Pop singer/songwriter and local favorite Sara Haze performs Saturday, Nov.8, at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach. She will sing an acoustic set to open for noted singer/songwriter Chris Pierce. Show begins at 8:30 p.m. For tickets ($10) and information, call 310-372-0035 or visit saintrocke.com.

Thursday, November 6
Jazz legend recalled
Well, remembered more than recalled. Yes, the Third Annual Tribute to Horace Tapscott takes place at 7 p.m. in LaCorte Hall, A-103, on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson. The free event will include rare footage of the late performer. (310) 243-3543.

Friday, November 7
She’ll lead you astray
Mezzo-soprano Geeta Novotny, as Carmen, tenor Christopher Campbell as Don Jose, and baritone Roberto Gomez as Escamillo the toreador, perform a Carmen Recital at 7:30 p.m. in the Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, 26438 Crenshaw Blvd., at Palos Verdes Drive N., Rolling Hills Estates. It’ll get you ready for the full-blown affair coming to L.A. Opera next week. Tickets, $15 if you act now and $20 if you don’t. Students shell out $10. Call (310) 377-6771.
Finely tuned
Pianist Nora Chiang, violinist Stirling Trent, and cellist Armen Ksajikian perform from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. in the Trinity Lutheran Church, 1340 Eleventh St., Manhattan Beach. Free (donations not looked at askew), with box lunches available for $5 afterwards. (310) 937-7275.
Unsinkable
Singer, dancer, actress Debbie Reynolds performs at 8 p.m. in Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College, Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards, Torrance. She was in hit movies Singin’ in the Rain and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Tickets, $28, $24. Call (800) 832-ARTS or go to centerforthearts.org.
Blowing in
The Crosswinds Trio performs at 7:30 p.m. in the Redondo Beach High School Auditorium, at Pacific Coast Highway and Diamond, in Redondo Beach. The trio features Gary Ross on trumpet, Lawrence Kursar on horn, and Michael Toth on piano. (310) 373-2442 or go to southbayconcerts.org.
The next Julie Andrews
Haven Academy (an afterschool arts program for youth grades K-12) presents The Sound of Music at 7 p.m. tonight, at 2 and 7 p.m. tomorrow, with the same schedule next Friday and Saturday. It takes place at the Oceanside Christian Fellowship, 343 Coral Circle, El Segundo. More at (310) 944-0024.
He’ll serenade you
A reception for members of the South Bay Watercolor Society takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Welcome Cafe, 1808 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, featuring Tom McLehose on acoustic guitar. Artist demonstrations are set for Sat., Nov. 15 from noon to 3 p.m. The curator is Kellie Rountree Farajpour. (310) 316-9270.
The South Bay Bookends
Chuck Meyer and Dora Perez have a one-couple mixed media art show at Ma Griffe and it’s called Point to Ponder. The reception is today from 5 to 9 p.m. and, knowing Dora, there’ll be refreshments and good things to eat. Through Dec. 28. Call (310) 547-2154 or go to magriffegalerie.com.
Unusual pairing, but then
Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, still a big crowd-pleaser, opens at the Kentwood Players’ Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. It plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Dec. 13. Larry Jones directs. Tickets, $18 general, minus $2 for seniors, students. (310) 645-5156 or go to kentwoodplayers.org.

Saturday, November 8
Tweaking reality
New York-based multimedia artist Aaron Yassin gives a demonstration of digital art from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes. The program showcases the Art Center’s new Digital Arts Lab. Cost, $50 for non-members (but $50 memberships are available at the program, so think about it). Call (310) 541-2479 or go to pvartcenter.org.
Dancing to the edge
The SOLA Contemporary Dance Festival 2008, presented by the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, takes place at 8 p.m. in the James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. It features professional choreographers and local dancers, and of course original work by Klenjoski and others. Tickets, $18 general; $16 students, seniors. (310) 781-7171 or go to rkdc.org.
Song and dance romance
Love Is in The Air, a Broadway love song songbook, with stage veterans David Engel and Tami Tappan Damiano, takes place at 2 and 8 p.m. in the Norris Theatre, 27570 Crossfield Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. Tickets, $38. Call (310) 544-0403 or go to norriscenter.com.
Beam me down, Scotty
The Battlefield Band performs Scottish music old and new at 8 p.m. in Marsee Auditorium at El Camino College, Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards, Torrance. Tickets, $22, $18. Call (800) 832-ARTS or go to centerforthearts.org.

Sunday, November 9
Drink and dress
The Artists’ Studio, the sales gallery of the Palos Verdes Art Center, holds its Signatures wearable art fashion show and champagne at 12:30 p.m. in the Arts Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes. Work by over 20 fiber and jewelry artists will be shown. Tickets, $35, must be purchased in advance. Call Carrie Lieb at (310) 541-0666.
Play it again, Sam
The South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club meets from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 214 Avenue I, Redondo Beach. The featured band is Bob Allen’s The Band. Admission, $6 members; $8 non-members; free for visiting musicians who come to play. (310) 376-2591.
Play many roles!
The Kentwood Players holds auditions for The Laramie Project, by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, from 6 to 9 p.m. today and from 7 to 10 tomorrow at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. The play will run from Jan. 9 to Feb. 14. Call (310) 645-5156 and leave a message for director Michael Allen. More at kentwoodplayers.org.

Wednesday, November 12
Breaking through
Obsessive Surfaces: New Works by California Painters, features 45 paintings and drawings by four Long Beach artists, Carleton Christy, Darren Hostettler, John Koller, and Ali Smith, and it’s on display through Dec. 10 in the University Art Gallery at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills. Reception and conversation with artists today from 5 to 7 p.m. Where? 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson. (310) 243-3334.

from across the tracks

Thursday, November 6
Fact or fiction
Lope de Vega wrote Lo Fingido Verdadero (Pretending Made True) sometime around 1607. Directed by Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr., and translated by LMU’s Antonia Petro, the play opens tonight in the Barnelle Theatre at Loyola University, Los Angeles. Also tomorrow and Saturday, as well as Nov. 11 through 15. Tickets, $15 general; $10 students. (310) 338-7588.
More for your money
There’s a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. for a group that calls itself Experimental Artists of the South Bay, to be held with work by Bob and Nancie Doughty at the Loft Gallery, corner of Fourth Street and Mesa in San Pedro. The Experimental Artists include Joan Bacon, Sandy Medearis, Lynn Mikami, Deborah Guilbeau, Carla Straight, Jean Shultz, Chris Gafford, Jean Stephenson, Herlinda Giandalia, Kiku Mori, Carol Morris-Ward, Gloria D. Lee, and Peggy Johnson. Another public reception is scheduled for Nov. 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. Call Gloria (310) 346-0832 or Bob (310) 971-7987.
Gold albums, the works
John Tesh performs at 8 p.m. in the Cerritos Center, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Tickets, $27.50 to $52. Call (877) 801-4995 or go to Tesh.com.

Friday, November 7
Run your hand here
Presented by Musical Theatre West, Cole Porter’s Silk Stockings has a preview tonight ‘ and an Opening Night tomorrow ‘ at 8 p.m. in the Carpenter Center, located on the campus of Cal State Long Beach just off of Atherton Street. Closes Nov. 23. More at (562) 856-1999 ext. 4.