“DOWNTOWN! The Mod Musical” tracks five girls as they come of age during those liberating days that made England swing with pop anthems and ballads. Think of stars such as Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and Lulu. Perform Australia theatre, 11 Whyalla Street, Fyshwick, June 26-29. Bookings to stagecenta.com or tickets at the door.

“MEET the Maker: Music Theatre Now”, at the Street Theatre, provides opportunities for music theatre-lovers to engage with music leaders David Sisco, Vidya Makan and Dianna Nixon, Thursday, June 26 to Saturday, June 29. Free but bookings essential to thestreet.org.au

MUSIC for Canberra and the Canberra Youth Orchestra, joined by soloists Rachael Duncan, Tobias Cole and Andrew O’Connor, as well as the Canberra Choral Society, Canberra Children’s Choir and Seasoned Voices will perform Carl Orff’s hit cantata “Carmina Burana”. Leonard Weiss will be conducting. At Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm on Saturday, June 29. Bookings to premier.ticketek.com.au

THE Polo Jazz Fest will see top Canberra jazz players — Brass Knuckle Brass Band, Los Chavos, Zackerbilks and Good Gosh — come together with the JumpTown Swing Dancers at for a one-night festival at The Polish Club, 38 David Street, Turner, 7pm to 11pm, Saturday, June 29. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au or tickets at the door.

DAVID Stratton has curated a season celebrating the work of 10 Australian women directors in the “Essential Australian Women Directors” retrospective at Arc Cinema, NFSA. This weekend there will be “The Cheaters”, “Malcolm”, “High Tide”, “Sweetie” and “Love Serenade”. All program details and bookings at nfsa.gov.au

MARCELA Fiorillo’s student recital concert will see performers play works by Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Kabalevky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Guastavino. At Wesley Music Centre, 4.30pm, Saturday, June 29. Free concert.

Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season will exclusively present a triple bill of ballets: Christopher Wheeldon’s “Within the Golden Hour”; Crystal Pite’s “Flight Pattern”; and the world premiere of a work by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. At Capitol Manuka, June 30. Bookings to eventcinemas.com.au

ED Kuepper and “The Aints”, Peter Oxley, Paul Larsen Loughhead, Alister Spence and Eamon Dilworth, are playing a show at The Street Theatre, 8pm, Saturday, June 29. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

EIGHT competitors will be competing for the title of Miss Burlesque ACT in the Canberra heats of Miss Burlesque Australia. The winning concoctor of striptease, sexuality and satire will win $1000 cash, more than $2600 worth of prizes from sponsors, as well as flights to the finals in Perth on August 24. At The Abbey, Gold Creek, 8pm, June 29. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au

CANBERRA comedian Frankie McNair sold out her debut show, “Frantasia” at the Canberra Comedy Festival early this year and performed to sell-out crowds at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. She’ll be reprising “Frantasia” at Civic Pub, 8 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, 8.30pm, Thursday, June 27. Bookings to canberracomedyfestival.com.au

CANBERRA’S A Chorus of Women, joined by the Luminescence Children’s Choir, and conducted by Johanna McBride, will present an updated performance of “The People’s Passion” by Glenda Cloughley. At the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 7.30pm, Friday, June 28 and 5pm, Sunday, June 30. Bookings recommend to trybooking.com or tickets at the door (cash only).

SIX of Canberra’s big bands make up the Canberra Big Band Collective, and two of which will perform “Swingin’ through time”, at the Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Saturday, June 29. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au or tickets at the door.

THE Choir of Trinity College Melbourne will present a varied concert championing new music by Australian composers, including works by Alice Chance, Ross Edwards and Brooke Shelley, alongside the celebrated “Mass in G Minor” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.  At the High Court of Australia, 1.30pm, Sunday, June 30. Registrations to hcourt.gov.au

SOUNDOUT Series two presents a night of free improvisation with Brianne Curran on solo violin, Ben Drury on double bass, Brian McNamarra with invented electronics, Richard Johnson on soprano and baritone sax and Rhys Butler on alto sax. At ANU Drill Hall Gallery, 7pm, Saturday, June 29. Tickets at the door.

EX-LAWYER Suzie Miller wrote “Prima Facie” for both lawyers and non-lawyers and audiences are lapping it up, she says. The setup is a defence lawyer who becomes the plaintiff in a rape case. “Prima Facie”, at The Playhouse, June 26–29 Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

BEST-selling Canberra author Karen Viggers will be by the fireside to talk about her latest novel “The Orchardist’s Daughter” and her love of and research into the Tasmanian forests. Hosts Barbara Baikie and Peter Fletcher also invite visitors to join in the planting of a new blossom tree grove on the property. At Terroux, 88, Rochford Road, Wallaroo, NSW, tree-planting 1pm, book event 2pm to 4pm. Bookings essential at trybooking.com

News all day, every day at CityNews.com.au.