Returning with the venue’s first mainstage production since area theaters closed in November, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is ready to bring audiences lots of deserved laughs and warmth in the local debut of The Church Basement Ladies in “You Smell Barn.” Running through May 15, the latest encounter with everyone’s favorite group of singing and joking Minnesotans is sure to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. With all shows at the beloved Rock Island dinner theatre, this new musical comedy is being presented by an outstanding company of professional actors. The... Read More

Saturday in the Arts is a weekly feature covering a trend, subject, event or personality of local interest. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for the best entertainment and arts coverage in the area, QuadCities.com! Two days after Broadway theaters shut down last March, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse held the last performance of the colorful, high-energy “Kinky Boots,” on March 14, 2020. It would be the last mainstage musical there until next week’s “Church Basement Ladies in You Smell Barn” – opening in previews Wednesday, March 17. It’s been a long, frustrating road, with... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island, is seeking video online submissions to cast an upcoming show, “Beehive: The ‘60s Musical,” to open in May. “Beehive” (which was performed by Quad City Music Guild in spring 2007) is a fun, frothy flashback to the fabulous females who unmistakably left their mark on 1960s pop music, matching big voices with big hairdos — from the early decade bubble-gum classics to the explosive late ‘60s soul sound, according to Circa. From The Supremes and Connie Francis to Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, “Beehive” is a wailing musical... Read More

It definitely takes a village to raise your spirits. For this unusual Valentine’s season of love, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has organized a special musical theater love letter – marrying several Quad-Cities venues to produce the video compilation, “Let’s Fall in Love.” A virtual celebration of love and the arts, the 75-minute program will debut Saturday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m., featuring performers not only from Circa, but the Black Box Theatre, Center for Living Arts, Countryside Community Theatre, Davenport Junior Theatre, Double Threat Studios, Mississippi Bend Players/Augustana, QC... Read More

As this distressing year comes to a welcome end, Circa ’21 has, after much discussion, made the very difficult decision to postpone its forthcoming comedy, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, until January 2022. “With the explosion of Covid – 19 cases in the last few weeks, and our Governor reverting back to the restrictions of Stage 3, coupled with the huge post-Thanksgiving surge anticipated in the next 2 weeks, and the post- Christmas increase, it was abundantly clear we had to postpone the show.” said Circa ’21 Producer, Denny Hitchcock.  “Our main concern, as always... Read More

At the close of a year that has very much gone wrong, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has made another difficult decision – to postpone its forthcoming comedy, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” from this January to January 2022. “With the explosion of Covid–19 cases in the last few weeks, and our governor reverting back to the restrictions of Stage 3, coupled with the huge post-Thanksgiving surge anticipated in the next 2 weeks, and the post-Christmas increase, it was abundantly clear we had to postpone the show,” Circa ‘’21 producer Denny Hitchcock said Wednesday. “Our main concern,... Read More

I’ll drink to that – after nearly six months being shuttered, the mainstage at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse will again spring to life on Sept. 9, with the opening of the sprightly, saucy Southern comedy, “Savannah Sipping Society.” “What a thrill it is to be able to welcome our guests back to the theatre, for the first time since March 14,” owner/producer Denny Hitchcock said this week. “During the five months we’ve been closed, many of our guests have contacted us to be sure we are OK and will be able to open again. It’s been very heartwarming, and we are all so thankful... Read More

Circa ’21 is ready to get back to entertaining you, and the theater’s 44th season is filled with the laughs, the music, and the family moments we’ve all missed so much this crazy year! In 2021, the Circa ’21 will offer six amazing mainstage shows — four have never been on the Circa ’21 stage, one is being revived from their 19th season, and one the theater’s been trying to produce since the shutdown in March! Plus, there will be three delightful children’s shows and numerous concerts, including the Bootlegger Show in August 2021! There is something... Read More

As Circa ’21 awaits word from the Illinois Governor’s office on when it can reopen, the theater is not sitting back and waiting!  Circa ’21 is set to debut three new shows in the secondary theater, The Speakeasy. Tickets for all three shows must be reserved online at thecirca21speakeasy.com or circa21.com.  Phone reservations are not accepted for the shows.  The theater requires the use of face coverings to all shows and will be taking everyone’s temperature upon arrival. Because of COVID, seating capacity is limited to 50 people per show so reserve early! Since COVID... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island, will remain closed until this fall, since it can’t financially absorb losses due to the latest Illinois reopening guidelines, owner/producer Denny Hitchcock announced Wednesday. On Friday, June 26, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the new guidelines for indoor theaters would allow for reopening at a 50-percent capacity, or 50 guests, whichever is lesser. “In working with several state officials over the previous weeks, we had been very optimistic that the Phase 4 guidelines for the state of Illinois would put our dinner theatre in the same... Read More