORE INFO
Support for LAist comes from
(
Courtesy The Getty
)
The light! The men! The boats! Straight from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, a retrospective on impressionist Gustave Caillebote’s career just opened at the Getty — the first major international exhibition since the January wildfires. Spanning nearly 100 works from various stages of his career, the exhibit focuses on the male form, from Caillebotte’s paintings of his brothers and friends in aristocratic Paris of the late 1800s to his unusual-for-the-time male nude works. This is the largest display of Caillebotte's work on the West Coast in 30 years. Featuring paintings, drawings, photos and historical artifacts, the exhibition tells a compelling story that flips the script on what we typically think of the impressionists as a group.
Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Ben Barnes
The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd.
Koreatown
COST: $48; MORE INFO
Actor Ben Barnes (Westworld, The Punisher, The Chronicles of Narnia) might be new to the music scene, but he is making a splash with his soulful singer-songwriter debut album Where the Light Gets In. He's playing the Wiltern after the show was postponed due to the fires; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the California Community Foundation. Check out the single “One Minute More,” a collaboration with Chicago-born singer-songwriter Monica Martin here.
Support for LAist comes from
Wednesday, March 5, 6:45 p.m.
Reading Rhythms
Espresso Cielo
1431 2nd St.
Santa Monica
COST: $20; MORE INFO
(
Roman Trifonov
/
Unsplash
)
If you want to read a good book but often find yourself reading a page, then scrolling Instagram, put your nerd cred where your mouth is and have a coffee and read alongside fellow bookworms at Espresso Cielo. The New York Times calls reading clubs like Reading Rhythms "the future of reading together," so get ahead of the trend. There's no judgment if you’re reading a romance or Dickens; all reading is good reading.
Wednesday, March 5, 3 to 4 p.m.
Teens Create Ballon Animals (a la Jeff Koons)
Julian Dixon Library
4975 Overland Ave.
Culver City
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Bhautik Patel
/
Unsplash
)
If your middle- or high school-aged kid is in envy every time you go to The Broad, send them to Culver City’s Julian Dixon Library for a Jeff Koons-inspired balloon animal workshop. Not just for kids' birthday parties anymore, balloon art can be art art.
Support for LAist comes from
January 29 - March 9
Noises Off
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Ave.
Westwood
COST: FROM $83; MORE INFO
Francis Guinan, Vaneh Assadourian, James Vincent Meredith, Rick Holmes an Amanda Fink in Noises Off at Geffen Playhouse.
(
Jeff Lorch
/
Geffen Playhouse
)
It’s a farce. No, an actual farce. The classic Michael Frayn play is on (and off the walls) at the Geffen through the weekend. The show is a slapstick escape at the theater. You don’t have to think too hard, just enjoy.
March 2 - 4, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
LISA pop-up
100 Thieves Compound
6050 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Baldwin Hills
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Support for LAist comes from
A K-pop sensation, BlackPink member LISA is going solo and celebrating the release of her debut album, Alter Ego, with a series of pop-up events. Featuring immersive visuals, merchandise, giveaways, and Instagram opps galore, you can even be one of the 50 fans to score a meet-and-greet. New to the K-pop scene? Check out LAist’s podcast series K-pop Dreaming.
March 3 - 4, 9:30 p.m.
Ali Wong
Hollywood Improv
8162 Melrose Ave.
Melrose
COST: SOLD OUT, WAITLIST AVAILABLE; MORE INFO
Ali Wong attends the Netflix FYSee Kick Off Party in 2018.
(
Rachel Murray
/
Getty Images for Netflix
)
Ali Wong brings her fearless brand of comedy to the Improv for two sold-out shows titled "Work In Progress," so it’s surely a chance to catch the “Baby Cobra” powerhouse’s next groundbreaking act before it’s a huge Netflix special.
Viewing Pick
March 4-7
Manila International Film Festival
TCL Chinese Theatres
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
COST: FROM $25, MORE INFO
The 2024 Manila International Film Festival - Day 1 held at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood, CA on Monday, January 29, 2024.
(
Sthanlee B. Mirador
/
Sipa USA via Manila International Film Festival
)
The Philippines comes to L.A. with the Manila Film Fest in Hollywood. Featuring movies like Love Hurts, starring Oscar and Golden Globe winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose, and The Debut, a 25th anniversary showing of the film hailed for its breakthroughs as the first Filipino American movie to be shown nationwide in U.S. theaters. Many screenings feature Q&As with the filmmakers. Complimentary festival tickets are available to first responders, frontliners, and healthcare professionals by filling out this form.
Dine & Drink Deals
Tuesday, March 4, 11 a.m.
Mardi Gras Patio Party
Harold & Belle’s
2920 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Jefferson Park
COST: NO COVER BEFORE 2 P.M., $20 AFTER; MORE INFO
Laissez les bon temps rouler at the annual Mardi Gras patio party at Harold & Belle’s. On offer: filé gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, hurricanes, and more. Plus, the best weekday afternoon party worth playing hookey to experience. The food starts at 11 a.m.; the DJ comes on at 2 p.m.
Ongoing
Kurrypinch now open
5051 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
COST: VARIES, MORE INFO
(
Katherine Evans
/
Kurrypinch
)
Valley favorite Sri Lankan restaurant Kurrypinch recently expanded to Hollywood. The new spot highlights both traditional Sri Lankan dishes and Chef Shaheen Ghazaly’s creative takes on street food, homestyle recipes and signature flavors.
March 2-8
Orange County Restaurant Week
Multiple locations in O.C.
COST: VARIES, MORE INFO
Orange County Restaurant Week continues with a huge selection of lunch and dinner prix fixe menus around the area, so you can try some new spots or revisit old favorites. From Vietnamese in Tustin to Cuban in Irvine, Italian in Laguna Niguel or Spanish in Costa Mesa, you can travel the world through food right in Orange County through Saturday.
Thursday, March 6, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. POSTPONED to Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
Coffee fortune reader
Ladyhawk
623 N. La Peer Dr.
Beverly Hills
COST: FREE, MORE INFO
(
Valiant Made
/
Unsplash
)
Turkish coffee is now on the menu at Ladyhawk and to celebrate, coffee fortune reader Samira Faraj will be on-site at Ladyhawk, offering complimentary Turkish coffee fortune readings for guests.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Heavy rain is expected to fall in the L.A. area between tonight and Thursday. So take your poncho if you're headed to Dodger Stadium. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings.
-
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning.
-
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist