WEEKEND FORECAST

TODAY

MUSIC

Facing the mighty 3rd

Grammy-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman joins the L.A. Philharmonic in Disney Hall this weekend for three performances of Rachmaninoff’s mighty 3rd piano concerto. Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta is scheduled on each program plus (today and Saturday only) Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. Gustavo Dudamel conducts.

Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor, and Yefim Bronfman, pianist, Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 8 tonight. $15 to $135. (323) 850-2000. www.LAPhil.com

Also 8 p.m. Friday (partial program) and 2 p.m. Saturday.

MUSEUMS

The arts of filmmaking

A behind-the-scenes Hollywood talent gets his 15 minutes and then some in this exhibit exploring the work of graphic designer Saul Bass. His soundtrack album covers for films such as “Vertigo” (1958) and “In Harm’s Way,” will be on display along with more than 20 of his movie posters. Bass -- who was also an Oscar-winning short documentary producer and director -- was a pioneer in innovative title sequences such as the one he did for “The Age of Innocence” (1993). Some of these cinematic preludes will be displayed on a 22-minute montage loop featured as part of the show.

“Saul Bass: The Hollywood Connection,” Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. Opens today. Free. (310) 440-4500.

* Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Ends April 1.

FRIDAY

DANCE

Mind, body: improvising

An intensive, weeklong series of movement workshops, performances and jam sessions reaches a flashpoint on Friday and Saturday when the 3rd Annual Los Angeles Improv Dance Festival showcases improvisational and contemporary masters on the stage of Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. Jam sessions follow each program (ending at midnight), and one final jam takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Participants include Carmela Herman, Christian Swenson, Stefan Fabry, Stephanie Nugent, Emile Hassan Dyer, Lionel Popkin, Jones Welsh, Hassan Christopher and Kristen Smiarowski.

3rd Annual Los Angeles Improv Dance Festival, Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. 8:30 p.m. Friday. $15 (students), $20. Sunday jam: $5. (310) 315-1459. www.idfest.org

* Also 8:30 p.m. Saturday

MOVIES

Words flex their muscle

In the tradition of movies celebrating inspirational mentorship, Hilary Swank stars as a young Long Beach teacher who offers her students respect and a forum to express themselves in “Freedom Writers.” Richard LaGravenese wrote and directed this drama based on the book by Erin Gruwell and the real life Freedom Writers, a diverse group of at-risk teens who learned to use words as tools for change.

“Freedom Writers,” rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language, opens Friday in general release.

POP MUSIC

The Boy is growing

Fall Out Boy is getting the ball rolling for what’s expected to be one of the big rock campaigns of 2007. With their highly anticipated second album due out in early February, the emo-punk standard-bearers are starting a tour of intimate venues, which is likely to be followed later by concerts in the arenas for which this voice-of-teen-angst outfit seems destined.

Fall Out Boy, the Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 7 p.m. Friday. $30. (714) 712-2700.

SATURDAY

ART

Now, just imagine a life like this

Suburban sprawl and the architecture model aesthetic meet in the work of Brooklyn artist Amy Bennett. In her Los Angeles debut show, “Neighbors,” she explores family and the familiar through a series of paintings depicting various scenarios and dramas in an imaginary neighborhood. The gallery also will display a tabletop scale model of the fictitious suburban area -- complete with houses, trees and perfectly manicured lawns.

“Amy Bennett: Neighbors,” Richard Heller Gallery, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., B-5A, Santa Monica. Opens Saturday. (310) 453-9191

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays

EVENTS

Heaven on two wheels

Composed of “such stuff as dreams are made on” and with a whiff of leather and gasoline fumes, the Easyriders Bike Show roars into Pomona this weekend. Motorcycle aficionados will be able to see more than 100 V-Twin custom bikes and meet such custom bike builders as Paul Yaffe, Kendall Johnson, Detroit Brothers, Bill Rucker, Ralph Randolph of Rockem & Sockem and Austin Weiss of Streamline Designs. Additionally, there will be live music by the Frye Brothers, fashion shows, vendors, food and more.

Easyriders Bike Show, Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. $7 to $25; 5 and younger, free. (800) 962-9857, Ext 12. www.easyridersevents.com

* Also 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

SUNDAY

JAZZ

Team guy is a headliner

Pianist George Cables has always prided himself on his ability to “put on a different hat,” on finding the right musical chapeau to wear with a list of players as diverse as Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard and Art Pepper. His frequent participation in classic recording sessions reveals how effective he has been in doing so, although too often that success has come at the cost of his own visibility. Fortunately, Cables will be firmly within his own musical guise for Sunday’s appearance at the David Abell Jazz Salon, where he’ll have the opportunity to display his unique blend of crisp, bebop-driven swing and touching, melodic lyricism.

George Cables, the David L. Abell Memorial Jazz Salon, Lenart Auditorium at the Fowler Museum on the UCLA north campus, Westwood. 1 p.m. Sunday. $18, $9 (students). (310) 206-3269.

WORDS

What’ll get a laugh?

Things have been a little tense in the world of comedy lately, what with Michael Richards dropping the n-bomb all over the place and all. But for comedians of Middle Eastern heritage, the climate on and off stage has been tense for a while. War is always ripe for satire yet American xenophobia and a post-politically correct world make it tougher than ever. Sunday’s “What’s So Funny?” panel discussion features American stand-up comedians of Middle Eastern heritage, including frequent performers at the Comedy Store, Laugh Factory and in film and television, discussing life post-9/11.

“What’s So Funny?” panel discussion, Pacific Arts Center, 10469 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Free. (310) 559-5544.

TUESDAY

THEATER

Equine fantasy

Normand Latourelle’s panoramic, Cirque du Soleil-influenced equestrian spectacular, “Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Horse and Man,” returns, with acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians, riders and gorgeous horses in a theatrical exploration of the relationship between humans and horses throughout history.

“Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Horse and Man,” Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. Opens 8 p.m. Tuesday. $30 to $89. (866) 999-8111. www.cavalia.net

* Runs 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; ends Jan. 21.

EVENTS

Spectacular new year

It might be a tad early to ring in 4705, the Year of the Pig, which begins Feb. 18. But that’s not stopping the “Chinese New Year Spectacular” from trotting into the Kodak Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday. The show emphasizes the traditional and spiritual in Chinese culture, via music and dance, and aims to transport audiences back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906), an era when literature and art thrived. New Tang Dynasty Television, a New York-based Chinese-language network, has been presenting the shows in various cities worldwide since 2004; this is its second year in L.A.

“Chinese New Year Spectacular,” Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Tuesday. $38 to $188. (800) 558-9045, newyeargala.ntdtv.com

* Also 8 p.m. Wednesday.