The hugely popular 1964 musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” always seems resonant and relevant, but a new production at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, Rock Island, feels especially urgent and timely. Last done at Circa in 2014, and at Quad City Music Guild in August 2024, the new “Fiddler” opening Friday, May 1 stars Jacob Medich […]
Circa ’21 and Richmond Hill Players, despite being very different venues with very different shows (a large dinner theater presenting mainly musicals and a small barn theater in the round offering primarily straight plays), share some key commonalities. The Rock Island and Geneseo houses both seem to pride themselves on staging comforting, feel-good stories, and […]
Watching the spectacular, mesmerizing new production of “The Secret Garden” Friday night at Moline’s Spotlight Theatre made me cry. Not only because of the tremendously powerful performances in this story of loss, grief and death in the haunting, breathtakingly beautiful musical — which premiered in 1991 and is based on the classic 1911 book of […]
Richmond Hill Players begin their 2026 season continues with the comedy “The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Victory Trinity Church,” by Bo Wilson. The show will be presented Thursdays through Sundays, April 16-26 at the Barn Theatre in Geneseo. Mike Skiles, Geneseo, directs the play. The roads are flooded, the bridges are washed out, and less-generous […]
This year is the 60th anniversary of the classic John Kander-Fred Ebb musical “Cabaret,” and it’s opening Friday at Quad City Music Guild, 1584 34th Ave., Moline, just 13 years after the last time it was staged at Prospect Park. In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920s draw to a close, a garish Master of […]
Welcome To The Funhouse: A Tribute To P!nk is taking over the Circa ’21 Speakeasy, 1818 3rd Ave., Rock Island, for one unapologetically fabulous night of bold looks, fierce performances, and nonstop entertainment. This is drag turned all the way up—bigger hair, sharper heels, louder applause and, of course, the music of P!nk! Featuring top […]
“It was a dark and dreary night…” So begins the impeccable, affectionate film noir spoof “The Adventures of Sam Steele” – a new radio play by Jeff Adamson – that is premiering at The Black Box Theatre (1623 5th Ave., Moline), running through April 4. Set in 1947, after the war, Sam Steele, P.I. is on the […]
The theatrical goal to “knock ‘em dead” will take on extra meaning this weekend, as the film noir spoof “The Adventures of Sam Steele” – a new radio play by Jeff Adamson – will take the stage at The Black Box Theatre (1623 5th Ave., Moline) opening Friday, March 27 and running through April 4. Set in […]
Gothic horror and a classic 19th-century story will be brought to life for one night only by Dan Hale, in “Strange Case,” at the main theater of Galvin Fine Arts Center (2101 Gaines St., Davenport), Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, […]
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was relatively late to see the latest show at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, in its 49th season, but the utterly delightful, foot-stomping good time “Honky Tonk Angels” was worth the wait. The revue of 30 classic country songs (including reprises and one appropriate REO Speedwagon hit) has a paper-thin plot, […]
