The new Bettendorf-based Double Threat Studios will debut its first production, “James and the Giant Peach Jr,” this weekend in three performances at Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Ave., Moline. “We have been lucky enough to be able to work with several local theaters to help support through the pandemic,” Double Threat co-owner Megan Warren said this week. The cast features 13 3rd-8th graders performing the full production – and students come from Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, and Rock Island. The show is based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name featuring essentially... Read More

Due to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker relaxing Covid-19 restrictions for indoor theaters, Quad City Music Guild will return to in-person audiences for its musicals starting in July with “Mamma Mia!” In its online Covid update at www.qcmusicguild.com, the Moline-based nonprofit theater said that “Mamma Mia” and “Matilda” will return to the Prospect Park theater (1584 34th Ave.) as scheduled for July and August. The state of Illinois is allowing indoor theaters with over 200 seats to have 25-percent capacity audiences, meaning a maximum of 133 people per performance at Music Guild. Theaters... Read More

Eighteen months after staging their last full production, Quad City Music Guild will return in June, to perform a filmed version of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” with no in-person audience, to be streamed online three times. Originally scheduled for June 2020 (and postponed with the entire season due to Covid), the original Music Guild cast and crew will return to record the fully-staged version, and stream it June 11-12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. and June 13 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are yet to be determined; Guild already had sold over 500 tickets for last June’s show, including many season-ticket... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a comprehensive weekly feature looking at a trend, personality, or major subject involving the Quad-Cities arts and entertainment scene. Many Quad City Music Guild (QCMG) board members haven’t acted on stage in more than a year, but they have been acting in the best interests of the community as they navigate the scary plot twists of a treacherous Covid landscape. Due to ongoing Covid safety protocols and continuing limitations on audience size, the QCMG board announced last month it would cancel the rescheduled April 2021 show. “The Secret Garden” was two weeks away... Read More

On Friday, Feb. 5, the Geneseo-based Richmond Hill Players announced it will temporarily suspend the 2021 season due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “We will continue to monitor the situation, and when it is safe to return to our theater, we will make a final determination on the 2021 season,” RHP president Jonathan Grafft posted on the theater’s Facebook page and website,  www.rhplayers.com. The theater – which began in 1968 in the top level of an old dairy barn – had scheduled “Becky’s New Car” for the first 2020 show that April, and canceled its entire 2020 season due to the... Read More

Though a story of redemption, new life, and surviving an infectious pandemic would have made an ideal return this spring, Quad City Music Guild for the second time on Tuesday announced it would again cancel a planned production of the beloved musical, “The Secret Garden.” While the board of directors informed the original 2020 cast and crew last month that it decided to scrap live performances at Prospect Park Auditorium, Moline, it waited to publicly announce until after its January board meeting Tuesday night. Due to ongoing Covid safety protocols and continuing limitations on audience size,... Read More

Due to ongoing Covid safety protocols and continuing limitations on audience size, the Quad City Music Guild board announced Tuesday it is again canceling the planned Spring 2021 show, “The Secret Garden,” which was originally postponed from last spring. “While these decisions remain difficult, we know how important it is to keep the safety of our participants, patrons, and community at the forefront of everything we do,” Music Guild said Tuesday night on Facebook. They have elected to replace The Secret Garden with a streamed performance, On With the Show: A QCMG Cabaret.... Read More

Starting a new business is always a risky, challenging proposition. Starting one during a pandemic and a holiday season adds another level of worry. But best friends Steph DeLacy and Megan Warren are fearless and super enthused. Seven months after launching their weekly “Double Threat” podcast about musical theater, DeLacy (a 33-year-old choreographer/dance teacher) and Warren (a 26-year-old music director/vocal coach) are extending their brand to the new Double Threat Studios. The performing arts studio at 882 Middle Rd., Duck Creek Plaza, in Bettendorf, will open in early January, aiming... Read More

Seven months after launching their weekly “Double Threat” podcast about musical theater, choreographer/dance teacher Steph DeLacy and music director/vocal coach Megan Warren are extending their brand to the new Double Threat Studios. The performing arts studio at 882 Middle Rd., Duck Creek Plaza, in Bettendorf, will open in January, aiming to provide high-quality, comprehensive musical theater instruction for young performers in grades 3rd-12th. “We aim to encourage boldness, confidence, creativity, and community through performance,” the women posted Friday morning on Facebook. “Our... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a weekly look at a personality, place, trend or topic of interest to the Quad-Cities. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for fun, free, local entertainment and features, QuadCities.com. If there was any doubt that Steph DeLacy and Megan Warren freaking love musical theater, just listen to one episode of their passionate, dishy “Double Threat: The Podcast.” You can immediately tell that DeLacy (a 33-year-old choreographer) and Warren (a 26-year-old vocal coach and music director) are best buds; have a sweeping, deep knowledge of Broadway history, and definite... Read More