BEST BETS Thursday 10/26

ANAHEIM

10am-4pm

Art

The Anaheim Museum’s new exhibition, “An American Leader: Cesar E. Chavez,” celebrates the Mexican American labor organizer and offers a unique collection of photographs that reflect the life and times of Chavez and his work with the United Farm Workers and the U.S. civil rights movement.

* “An American Leader: Cesar E. Chavez,” Anaheim Museum, 241 S. Anaheim Blvd. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Reception Nov. 16, 5-7 p.m. Free. Through April 7. (714) 778-3301.

COSTA MESA

8pm

Music

Beethoven cast his Third Piano Concerto and his imposing Fifth Symphony in the same dramatic key of C minor, reserved for his serious, often groundbreaking works. Pianist Angela Cheng will play this concerto with the Pacific Symphony, led by guest conductor James Paul. The program also will include Beethoven’s “Consecration of the House” Overture, Britten’s Suite on English Folk Tunes and Elgar’s “In the South.”

* Pacific Symphony, Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. $19 to $52. ($12 student/senior rush.) (714) 556-2787.

IRVINE

8:30pm

Comedy

As an actor, Kevin Pollak has appeared in more than 30 films in 12 years, including “Willow,” “Grumpy Old Men,” “Avalon,” “A Few Good Men,” and “The Whole Nine Yards.” But the San Francisco native is also a veteran stand-up comic with a penchant for impressions and a comedic voice he describes this way: “It’s sarcasm, which I’ve gotten from reading Mark Twain. The world seems a less painful place to be when looked through the eyes of a sarcastic and cynical fool.”

* Kevin Pollak, Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive. 8:30 p.m. Also Friday, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7, 9 and 11 p.m. $20-$25. (949) 854-5455.

COSTA MESA

8pm

Music

Hailed as one of the bright new lights in the singing world, British tenor Ian Bostridge will make his Southern California debut with a program of Schubert and Wolf songs. The dozen Schubert songs will include “Erlkonig” and “Der Musensohn.” The Wolf selections will be chosen from the “Morike Lieder.” The program is part of the Eclectic Orange Festival, sponsored by the Philharmonic Society.

* Ian Bostridge, Founders Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. $40. (714) 556-2787.