In looking back on the previous year, there are many good memories on stage for me to savor, particularly in regard to working with some very talented ensembles. As I grow older and more aware of the chaotic mess that is show business, I am more and more appreciative of the power and magic of an ensemble. An audience has no idea how difficult it is to find that spark but those of us on the inside know when it happens the process AND product will be exponentially better. 2016 afforded Quad City audiences plenty of opportunities to see these kind of vibrant ensembles and I would like to praise two... Read More

All hail Timothy Olyphant (and Netflix). Olyphant stars in a new Netflix original series called Santa Clarita Diet and it could not be more irreverent and at the same time appropriate. Irreverent because, in a time of intense turmoil, it’s nice to have something to turn to something that has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Appropriate because, in a time a time of intense turmoil, it’s nice to to turn to something that has absolutely nothing to do with anything. The story revolves around a Santa Clarita real estate couple: Olyphant’s pot-smoking, overly devoted, classic... Read More

Kurt Oberhaus isn’t a house hold name… yet. But give it time. Quad City native Kurt Oberhaus is out to make a name for himself and make the Quad Cities proud. Now living in the “City of Stars,” Oberhaus is an actor and model who is coming up through the ranks. A film lover from birth, Oberhaus was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. As to what catpulted him into this direction, Oberhaus recalls, “Stars Wars was the inspiration for this career.” “When I was twelve, I started making action figure films and those progressed into live action films,” he said. While here in the... Read More

You ever watch a performance and wonder, “why weren’t they nominated for that?” That’s how I felt after watching Michael Keaton’s explosive and dynamic performance as Ray Kroc in The Founder.  This dude becomes Ray Kroc and within seconds you forget you are watching an actor, you are just watching a person. Keaton falls into this role with reckless abandon and takes you one hell of a ride. The Founder follows the saga of how mega-hit fast food restaurant McDonald’s came to be.  Kroc, a milk machine salesman, heads to San Bernadino, California, to check out a client... Read More

La La Oscarland By now, we all know La La Land is my favorite film of the year and one of my favorite films of all time. I think it’s a masterpiece and deserves each and every award it garners. Is my opinion biased? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. But I think we can all agree that is not an “alternative fact” that La La Land rocks. Like or not, it’s hard to call foul on something that looks and sounds this good. The Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday and La La Land is up for a whopping 14 Academy Awards. To beat the record held by Titanic, Lord of the Rings and... Read More

A theatrical event can’t happen without an important component: the audience. And Paul DeWilde has spent years in the audience cheering on local shows and local talent. A regular at nearly every theater in town, he’s become a friend to many and supporter to far more. For Mr. DeWilde, his journey began at the now defunct Harrison Hilltop Theatre in Davenport when he went see a production of Oedipus that had been adapted by Hilltop company member Steve Quartell. DeWilde said, “What I came away with was the intimacy of the room and the feeling that I was really missing something important... Read More

Tristan & Justin predict the winners! Other Episodes November 2, 2016 Pocket Full of Animal Crackers: Episode #5 – Adam Cerny This week on The Pocket: Adam Cerny. Adam is. Quad Cities native and prolific actor not to mention a a rising social media star. Tristan sits down with Adam to discuss what he loves about the... ... Read More

  Many area residents aren’t aware that there is a little bit of Hollywood in their own backyard.  The Quad Cities is home to many show business types and two of the most prominent figures live and operate their business in Moline, Illinois.  Emmy Award nominated filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle and their company, Fourth Wall Films, premiere their documentary, The Barn Raisers, this weekend at the Putnam Museum. The Rundles and Fourth Wall Films have Midwestern roots and are formerly based out of Los Angeles. The company relocated to Moline in 2007 when they began producing their... Read More

Oscar nominations will be announced January 24th and this day has always been (and still is) a little like Christmas morning for me. I love the hype, the excitement, the politics… I hate that I love it, but man oh man do I love show business. It’s totally cool to get stoked about this kind of thing! I’ve been so inspired by this year’s offerings and it safe to say this has been one of my favorite movie years since 2005-2006. Here are my Academy Award nomination predictions for the Picture, Director, Actor and Actress categories: Best Picture: Moonlight La La Land Manchester by the Sea Lion Hell... Read More

P.T. Barnum once said, “Nothing draws a crowd quite like a crowd.” Sadly, the circus can no longer draw a crowd. On Saturday night, Feld Entertainment announced that the famed Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus would shutter forever in May. And while this is a merely drop in the bucket of things truly affecting our nation, it still broke me a little in a very unexpected way. This company provided employment for hundreds of specialty acts, technicians, musicians, clowns,  stunt performers and designers (and more) and this was their passion. They’ve lost more than their... Read More