Veteran rockers Johnny Marr and Snow Patrol have tour stops in L.A. this week while Mavis Staples celebrates her 80th birthday with a few close friends. The Musco Center presents the Heartbeat of Mexico. Dianne Wiest stars in Beckett's Happy Days. And KPCC's In Person continues its SoCal Solutions series with a forum on Crime and Policing.
MONDAY, MAY 20; 11 p.m.
Powerpoint Night
UCBT Franklin -- 5919 Franklin Ave., Franklin Village
The Powerpoint Girls (Joan Ford, Cait Raft and Robin Higgins) host a night of comedy, riffing on Powerpoint presentations. Think slides, clip art, crappy animations and edu-tainment from Brad Evans and Nick Ciarelli, Will Hines, Laurie Magers, Courtney Sevener, Jessica Svendsgaard and Chad and Kale.
COST: $7; MORE INFO
TUESDAY, MAY 21; 8 p.m.
Johnny Marr
Ford Theatres -- 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
The longtime guitarist for The Smiths plays a show under the stars in support of his latest album, Call the Comet.
COST: $49.50 - $300;MORE INFO
TUESDAY, MAY 21; 7 p.m. doors
Snow Patrol
The Wiltern -- 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
Speaking of veteran U.K. rockers, the quintet brings its melancholic tunes to L.A. as it wraps up the North American leg of its world tour. They're performing in support of their latest album, Wildness. Billie Marten and Ryan McMullan are also on the bill.
COST: Tickets start at $35; MORE INFO
TUESDAY, MAY 21; 7 p.m.
Reel To Reel: Echo In The Canyon
Grammy Museum L.A. -- 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown L.A.
The program begins with a screening of the Laurel Canyon music documentary, followed by a discussion with former music journalist, record producer and the film's director Andy Slater, along with musician Jakob Dylan, who's featured in the film. The evening ends with a special small set from Dylan and Jade Castrinos (from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), performing songs from the soundtrack.
COST: $25; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22; 6:30 p.m.
Autry After Hours: We Love L.A.
The Autry Museum -- 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park
The museum's nighttime series celebrates L.A. through the work of local poets, artists and DJs. This week's lineup includes poetry by Alyesha Wise, Yaw Kyeremateng and Mike Davis; an installation and community project by Eve LaFountain (Turtle Mountain Chippewa); and DJ sets by Cumbiatón featuring DJ Funky and DJ Sizzle Fantastic. Tacos, cocktails, wine and beer will be available for purchase. Get to the museum early to check out the latest exhibition, Coyote Leaves the Res: The Art of Harry Fonseca.
COST: $5 (for the late-night party), reservations recommended; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 - THURSDAY, MAY 23
Lea Salonga
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) -- 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge
The singer and performer won a Tony in 1991 for her performance in Miss Saigon on Broadway. Later, she became the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Misérables. This week, she performs for two nights with a repertoire that ecompasses Broadway hits, Disney film favorites, pop tunes and selections from her latest album.
COST: Tickets start at $44; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22; 7 p.m.
SoCal Solutions: Crime and Policing
Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum -- 100 N. Central Ave., downtown L.A.
The KPCC In-Person series continues with a focused discussion on law enforcement and transparency -- the questions are crowdsourced beforehand from readers and audience. KPCC/LAist correspondent Frank Stoltze guides a discussion with Arif Alikhan, director of constitutional policing and policy at LAPD; Peter Bibring, director of police practices at ACLU of Southern California; and Connie Rice - civil rights activist, lawyer, and cofounder of The Advancement Project. A reception follows the program.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 - SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Happy Days
The Mark Taper Forum at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
Dianne Wiest stars in Samuel Beckett's absurdist masterpiece. The play centers on Winnie (played by Wiest) whose optimism "shields her from the harsh glare of the inevitable" as her husband grows more distant and the Earth threatens to swallow her whole.
COST: Tickets range from $32 - $115; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22; 8 p.m.
8th Annual Evening of Tiki
The Spare Room -- 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The monthly cocktail series features a guest bartender creating a special, over-the-top tiki-inspired menu for one night, alongside the Spare Room's beverage director Yael Vengroff. This week's creations are crafted by Jason Asher and Mitchell Lyons of Undertow in Phoenix.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22; 7:30 p.m.
Mavis & Friends: Celebrating 80 Years of Mavis Staples
The Theatre at Ace Hotel -- 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
The legendary musician and civil rights activist celebrates her 80th birthday with a few friends including: Benjamin Booker, Griffin Goldsmith, Jason Isbell, Jerry Harrison, Joe Henry, Lucius, M. Ward, Phoebe Bridgers, Son Little, Taylor Goldsmith, Trombone Shorty, and The War and Treaty.
COST: $39 - $79; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23 - SUNDAY, MAY 26
Heartbeat of Mexico Festival
Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University -- 415 N. Glassell St., Orange
This weekend of Latin music, dance and cultural activities features superstar duo Jesse & Joy, Alicia Villarreal and Lupillo Rivera performing with mariachi. Free events include a new celebration of Ballet Folklórico on Saturday and a family-friendly outdoor festival on Sunday.
COST: Headliners: $35 - $ 45; other events FREE; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23; 8 p.m.
Love Heals All Wounds
UCLA's Royce Hall -- 10745 Dickson Court, Westwood
CAP UCLA presents Movement Art Is (MAI), an organization that uses dance and movement to create global change. The troupe, co-founded by hip-hop dance icons Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, has its first evening-length dance performance Thursday. Watch brilliant popping, jookin' and street dance choreography with spoken word poetry by Robin Sanders.
COST: $29 - $99; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23
The Mad Hatter's (Gin &) Tea Party!
A secret garden in Hollywood -- 1661 Ivar Ave., Hollywood
This boozy tea pop-up runs for eight weeks in Hollywood. The immersive, 1.5 hour-long event features molecular cocktail-crafting as well as British tea time snacks in a secret wonderland. Ticket prices include a welcome cocktail, three molecular cocktails and snacks. What are molecular cocktails? We guess you'll have to go and report back to us.
COST: $65; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23; 7:30 a.m.
OCTA Bike Rally
Orange Metrolink Station -- 194 N. Atchison St., Orange
The 7th annual ride celebrates Bike Month, and the public is invited to join the free, three-mile ride to the OCTA headquarters building. There are snacks, a raffle and guest speakers at the end of the ride. Raffle prizes include a new bike, movie tickets, theme park tickets and bike accessories.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23 - SUNDAY, JUNE 30
15th Annual Lavender Festival
Highland Springs Ranch & Inn -- 10600 Highland Springs Ave, Cherry Valley
123 Farm celebrates the beginning of lavender harvest season with this annual festival. Walk through winding paths of organic lavender fields, ride in horse-drawn hay wagon tours, sample lavender-inspired dishes (like lavender lemonade and lavender ice cream) and listen to live music. Before you head home, hit up the marketplace for lavender honey, balsamic vinegar, essential oils, fresh bouquets, plants and stuffed toys and goods.
COST: Admission: $12 - $15; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23; 6 - 9 p.m.
Taste of Boyle Heights
Casa Del Mexicano -- 2900 Calle Pedro Infante St., Boyle Heights
Sample local foods (including tacos, elote, ice cream and churros) from both street vendors and brick-and-mortar eateries while supporting community empowerment with this annual fundraiser. The proceeds benefit East LA Community Corporation, an advocacy organization that works toward economic and social justice in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.
COST: $175; MORE INFO
THURSDAY, MAY 23; 8 p.m.
Science! The Show
Two Bit Circus -- 634 Mateo St., downtown L.A.
This show combines a science lecture with comedy. Guests this month include Dr. Alex Dainis, who discusses what happens to your DNA in space, and comedy by Paige Weldon. When the show's over, stick around to play games at downtown's immersive arcade.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
How are you spending your week? Let us know on Twitter @christineziemba and @LeoHasACat.
