Sixteen months after the Spotlight Theatre staged its last major musical, it’s provided the pitch-perfect, post-pandemic production – “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Simple, sweet, nostalgic – both exuberantly childlike and loaded with the weight of the world on its young shoulders – the beloved 1967 musical based on the classic “Peanuts” characters has deeply resonated with me my whole life. First, I’m sure like many socially awkward boys, I always closely identified with the title “Everyman” role. Charlie Brown is the cartoon reflection of “Mister Cellophane” (from... Read More

I really wanted to enjoy Quad-City Music Guild’s first complete musical in a year and a half, “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” which is available to be streamed online June 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m., and June 13 at 2 p.m. But due more to its supremely silly, groan-inducing, seemingly unending source material than its eminently capable cast and crew, this two-hour-plus filmed version is disappointingly lifeless and unsatisfying. Despite opening on the day where the state of Illinois is allowing all theaters to open at full audience capacity, the Guild months ago decided to stage “Spamalot” with... Read More

Playcrafters Barn Theatre’s first production in 15 months, the new drama “Princeton’s Rage,” is deeply personal for both its Quad-Cities playwright and director. In the Don Faust play (rated R for language and adult content), Princeton Yale left his hometown of Chicago over 30 years ago, turning his back on an abusive past at the hands of his high school classmates and never looking back. But through a series of happenstances, Princeton’s past comes to pay him a visit, in the form of one of his former tormentors, Reece “Rage” Johnson, and more than just talk about “the good... Read More

The Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline will be presenting the comedy “Hate Mail” by Bill Corbett and Kira Obolensky through June 12. Performances begin at 7:30 pm except Sundays, which begin at 2:00 pm “Hate Mail” follows Preston Dennis, Jr. who writes a furious letter to a store demanding a refund for a broken snow globe. In his increasingly heated exchanges with the assistant manager Dahlia, who gives as good as she gets, he gets her fired – and finds a vengeful epistolary match. These two begin an epic, often acrimonious correspondence as their lives intertwine. ”Whether Preston... Read More

The day that Illinois Quad-Cities theaters and concert venues have long waited for arrives today, on Friday, June 11 – when they can remove Covid-related restrictions on audience capacity. Today, the state of Illinois is moving into Phase 5 of the pandemic, which lifts all limits on indoor and outdoor festivals, concerts and other live performances, which will affect many Q-C venues. “We are thrilled to be able to go back to full capacity in both venues. Nothing but a positive for us,” said Brett Hitchcock, director of audience development for Circa ’21 and The Speakeasy, Rock Island. In... Read More

Feeling like a little SPAM? Quad City Music Guild is presenting Spamalot: The Musical , June 11 & 12 7:30 pm, June 13 2pm. The show is an online Streaming, no in-person performances. Tickets are: Single Stream Pass- $12 Couple Stream Pass- $18 Family Stream Pass- $30 You may purchase tickets by calling the box office at 309.762.6610 or by visiting the QCMG website, www.qcmusicguild.com  Read More

Are you and your children big fans of Elephant & Piggie? Then Rock Island’s Circa ’21 has got the show for you, running June 11-July 2. Get ready for a musical experience, ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved, award-winning, best-selling children’s books, that will leave audiences doing the “Flippy Floppy Floory” dance all night long! In Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Gerald and Piggie take to the stage in a rollicking adventure that is perfect for young audiences. An elephant named Gerald and a pig named Piggie are best, best, “bestus” (a... Read More

Davenport Junior Theatre (DJT) will conclude its 69th season of theater “for kids, by kids” with their first in-person production in 15 months: the premiere of Aaron Randolph III’s “The True Tale of Robin Hood,” opening Friday. Written by local playwright Randolph and directed by Zach Meyer, this swashbuckling production will be held outside on the Great Lawn of the Annie Wittenmyer Complex, 2822 Eastern Ave., Davenport, and will be FREE for all to attend. In addition to the performance, guests are invited to arrive an hour before show time to enjoy a mini-Renaissance Faire on the lawn,... Read More

Lora Adams. Wendy Czekalski. Matt Walsh. You already want a ticket, don’t you? You should. Go. Reserve those tickets. I’ll wait. Got ‘em? Great! Let’s talk! ‘Hate Mail.’ It’s You’ve Got Mail gone wrong, gone filthy and gone 2020. You need to add it to your weekend plans. You’ll thank me later. Written by Bill Corbett and Kira Obolensky, ‘Hate Mail’ is a bitchy, sardonic and bitingly romantic (?) comedy featuring two characters – Preston Dennis Jr. (the always incredible Matt Walsh) and Dahlia Markle (a super funny Wendy Czekalski) – who sit at individual tables... Read More

Feeling like a little SPAM? Quad City Music Guild is presenting Spamalot: The Musical , June 11 & 12 7:30 pm, June 13 2pm. The show is an online Streaming, no in-person performances. Tickets are: Single Stream Pass- $12 Couple Stream Pass- $18 Family Stream Pass- $30 You may purchase tickets by calling the box office at 309.762.6610 or by visiting the QCMG website, www.qcmusicguild.com Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Featuring a bevy of beautiful... Read More