One-person and two-person plays seem like the most challenging, thrilling and satisfying productions an actor could ever participate in. The current, mesmerizing show at Richmond Hill Players in Geneseo — the mysterious thriller, “The Woman in Black,” adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill — is one such example. The vast majority of the two-hour […]
Befitting its real-life subjects, The Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline is presenting an electrifying, glowing tribute to two powerful, strong, and pioneering women with the area premiere of the Lauren Gunderson two-hander “The Half-Life of Marie Curie” — starring Jessica White as Marie Curie and Pam Mautz Cantrell as Hertha Ayrton. This is their first show on […]
A powerhouse cast of Circa ’21 veterans and tremendous actors making their Circa debuts delivers a spectacularly moving, inspiring new production, with “Come From Away.” The 2017 Tony-winning musical is based on the true events of Sept. 11, 2001, reflecting the fear, chaos and boundless generosity of that day, when the good people of Gander, […]
There are three brief, key scenes in Circa 21’s new production of “Mary Poppins” where Gillian Weatherford as the proper British nanny floats above the stage, and another when Jordan Thomas Burnett as the impish chimney sweep Bert does even more gravity-defying gymnastics. But these are hardly the only magic moments in this gloriously entertaining […]
Partly because I’m a writer, I love reading director’s notes in theater programs. They give you insight into what you’re about to see, and are helpful especially if you’re not familiar with a show. “The Prom” at Quad City Music Guild is one of the best shows I’ve seen at the Moline theater, for many […]
Ken Ludwig’s website says that he may well be the most performed playwright of his generation, and the prolific comic writer has been frequently been performed in the Quad Cities, most at Playcrafters in Moline, Circa ’21 in Rock Island, and Richmond Hill in Geneseo. He has had six productions on Broadway and eight in […]
I didn’t know much and didn’t really know what to expect going into Circa ’21’s latest show, the political comedy, “The Outsider.” The cast looked good, with Brad Hauskins, Bobby Becher, and a few others I enjoy. And director Dennis Hitchcock has helmed some great shows in the past. But I was unfamiliar with the […]
If you love the music of Queen (as I do), and you love creative and original visual spectacles on stage (I do), and you love so-dumb-it’s-funny humor (ditto), then you’ll love “We Will Rock You,” the Queen jukebox musical playing at Rock Island’s Circa ’21 through March 11. (Call (309) 786-7733, ext. 2 for tickets […]
If you close your eyes during the terrific, open-hearted, snarky musical “Holiday Inn,” now at Music Guild in Moline, there is virtually no way to tell that the incredibly talented, dedicated volunteer performers are singing with cloth masks on. (Precise diction helps and those must be powerful body mics, thank God.) As we approach our […]
