There’s something a little bit special about seeing the name of someone you know and love in print: a birth announcement, an honor roll, a play bill. Unfortunately, these recognitions are often fleeting, thrown away with the day’s newspaper or discarded when the curtain closes. What if you could honor someone or highlight a memory permanently, in public, for generations to remember and appreciate? “Prairie Players’ history with Galesburg started over 100 years ago and since 1959, has presented over 300 productions for the Galesburg and surrounding communities,” board member Judy Diemer... Read More

In the book Let it Snow!, jointly written by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, the character Tobin is terrified to ask his best friend Angie out because he doesn’t want to risk an unhappy ending. But he secretly loves her. And over the course of their adventure to get to a Waffle House during a blizzard in North Carolina, Tobin starts to court the idea of a happy middle… regardless of whether things go to pieces. Composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and bookwriter Arthur Laurents, approached West Side Story with the same sensibility. Quad City Music Guild... Read More

A new Quad Cities-based theatre company, the Mississippi Bend Players, is kicking off their three summer-stock presentations at Augustana College’s Brunner Theatre Center with “Zombie Prom” this weekend! “Zombie Prom” is a 1950s horror comic book brought to life as a musical comedy by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe. This campy, rollicking romp takes the audience through America’s Atomic Age and the Golden Age of horror comic books. This production will be performed on July 8-9, July 14-16 on Brunner Main Stage at Brunner Theatre Center, located at 3750 7th Avenue Rock Island. Ticket... Read More

Boy, boy, silly boy… get your tickets now, boy! That’s because it’s time for “West Side Story!” Music Guild’s July show opens July 7th and runs July 7th thru the 9th and again July 13th thru the 16th. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time. From the first notes... Read More

A Year With Frog and Toad, the latest children’s production at Circa ’21, is wonderfully done, a show which perfectly captures the tone, feel and look of one of America’s most popular children’s-story series. The terrific, literate show, which was nominated for three 2003 Tony Awards including Best Musical, is masterfully done, and I, as an adult watching it, truly enjoyed it. I think adults watching it will likewise appreciate its subtle, well-crafted style, and smaller children will particularly like it, especially if they are fans of the book. It is a bit slow-moving, and pre-teens... Read More

Prairie Players Civic Theatre has hired Tristan Tapscott as program administrator for the theatre. “Last year we opened our building at 160 South Seminary Street for productions and rentals,” says Heather Norman, president of Prairie Players. “Now that we are operational at this location, there was a need to create a position to help us manage and grow the programs we offer.” Through Prairie Players, hundreds of volunteers provide opportunities for community involvement in the performing arts, from productions at their facility at 160 South Seminary Street and other locations throughout... Read More

Quad City Music Guild’s “The Little Mermaid”  opens June 9 and runs June 9th thru the 11th and again June 15th thru the 18th at their Prospect Park Theater in Moline. In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. To pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above, Ariel bargains with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order... Read More

Located in downtown Rock Island, the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has been treating audiences to the  finest in dining and professional stage entertainment for the past 40 years. And for the venue’s sure-to-be-sensational 41st season, beginning this November, the venue is proud to announce a lineup boasting six marvelous productions that have never before been seen on the Circa ’21 stage – among them three new musicals based on beloved movies, the latest in the popular Church Basement Ladies series, and one of the most popular Broadway titles in the history of American theatre. Circa... Read More

Quad City Theatre Workshop in Davenport will open Peter and the Starcatcher–the last production of their current season–on Friday, June 2. The show tells the back story to Peter Pan in the most playful and endearing way. With a cast that packs a punch, audiences will be sad if they miss this star-catching production running June 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 at 7:30 p.m. and June 4, 11 and 18 at 3 p.m. Admission is pay what it’s worth, following the performance. This will be the first local production of this highly-rated Broadway show. This show is about love, life, hope and it’s about being a kid... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse and The Speakeasy are thrilled to be producing this cult classic again in October! Auditions will be held at 10:00 am on June 3rd and noon on June 4th at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse located at 1828 3rd Avenue in Rock Island. Please bring a current headshot & resume and prepare 16 bars (or one verse and one chorus) of a pop/rock song. You may choose to sing a selection from the show. An accompanist will be provided, please bring sheet music. A Cappella and outside recordings will not be allowed. Be prepared to cold read from the script and learn a dance combination.... Read More