The Grapes of Wrath Opens Sept. 27. The West Coast Ensemble observes John Steinbeck’s 100th birthday with Frank Galati’s Tony winner, which features 25 actors in 55 roles. Call for times. Tickets, $22. West Coast Ensemble Theater, 522 N. La Brea Ave., 323-525-0022.

ComedySportz Opens Oct. 4. The improv troupe inaugurates a spanking new space with its trademark ComedySportz shtick and debuts of U-sical and Blind Date. Call for times. Tickets, $12-$15. National Comedy Theater, 733 N. Seward St., Hollywood, 323-856-GRYN.

Edgefest 2002 Oct. 10-20. More than 35 companies (including Theater of NOTE, Open Fist, and About Productions) and at least five roundtables (“L.A. Tales: Tales of a Sometimes City” and “Collaboration and Copyright: Can’t We All Just Get Along?”) make the 4th Annual Edge of the World Theater Festival mandatory entertainment. Visit www.edgeoftheworld.org.

Marni Nixon: The Voice of Hollywood Oct. 11. The ghostsinger extraordinaire sings her hits from The King and I, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady. At 8. Tickets, $30. Pepperdine Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University, Malibu, 310-506-4522.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company Oct. 12. Faster than a speeding Cliff’s Notes, the troupe goes through Will’s canon in two hours flat. At 8. Tickets, $10-$29. Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, 888-2CALTECH.

Major Barbara Opens Oct. 19. G.B. Shaw’s fin de siècle drama about munitions, morals, and family ties is right on target today. Call for times. Tickets, $27-$54. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, 714-708-5555.

Times Like These Opens Oct. 19. Director John O’Keefe has written a taut drama about a Jewish actress, her Aryan lover, and their version of Hamlet. At 8. Tickets, $10-$20. Padua Playwrights at 2100 Square Feet, 5616 San Vicente Blvd., 323-692-2652.

Debbie Reynolds Oct. 20. Reynolds’s charm comes in three flavors: greatest hits, hoofing, and patter. At 2. Tickets, $45-$55. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Dr., Cerritos, 800-300-4345.

Fahrenheit 451 Opens Oct. 23. For this world premiere Ray Bradbury has adapted his science fiction masterpiece about a firefighter on the lam for protecting two book lovers. Call for times and prices. Falcon Theater, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank, 818-955-8101.

Continuing

Direct from Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys Ben Bradley (Central Avenue) directs Mark Stein’s vaudeville-tinged drama about nine African Americans unfairly incarcerated from 1931 to 1976. Call for times. Tickets, $25. Fountain Theater, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, 323-663-1525.

The Guys A revolving cast tackles Anne Nelson’s piece about a mourning firefighter and the editor who assists him with 9/11 eulogies. Call for times. Tickets, $15-$40. Actors’ Gang, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, 323-465-0566, ext. 15.
Late Nite Catechism Maripat Donovan’s interactive sister act could run for all eternity. Call for times. Tickets, $20-$37. Coronet Theater, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-657-7377.
Les Belles Soeurs In Michel Tremblay’s kitchen drama, a tableful of women let it all hang out as they paste one million trading stamps. Call for times. Tickets, $15-$18. Eclectic Company Theater, 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, 818-508-3003.
The Lion King Only the secessionists in this town are roaring as loudly as Julie Taymor’s menagerie. Call for times and prices. Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 213-365-5555.
Mamma Mia! Thanks to this musical, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are singing “Money, Money, Money” all the way to the bank. Call for times. Tickets, $25-$75. Ahmanson Theater, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213-628-2772.
Man of La Mancha Got windmills? Call for times and prices. Actors Co-op at Crossley Theater, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood, 323-462-8460.

Closing

Jumping for Joy Through Oct. 6. Jon Marans (Old Wicked Songs) world-premieres his dark comedy about a prodigal son who discovers that although he can go home again, he may not be able to leave. Call for times and prices. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, 949-497-ARTS.

Pericles: Prince of Tyre Through Oct. 6. Shakespeare’s young royal hopscotches from port to port and deals with boatloads of tragedy en route. Call for times and prices. Globe Theaters, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego, 619-231-1941.

Queen of the Remote Control Through Oct. 6. In Sujata G. Bhatt’s dramedy, a South Asian American girl wants to flee her upper-middle-class life in Calabasas for the Big Apple. Call for times. Tickets, $15-$30. East West Players, David Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., 213-625-7000.

Blue Through Oct. 13. In Charles Randolph Wright’s comedy a young man comes of age in a family of quirky funeral parlor proprietors. Sheldon Epps directs, Phylicia Rashad stars, and Nona Hendryx scores. Call for times and prices. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, 626-356-7529.

The Chosen Through Oct. 13. In 1999, author Chaim Potok and Arden Theater Company resident director Aaron Posner adapted Potok’s story about two Jewish kids—what else?—disappointing their fathers in 1940s Brooklyn. Call for times. Tickets, $15-$25. Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, 800-595-4849.

Fedunn Through Oct. 13. An ensemble cast world-premieres Murray Mednick’s play about behind-the-scenes intrigue at a Catskills resort. Call for times. Tickets, $25. Odyssey Theater, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A., 310-477-2055.

Lysistrata—The Sex Strike Through Oct. 13. In this West Coast premiere Irena Stepic and Ana Divac direct Germaine Greer’s riff on Aristophanes’ tale about the peace-loving females behind two warring factions. At 8. Tickets, $20. Stages Theater Center, 1540 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood, 323-465-1010.

The Madwoman of Chaillot Through Oct. 19. Ellen Geer plays the lead in Jean Giraudoux’s comic fable about a woman who banishes evil in an afternoon. Call for times. Tickets, $8-$22. Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, 310-455-3723.

Fellow Traveler Through Oct. 20. Harold Gould stars in John Herman Shaner’s dramedy about two leftist TV writers anxious about Hollywood ageism. Call for times. Tickets, $20. Malibu Stage Company, 29243 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, 310-589-1998.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Through Oct. 20. Bottom’s up! Call for times. Tickets, $8-$22. Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, 310-455-3723.

Under the Blue Sky Through Oct. 20. Geffen helmsman Gil Cates directs David Eldridge’s three-plays-in-one about teachers engaged in, er, extracurricular activities. Call for times. Tickets, $28-$46. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood, 310-208-5454.

Working Through Oct. 20. Stephen Schwartz (Godspell) and Nina Faso have added a soundtrack (featuring James Taylor) to Studs Terkel’s chronicle of daily life. Call for times and prices. San Diego Repertory Theater, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego, 619-544-1000.

Nickel and Dimed Through Oct. 27. Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America has been adapted into a drama about the working poor. Call for times and prices. Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213-628-2772.

Music

JAZZ, ROCK & WORLD BEAT
World Festival of Sacred Music Through Sept. 29. The heaven-sent fest closes with the Agape International Choir (Sept. 23), CalArts’s “Deeply New” program (Sept. 25), Axiom of Choice (Sept. 26), Watts Tower Day of the Drum (Sept. 28), and Mickey Hart and sundry Whirling Dervishes (Sept. 29). Visit www.festivalofsacredmusic.org.

Verizon Music Festival Sept. 30- Oct. 6. The can’t-miss gig of this citywide fest is the free performance by Ray Charles, Kátia Morales & Samba Guru, and Gerald Clayton (Oct. 6). At noon. Admission, free. Central Park in Old Pasadena, Fair Oaks Ave. between Del Mar Blvd. and E. Dayton St., Pasadena, 213-365-3500.

Elvis Costello & the Imposters Oct. 1. Declan emphasizes the “Pump It Up” part of his canon. Call for time. Tickets, $37.50-$55. Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 213-480-3232.

Buddy Guy Oct. 4. With John Mayall and Shemekia Copeland on the bill, fans get more blues for their buck. Call for time. Tickets, $35. House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-848-5100.

Julia Fordham Oct. 4. Soulful, poppy, British—what’s not to like? At 7:30. Admission, free; reservations required. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., West L.A., 310-440-7300.
Paris Combo Oct. 4 and 5. Calling all swing kids: The cabaret quintet performs alfresco. Oct. 4: At noon. Admission, free. Watercourt at California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., 213-687-2159. Oct. 5: At 8. Tickets, $15. Beckman Mall, Caltech, Pasadena, 888-2CALTECH.

16th Annual Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Oct. 4-6, 11-13, and 18-20. The market for mellow won’t quit. To wit: David Benoit, Acoustic Alchemy, Hiroshima, Strunz & Farah, Gerald Albright, Joyce Cooling, and Pete Escovedo take over the casino for three weekends. Call 888-330-5252.

Super Furry Animals Oct. 7. Expect Gruff Rhys’s Kink-y Welsh power pop to go beyond critical acclaim. At 8. Tickets, $15.

The Palace, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood, 213-480-3232.
Jack Johnson Oct. 11. This year’s model makes the leap to a larger venue to accommodate the girls who dot their i’s with hearts. G. Love & Special Sauce open. At 7:30. Tickets, $22-$26. Greek Theater, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., 213-480-3232.

The Swingle Sisters Oct. 11. The French choral group still covers chart busters from Bach to the Beatles. At 8. Tickets, $25-$35. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Dr., Cerritos, 800-300-4345.

Carlos Santana Oct. 12. Expect a stageful of percussionists when opener Ozomatli jams with Uncle Carlos. Call for time and prices. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, 213-480-3232.

Anoushka Shankar Oct. 16. Having been trained by Ravi Shankar (aka Dad), the sitar player easily gathers her pluck. At 8. Tickets, $25-$30. Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine, 949-553-2422.

Autumn Eve: A Tribute to Woody Herman Oct. 18-19. After the Woody Herman Monument dedication, herdsmen of yore (Alan Broadbent, Pete Candoli, Jake Hanna, and more) take their bows (Oct. 18) and Frank Tiberi and the Woody Herman Orchestra with Joe Lovano add the backbeat (Oct. 19). Call for times and prices. Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, 323-769-1442.

Wayne Shorter Quartet Oct. 25. For more than four decades the weather’s been great for this sax man. At 8. Tickets, $27-$35. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Cal State Long Beach, 562-985-7000.

Paul McCartney Oct. 25 and 28. Macca takes a victory lap around Southern California. Call for times and prices. Oct. 25: Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. Oct. 28: Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St. 213-480-3232.

Classical & Experimental

Los Angeles Master Chorale Sept. 29. Grant Gershon’s company performs Verdi’s last composition, Te Deum, and Britten’s piece for the Red Cross centennial, Cantata Misericordium. Call for time and prices. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213-972-7282.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Oct. 3-6. The season kicks off with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting baritone Rodney Gilfry and the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Carl Orff’s secular (read sensual) cantata, Carmina Burana. Call for times and prices. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213-365-3500.
War and Peace (Voina i Mir) Opens Oct. 23. For Los Angeles Opera, conductor Valery Gergiev takes on Tolstoy’s epic (by way of Prokofiev) about Napoleon’s tussle with the Russians. Call for times and prices. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213-972-8001.

Southwest Chamber Orchestra Oct. 26 and 29. As part of its program “Autumn Twilight: Late Romantic Music from 1875 to 1918,” the orchestra performs Toru Takemitsu’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Autumn Song. At 8. Tickets, $10-$25. Oct. 26: Norton Simon Museum of Art, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Oct. 29: Colburn School of Performing Arts, 200 S. Grand Ave. Call 800-726-7147.

UCLA Performing Arts Highlights
Chava Alberstein Oct. 1. The prolific Israeli folksinger (she’s recorded nearly 50 albums since the 1960s) echoes the activism of Baez and Dylan.
Buster Keaton Film Fest Oct. 5. The whole family can enjoy screenings of The Navigator and Cops accompanied by live organ music.
Brian Wilson Oct. 6. The former Beach Boy promises to invite some friends to hang out in his sandbox.
Calle 54: The Concert Oct. 10. Bebo Valdés, Chano Dóminguez, and Eliane Elías bring Calle 54, Fernando Trueba’s documentary about Latin jazz, to life.
Steroid Maximus: Ectopia Oct. 17. Producer J.G. Thirlwell (who has remixed Nine Inch Nails and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) gathers a 19-piece ensemble to play Cuisinart-ed numbers extra chunky with funk, blaxploitation-film grooves, and freaky sounds.
Cullberg Ballet Oct. 18-19. Choreographer Mats Ek reinterprets Swan Lake’s mise-en-scène as a cartoonlike dreamscape.
Caetano Veloso Oct. 29-30. The guitarist-songwriter delves deeply into the Brazilian political psyche via fados, tango, samba, rock, reggae, and rap.
Hal Willner’s Halloween Show: Never Bet the Devil Your Head Oct. 31. For All Hallows’ Eve, Lou Reed, Diamanda Galás (she definitely has the voice for a scary show), Harry Shearer, Will Farrell, and Catherine O’Hara use Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry as a backdrop.

Fairs and Fests

André Courrèges Retrospective Opens Sept. 26. Decades presents an eye-popping archive of the designer’s mod frocks. (Proceeds benefit UCLA Center for East-West Medicine.) Call for times and prices. Decades Gallery, 82141/2 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 323-655-0223.

Art of the Palette 2002 Sept. 26- Oct. 26. Young collectors will appreciate the meet-and-greet with Thora Birch, deep pockets will dig the portrait session with Annie Leibovitz, and the rest of L.A. can hobnob with the glitterati at 50 other private dinners. (Proceeds benefit Los Angeles County Museum of Art.) Call 323-857-6182.

20th American Wine and Food Festival/3rd Annual Chefs’ Grand Tasting Dinner Sept. 28 and 29. Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff’s savory soirees keep a worthy charity in high gear. (Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels.) Sept. 28: 6-10. Tickets, $250-$300. Universal Studios Back Lot, Universal City, 310-234-1984. Sept. 29: At 6:30. Tickets, $500. Spago Beverly Hills, 176 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-385-0880.

2nd Annual Knit-Out Sept. 29. Knitters and crocheters compete for a Guinness World Record and gab with the “Sweater D Octor.” Noon-5. Admission, free. 3rd St. Promenade between Broadway and Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, 800-662-9999.

Burning Brush’s Bon Voyage Auction Oct. 11-20. At this live auction, top illustrators and artists (Paul Frank, Seonna Hong, the peripatetic Gary Baseman) show off their latest works. Preview: Oct. 11-19. Noon-6. Admission, free. sixspace, 549 W. 23rd St., 323-933-8105. Auction: Oct. 20. 5-8. Admission, free. Beverly Garland Hotel, 4222 Vineland Ave., Studio City, 818-980-8000.

15th Carousel of Hope Ball Oct. 15. Sting and Elton John headline, Jay Leno emcees, and Halle Berry presents the Brass Ring Award to Sidney Poitier. (Proceeds benefit Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.) Call for time and prices. Beverly Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-289-6200.

11th Annual Craftsman Weekend Oct. 18-20. Thanks to Pasadena Heritage, Arts and Crafts eye candy can be seen big time at the Furnishing & Decorative Arts Show & Sale, on bus tours throughout Pasadena, and at intimate receptions held in swell digs. Call 626-441-6333.

An Evening Under the Harvest Moon Oct. 19. The Ann & Kirk Douglas Playground Award Foundation is acknowledged for its many mitzvahs around town. (Proceeds benefit TreePeople.) At 7. Tickets, $300. Ritz-Carlton, 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, 310-899-9191.

Vintage Fashion Expo Oct. 19-20. Try not to knock over Marisa Tomei and Mimi Rogers in your eagerness to snatch up togs by Blass, Galanos, and Gernreich. 9-6. Tickets, $10-$20. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, 707-793-0773