Regional arts and entertainment events

Sunday

Sacred and profane In a genre that glories in improbable and overheated plots, Massenet's 1897 opera Thaïs is a contender for the championship: It's the story of a monk who persuades an Egyptian courtesan to give up her worldly ways, only to fall into sin himself, all set to gorgeous music. The Amici Opera Company presents this fin de siècle tale at 2:30 p.m. today at the Garden Church, 82 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, with a repeat performance at 2:30 p.m. next Sunday. Tickets are $22; $20 for seniors and students. Call 215-224-0257.

Song craft The fabulous Erin McKeown is a fine songwriter on her own, but for her latest CD, Sing You Sinners, she ventured into the Great American Songbook to put a distinctive spin on works from Harold Arlen's "Paper Moon" to Fats Waller's "If You a Viper." We're sure she'll play a few of her own tunes (our current fave: "Cinematic" from her 2003 album Grand) at her Concerts Under the Stars appearance at 7 p.m. at Upper Merion Township Building Park, 175 W. Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia. Tickets are $10. Call 610-265-1071.

Monday

Songs of praise The amazing Patti LaBelle made her name with classic soul and pop hits, but lately she's returned to her gospel roots. LaBelle performs at 8 p.m. at Dell East, Ridge Avenue and Huntingdon Drive. Tickets are $14 to $24. Call 215-685-9560.

Tuesday

Centuries of faith The exhibition Chosen: Philadelphia's Great Hebraica features nearly 60 rare books, scrolls, and objects dating from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The show is at the Rosenbach Museum and Library, 2008 DeLancey Place, to Aug. 26. Admission is $8; $5 for seniors and students. Call 215-732-1600.

Wednesday

Crime and punishment As part of an installation by the painter Karen Kilimnik (on view to Aug. 5) the Institute of Contemporary Art screens a unique double bill of films that influenced her pop-culture-drenched works: The Avengers: A Touch of Brimstone is a 1966 episode of the TV series that was banned from U.S. TV due to the daring outfit worn by Diana Rigg, while Helter Skelter is a 1976 TV movie about convicted killer Charles Manson (Steve Railsback). The films screen at 7:30 p.m. at the ICA, 118 S. 36th St. Tickets are $6; $3 for seniors and students. Call 215-898-7108.

Thursday

Arab Andalusia The music of Muslim Spain is explored by a dozen local performers including percussionist Joseph Tayoun, saxophonist Ken Ulansey, and flamenco artists Tito and Anna Rubio at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's Rainey Auditorium, 3260 South St. Tickets are $15; $10 for students. Call 215-898- 3860.

Song passages The sublime singer Rosanne Cash is adept at presenting stories of life's passing dramas. She plays at 8 p.m. at Cooper River Park's Curtis Stadium, Route 130 and Grove Street, Pennsauken. Admission is free. Call 856-216-2170.

Friday & Saturday

Fatal flight Robert A. Emmons Jr.'s documentary Goodwill: The Flight of Emilio Carranza tells the tale of the Mexican aviator's 1928 flight from Mexico City to New York which ended with a fatal crash in the Pine Barrens, now site of a memorial. The film screens in Rutgers-Camden's Gordon Theater, Third and Pearl Streets, Camden, at 7 p.m. Friday. Admission is free. Call 856-225-2700.

Music on TV Who needs radio play? Unsigned singer Ingrid Michaelson found fame when her song "Keep Breathing" was featured on the finale of Grey's Anatomy. We don't know McDreamy from McSteamy, but we know a perfect pop artifact when we hear one. She plays at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10. Call 215-928-0770.