Things to Do in L.A. This Week: October 21-27

Author, Musician Mark Mallman Discusses ‘The Happiness Playlist’

Monday, October 21, 2019 / 6:30–7:30 p.m. / Studio City Branch Library

Minneapolis rocker Mark Mallman is considered a treasure of the Twin Cities, with his own star on the wall outside legendary venue First Avenue. He’s done some crazy things during his 20-year career, and he’s going beyond the regular concert format by pursuing marathon live performances, starting with a 26-hour-long song, then a 78-hour-long song, and an eight-day, 150-hour plus nonstop performance from New York to Los Angeles in the back of a van, where he utilized a hacked midi brain controller to perform music with his brainwaves while he slept.

Mallman’s in L.A. to discuss his new book, “The Happiness Playlist,” about a song-compiling project that saved him during the darkest period of his life.

Tickets: Attendance is free / More Information

The Groundlings 45th Anniversary Show

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 / 7:30–11 p.m. / The Groundlings Theatre

The legendary improv and sketch comedy troupe rings in its 45th birthday with two nights of iconic sketches featuring cast members old and new. The show on Oct. 21 features troupe members from 1974-1999. Tonight’s show brings together some cherished performers who made this stage their home from 2000-2019, including Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Will Forte of “Last Man on Earth,” “Community” principal Jim Rash and many more. Arrive early for appetizers and drinks. Stay late for the champagne toast.

Tickets: $75 / More Information

Pandrogeny I & II: An Outer Body Exhibition of Genesis & Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 / 6–11 p.m. / Lethal Amounts Gallery

Lethal Amounts and the Tom of Finland Foundation have teamed up to honor the legacy and first West Coast exhibition of Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, artist and frontperson of industrial music legends Throbbing Gristle. “Pandrogeny I” at Lethal Amounts showcases Breyer P-Orridge’s evolution of gender work, while “Pandrogency II” at the Tom of Finland Foundation features artwork from 1986-2016. Both exhibits focus on gender dysphoria, the de-evolution of gender expectations and the notion of one divine gender.

The Pandrogeny openings are split across two evenings. On Wednesday, opening festivities take place at Tom of Finland Foundation with a performance from artist Christeene and a guided tour with Genesis. Then on Thursday, Christeene performs and Genesis gives a walk-through the exhibit at Lethal Amounts.

Tickets: $40 / More Information

TV or Not TV: The Public Access Archives of the ‘Threee Geniuses’

Thursday, October 24, 2019 / 8–11:30 p.m. / Coaxial Arts Foundation

The Coaxial Arts Foundation presents a collection of select clips from the “Threee Geniuses,” a 1990s public access show that might best be described as glorious video vomit. Created by Dan Kapelovitz, Jon Shere and Tim Wilson, “Threee Geniuses” not only showcased bizarre content such as strange bodybuilders, religious freakouts and David Liebe Hart’s weird puppetry, the real magic came from the Geniuses’ psychedelic approach to editing. The show did not utilize any pre- or post-production. Instead, the guys more or less just pressed all the buttons in the studio at once while filming and got crazy with the camerawork. Pure chaos ensued.

Tickets: $10 / More Information

‘The Addams Family’ Live Read with Special Spooky Guests

Friday, October 25, 2019 / 8–9 p.m. / Bob Baker Marionette Theater

For the love of all things creepy, kooky and all together ooky, the Bob Baker stage welcomes Halloween a week early with a live reading of “The Addams Family” classic 1964 episode, “Halloween with the Addams Family,” where the titular family mistake two robbers for trick-or-treaters and invite them in to join in on the festivities. The outrageous cast includes Ron Lynch, Malcolm Barrett, Kimmy Robertson, Bridey Elliot, Jonah Ray, David Arquette, James Urbaniak, Wil Wheaton, Steve Little and Natasha Leggero.

Tickets: $25 / More Information

‘Psycho’ Live with Orchestra

Saturday, October 26, 2019 / 8–11:45 p.m. / The Theatre at Ace Hotel

A secretary on the lam checks into a roadside motel on a rainy night. There, she meets the polite proprietor Norman Bates, a fella who loves taxidermy and his mom. She decides to take a shower and we all know what happens next.

Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece is accompanied by the L.A. Opera’s orchestra performing the creepy film’s score live. A ticket to the screening grants attendees free entry to “A Hitchcock Halloween,” the Ace’s official Halloween party following the film in the haunted cathedral. Dance party tunes provided by Restless Nites DJs.

Tickets: $49-$124 / More Information

Marc Almond of Soft Cell with Dita Von Teese

Sunday, October 27, 2019 / 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. / Palace Theatre

Radical LGBTQIA party makers Sex Cells bring together the most colorful creeps, muscled men, punks, S&M enthusiasts and drag queens for their Halloween gala featuring Marc Almond of synth-pop duo Soft Cell, best known for the tune “Tainted Love” off their debut album “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.” The incomparable burlesque performer Dita Von Teese slathers some sexy on the evening while Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler gets the dance party on its feet with a special DJ set.

Tickets: $60-$125 / More Information