Richard "Bugs" BurnettWhat’s on in Montréal courtesy of Tourisme Montréal

THEATRE

Showbiz triple threat Tymisha Harris delivers a sensational tour-de-force performance in the award-winning production of Josephine, the biographical musical of iconic African-American superstar Josephine Baker, which runs at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts to June 18.

The St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival returns with 800 artists from around the world performing in more than 20 venues from June 8 to 18. The Fringe Park at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Rachel Street also hosts Montreal icon Mado Lamotte’s 23rd annual Drag Race, June 17 from 4 to 6 pm with guest host, local drag legend and Fringe favourite Uma Gahd. This will be my 21st year as a member of the Drag Race jury!

DANCE

Agora de la danse presents POPMOLLE (June 14 to 16), an interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together mechanical and human bodies as they intertwine and distort in a modern mechanical ballet, in the Wilder Building.

CLASSICAL STAGE

The Orchestre Classique de Montréal closes their 83rd season with their Fire & Ice double bill: the world premiere of The Ice Storm Symphony by Quebec composer Maxime Goulet and Carl Orff’s powerful Carmina Burana, conducted by Alain Trudel, on June 20. All concerts at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal.

The 28th edition of the Montréal Chamber Music Festival (June 4 to 18) presents the star-studded Tribute to Oliver Jones: Jazzman Par Excellence (June 16) at Salle Bourgie with Robi Botos, Ranee Lee, Lorraine Desmarais, Eric Lagacé, Chet Doxas, Taurey Butler, Michel Donato and Dave Laing.

MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITIONS

Earth from space

Actual NASA images from space in Space Explorers

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts presents Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries, the first-ever Canadian solo exhibition by one of India’s most important contemporary artists. Runs to August 20.

After a sold-out run earlier this year, the acclaimed Holographic 3D immersive experience Lasting Impressions returns to Le Studio-Cabaret in Espace St-Denis from June 1 to 30. More than 100 classic paintings by such Impressionist masters as Monet, Degas and Renoir come to life on a giant ultra-high-definition screen.

Filmed during NASA missions, the blockbuster immersive exhibition Space Explorers: THE INFINITE teleports visitors virtually 400 kilometres above Earth onto the International Space Station for an unforgettable journey into space. Wearing VR headsets, visitors experience life on the ISS as if you are really there, thanks to free-roaming virtual reality which gives visitors amazing access to personal moments filmed in cinematic 3D, 360° format by the eight astronauts who live on board. Space Explorers: THE INFINITE is located in the Old Port next door to the Montreal Science Centre. Children under 8 not admitted. Runs to next January 7.

CIRCUS ARTS

Cirque du Soleil’s blockbuster summer show ECHO continues Under the Big Top in the Old Port until August 20.

COMEDY

UK comedy superstar Jimmy Carr brings his national Terribly Funny Tour to the Olympia Theatre for three shows (June 20 to 21).

CINEMA

The Parc at Midnight series continues on weekends at Cinéma du Parc in the great tradition of the famed rep-house “midnight movies” of the 70s.

POP MUSIC

The 34th edition of the Francos de Montréal (June 9 to 17) presents some 250 indoor and outdoor concerts by French-language artists in the Quartier des Spectacles, including Québécois icon Robert Charlebois whose free outdoor show on June 17 at 9 pm closes the festival.

The 43rd edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (June 29 to July 8) presents nearly 1,000 concerts, two-thirds of which are free, including the highly-anticipated Montreal debut of American RnB diva Danielle Ponder (June 29). Must-see ticketed indoor shows include 86-year-old blues icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Guy (June 30) with opening act and future of the blues Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Samara Joy (July 2), Herbie Hancock (July 3), Orville Peck (July 4), Montreal soul man Clerel (July 5) and Diane Krall (July 4 and 5).

Other shows of note: The Cure (June 16) and Shania Twain (June 18) at Bell Centre, and 80s icons Tears for Fears (June 30) at Place Bell.

Dubbed “Mr. Montreal” by the CBC, arts and culture journalist and columnist Richard “Bugs” Burnett knows Montreal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.