CRITIC’S PICKS
DRUM FESTIVAL
What: 10th Annual Victoria Drum Festival Where: Songhees Wellness Centre, 1100 Admirals Rd. When: Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Tickets: $40 in advance at Long & McQuade, Tom Lee Music and Groove Studios (3059 Jackson St.); $50 at the door Why: The largest drum festival in Canada celebrates its 10th year this weekend with a roster of clinicians with jaw-dropping pedigrees. Among the instructors joining festival founder and Groove Studios owner Murray Creed will be Brian Frasier-Moore, who has worked with Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Usher; Keith Carlock, whose resumé includes work with Steely Dan, Sting and John Mayer; and Rashid Williams, who has manned the skins for Alicia Keys and John Legend. For more information, visit victoriadrumfest.ca.
MUSICAL THEATRE
What: Mamma Mia! Where: Chemainus Theatre, 9737 Chemainus Rd. When: Friday through Aug. 31 Tickets: $60 ($30 for students), chemainustheatrefestival.ca or 1-800-565-7738 Why: Don’t let the extended run of this Broadway smash fool you into thinking tickets will be easy to get — select dates well into next month are already sold out, so you’ll want to act quickly if this popular production (with music and lyrics by ABBA founders Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, and a book by Catherine Johnson) is on your summer to-do list. Two film versions of Mamma Mia! (both starring Meryl Streep) made for some big-time box office, but the stage version is where those wanting to sing along in unison to some of the best pop songs in history will feel most at home.
BURLESQUE FUNDRAISER
What: HOT PINK! A Burlesque Fundraiser for Peers Victoria Where: Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave. When: Saturday, 8 p.m. (doors at 7)
Tickets: $35 from the Belfry box office (250-385-6815) or online from tickets.belfry.bc.ca
Why: This ninth annual fundraiser for Peers Victoria (a non-profit that supports past and current sex workers) will add some flash to any Saturday night social calendar. A silent auction will be offered alongside performances by Miss Kitten Kaboodle, Betsy Bottom Dollar and Gala Vega, among others.