The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's current production is The Bikinis, which is subtitled A New Musical Beach Party, and I attended Thursday's preview night. The musical part is enjoyable; the four singers and four-member band perform admirably. However, I'd personally subtitle the rest of the show When Bad Scripts Happen to Good People.

With its source material named "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years" by the Children's Literature Association, the stage version of E.B. White's beloved Charlotte's Web enjoys a July 19 through 28 run at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre, this adaptation by playwright Joseph Robinette praised by the Chicago Tribune as a theatre piece that "manages to hit the emotional and humorous high points of the original."

Praised by Broadway World as "a nostalgic and enormously entertaining musical revue," the peppy and winning stage treat The Marvelous Wonderettes closes the 2024 summer season at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, the show's July 25 through August 4 run treating audiences to delightful renditions of 1950s and '60s pop classics including "Lollipop," "Dream Lover," "It's My Party," and "It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)."

Mischa: All the newsies together are the true stars of the show – they filled the stage with enthusiasm and energy. So much youthful animation. And so much great ensemble singing!

Kitty: Absolutely. I think some people are hesitant to attend shows that feature a lot of young actors, but this group never comes across as inexperienced. Honestly, they were a highlight for me.