Concert Series

theater 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang': It has a cast of 50, a pack of eight dogs and a car that magically "flies" over everyone's heads. If you can still hum the words from the 1968 film, you won't want to miss this two-week run. Oh, and you also might want to bring the grandkids. See Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tuesday through Jan. 18 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St. Showtimes vary. Tickets are $20-$65. Call 410-547-7328 or go to france-merrickpac.com. Mary CaroleMcCauley art 'Asterism': Paintings and sculpture by artists from Chicago, New York, Washington and Baltimore are featured in Asterism, running through Jan. 10 at Gallery Four, 405 W. Franklin St., on Baltimore's west side.

RUSSIAN CONCERT pianist and emigre Vladimir Svoysky will take the stage Sunday afternoon at North County High School to open the subscription concert series of the Performing Arts Association of Linthicum.Svoysky was born in Leningrad and earned degrees in piano, organ and conducting from the Leningrad Conservatories. He has conducted major Russian symphony orchestras and opera companies and has given piano and organ recitals throughout the country and on Russian television.He founded the Krasnoyarsk Symphony Orchestra and was musical director and conductor for three years before moving to the United States in 1979.

Like the troubadours it often features, the Uptown Concert Series is on the move again. The folk music series has closed at Mays Chapel United Methodist Church in Timonium because of "policy changes" at the church, says Joyce Sica, impresario of the 11-year-old folk music series.Under her management, the concert series -- known for its eclectic musical lineup, from Odetta to Big Blow and the Bushwackers -- has divided its time among three United Methodist churches: Old Otterbein and Wilson Memorial, both in Baltimore City, and, for the past five years, suburban Mays Chapel, where it was rechristened Uptown Concerts.

Columbia's Candlelight Concert Society kicks off 1999 by offering up one of the best of 1998.At 8 p.m. Saturday, the region's most prestigious concert series will present the 24-year-old German violinist Axel Strauss, winner of last year's Naumburg Foundation Competition, in recital at Howard Community College. Strauss will take the Smith Center stage to perform works by Bach, Beethoven, Schoenberg, Korngold and Wieniawski.Strauss won his first violin competition at age 8 and made his concert debut in 1988 at the Musikhalle in the city of Hamburg.

FOR MANY, this weekend will be the unofficial kickoff to the summer of '99. For the folks at Downs Park, Sunday is the official beginning of another summer Bayside Concert series in the outdoor amphitheater on the Chesapeake Bay.Concerts are scheduled at 6 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 8, when the time changes to 5 p.m. The Sept. 19 and 26 concerts will start at 4 p.m.Over the years, visitors to the concerts have been treated to a variety of performers and music types. This year's list of performers is no less impressive.

Bring a lawn chair to Annapolis' City Dock tonight if you're into folk music, concerts by the water or duck-decoy poetry.The "historic" summer concert series at City Dock opens with a 7: 30 p.m. performance by Chesapeake Scenes, a folk trio from the Eastern Shore.The musicians -- Tom McHugh of Rock Hall on banjo and blues harp, Tom Anthony of Pamona on upright bass and Bill Mathews of Easton on guitar -- perform original tunes about the Chesapeake Bay. Their songs include McHugh's "Chester River Song" and "Sharptown Blues," plus "I'm Just an Old Decoy Duck," a musical arrangement of a poem by one of the Ward brothers, the famed decoy carvers from near Crisfield.

THE WOMEN of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Pasadena will be busy tomorrow morning picking through pounds of crab meat to get ready for Sunday's crab cake and chicken dinner to raise money for new hymnals.The dinner -- which includes two vegetables, dessert, coffee and tea -- will be served from noon to 5 p.m. at the church, 7859 Tick Neck Road. Homemade goodies from the bake table also will be for sale.Tickets, available at the door, are $12 for adults, and $6 for children, 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger can eat for free.

SWING, BLUEGRASS, big-band, patriotic, spiritual, modern pop and other musical styles you enjoy will be found in the 19th summer concert series, sponsored by the Greater Federation of Women's Clubs' Linthicum Heights chapter, starting today in Linthicum Park on Benton Avenue.Concerts in the Park, a series of seven performances, begins at 6 p.m. with the Doc Dikeman Combo, a five-piece group whose specialty is music from the '40s.The combo is a group within the Washington-based Doc Dikeman Orchestra, founded by Virginia dentist Theron L. "Doc" Dikeman.

Linthicum's Jo Barker scarcely had time to wrap up the Concerts in the Park series Aug. 16 when she had to get ready for the Performing Arts Association of Linthicum's concert season.Tickets were mailed Tuesday to PAAL's 650 subscribers, said Barker, the group's president.The 17th season has something for just about every taste, from classic swing to classical piano, choral barbershop harmonies to Broadway show tunes, brass ensembles and New Orleans jazz.The opening concert at 8 p.m. Sept.

YOU ARE invited to spend a series of Sunday afternoons enjoying the concert series "Sundays at Three" at "Old Brick" Christ Episcopal Church.This series, described as "an intimate experience with classical music," starts Sept. 20 at the historic church at Dobbin and Oakland Mills roads when Steven Barta, principal clarinetist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 1976, will be featured in Brahms' autumnal Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor.Mozart's youthful Divertimento No. 3 in F major for string quartet and his more mature String Quartet in D major K, which features a cello, will provide a harmonic and adventurous finale to the afternoon.

Free outdoor movies: This summer, the Johns Hopkins University is holding free outdoor movies on the Wyman Quadrangle, also known as the lower quad, all summer long. Hook shows at 8:30 p.m. Friday, with a pre-show performance by Deep Tree Mantra at 7:30 p.m. Snacks such as hamburgers, hot dogs and nachos will be for sale, and moviegoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. In case of rain, the film will be shown in the Shriver Hall Auditorium. The quad is on the Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St. Call 410-516-4548 or go to jhu.edu/summer/films.

City officials have pulled the plugs on Thursday's opening concert of the popular First Thursdays series in Mount Vernon Place because of landscaping concerns - and for future concerts, listeners will have to stay off the grass. "We were told there were maintenance issues that hadn't been addressed in time for the concert," says Stephen Yasko, station manager of WTMD (89.7 FM), who announced the cancellation Thursday afternoon after failing to reach an agreement with the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation & Parks.

theater 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang': It has a cast of 50, a pack of eight dogs and a car that magically "flies" over everyone's heads. If you can still hum the words from the 1968 film, you won't want to miss this two-week run. Oh, and you also might want to bring the grandkids. See Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tuesday through Jan. 18 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St. Showtimes vary. Tickets are $20-$65. Call 410-547-7328 or go to france-merrickpac.com. Mary CaroleMcCauley art 'Asterism': Paintings and sculpture by artists from Chicago, New York, Washington and Baltimore are featured in Asterism, running through Jan. 10 at Gallery Four, 405 W. Franklin St., on Baltimore's west side.

Bermuda is a classic cruise spot for travelers looking to soak up those last rays of sun before winter arrives. With its pink-sand beaches and sparkling blue water, it's no wonder that Bermuda repeatedly ranks high on travelers' "must see" lists. Ships dock at ports in Hamilton, King's Wharf or St. George's. Here are five things to do in and around Bermuda: 1 Boogie on the beach : The 13th annual Bermuda Music Festival is a four-night outdoor concert series, beginning Wednesday. The four-night outdoor concert series features performances by such big-name artists as Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Aaron Neville, The Whispers and UB40.

The lowdown -- Visiting attractions isn't always cheap, but Baltimore is willing to cut you a deal. Saturday and Sunday, BaltiMORE for LESS Weekend makes having fun in the city cheaper. The citywide event highlights free events as well as discounted parking and admission to 15 attractions, including Center Stage and the Maryland Science Center. If you go -- Events in the BaltiMORE for LESS Weekend begin Saturday and Sunday at various times and locations throughout the city. Call 800-343-3468 or go to baltimore.

Generations of beginner musicians have played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in front of proud parents at their first concerts, but Sunday a quartet of skilled young violinists plan to give their audience a surprising and challenging version of the amateur recital staple. The Sundays At Three concert series at Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia will feature four Howard County students performing Charles Dancla's Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman, which contains technically challenging, lively and surprising variations on the well-known children's tune.

INSIDE TODAY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TODAY'S SUN COLUMNISTS Joe Clements Jr. was peeved about his August Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. bill. It wasn't the size of the bill or the steep rise in rates over the past few months. No, what riled Clements was a lousy 47-cent late fee. Business baltimoresun.com/consuming Archbishop as activist Archbishop Edwin O'Brien sent clear signals during his installation yesterday that he's a church leader who won't be shy about mixing it up a bit on the issues in Baltimore.

Summer concert -- Aberdeen will hold a free summer concert series at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Festival Park. The Upper Chesapeake Chorus of Sweet Adelines International will perform female a cappella barbershop music to choreography, colorful costumes and humorous emcees. Rain location will be at Aberdeen Middle School. 410-939-6767.

MARYLAND Concert series -- Bethesda. The Summer Concert Series continues at noon Wednesday with Caribbean music by Sam'O at Bethesda Place Plaza, 7700 Wisconsin Ave. Black Sombrero Brass performs at 6 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Park, Norfolk and Woodmont avenues. Free. 301-215-6660 or bethesda.org. "Good Life Thursdays" -- Hydes. Visitors can enjoy wine tasting, music and cooking demonstrations. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 30 at Boordy Vineyards, 12820 Long Green Pike. 410-592-5015.

Poetry and song -- The UU Chalice Series of Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia will present "The Poet Sings," a concert by tenor Byron Jones (right) and pianist Michael Adcock (left), at 8 p.m. Jan. 13 at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. On the program are works by Schumann, Poulenc and Britten, accompanied by texts written by Eichendorff, Eluard, Apollinaire and Yeats. Adcock, who directs the concert series, will offer a preconcert lecture at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance; $10 for students.