THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND.

MUSIC

ROCKABILLY FUSION: Rootsy Americana crooner Rosie Flores is the stepping stone between classic country and rockabilly.

Flores, who appears Sunday at the Derby, adds some cool jazzy ballads to the mix on her latest effort, ``Speed of Sound.''

The Derby is at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd., Hollywood. Show time is 8 p.m. and tickets are $7. Information: [phone] or visit www.the-derby.com.

- F.S.

LET THEM ENTERTAIN YOU: It's time for burlesque to join the pantheon of great American pop art forms.

That's the concept of the Velvet Hammer, an ensemble of perfumed performers celebrating all things burlesque. This modern girlie show with a wink, which includes performance artist Ann Magnuson and local scene maker Pleasant Gehman, comes to the El Rey Theatre tonight.

The El Rey is at 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Show time is 9 p.m. and tickets are $25. Information: [phone] or www.velvethammerburlesque.com.

- F.S.

CHRISTMAS ANGELS: Texas native Hilary Duff, spunky star of TV's popular kids' show ``Lizzie McGuire,'' loves Christmas music.

To prove it, she'll host the Los Angeles Master Chorale's annual holiday program Saturday at the Music Center.

A holiday lunch follows the musical performance with tickets sold separately.

The Music Center is at 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Show time is 11 a.m., and tickets are $10 to $30. Tickets for the holiday lunch at the Grand Hall are $22 for adults and $15 for children. Information: [phone].

- F.S.

STAGE

CAMPING IT UP: Thoughts of summer camp won't start cropping up until spring at the earliest, but it's never too soon to start thinking about parodies.

Tonight at the Smothers Theatre, the Pepperdine University Center for the Arts presents ``Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!'' the song parodies of Allan Sherman as conceived by Douglas Bernstein and Rob Krausz.

The performance is at 8 p.m. at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Sherman was the creative force behind the 1950s game show ``I've Got a Secret.'' His hit song, ``Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!'' (the Camp Granada song) was a chart topper. (It is, of course, set to the tune of Ponchielli's ``Dance of the Hours'' from ``La Gioconda.'')

The musical tells the story of Barry Brockman's life from birth to retirement beginning with young Barry begging his parents to save him from the anxieties experienced at summer camp.

Tickets are $35. Call [phone].

- Evan Henerson

ART

TRAVEL PHOTOS: For those who like their National Geographic art off the coffee table, Apex Fine Art in Los Angeles has ``Stories on Paper and Glass: Pioneering Photography From National Geographic'' through Jan. 6.

More than 30 vintage rare prints will be on display. The works are from the newly published book by Leah Bendavid-Val also titled ``Stories on Paper and Glass.''

This is the first time art from the National Geographic archives has been offered for public sale.

The collection of contemporary prints from the magazine's staff of photographers includes works by Sam Abell, William Albert Allard, Jodi Cobb, Chris Johns and Mike ``Nick'' Nichols.

Apex Fine Art, which specializes in 20th-century American photojournalism and Hollywood photography, is located at 152 N. La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

- E.H.

TELEVISION

FIRESIGN LANGUAGE: Early in ``The Firesign Theatre: Weirdly Cool,'' George Carlin calls the veteran surreal audio comedy troupe ``like having the American culture all around you and explode on the wall.'' Which is as good a way as any to describe Firesign and its densely layered, cerebrally silly wordplay that zips past you almost before it registers.

Firesign - Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin and David Ossman - have been plying their trade for more than 35 years, most seminally on vinyl (the group earned three Grammy nominations for ahead-ots-time recordings). ``Weirdly Cool'' represents their first TV special, featuring performances in front of a live audience of such famous routines as ``How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All?,'' ``Nick Danger: Third Eye'' and ``Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers.''

They also share a psychedelic TV commercial the guys made for a local car dealership in 1973 - try to imagine folks who'd actually respond to this ad. Speaking of ads, there are also funny pledge-drive pleas (yes, it's that time again). ``Firesign Theatre: Weirdly Cool'' airs at 1 p.m. Saturday on KCET.

- David Kronke

FILM

A LITTLE CREAM PUFF: The French renew their reputation as a funny race with ``Amelie.'' A colorful candy machine of a movie, this camera trick-happy tour of Paris' Montmartre district is guided by the sprightly Audrey Tautou, whose title character spends her days sneakily trying to fix other people's problems while elaborately complicating her own path to happiness.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet with the same kind of baroque, visual playfulness he applied to much darker films such as ``Alien Resurrection'' and ``Delicatessen,'' ``Amelie'' has been a huge hit overseas and the subject of a national debate in its native country. Some may find its fluffy feel-goodery forced, but the film is so genuinely fun to watch that even confirmed grumps will be hard-pressed not to smile.

- Bob Strauss

DON'T MISS THIS: Don't walk that way. Walk this way. Tickets go on sale Sunday for Aerosmith with special guest band Cheap Trick on Jan. 11 at the Forum.

- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

9 photos

Photo:

(1) FLORES

(2) GEHMAN

(3) DUFF

(4) Audrey Tautou plays the title role in ``Amelie.''

(5) Firesign Theatre includes, from left, Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin and David Ossman.

(6) Don Lucas, front, Paul Kreppel and Karen Needle appear in ``Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! tonight at the Smothers Theatre.

(7 -- 8) ``Western Railroad Company's Early Railroads,'' by William Henry Jackson and Carl J. Lomen's ``Kingichamute Man Holding a Rain Garment Made From the Intestines of the Walrus and Seal'' from the National Geographic Archives can be seen at Apex Fine Art.

(9) no caption (Aerosmith)