What's Happening: 50th Anniversary of the Great Southern Music Hall, more

APRIL 26

50th Anniversary of the Great Southern Music Hall: The Matheson History Museum invites the public to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Great Southern Music Hall at 6 p.m. April 26. Attendees will hear from Jeffrey Meldon, Jim Forsman, John Moran, Albert Teebagy, Barry Sides and others who were there at the start and helped make it the "Showplace of the South." Light appetizers, beer and wine will be served along with music from the artists who performed at the theatre recreated by Trantham Whitley on the keyboard. Attendees also can tour the “Return to Forever: Gainesville’s Great Southern Music Hall” exhibition, which showcases dozens of Moran‘s performance photos from his two years as the Great Southern Music Hall house photographer. Meldon and Forsman joined forces in 1974 to create the Great Southern Music Hall at the former Florida Theatre location in downtown Gainesville. On April 26, 1974, the performing arts theatre had its premiere performance featuring the Earl Scruggs Review. Over the next five years, some of the greatest performances in the history of Gainesville were presented at this unique forum. The theater experience was unique because the 800-seat theatre was intimate enough that every person in the house felt engaged in each performance. The “Return to Forever” exhibition closes on June 8. To register for the April 26 event, visit mathesonmuseum.networkforgood.com/events/70156-greatsouthern-music-hall-50th-anniversary. To register for Zoom access, visit tinyurl.com/gsmhzoom. The Matheson History Museum is located at 513 E. University Ave.

APRIL 26 THROUGH APRIL 27

“NOISES OFF!”: Chaos abounds when Theatre Santa Fe presents “Noises Off!,” Michael Frayn’s Tony-nominated comedy, at 7:30 p.m. April 26-27 in the Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall at the Northwest Campus of Santa Fe College (SF). The campus is located at 3000 NW 83rd St. Tickets are $15 for adults; $9 for seniors, students, military service members, and children 12 and younger; and free for SF students, faculty and staff with college ID cards. Tickets are available from the Fine Arts Hall box office at 395-4181 or online at showpass.com/noises-off. According to SF Theatre Professor Russell Schultz, who is directing the student cast, this play has been called “a master class in farce” and is now recognized as a classic comedy. “Noises Off!” is a theatrical tour de force that features a manic group of second-rate actors racing against the clock to open a play called “Nothing On.” The audience will watch the slow demise of “Nothing On” and what’s left of the actors’ reputations. The phrase “noises off” refers to a stage direction for offstage sounds. In addition to the nine actors, students in SF’s Associate in Science degree program in Theatre and Entertainment Technology are working behind the scenes in stage management, assisting the director, costuming and set construction. The set is built in three units so the audience can see what is happening both onstage and backstage in the play “Nothing On.” “Noises Off!” premiered at the Lyric Theatre in London in 1982 and has since been produced worldwide, including on Broadway, at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Australia, and in numerous professional theatre companies and community theaters. The 2001 Broadway production with Patti LuPone and Peter Gallagher was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk Award as Best Revival of a Play.

APRIL 26 THROUGH APRIL 28

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS”: Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxury train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on Detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer — in case he or she decides to strike again. Find out what happens in the latest production from the High Springs Playhouse at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays through April 28. The High Springs Playhouse is located at 23416 NW 186 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.

APRIL 26 THROUGH MAY 5

“9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL”: As their final show of the 2024 season, Buchholz Players proudly presents “9 to 5: The Musical.” This comedic folly features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and premieres on the stage at Buchholz High School in late April. As in the film, characters Violet, Doralee and Judy prepare for work in their mundane and hellish office under Franklin Hart Jr., president of Consolidated Industries. In a series of comedic errors, the office team mistakenly poisons their lecherous boss — only to discover that he is just fine, so they kidnap him. Do the gals get justice? You’ll have to come and see “9 to 5: The Musical” at Buchholz High School to find out. This production highlights the often frustrating male-dominated injustice of the working woman’s entry into corporate America in the late ’80s. “9 to 5: The Musical” runs April 27 through May 5 with shows at 7 p.m. on April 27 and May 1-4, and shows at 2 p.m. April 28 and May 4-5. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for students, $10 for a group rate, and free for BHS faculty. Tickets can be purchased online at buchholzdrama.com.

APRIL 27

BARBERGATORS CHORUS: Join the Barbergators Chorus as they celebrate more than 50 years of harmony in Gainesville with their 50th Anniversary Show, set for 7 p.m. April 27 at First United Methodist Church. The Barbergators formed in 1973 and has been an active part of the Gainesville arts community ever since. The group will take their audience on a tour of songs from their rich history. Featured performers will include the Wise Guys, a hilariously entertaining quartet who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first Sunshine District Championship. Also featured will be Time of Our Lives, the Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus and, of course, the Barbergators Chorus. Tickets are $15 to $35, and can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/bcspring24, from any Barbergators member, or by calling 358-1311. First United Methodist Church is located at 419 NE First St.

APRIL 28

NEXT GENERATION’S SPRING CONCERT: One of the joys of Dance Alive National Ballet’s student group, The Next Generation, is their annual spring concert and the way it touches each dancer and audience member. This year, the group has five graduating members. Co-director Tales Ribeiro has created a work, “Home,” for Anna Gleim, Madeleine Gurka, Gabrielle Luna, Kellyn Patton and Allie Schofield. “Paquita Suite,” staged by directors Rachel Ridley and Ribeiro with costumes by Chris Takashima, presents the advanced dancers an opportunity to perform with DANB’s professional company members. Gleim and Ribeiro will perform in “Paquita Pas de Deux” with Leah Perine, and Schofield with DANB’s Stirling Kolb in “Paquita Pas De Trois.” Guest choreographers include DANB choreographic fellowship recipients Judy Skinner and Kim Tuttle along with another work by Ribeiro. The opportunity to choreograph is a highlight for the dancers. They plan, select and edit music, cast, create, rehearse, select costumes and lighting — generally learn about choreography with guidance from their directors. And then their work is performed. For this showcase, Gurka has created a contemporary work while Patton is presenting a jazz/musical theater work. Friends Gurka and Irma Impink will be presenting a jazz work while the youngest choreographer, Bryana Robinson, takes on a jazz fusion with younger dancers. This performance by Next Generation provides support for DANB’s educational programs. The Next Generation is a group of 36 student dancers who present numerous programs and activities for community service projects in support of Dance Alive National Ballet’s mission and programming. Watch them perform at 4 p.m. April 28 at the Eastside High School Theatre, located at 1201 SE 43rd St. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for ages 4 and younger. For more information, visit pofahldancestudio.com/works.

MAY 2

ART AFTER DARK: EYES TO THE SKY: The Center for Arts, Migration and Entrepreneurship is set to present Art After Dark: Eyes to the Sky at the Harn Museum, located at Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road, from 5 to 9 p.m. May 2. What do you see when you look up? Braxton Rae, CAME's maker in residence, sees a world of possibility. From scientific discoveries that directly affect humanity and space travel to myriad artistic undertakings, space is ripe for exploration. Join the museum as they explore how the stories we tell help us make sense of space and science. The free event will feature “Story of a Photon,” a new dance work by Natalia Guerrero, planetarium tours, astronomy activities, live music and more. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/aadetts24.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: 'Noises Off,' 'Orient Express,' '9 to 5' and more