LA Weekly

FRIDAY, April 18

Aaron Paley

(Click to enlarge)

Name that Neptune. See Saturday.

You can only stay home and sing “Under the Sea” to your cats for so many Friday nights before people start to worry about you. Luckily, the El Capitan is home to Disney’s The Little Mermaid Sing-along for the next few weeks. You''re all invited to belt out “We got no troubles/Life is the bubbles!” as loud as you want, and no one will judge you. Ariel makes an appearance at every show. Please do not touch her. El Capitan, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; runs daily at 10 a.m., 12:30, 3, 5:30 & 7:45 p.m.; April 18-May 11; $11, $22 VIP. (323) 467-7674.

 
SATURDAY, April 19

Splash! A Celebration of Mermaids and the Sea is a day of sea-creature­-related fun in conjunction with the Fowler Museum’s exhibition “Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas.” Everybody’s invited to come dressed in his or her fish/mermaid/crustacean finest for a costume parade, followed by performances by Viver Brasil Dance Company, Mesmera the Snake Charmer, Balobi Badeko’s Congolese music and dance, plus art workshops, tours and touch tanks from Heal the Bay. Fowler Museum at UCLA; Sat., April 19, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; free (parking $8). (310) 825-4288.

 
SUNDAY, April 20

Since when did sushi become a competition? Here we have the Los Angeles Sushi Masters Regional Competition, with five top sushi chefs hacking it out. Your ticket gets you sushi sampling, sake tasting and the main event, the live sushi-making competition. Please, no mermaid jokes. And no wagering. Oh, what the speck, go ahead and gamble your heart out. Aratani/Japan America Theater, 44 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo; Sun., April 20, 2:30-4:30 p.m.; $65 & $75. (213) 680-3700 or www.sushimasters.com.

 
MONDAY, April 21

The hilarious Jeff Garlin takes the stage for this week’s Armando Show. If you’ve never been to an Armando, this will be a great one. And if you have been to an Armando Show, this will still be a great one. Even if you have been to an Armando Show but can’t make it to this one, this will be a great one. Just go. It’ll be great. Probably. IO West Theater, 6366 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Mon., April 21, 9 p.m.; $10. (323) 962-7560.

So you wanna be a comedy writer? Then definitely do not read Milt & Marty: The Longest Lasting & Least Successful Comedy Writing Duo in Show Biz History by Tom Leopold and Bob Sand. It’s a spoof — I think — of the business, and by “the business,” I mean “the industry,” by two actual sitcom writers, who’ve penned Seinfeld, Cheers and Laverne & Shirley episodes. Martin Mull introduces the duo at this reading. Barnes & Noble, 1201 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica; Mon., April 21, 7 p.m.; free, book $22.95. (310) 260-9110.

 
TUESDAY, April 22

What? Another Earth Day? Didn’t we just have one last year? Still, Earth Day/Car Free Day is a nice concept, even if very few will actually go carless. But here, there is a festival behind the idea: Wilshire between Western and Harvard will be closed to traffic starting at 10 a.m. for bands, speakers, yoga and more. I know what you’re thinking: Traffic around there will be a nightmare! Wilshire Blvd. between Western Ave. & Harvard Blvd.; Tues., April 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. www.wilshirecenter.com/earthday. (See Events for more Earth Day festivities.)

 
WEDNESDAY, April 23

Would you eat them in Cerritos? Would you eat them with Doritos? I would eat them in my Prius. I would eat them, I am serious. Classical music’s “greatest evangelist,” Robert Kapilow, brings us Green Eggs & Hamadeus. Kapilow has the distinction of being the first composer granted permission to put Dr. Seuss’ words to music. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Dr., Cerritos; Wed., April 23, 6:30 p.m.; $22.50, $14 children 12 & younger. (562) 467-8818.

 
THURSDAY, April 24

The big Festival of Books kicks off shortly, but if you’re giddy for lit, there’s Book Soup’s 4 Akashic Authors Party. You can meet, greet and smell the feet of Nina Revoyr, Mike Farrell, Abraham Rodriguez and Elizabeth Crane, who all have new books. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Thurs., April 24, 6:30 p.m.; free. (310) 659-3110.