Based on the 1943 Vera Caspary novel and the 1944 movie classic that the American Film Institute named one of the 10 best mystery films of all time, Caspary's and George Sklar's stage thriller Laura enjoys a run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre from May 30 through June 9, the play a faithful adaptation of the Oscar-winning entertainment that Roger Ebert's cited in his famed "Great Movies" series.

Hailed by Variety as a slapstick in which "the audience almost never stops laughing," with "handkerchiefs wiping away tears of merriment," Larry Shue's screwball stage classic The Nerd opens the 2024 mainstage theatre season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, its May 30 through June 9 run sure to demonstrate why the Milwaukee Journal raved that "Shue delivers a neatly crafted package that uses some classic comic forms to bring the audience to its knees laughing."

The originator of one of the most indelible and popular sitcom characters of all time, the “Dy-no-mite!” Jimmie Walker of the 1970s classic Good Times brings his nationally touring standup set to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Rhythm Room on May 24, the Golden Globe-nominated comedian/actor's credits also including guests stints on Emmy winners The Larry Sanders Show, Cagney & Lacey, and Scrubs.

Presented by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club and returning to the Village of East Davenport, an eagerly anticipated Memorial Day tradition returns for its 57th year in the Quad Cities Kwik Star Criterium – a May 27 event featuring hundreds of adult and youth cyclists from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participating in a dozen bicycle races, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes awarded throughout the day.

Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the first month-plus of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from May 28 through June 29, will address such topics as local abolitionist freedom fighters, steamboating, birds of prey, infrastructure, and the Quad City River Bandits.

From May 28 through September 15, fascinating stories of struggle, perseverance, tragedy, and triumph will be shared at Davenport's German American Heritage Center in the venue's Immigration Then & Now: Finding Refuge in the Quad Cities, a meaningful, locally themed exhibition presented in partnership with World Relief Quad Cities and supported by the Moline Regional Community Foundation.

What does a hand pointing on a gravestone mean? Does an anchor mean someone was a sailor? On May 26, patrons of Davenport's German American Heritage Museum are invited to learn what the different symbols on gravestones mean during this lively "Kaffee und Kuchen" program Translating Tombstones: Eternal Memorials & Their Meaning, which finds Minda Powers-Douglas explaining common and uncommon symbols and helping participants understand the special language of tombstones.

On May 30, area art lovers are invited to enjoy their "Last Chance" at touring the Figge Art Museum's popular 43rd Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition, with the Davenport venue's exhibit boasting 62 works – paintings, sculptures, installations, and more – by 42 artists living within a 200-mile radius of the Quad Cities.

In collaboration with Augustana College, a world-renowned chef and leader in the field of entomophagy – the eating of insects – will introduce participants to familiar foods augmented by some unfamiliar ingredients on May 11 and 13, when Chef Joseph Yoon presents a tasting event at Rock Islanmd's Nest Cafe on May 11 and a lecture at Augustana College's Gerber Center on May 13.

Alabama, May 19

Members of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum who are also the first-time recipients of the institution's Lifetime Achievement Award, the country- and Southern-rock artists of Alabama headline a May 19 concert at Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK, the group's accomplishments including 40 number-one hit singles on a variety of industry charts and a dozen top-10 albums, including 10 that topped Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

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