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Quad Cities USA - Guide to Davenport & Bettendorf Iowa and Rock Island & Moline Illinois
 

Spotlight Theatre Continues to Shine With New Programs

September 22nd, 2020
Spotlight Theatre Continues to Shine With New Programs

While the two-year-old Spotlight Theatre, 1800 7th Ave., Moline, continues to be closed to big productions during Covid, it also continues to shine a light on creative alternative programming. “As theaters and playhouses continue to close permanently around the country, we are determined to continue to provide new and innovative entertainment for you and remain present in our community,” the Spotlight said in a recent e-mail, announcing a new jazz lounge Thursday and film showing Friday. “In order for us to do that, it will also take a community dedicated to saving the arts in our rich and... Read More

Moline’s Spotlight Theatre Continues to Get Creative in Offerings

September 1st, 2020
Moline's Spotlight Theatre Continues to Get Creative in Offerings

Brent Tubbs is a seriously talented improv comedy veteran. A graduate of The Second City Conservatory in Los Angeles, he was a member of multiple improv and sketch comedy groups throughout L.A., has done improv in the Quad-Cities and was a member of Reduced Shakespeare Company, performing around the world. So needless to say, Brent and his seriously talented wife Sara (a musical theater veteran) know how to improvise and get creative. The co-owners of The Spotlight Theatre, 1800n 7th Ave., Moline, continue to come up with ways to entertain, enlighten and educate the Quad-Cities community – even... Read More

Moline’s Spotlight Theatre Cancels The Rest of Their Musicals for 2020

July 9th, 2020
Moline’s Spotlight Theatre Cancels The Rest of Their Musicals for 2020

“The Wedding Singer” this past February was the last musical at the Spotlight Theatre, 1800 7th Ave., Moline. Because the Illinois phase 4 reopening guidelines limit indoor theaters to a maximum of 50 patrons, the young theater can’t present any more musicals this year, as it plans to reschedule the rest of its 2020 season for 2021. “We had in our minds, our big hope that it was going to be 50-percent capacity,” co-owner Brent Tubbs said Wednesday of the state announcement June 26. “That was just like a punch to the gut.” As Circa ’21 recently announced that it would remain closed... Read More

Quad-Cities Theaters Take Different Approaches To Re-Opening

June 29th, 2020
Quad-Cities Theaters Take Different Approaches To Re-Opening

During this unprecedented, scary time of Covid-19, it seems apropos that the first indoor live theater in the Quad-Cities since the shutdown will be the spooky ghost story, “The Turn of the Screw,” next month at Moline’s Black Box Theatre. The 60-seat theater (1623 5th Ave.) will open at half capacity on July 16 and close the 19th. “It is a short run,” said director Lora Adams, “but the set was almost completed and the actors’ schedules have changed since March, so we are only able to do the four-day weekend.” Actor Matt Walsh and Kayla Jo Pulliam will bring the creepy tale to life... Read More

Quad-Cities Performers Reflect on What Missing Audiences Means

June 11th, 2020
Quad-Cities Performers Reflect on What Missing Audiences Means

What a difference a year makes… On June 11, 2019, I was lucky enough to be among the 11,000 or so packed into Moline’s TaxSlayer Center (11th row center on the floor) to witness the first (and possibly last) performance of Sir Paul McCartney and his band in the Quad-Cities. It was an electrifying, unforgettable night – not least of which was due to the jaw-dropping lighting and multimedia displays, including a breathtaking pyrotechnic extravaganza during “Live and Let Die.” Part of what made it so thrilling was simply being in “the room where it happened,” celebrating a musical legend... Read More

Moline’s Spotlight Theatre Hosting Online QnA With Noah Brody

May 7th, 2020
Moline's Spotlight Theatre Hosting Online QnA With Noah Brody

Moline’s Spotlight Theatre is continuing their online series of interviews with interesting theatrical artists with a conversation with Noah Brody at 2 p.m. Friday on the Spotlight Facebook page. CST Producing Director Brent Tubbs sits down (virtually) with Noah Brody, an actor, director, writer and teacher. He is a co-artistic director and head of producing for Fiasco Theater in New York City. Noah has co-directed Fiasco’s productions of Into the Woods, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night and Cymbeline, which received the 2012 Off Broadway Award for best revival. He also won the 2019... Read More

Moline’s Jason Platt Talks About His Literary ‘Misadventures’

April 28th, 2020
Moline's Jason Platt Talks About His Literary 'Misadventures'

Jason Platt is a man who wears many hats, and he talked about those various artistic chapeaus as well as his latest book about a certain hat, “Operation Hat Heist,” with Spotlight Theater’s Brent Tubbs for Spotlight Live Q&A this past Monday, Apr 27. Jason, a middle grade graphic novelist, is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (in Savannah GA). He was accepted into the National Cartoonists Society in May 2015, and his first graphic novel, Middle School Misadventures, made national recommendations. His second novel, Middle School Misadventures: Operation Hat... Read More

Quad-Cities Groups Find Ways To Educate, Entertain Online

April 21st, 2020

As many musical artists and other performers are sharing their talents online during the coronavirus crisis, some Q-C music and theater groups are also finding new ways to be creative. The Spotlight Theatre in Moline was to open its latest musical, “Oliver,” last weekend. But during the closing, co-owners Brent and Sara Tubbs have used some of the time to record video interviews with friends and colleagues who’ve gone onto big things. Since late March, the husband-and-wife team have individually done six Facebook Live talks (inviting visitors to post questions), including actors who have... Read More

Coronavirus Crisis Claims More Theatrical Victims

April 17th, 2020
Coronavirus Crisis Claims More Theatrical Victims

Theaters in the Quad-Cities and nationwide are canceling spring and summer shows, due to Covid-19. The latest response to the global pandemic is the Augustana College-based Mississippi Bend Players (MBP), which is shelving its 2020 season. Jackie McCall is in her first year as MBP producing artistic director, and this was to be the fourth season for the professional summer-stock company. It planned to start rehearsals for Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound” June 7, with performances June 19-28 at Brunner Theatre Center, Rock Island. “When we just looked at ahead at what could happen,... Read More

Moline Spotlight Theater Putting The Spotlight On Live Chat With Hal Lublin

March 26th, 2020
Moline Spotlight Theater Putting The Spotlight On Live Chat With Hal Lublin

Spotlight Theater is putting the spotlight on actor/comedian Hal Lublin for an online chat 1:30 p.m. Friday. Producing Director Brent Tubbs sits down (on the internet) with Actor/ Comedian Hal Lublin for an hour-long conversation. One of the hosts of “Good Morning Night Vale”, “We Got This with Mark and Hal” and “Tights and Fights” on the Maximum Fun Network, Hal Lublin is an accomplished actor and improviser. Best known for his work as one of the core WorkJuice players in “The Thrilling Adventure Hour” and Steve Carlsberg on “Welcome to Night... Read More