Josh Garrick: Culture for Your Calendar

March 26 and 27 – Byrd-watching with Roger McGuinn

In two appearances at Rollins College, Roger McGuinn will give a free public lecture at 7 p.m. on March 26, to be followed by questions and answers at 11 a.m. on March 27. McGuinn, leader of the influential ’60s group The Byrds, combined the genres of folk and rock with Gene Clark and David Crosby and founded The Byrds in 1964. His presentations offer a retrospective of his career, reflecting the history of the era when his music received international acclaim. Call 407-691-1995 or visit [email protected]

March 27 – Rock n’ roll stars of the 1960s visit the Peabody Auditorium

Pop, Rock & Doo Wopp Live! at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach on March 27 features the artists who recorded the biggest hits of the ’60s. Jay and the Americans (“This Magic Moment”) will headline with their hits. Lush harmonies, precision choreography and lyrics from a simpler time will be the highlights of the Drifters (“Under the Boardwalk”); the Belmonts (“Runaround Sue”); the Chiffons (“One Fine Day”); the Tokens (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”) and more. Visit PopRockDooWopp.com or call 386-671-3462.

March 27 and 28 – Shen Yun brings 5,000 years of civilization to the Bob Carr

In two hours of performance, the Shen Yun Company of dancers and musicians leads their audiences through centuries of Chinese civilization. Including the exquisitely athletic classical Chinese dance and China’s joyful and colorful folk dances, all performed to the sound of a unique orchestra, the spectacle is completed by backdrops and costumes inspired by legends. Shen Yun Performing Arts will present three performances on March 27 and 28 at the Bob Carr Theater. Call 844-513-2014 or 888-974-3698 for tickets.

March 27 and 29 – Mozart’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ at New Dr. Phillips Center

Florida Opera Theatre will have the honor of presenting the first opera to be performed in the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts when it presents Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” on March 27 and 29. In this story of a man who bets two suitors that their girlfriends will not remain faithful, Shannon Jennings and Sarah Limper Nordin play the suspected sisters. Robin Stamper is music director and Frank McClain directs. Ask about the fundraiser on March 28 when you call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org for tickets.

March 28 and 29 – American Military Heritage Weekend

It’s all things military and all historical periods as the Scottish Rite Center and the Living History Group celebrate America’s heroes on March 28 and 29. There will be living history encampments, period re-enactments, weapons demos, collectibles, and a car show for both civilian cars and military vehicles at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 1485 Grand Road in Winter Park. Call 321-239-2467 or visit SRorlando.org

March 29 – the VIDA Guitar Quartet

Considering the program will include Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”; Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”; Brahms “Hungarian Dances No. 1, 3 and 5”; and Bizet’s “Carmen Suite,” the British VIDA Guitar Quartet’s range of dynamics is like listening to an entire orchestra and not merely to four guitars. The Quartet will appear on the Guest Artist Series at Rollins College on March 29 at 3 p.m. Call 407-646-2182 or visit bachfestivalflorida.org

March 29 – Free concert – The Original Wailers

As part of the new Performing Arts Center’s commitment to present “arts for all people,” the Center will offer a free concert – The Original Wailers – on the Seneff Arts Plaza on March 29 at 6 p.m. Carrying the torch passed on by Bob Marley himself, guitarist Al Anderson has united a group of musicians to honor Marley’s music. Anderson first joined Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1973, playing with Marley until his death in 1981, imprinting his guitar solos on the catalog that has sold more than 75 million records around the world. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

March 30 – Jay Leno

Always passionate about performing in front of live audiences, TV show host, stand-up comedian, children’s book author, voice-over artist, and philanthropist Jay Leno is often characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.” Always testing his humor, Leno performs over 100 live appearances each year, including for the military, in Las Vegas, and at colleges around the United States. He performs at the Dr. Phillips Center at 7:30 p.m. on March 30. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

April 3 to 20 – Breakthrough Theatre’s ‘Bad Girls of Broadway’

Being bad has never been so much fun as when the Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park presents a revival of their 2012 musical revue “Redlight: The Bad Girls of Broadway and Beyond.” There really is an R-rating to this musical revue (based on nudity and sexual situations), but on the lighter side the songs come from shows including “Sweet Charity,” “Hair,” “Cabaret,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Gypsy,” “Chicago” and (wink-wink) some Disney musical parodies. Directed by Wade Hair and choreographed by Lori Babson Jessup, call 407-920-4034 or visit breakthroughtheatre.com for tickets.

April 4 – Pilobolus Dance Theatre

Founded in 1971, Pilobolus has built an international reputation by showing the human body to be the most expressive and magical of media. Pilobolus exemplifies amazing physicality, shape-shifting, shadow-play and more while collaborating with the brightest minds the world over. These collaborations result in amazing achievements, and Pilobolus has been recognized for decades for its developments in dance and multimedia art. It’s all in one highly recommended performance at the Dr. Phillips Center. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

April 7 to May 17 – ‘Shrek the Musical’ at Orlando Rep

Based on the Oscar winning DreamWorks film, “Shrek the Musical” brings the story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on-stage. In a faraway kingdom that should be the happiest place on earth (wink-wink), the magic is turned upside down when an ogre rescues a feisty princess! Throw in a cast of fairy-tale misfits and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a hero. Luckily, there’s a potential hero stomping around the Magic Forest … and his name is Shrek. Call 407-896-7365 or visit orlandorep.com