Mark McGinn’s love of the theater is literally in his blood. His father Jack (who died in 2000) started performing at Quad City Music Guild in Moline within two years of its founding in 1949, and was in dozens of shows. Mark, a 67-year-old Bettendorf resident, started with Guild at Prospect Park in 1972, playing clarinet for “Fiddler on the Roof,” and his first stage role was in 1976’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” (as one of the apostles). McGinn has since been involved in more than 70 other shows (including last summer as John Wilkes Booth in Black Box’s “Assassins” in Moline), mostly... Read More

Even though it’s been closed nearly three months, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse got a pretty great 43rd birthday present Thursday, June 11. Within a day of announcing it, the theater sold out all tables (totaling about 140 people) for its unique “Music on the Marquee” cabaret on Sunday, June 21. “The public is hungry to see activity in the arts,” Ron May, music director of Circa’s not-yet-produced “Saturday Night Fever,” said Thursday – which also happens to be the 43rd anniversary of his marriage to wife Cindy. Ironically, they wed (at Davenport’s Trinity Cathedral) the same... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is hoping to re-open in July, with fingers crossed that all goes well with the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. Owner Denny Hitchcock has issued a statement on the current state and future of the revered local entertainment venue. Released on Facebook tonight, it reads as follows: To Our Dear Guests, I hope this finds you doing well and remaining safe. Since a few weeks have passed since you’ve heard from us, I wanted to touch base and let you know what’s been happening – unfortunately not too much. We still have no one working in the offices and the phones are... Read More

Rock Island’s Circa ’21 Dinner Theater has been hit hard by the covid-19 closures, but is looking forward to opening and is working diligently to make sure that when they do open, they’ll be providing the best and safest environment for their customers. To that direction, owner Denny Hitchcock released a letter to patrons of the venerable entertainment spot today. The missive addressed a number of questions and concerns of patrons. The letter read as follows: Dear Circa ’21 Valued Guests, I hope this email continues to find you safe & healthy. Although we still do not have... Read More

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” His voice, usually brash and loud, is quiet and cracked. “I mean, I’m depressed. Obviously, it sucks, because the money is a big thing. It’s not just me playing out. My wife is a waitress and bartender, and I’m a bartender a couple nights a week. That’s just extra. But we need it.” They have a couple of kids. They have five jobs between them. Or, well, they used to. Now they have one. His. His “day job,” he used to call it. Now it’s their only lifeline to an income that was way too small for them all to live on, but which now has to... Read More

“Hey, have you ever heard the one . . .” And that’s how it would usually begin. With a mischievous grin, a conspiratorial wink, and then that little aside, voiced down as if imparting some ribald secret, which, let’s face it, he usually was. That’s how Ed “Jonesy” Jones would greet me pretty much every time I walked in to Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in downtown Rock Island. Jonesy shuffled off to that spotlight in the sky on Tuesday, at age 92. He’d been retired from Circa for a few years, since 2014, although he was sorely missed. Jonesy was always one of my favorite elements... Read More

Kinky Boots Through March 14 Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, 1726 3rd Ave., Rock Island (309) 786-7733, ext. 2 www.circa21.com   We’re barely past two weeks into 2020 and already we’ve got a strong contender for best show of the year. Circa ‘21’s “Kinky Boots” is indeed that good, a fantastic staging of a fabulous show, featuring a number of touching, buoyant moments, wonderful performances and terrific material. It’s such a magical, uplifting evening of entertainment, one of pure joy and spirit, with a positive message that doesn’t feel preachy, but rather, common sense. Wonderfully... Read More

Circa ‘21’s “Elf” is a cute, fun holiday concoction, and was eaten up and greeted with smiles like Christmas cookies the night I saw it. With a fun live take on the blockbuster holiday film, a fantastic cast, wonderful sets and costumes and a terrific star giving it the perfect tone of goofiness and levity, it’s excellent holiday fare. There are flaws to the show, to be sure, but “Elf” is like winter’s first snowflake – you greet it with a smile, it reminds you of Christmas cheer, and you don’t want to put too much thought into it or it’ll ruin the moment. Sure, there are... Read More

The King is returning to the building. Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island is pleased to welcome back Robert Shaw and the Lonely Street Band in HOW GREAT THOU ART – THE GOSPEL MUSIC OF ELVIS PRESLEY for two performances on October 3. Door times for the October 3 evening performance are 5:45, buffet from 6 to 7 and concert at 7:15 p.m. Tickets for the evening show are $54.60. Doors open for the matinee performance at 11:45, with a plated lunch from 12 to 12:45 and concert at 1 p.m. Tickets for the matinee performances are $48.83 per person. Tickets for either show may be purchased... Read More

What does Circa ’21 have in common with Lil John? They both love to make it “rain!” For the final production in the theatre’s spectacular 2019 season, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse closes its 42nd year with the eagerly awaited return of a musical-comedy classic: the Tony Award-nominated SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN. Running through Nov. 2, this funny, romantic, endlessly charming adaptation of Hollywood’s iconic movie musical boasts marvelously memorable songs, unforgettable characters and is being brought to life by a splendid team of returning and debuting professional... Read More