‘Clue,’ Chaka Khan, the Mexican mystic art of Judithe Hernández

Hello and welcome to another edition of Essential Arts. Yes, things are a bit crazy this week (especially in the world of politics), but patrons of the arts have plenty to distract us from the madness and hopefully enough to keep us outside, in theaters and away from Facebook. Take a look at the wide variety of genius art, culture and unabashed nerdiness that awaits you in L.A. this week.

Best bets: What’s on our radar

1. “Five Women Artists in 1970s Los Angeles”
As Is Gallery looks back to the decade in Los Angeles when female artists from CalArts, Art Center College of Design and the Woman’s Building began asserting their visions in the predominantly male-dominated art world. Nancy Buchanan has photos marking her 1972 performance “Tar Baby,” which confronted mistreatment of women and people of color. Susan Mogul exhibits new self-portraits, including a dynamic nude. Nearly 50-year-old plaster casts of artist Nancy Youdelman’s hands, feet and face emerge from a grave of soil and heaps of white daisies, chrysanthemums, baby’s breath and stock that will dry over time. “The face mask has a few cracks,” she says. “I have a few myself.”
Through Aug. 10. As Is Gallery, 1133 Venice Blvd., West Adams, as-is.la.
— Jeff Spurrier

2. “Citizens of the World”
Gustavo Dudamel’s first concerts at the Hollywood Bowl this summer are still five weeks away. But Sunday and Monday, he will be at Walt Disney Concert Hall showing off his prized youth orchestras. The first afternoon, Dudamel leads the YOLA National Symphony and YOLA National Overture orchestras in several short pieces. Monday, he puts the spectacular National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela though its paces with a full program that includes John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” and Shostakovich’s grand Fifth Symphony.
5:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. www.laphil.com
— Mark Swed

3. “Clue”
The 90-minute whodunit — based on the 1985 film, which was inspired by the Hasbro board game — is on a national tour after ranking as one of the most produced plays in the country, both at professional theaters and among high schools. I get why: As a fan of the cult classic, I enjoyed the live re-creations of the movie’s best lines but still reveled in the new jokes and the broad physical comedy. Mark Price puts his spin on the butler role played onscreen by Tim Curry.
Through Sunday at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org. Also July 30-Aug. 25 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. www.centertheatregroup.org.
— Ashley Lee

4. “Judithe Hernández: Beyond Myself, Somewhere, I Wait for My Arrival”
Closing alert: A captivating 50-year retrospective of this Los Angeles-born artist is nearing the end of its run at the Cheech. In his review, Times art critic Christopher Knight noted the extent to which Hernández puts women front and center as her subjects, with Mexican mysticism informing much of the work. Notes Knight: “The exhibition demonstrates, as if proof were needed, that social activism and individual artistic freedom are anything but incompatible.”
Through Aug. 4. Riverside Art Museum’s Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, 3581 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. www.riversideartmuseum.org

The week ahead: A curated calendar

THURSDAY

Bab L’ Bluz The Franco Moroccan power quartet featuring singer-guitarist Yousra Mansour and guitarist-producer Brice Bottin delivers its distinct brand of psychedelic rock as part of the Sunset Concert series.
8 p.m. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. skirball.org

FRIDAY

Eslabón Armado The award-winning San Joaquin Valley quartet has been tearing up the charts with música sierreña powered by a requinto guitar.
8 p.m. Kia Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. thekiaforum.com

Crevasse Hollywood, 1938. Seeking distribution for her documentary “Olympia,” German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl meets Walt Disney in Tom Jacobson’s new play.
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 18. Victory Theatre Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank. thevictorytheatrecenter.org

“Deadpool & Wolverine” Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprise their antiheroes, joined by Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Matthew Macfadyen, in the latest R-rated Marvel romp.
Starts Friday (with Thursday previews) in theaters. marvel.com

Chaka Khan The 10-time Grammy winner performs her hits backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and conductor Thomas Wilkins. Multi-instrumentalist and singer Masego opens the show.
8 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. hollywoodbowl.com

“Plenty of Heart, Plenty of Hope” Performing arts group Muse/Ique explores the creation of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II’s startling reinvention of the Broadway musical with their 1943 production of “Oklahoma!”
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. July 28. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. muse-ique.com

L.A.’s biggest culture news

Theater critic Charles McNulty reviews Freyda Thomas’ adaptation of Moliere’s “Tartuffe” with an American twist in a winning production at Topanga’s beloved Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum.

Staff writer Ashley Lee wrote a piece on “Peter Pan” actor Larissa FastHorse who walks through her updates to the beloved musical, which now better represents its Native characters and doubles as a platform for Native actors.

Whether you’re fiercely into tabletop games, robots, pinball, dinosaurs, space, comic books or close-up magic, staff writer Sonaiya Kelley’s guide to the “22 best spots to nerd out in L.A.” will help you find your people.

McNulty reviews Abby Rosebrock’s “Dido of Idaho” at Echo Theater Company. In the production, romance goes afoul as offbeat comedy takes a brutal turn.

More culture news, briefly …

The Getty Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced that eight buildings will receive funding from a $3.1-million grant program through the Conserving Black Modernism initiative to preserve historic modern architecture by Black architects and designers. The endangered buildings benefiting from the program include Robert T. Coles’ John F. Kennedy Community Center, Buffalo, N.Y. (1963); David R. Byrd’s Masjid Muhammad, Nations Mosque, Washington, D.C. (1960); and Amaza Lee Meredith’s Azurest South in Petersburg, Va. (1934).

The Fowler Museum at UCLA is set to return 20 objects of significant cultural importance to the Warumungu community of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, Australia. These include clubs, wirli or ngurrulumuru (fighting pick), marttan (knives), murkutu (sheath), kupija (adze), and a wartilykirri (hooked “number seven” boomerang). The Fowler came into possession of half of the objects in 1936 through the trust of a pharmaceutical entrepreneur named Henry Wellcome. The other half arrived at the museum as gifts from private collectors. The Fowler has worked with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies’ Return of Cultural Heritage Program to identify the objects, which will go to Warumungu’s Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre.

South Coast Repertory has named Suzanne Appel as the theater’s new managing director. Appel will take over from Paula Tomei, who announced her decision to step away after 30 years in that role, making Appel the second managing director in the theater’s history. For the last 7½ years, Appel served as the managing director of off-Broadway’s vineyard theater. In September, she joins artistic director David Ivers in the Tony Award-winning organization’s 60th season.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra has named pianist, recording artist and radio host Lara Downes as its first creative partner. The newly created role, according to a news release, “touches virtually every aspect of the organization, spanning LACO’s artistic planning, performance, community engagement, advocacy, and education platforms.” Downes is the host of KUSC’s Evening Music, and is based in Northern California. Her three-year appointment began earlier this month.

The L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture has awarded more than $6.4 million in grants to 318 nonprofit organizations through its 2024-25 Organizational Grant Program and Community Arts Impact Grant awards. Organizations benefiting from grants this year are large and small and engage and operate in every field of arts and culture. They include A Noise Within, Armory Center for the Arts, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles Youth Orchestra and the Compton Initiative.

And last but not least

“AGT” broke a Guinness World Record in the episode that aired Tuesday night: the record for the most people wearing underwear on their heads for at least one minute. Sounds like talent to us!