L.A.'s hottest arrivals in shopping, nightlife, dining, entertainment, attractions, museums, theater, culture, sports and recreation. MAPS of Los Angeles

DINING
East Meets Westside
Famed sushi master Kazunori Nozawa opens sugarFISH in Marina del Rey; pan-Asian RockSugar rocks Century City. Sweet!
Kazunori Nozawa, chef/owner of Studio City's renowned Sushi Nozawa, is known as the "Sushi Nazi"—think Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi." Amid snowflake lamps at cheery, casual new sugarFISH, Nozawa-san adheres to the omakase tradition with preset "Trust Me" and "Surprise Me" menus, based on the freshest available ingredients and the chef's creative whim. Tips are included—but prices are about half those at the original spot. 47221/4 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, 310.306.6300 • RockSugar, from Cheesecake Factory restaurateur David Overton, offers Asian cuisine from several countries—caramel shrimp from Vietnam, Thai green curry chicken, served family-style—and pastries with a French flair in a glitzy, ginormous space at Westfield Century City. 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City, 310.552.9988.

musicals
CUBICLE COMEDY
Say hello to Dolly, or at least to her music. Tunes by country music veteran Dolly Parton take center stage when 9 to 5 has its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre downtown. Based on the movie that added "film star" to Parton's resume, the new musical depicts the office antics of three female coworkers who conspire to overthrow their male chauvinist boss. Judging by the cast—which includes Emmy Award–winning West Wing actress Allison Janney as the office manager and Broadway's Marc Kudisch as the tyrannical boss—something tells us this is one production during which you won't be eyeing the clock. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772 Map H16

MUSIC
BOWL BECKONS
Alternative singer-songwriter Beck appears at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 20. The quirky, Los Angeles–born rocker, who broke out with the 1996 record Odelay, released Modern Guilt in July. Rolling Stone says the album—co-produced with mash-up artist and Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse and influenced by '60s psychedelic rock—is "all acid-trip guitars" and "mod dance-party beats." Acclaimed Austin, Texas–based Spoon and emerging duo MGMT open the show. 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, 213.480.3232 Map W20

DINING
Can We Meat?
Calling all carnivores! Grilled meats are hot, hot, hot at two new Korean barbecue spots, and a new eatery on Fairfax Avenue dishes up beef in Flintstones-size portions.

Jian BBQ has smokeless, built-in table grills—for cooking morsels such as savory-sweet kalbi short ribs—and sleek, Asian pop culture–influenced decor: Check out the flashy bar with a wall of video-gambling machines and life-size anime robots standing sentry. 8256 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.655.6556 • More upscale Gyenari Korean BBQ & Lounge marries traditional prime meats with more inventive options such as Seoul tacos. The streamlined space gets a jolt from a vibrant mural and a bright yellow bar. 9450 Culver Blvd., Culver City, 310.838.3131 • Decidedly American, Animal Restaurant goes hog-wild with meat lovers' fare such as pork ribs in barbecue sauce, grits topped with fried quail, and even a bacon-chocolate crunch bar for dessert. This spartan spot from the Food Network's "Food Dudes" duo is all about the sizzle. 435 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., 323.782.9225

NIGHTLIFE
Kings of the Night
Three clubs might be the new titans of the nightlife scene. The Kress is a towering ode to glitz: The first level is a restaurant, the basement and third floor are dance clubs, and the rooftop lounge—well, it's spectacular, with 360-degree views of Hollywood and beyond. After temporarily closing Forty Deuce, Ivan Kane opens Cafe Was, also in Hollywood, with decor in his retro-bohemian style. Rush Street, the hottest thing going in Culver City, is named for a bustling street in Chicago to match the bar's Chi-town vibe: It exudes big-city style with two levels and brick interiors.

Cafe Was 1521 N. Vine St., Hollywood, 323.466.5400
The Kress 6608 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323.785.5000
Rush Street 9546 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310.837.9546

OPERA
The Buzz
The dream team of composer Howard Shore, director David Cronenberg and playwright David Henry Hwang brings The Fly to operatic life at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Placido Domingo conducts the U.S. premiere of the L.A. Opera–commissioned work, written by the Oscar-winning Shore (Lord of the Rings), based on the 1957 George Langelaan short story and Cronenberg's 1986 film. Tony Award–winning Hwang (M. Butterfly) wrote the libretto. It's Cronenberg's operatic debut and the company debut of Academy Award–winning designer Dante Ferretti (The Aviator, Sweeney Todd). Two Academy Award-winning film directors offer a new production of Puccini's trio of one-act operas, Il Trittico. Woody Allen makes his opera debut directing Gianni Schicchi. William Friedkin directs Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica. Tony Award–winning production designer Santo Loquasto, who has worked on more than 20 Woody Allen films, designs all three Puccini operas. Il Trittico plays Sept. 6, 11, 14, 17, 21, 23 and 26; The Fly takes wing Sept. 7, 10, 13, 16, 20 and 27. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.7211 Map H16

SHOPPING
MATERIAL WORLD
Call it the Project Runway effect. Not since the days of BeDazzling have locals been so crafty. In response to this do-it-yourself spirit, shops are enabling customers to take matters into their own hands. At Fashionology LA, tweens choose a look using computer kiosks, then spruce up their apparel with all sorts of doodads. 342 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills, 310.550.7997 • At Rogue Territory Custom Jeans Shop, inside American Rag, you pick the fabric, fit and hardware for a personalized pair of denim. 150 S. La Brea Ave., L.A., 619.869.3859 • Wordsmiths of all ages can customize books, notepads and cards at Scribble Press. Westside Pavilion, 10800 W. Pico Blvd., 310.446.6154

MUSEUMS
The Art of War
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena presents The Art of War: American Posters From World War I and World War II, opening Sept. 5. The show features 33 works from the museum's extensive collection of posters from both wars, during which government-sponsored art was created by some of the most important and popular American artists of the 20th century. Coinciding with the presidential election season, the exhibition encourages an exploration of the ongoing dialogue between contemporary politics and visual art. Artists include James Montgomery Flagg—responsible for the iconic recruitment poster I Want You for U.S. Army (1917), featuring "Uncle Sam"—Howard Chandler Christy, John Falter and Norman Rockwell. 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 626.449.6840 Map Q19

FAMILY
Jurassic Journey
Dinosaurs, including a baby T. rex, come to life Sept. 25–28 at the Staples Center downtown. Based on the popular BBC Television series, Walking With Dinosaurs features 15 gargantuan animatronic dinos. A paleontologist narrates the 90-minute show. With a brachiosaur measuring a massive 36 feet and an original score composed by James Brett, this is a far cry from Barney and Friends. Rather, it's a roaring $20 million extravaganza designed to educate—and exhilarate—the entire family. 1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown, 213.480.3232 Map I15