City Something Feb. 23 – 29

City Something Feb. 23 - 29 — Monday's top picks for Arts and Entertainment in Victoria

Swan's Buckerfields Brewery brewmaster Andrew Tessier and Strathcona employee Laura Pohl at the Island Beer Festival.

Swan's Buckerfields Brewery brewmaster Andrew Tessier and Strathcona employee Laura Pohl at the Island Beer Festival.

Have you always wanted to try belting out your favourite piece of musical theatre on stage? Well Gotta Getta Gimmick, the theatre company that brought us the Fringe Flash Mob, is offering fiends and fans of the genre an opportunity to break a leg on the Belfry Studio stage, Mon., Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. The first act will feature the GGG crew singing  selections by composer William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). The second act is all about you. Bring your sheet music, sign up at the door, belt a favourite and win a prize. Sounds like fun, no? Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets $15. Cash bar.

FolkWest is facing a critical funding crunch and in order to keep the dream alive organizers have planned a series of fundraising concerts. The next one is Sat., Feb. 25 at Upstairs Cabaret, featuring Mae Moore, five-piece Irish group Crikey, swing with Rueben Weir, three-time Vancouver Island Music Award nominee Lola Parks, and the Archers— recently named best teen band in B.C. Doors at 7:30 p.m., tickets $12 at Lyle’s Place, Larsen Music and Ditch Records.

More than 150 young singers from the Island community are coming together for Awaken Spring, a unique choral concert featuring Vox Humana, UVic, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, Brentwood College, Pacific Christian School and Ensemble Laude. The program features recent Grammy award winner Eric Whitacre’s “Three Songs of Faith,” the premiere of a new work by Aaron Jensen, as well as arrangements of popular music, gospel and classical works, Sat., Feb. 25 at Alix Goolden Hall, 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 (+65) and FREE for those 25 and under.

The Strathcona Hotel is offering Victorians a chance to sample 35 of the Island’s best brews at the third annual Island Beer Festival, Sat., Feb. 25 at Club 9ONE9 from 1 to 7 p.m. Eleven of the Island’s microbreweries will be bringing some of their most sumptuous suds to the event, with The Tofino Brewing Company and Hoyne Brewing Co. (the newest addition to Victoria’s bubbling beer scene) the two new additions for 2012. Mike Hann and Tyler Harvey will be providing acoustic music for the afternoon. Tickets are $20 and include two four-ounce samples and a slice of pizza. Additional samples are $6 for four, or $1.50 each. Tickets are available at the Strathcona Hotel front desk, Lyle’s Place and Strath Wine and Spirits, or online at clubzone.ca. M