6 pm: Spoken Word

L.A. Times Archives

Feb. 19, 1998 12 AM PT

The successful salon-style evenings hosted by Spoken Interludes move to the stylish digs of Le Colonial this weekend. This dinner and spoken-word event includes performances by L.A.-based writer Diane Sherry Case, two-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines, Santa Monica Review founder Jim Kruscoe and actress-producer DeLaune Michel.

* Spoken Interludes at Le Colonial, 8783 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood. Dinner, 6-7:15 p.m.; spoken-word performances at 7:30 p.m. $20. (213) 957-4688 for reservations.

All day: Movies

Here’s an offer you can’t refuse. The better two-thirds of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterful trilogy, “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather II” (1974), will screen at L.A.’s premier revival house, the New Beverly Cinema. You will not find a better double bill in town. (And if you feel the need for closure you can pick up a copy of the somewhat inferior “The Godfather III” at your local video store.)

* “The Godfather” and “The Godfather II,” New Beverly, 7165 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. Sunday-Tuesday, call for times. $2.50-$5. (213) 938-4038.

3 pm: Music History

Influenced by the field and work songs of laborers, the blues were born out of the African American experience. In recognition of Black History Month, the Folk Art Council of the Craft and Folk Art Museum and the American Folk Art Society are presenting “A Celebration of the Blues” at Westwood’s Village Lutheran Church. KPFK radio host Ed Archer will recall the history of this uniquely American music form, accompanied by the Don Pierre 10-Piece Band, Yusef Olatitan and harmonica player Johnnie Dyer.

* “A Celebration of the Blues,” Village Lutheran Church, 343 Church Lane, Westwood. $10. Reservations required. (310) 550-8534.

4 pm: Culture

Celebrate the culture of Hawaii through the traditional dress, music and dance of hula at “Ohana--We Are Family.” The Carpenter Performing Arts Center hosts this performance with three award-winning hula hulau (dance schools) performing in a program that showcases modern and traditional interpretations of the dance. A narrator will explain the myths and legends on which the dances are based, and music will be played on traditional Hawaiian instruments.

* “Ohana--We Are Family,” Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton Blvd., Long Beach. $15-$25. (562) 985-7000.

4 pm: Jazz

Guitarist Norman Brown combines the sound of Wes Montgomery with contemporary beats to come up with something sure to please mainstream and smooth jazz fans alike. And--look out, George Benson--he sings!

* Norman Brown, Wallichs Theatre, University of Redlands, 1200 E. Colton Ave. $22. (909) 342-2272.

7 pm: Dance/Theater

Not a single company but a multidisciplinary Chinese performance tradition dating back 2,000 years, the Peking Opera returns to the Southland this weekend in programs by the 46-member Hebei Opera. Expect displays of singing, dancing, acting, martial arts and gymnastics, with some of the most elaborate costumes and makeup on view anywhere. The company offers excerpts from “The Sword Is a Gift From Bai Hua,” “Stealing the Stored Silver,” “Li Kui Visits His Mother” and “Havoc in Heaven.”

* Peking Opera, Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. $42.50-$50. (800) 233-3123. Also Saturday, 8 p.m., in Marsee Auditorium, El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance. $8 (children)-$28. (310) 329-5345.

FREEBIE: Chamber recital by students at Crossroads School, UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, 8 p.m. (310) 829-7391.