What's Happening: 'Dreamgirls,' Antique Tractor and Engine Show, 'Death by Chocolate'

MARCH 31 THROUGH APRIL 16

“DREAMGIRLS”: In “Dreamgirls,” the newest production from Gainesville Community Playhouse, a young female singing trio from Chicago get their big break at an amateur competition and begin singing backup vocals for James “Thunder” Early. However, things begin to spin out of control when their agent, Curtis Taylor Jr., makes Deena — and not Effie — the star of what will become known as “The Dreams.” Through gospel, R&B, smooth pop, disco and more, “Dreamgirls” explores themes of ambition, hope and betrayal — all set in the glamorous and competitive world of the entertainment industry. Catch a show at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 16 at theGainesville Community Playhouse, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Tickets are $23 for general admission, $19 for seniors and $12 for students. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit gcplayhouse.org.

MARCH 31 THROUGH APRIL 1

ANTIQUE TRACTOR AND ENGINE SHOW: Antique tractors and farming equipment reflecting 200 years of rural American history will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 31 through April 1 at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Saunders Drive in White Springs. During the three-day event, attendees can compete in tractor pulls and watch demonstrations of shingle milling, corn grinding, home canning and more. Attendees also can see unusual engines for everyday purposes with exhibits and collections of flywheels, hit-and-miss engines, water pumps, vintage pedal tractors, antique cars and farm equipment. On the morning of April 1, an antique tractor parade will feature everything from customized lawn tractors to restored farm machinery. Try your luck at raffle prizes, and shop and eat with vendors. There will be tons of family fun activities and a kids’ area on April 1 as well. Entrance to the park is $5 per vehicle (two to eight people); $4 for a single-occupant vehicle; and $2 for pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers and passengers in vehicles with holders of Annual Individual Entrance Passes. Fore more information, visit bit.ly/tractorshow23.

MARCH 31

HANNEKE CASSEL AND YANN FALQUET: Enjoy the sounds of Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle music with guitar as Hanneke Cassel and Yann Falquet perform in concert beginning at 7 p.m. March 31 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, 4225 NW 34th St. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 (cash only) at the door. Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Cassel’s style fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations, creating a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition. While Cassel has established herself as a leader in the contemporary Scottish fiddle scene, this year she embarked on a project with guitarist Yann Falquet to record the traditional tunes that inspired her love for Scottish music. Falquet, who has toured regularly throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia with Québécois band Genticorum, is a driving, captivating musician who helps breathe life into these old reels, strathspeys, jigs and airs. But Falquet also is well known for developing a personal guitar style for Québec folk music, inspired by the playing of the accompanists of different cultures — including Brittany, Scandinavia, Ireland and North America. The Cassel/Falquet duo show will feature mostly tunes from their recent album, “Over the Sea to Skye.” For more information about the concert, visit bit.ly/3mDf0I9. For more information about Cassel, visit hannekecassel.com, and for more information about Falquet, visit falquetgemme.com.

APRIL 1

OLD FLORIDA CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS: Established in 1964 and formerly known as the Cedar Key Sidewalk Arts Festival, the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts returned to a juried fine art fair format in 2006. According to organizers, the festival’s reputation has grown over the past 15 years, and it is now recognized as one of the top small-town art fairs in the nation. Welcoming only 100 high-quality artists and about 15,000 to 18,000 visitors annually, organizers say the event radiates a relaxed and friendly atmosphere often missing in larger venues. The island community of Cedar Key is surrounded by the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s Gulf Coast. This free event benefits the Cedar Key Arts Center, the coordinating sponsor, in addition to local nonprofit and Cedar Key school groups who serve food, beverages and goodies during the festival. See it for yourself from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 2 along Second Street in Cedar Key. For more information, visit cedarkeyartsfestival.com.

APRIL 1

HANNEKE CASSEL FIDDLE WORKSHOP: Learn tips for playing the fiddle from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 1 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, 4225 NW 34th St. The workshop will be led by Hanneke Cassel, whose music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.” Cassel started out as a Texas-style fiddler and went on to win the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship, which awarded her the opportunity to study with Alasdair Fraser and introduced her to fiddle camps and folk community — both of which continue to play an integral role in her life. Cassel teaches regularly at Fraser’s Valley of the Moon and Sierra Fiddle Camps, the Mike Block String Camp (run by her husband, acclaimed cellist Mike Block), Harold Haugaard’s International Fiddle School and the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School. She has served as a guest instructor in the American Roots Department at Berklee College of Music, where she received her Bachelor’s of Music in Violin Performance. The cost to attend this workshop is $35. More information is available at bit.ly/3yvnHqM.

APRIL 1

“THE FUTURE OF FLORIDA SPRINGS: A DISCUSSION ON SPRINGS HEALTH”: A panel of four distinguished spring activists and scientists will present their perspectives on how to evaluate the health of Florida’s springs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1 at Pugh Hall, located on the University of Florida campus at 296 Buckman Drive. The free presentation also will be streamed online via Zoom. Topics that will be covered include increasing nitrogen levels, the role of dissolved oxygen and the change in flow rates in the springs. Attendees will be able to submit questions to presenters during the question-and-answer session. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one of three workshops: Science Communication, Wildlife Photography and Communicating with Different Stakeholders. The keynote address will be provided by Dr. Steve Noll of the University of Florida Department of History. The panel will consist of Dr. Robert Knight, director of the Florida Springs Institute; Merrilee Jipson, founder of Our Santa Fe River; Greg Owen, Alachua County Environmental Protection Department; and Dr. Matt Cohen, assistant professor at the UF School of Forest Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences. Workshops will be conducted by Linda Wilinski, a conservation photographer with a focus on Florida’s freshwater springs and its wildlife; Sandra Poucher, an author and illustrator of the wildlife of Florida's springs; and Dr. Sadie Hundemer, assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is required for the event and can be done online at bit.ly/3ZErcHe or bit.ly/3HDa6TM.

APRIL 1

DINNER AND A MOVIE: In celebration of Women’s History Month, The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center and the Alachua County Library District will co-sponsor a free presentation of the recent movie “The Legend: The Bessie Coleman Story” on April 1 at the Cotton Club Museum, 837 SE Seventh Ave. A dinner of traditional soul food will begin at 6:30 p.m. for purchase. The menu will include homemade recipes for fried fish, black-eyed peas and rice, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler and more. The film will follow at 7:30 p.m. To attend, RSVP at cottonclubmuseum.com/events or call 219-7407. The film documents the life of Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to obtain a license to fly in 1921. An aviation pioneer, she arose from the poverty of the Texas cotton fields to capture the hearts of America.

APRIL 7 THROUGH APRIL 30

“DEATH BY CHOCOLATE”: In “Death by Chocolate,” the newest production from High Springs Playhouse, members of the newly renovated Meadowbrook Health Resort are dropping like flies — including famed chef Edith Chiles! This is not the best advertisement for the eve of the grand reopening. It’s up to John Stone, the manager, to find the cause and the murderer. Delightfully sarcastic and cynical, Stone finds himself teaming up with Ed Parlor, mystery writer and amateur sleuth, in a wacky race against time. The clues point to a sinister box of chocolates, and the suspects include all the outlandish characters working for the resort. Could it be Lady Riverdale, owner of the resort and a woman with dark secrets? Or Ralph Deadwood, gym instructor and all around cad? Dick Simmering, the aerobics instructor? Anne, the panic-stricken nurse? Or could it be “Sweet Pea” Meadowbrook, overweight and grieving daughter of the recently deceased founder of the resort? Death by Chocolate combines all of the elements of classic murder mysteries with a scathing satire of today’s health crazes. Catch a showing at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays, April 7 through April 30 at the High Springs Playhouse, 130 NE First Ave. in High Springs. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and ages 65 and older. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit highspringsplayhouse.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: Hanneke Cassel and Yann Falquet, fiddle workshop