PHOENIX Players continue its reputation for performing lesser-known musicals with its Canberra premiere of “Spring Awakening”, a coming-of-age musical from Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play that follows the lives of three young German students who are struggling to break loose from parental authority and childhood restrictions. ANU Arts Centre, November 11-26. Bookings to phoenixplayers.com.au

AN unusual performance that fuses the late Rosemary Dobson’s poetry with music played on early instruments is coming to Smith’s Alternative. Dobson, a famous Canberra resident, recorded eight of her poems during the ’70s and these will be read alongside music by Bach, Vivaldi, Elena Kats-Chernin, May Howlett, Phillip Bolliger and other pieces that reflect aspects of the poems. At 76 Alinga Street, Civic, 4pm, Saturday, November 19. Bookings to smithsalternative.com

PIANIST, writer, editor, composer, broadcaster and festival director, Penelope Thwaites, will be back in town to celebrate the release of the box set “The Complete Grainger Music for Four Hands, Two Pianos” and will team up with friend and pianist Wendy Lorenz to present Grainger’s “Fantasy on Gershwin’s ‘Porgy and Bess’” and Thwaites’ suite “A Lambeth Garland”. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 5pm-7pm, Sunday, November 13. Bookings to trybooking.com

THE Jewish International Film Festival will be in Canberra for the first time screening 15 films at Dendy Civic over the weekends of November 10-13 and 19-20. A highlight will be the first ACT showing of the locally-made “Monsieur Mayonnaise”, a take on German-born Australian entrepreneur George Mora’s amazing life. Bookings to jiff.com.au

ENTERPRISING classical guitarist Matt Withers will present the winners in his composition competition along with a new work being composed by Rob Davidson, of the University of Queensland. At the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion, National Arboretum, 1.30pm, November 13. Online bookings only to trybooking.com

“DYNASTY of Song: Garcia, Malibran and Viardot”, Art Song Canberra’s final concert for 2016, will be performed by soprano Karen Fitz-Gibbon with Alan Hicks at the piano. At the Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, Sunday November 13. Tickets only at the door.

AARWUN Gallery’s annual art auction will see works by everyone from Wendy Sharpe to Norman Lindsay going under the hammer at Federation Square, Gold Creek, on Sunday, November 13. Doors open at 9am, bidding from 10am. All welcome.

THE tragic farewells of Marc Antony from Cleopatra and Dido from Aeneas will be at the centre of “Black Pearls”, Adhoc Baroque’s program of rare treasures from the later Baroque period. At St Paul’s Manuka, 5pm, Sunday, November 13. It’s free, but with exit donation. Bookings to try booking.com