Ever wanted to be on stage? Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is holding auditions for the area premiere of “Junie B. Jones, The Musical,” an adaptation of four of Barbara Park’s hugely popular, best-selling children’s books brought to life in a genuinely comical and “not strictly-for-kids” musical. Auditions will be held Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. at the theatre, 1828 3rd Ave, Rock Island. “Junie” is the third different show produced at the Rock Island theatre, based on Barbara Park’s children’s books. Helming the spring children’s musical is director Kim Furness, popular... Read More

Who’s not afraid of seeing “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Well, anyone who fits into that category will want to know that District Theater in Rock Island is presenting the show April 1-16 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2 p.m. at District Theatre in the former Rock Island Argus Building, 1724 4th Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201. Tickets are $20 and you can get them at the theater and at www.districttheatre.com. Directed by Tristan Layne Tapscott, “Woolf” is a “two-fisted thriller,” a tight blend of unforgettable characters and fast-paced comedy. The story centers... Read More

Don’t be sad this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t be sullen, don’t be disappointed you can’t find a good time and some great Irish music, because the Don’t Be Brothers are ready to turn those don’t’s into do’s. The Don’t Be Brothers, an Irish American Folksingers and Merrymakers Band, roll into Circa on Tuesday, March 15.  Tickets are $50.16 per person.  The doors open at 5:45, buffet (with Irish themed options) from 6-7:00 and the concert beginning at 7:15. The Don’t Bes are a couple of old Irish pub singers — Larry Kernagis and Larry Diemer — and three of their musically... Read More

Zipping around the track in a savage ballet, following intuitive patterns as their bodies crash into each other, the women engage, again and again. Muscles sore, sweat dripping from their skin, they push hard, ever forward, a tangle of arms and legs, as through the cacophony, two lithe figures weave between the jigsaw of effort, until they reach an open space, and they sprint, faster, faster, on four wheels driven by long legs, luscious machines of fury. This, is roller derby. This, Quad Cities Rollers Roller Derby, will open its tenth season this weekend with a tough opening bout that welcomes... Read More

Bad dates. Horrible relationships. Awkward moments in online dating. We’ve all been through them, and known others who have as well. Now, Sean Leary and My Verona Productions is offering you the chance to laugh your way through others’ romantic miseries – and on the perfect day to shoot an arrow at Cupid, Valentine’s Day. “Shots 2 The Heart: Terrible Tales of Dating Disasters,” a new, original show, will debut Feb. 14 at Rock Island’s Establishment Theater, 201 19th St., Rock Island. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7. Tickets ($10 in advance, $12 at the door) are available... Read More

At this year’s Super Bowl parties, one of the hottest food items is going to be a “souper bowl.” “What’s really hot this year is multiple soups, with people bringing different soups, one person brings a lobster bisque, another brings a chicken noodle, and so on, and the host provides the bowls and the extras,” said Chef Bradley Scott, Director of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality program at Scott Community College. “That’s one of the most popular trends I’m seeing this year.” At any Super Bowl party, regardless of which team on TV hoists the championship trophy, the real winners... Read More

It’s midnight somewhere on a Wednesday night in a near-empty downtown Rock Island bar and Billy Peiffer is celebrating the induction of Lynn Allen into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having a beer and attempting to talk Spanish to the bartender. “Was that right, was that even close?” he says, as she shrugs and nods. He laughs heartily. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep tryin’, I’ll get it right eventually!” That attitude of dogged perseverance and good humor has been the engine that’s driven the Quad-Cities band since its inception in 1982. The group – then consisting of Peiffer... Read More

Rick Davis has long been known as an improvisational master of many hats and voices, and in his latest one-man show, “ChaRICKatures,” he’ll get the chance to use as many of both as he can in a show that finds the veteran local comedian presenting a show that even Establishment owner Patrick Adamson says is “really performing without a net.” Davis will eschew the usual practice of improvisation with other partners and instead will partner up with the crowd, playing an interesting game of presenting a handful of celebrities he’ll be impersonating and then having the audience suggestions... Read More