The following column is from Sean Leary’s latest book, Sean Leary’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 9: Not A Fit For Print, available on Amazon.com. Recently, I discovered a show that features some of the biggest dawdlers, layabouts and goldbrickers I’ve ever seen in the history of TV. A show geared toward kids. A show that may be poisoning the work ethic of this country’s youth and undermining our competitiveness in the world economy. That show? “Wonder Pets.” I recently became a father, and as such, I’ve started to acquaint myself with kids’ programming. Little... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is thrilled to be present “MADAGASCAR – A MUSICAL ADVENTURE” now through July 2! Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, “MADAGASCAR – A MUSICAL ADVENTURE” follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape their home in New York City’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo, and of course, those hilarious plotting Penguins as they bound onto the Circa ’21 stage... 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

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

You won’t knock this wood — for its first family musical of the 2018-19 season, the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse brings a beloved fairytale figure and his many friends and foes to life in the family treat PINOCCHIO. Running through December 29, this enchanting tale of a wooden puppet who longs to be a real live boy will charm audiences of all ages with its wonderful score, hilarious antics, and memorable characters, and is being brought to life by a fantastic cast of professional talents. Circa ’21 will present show-only performances of PINOCCHIO on November 24 and... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is thrilled to announce the auditions schedule for their upcoming children’s musical Pinocchio. Auditions for the show will be held at 9 a.m. on Oct. 27 at the theater, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island. Puppet maker, Geppetto, builds a marionette that comes to mischievous life and learns how to be a “real boy.” In Pinocchio, the story of a familiar wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy is told with vim, verve and vibrancy. Set in Italy, this version tells the beloved tale of Pinocchio, a boy-sized puppet that is built by the caring puppet maker,... 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

One of America’s most popular children’s-story series gets a fun-filled stage makeover when Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse presents its debut of the charming, hilarious family musical A YEAR WITH FROG & TOAD. Nominated for three 2003 Tony Awards including Best Musical, this hour-long theatrical treat to sure to entertain kids of all ages, and is being brought to life by an exceptional cast and crew of professional talents. Circa ’21 will present A YEAR WITH FROG & TOAD on scheduled Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings and afternoons from June 13 through July... Read More