Stage Raw: ArtBash

Check back on Monday after noon for New Theatre Reviews of Babes in Toyland presented by the Pasadena Playhouse; Smokey Joe's Cafe at the El Portal; Cy Coleman's The Life presented by Jaxx Theatricals at the Stella Adler; It's Just Sex at Two Roads Theatre; the West Coast premiere of Charles Busch's Shanghai Moon at Glendale's Luna Playhouse; Love's Labour's Lost presented by Porters of Hellgate at North Hollywood's Whitemore Lindley Theatre; Musical Theatre of Los Angeles' West Side Story at the Hudson; and Holiday Fever! at the Secret Rose Theatre, also in North Hollywood.

At your fingertips: last week's New Theatre Reviews; this week's  Stage Feature on Critic-O-Meter, a new blog that ranks reviews; and this coming weekend's Comprehensive Theatre Listings

ARTBASH

NeedTheatre and Hollywood Fringe are taking a stab on Saturday night, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., at celebrating and uniting the L.A. arts scene in an event called ArtBash at A+D Museum, 5900 Wilshire Boulevard (across from LACMA)

"To celebrate the greatest financial crisis since 1929 we've mashed up the past and present to bring forth a whole new reality," -- this includes a lineup of DJs, underground hip-hop artists, contortionists, burlesque performers, séance mediums, musicians dancers and visual artists.

Special performances by: DJ Jedi (Digable Planets and HBO's Def Poetry Jam), The Netherworlds (Murs, Anacron, Himself), The Original LA Breakers, The Brothaload, Petrojvic Blasting Company, Poor Dog Group, CDN Collective, Cabeza de Vaca, LA Contemporary Dance Company, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Vox Dance Company, and many others.

"4 stages, 3 bars, over 75 artists, 1 night you'll never forget. . . if you manage to remember."

For more weekend events, press the Read On tab directly below.

ASTROGLYDE, 2008

Zombie Joe's Underground is back in North Hollywood after a much heralded New York sojourn for a collection of eight all new theatrical pieces "confronting truth, terror, titillation, written and performed by the troupe for the holiday season. ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Thurs.-Sun., Dec. 18-21, 8:30 p.m. (818) 202-4120

MOONLIGHT ROLLERWAY HOLIDAY JUBILEE

Charles Phoenix returns with his latest retro slide-show featuring pics found at thrift shops, estate sales, etcetera. It's at the Moonlight Rollerway, 5110 San Fernando Road, Glendale; Dec. 13, 8 p.m.; Dec. 4, 3 p.m. Tickets here.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

L.A.'s "premiere old time radio comedy troupe," Fake Radio presents a reading of the holiday script, featuring Mindy Sterling and Tom Kenny. Bang Comedy Theatre, 457 Fairfax Avenue; December 14, 8 p.m. (cocktails served at 7) Tickets here