Hanukkah Punks and Christmas Queens

What to do in Los Angeles this week

Comments (0) By Siran Babayan Wednesday, Dec 20 2006

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WEDNESDAY, December 27

Some E.T. trivia: E.T.’s face was modeled after Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug dog; one of the models was controlled by two dwarfs and a boy born without legs; and the voice was simultaneously provided by an actress named Pat Welsh, whose chain-smoking led to her raspy voice, and Debra Winger. Yup, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, everyone’s favorite movie about an alien 3 million light years from home who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott (whatever happened to Henry Thomas?), will be screened after a day of ice-skating on the Southland’s largest ice-skating rink. Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., dwntwn.; Wed., Dec. 27, 7-9 p.m.; $6 per skating session, $2 skate rental. (888) 527-2757.

Shanghai�ed bike. see Thursday (Courtesy Cerritos Center)

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THURSDAY, December 28

Until Committing Suicide With the Stars hits the tube, you’ll just have to quench your thirst for bad reality TV by watching rhythmless has-beens and never-weres — who obviously never had their ballet teachers yell “Point your toes, young lady!” at them — trying to dance the jitterbug. Contestants from all three seasons of Dancing With the Stars, including Joey Lawrence, Lisa Rinna, Drew Lachey and Joey McIntyre, will be cha-cha-ing into your hearts again in a live version of the popular ABC show. With luck, competitive ballroom dancing will soon be an Olympic sport. Staples Center, 11th & Figueroa sts., dwntwn.; Thurs., Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m.; $38.50-$95. (213) 742-7340.

Costing half the ticket price of Cirque du Soleil, and without the annoying new-agey music, the New Shanghai Circus features Chinese acrobats and contortionists performing amazing feats, traditional Chinese dances and kung fu in exotic costumes. It takes years of training to learn to ride a unicycle while balancing, then flipping, a half dozen bowls on your head. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Dr., Cerritos; Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 28-30, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 31, 3 p.m.; $42, $31 children 12 & under. (562) 467-8818.