Lexi Sekuless and Belco Arts present an evening of songs by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim as well as an exploration of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson alongside energetic dance numbers. Five performers will be accompanied by Carl Rafferty on piano. It's on at Belconnen Arts Centre from June 29 to July 2 at 8pm. Bookings: belcoarts.com.au.

Contemporary Canberra artist Diana Ellinger has a painting practice building upon established notions of abstraction. Using modernist ideas as springboards, Ellinger's work is a persistent experiment that examines gestural painting in a contemporary light. Mountain opens at Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka on June 30 at 6pm and ends on July 10. See: ccas.com.au.

At the National Portrait Gallery, this year's Darling Portrait Prize and National Photographic Prize and Little Darlings Portrait Prize open on Saturday, June 25. See: portrait.gov.au.

Queanbeyan Players' encore production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical - with songs including My Favourite Things and Climb Every Mountain - is on at The Q until July 3. See: theq.net.au.

The Museum of Australian Democracy's next exhibition, opening on June 21, is dedicated to telling the story of the generations of women who have instigated political, legislative and societal change. Changemakers invites visitors to consider how female politicians, artists, activists and sportswomen have shifted the national conversation and changed the future despite facing inequality and discrimination in the home, in the workplace and in societal attitudes. See: moadoph.gov.au.

Luis Gomez Romero and Desmond Manderson's black comedy thriller has its final performance at The Street Theatre on Saturday, June 25 at 7.30pm. See: thestreet.org.au.

Australasian Dance Collective presents three Australian premieres by choreographers Jack Lister, Melanie Lane and Hofesh Shechter at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre on Saturday, June 25 at 8pm. See: canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

The inaugural festival, supported by The Canberra Times, finishes this weekend at Dendy Canberra. See: dendy.com.au.

Alchemy Chorus brings together people living with dementia, their relatives or close friends, volunteer musicians and singers for a morning of music making, story sharing, laughter and fun. This performance on June 26, at 2pm, at Hughes Baptist Church is the first post COVID. See: alchemychorus.com

Canberra Choral Society and the National Capital Orchestra join forces to present Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle, featuring a Canberra-based cast of choral and orchestral musicians conducted by Louis Sharpe, with soloists Sarahlouise Owens (soprano), Sonia Anfiloff (alto), Ryan O'Donnell (tenor) and Hayden Barrington (baritone). Saturday, June 25, at 3pm, Llewellyn Hall, ANU. See: premier.ticketek.com.au.