A group of dedicated student dancers will bring their talents to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on December 19 and 20 when Monmouth, Illinois' Dancer's Studio presents two performances of The Nutcracker, the timeless holiday ballet by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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With the December 21 event designed to inspire holiday cheer and nostalgia through the crooning of classics including "O Tannenbaum" and "Stille Nacht," guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to join the fun of the German Holiday Sing-Along, a celebration of beloved compositions presented in the final "Kaffee und Kuchen" program of 2025.
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When Danielle Colby and other local women strut, create character, and gradually remove items of their costumes in on-stage routines at the Ecdysiast Arts Museum, they not only bare their bodies, but their souls, personalities, dreams, and desires – and have great fun in the process.
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Through January 4, guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to explore themes of nostalgia, community, nature, and perspective in the wonderful collection The Prints of David & Sarojini Johnson.
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Enabling visitors to explore the remarkable ways in which animals across 500 million years have adapted armor for survival, and how these adaptations continue to inspire human innovation, the traveling exhibition Animal Armor takes residence in Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center through February 15, the fascinating exhibit exploring the evolutionary battle between protection and predation.
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The Fertilizer Institutes Heralding MAHA's Second Report Brings Attention to Biostimulants That Grateful Graze and Soil Saviors Also Advocate
What if the ubiquitous dandelion plant was not a weed to be destroyed as a pest to the soil it emerges in, but rather a natural, resilient and restorative plant with many soil and human health benefits? What if the dandelion is an abundant plant we should embrace as a soil health monitor and recovery system? What if the dandelion was only one example of many natural or chemical free practices few land owners use to maintain healthy soil?
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In the days after the horrific burning of a woman on a CTA train, allegedly by a clearly deranged habitual criminal suspect last month, some in the news media immediately focused on their go-to issue: The Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today, or SAFE-T Act. “Illinois leaders blast SAFE-T Act after repeat offender charged with lighting woman on fire on CTA Blue Line,” reported WGN, as just one example. Former Cook County and federal prosecutor Bob Milan told the station: “The SAFE-T Act forces state attorneys to file petitions instead of just giving judges the discretion [to detain arrested suspects].”
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Congress’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed last summer, could prove to be far more damaging to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Illinois than most people know. A SNAP “death penalty” is built into the budget reconciliation law.
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You likely already know that U.S. Representative Jesus “Chuy” García, D-Chicago, dropped out of his re-election race in a way that essentially handed his seat to his top aide. García said his doctor advised him not to run again because of his heart condition, as did his spouse, who has multiple sclerosis that didn’t respond to her most recent treatment. And he and his wife had just adopted a grandchild after the death of his daughter. Amid all that, García said he decided the Friday before the Monday petition-filing deadline to drop out. And he decided the same day to back his chief of staff, Patty García, to replace him on the ballot.
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House Democratic legislators received a stern lecture during the second week of veto session about leaks from their private party caucus meetings. During the first week of veto session in October, I posted a photo on my blog of a caucus PowerPoint presentation showing the range of revenue ideas under consideration in the House to fund mass transit ... while the caucus was still meeting. That apparently caused quite a stir.
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Inspired by the Oscar-winning Robin Williams smash and hailed by the Hollywood Reporter as “a feel-good, family-friendly comedy that delivers,” the musical version of Mrs. Doubtfire brings its national tour to Davenport's Adler Theatre on December 17, its beloved faux Scottish nanny stealing laughs and hearts in a production the Chicago Tribune called “the lovable, big-hearted musical comedy we need right now.”
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M: It was an unmitigated pleasure to watch Sydney Richardson portray this part. She exuded the perfect mix of Midwestern charm and knowing experience to make it really come to life.
Kitty: Oh, absolutely. This show’s brisk run time of just over an hour could easily feel much longer if the script slipped into a singsong lull. But Richardson handles the verse like a pro.
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Harry and Marv. The Grinch. Mr. Potter. Hans Gruber. All of the other reindeer. There is no shortage of Christmas villains, and most are memorable. Yet after seeing Friday’s performance of Santa Claus: The Musical at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, I’m ready to add the name Henchy to the list.
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It’s a long-running joke at our house that I get Irving Berlin’s Christmas-y shows confused, as both feature his music and plots about saving a small-town lodging facility from financial dire straits. So to be clear: The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse is not currently staging Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, but rather Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher. And if you’re in the mood for a little holiday fun, you will not be disappointed.
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Updated: Monday, November 24
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On December 18, guests at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center are gonna party like it's (the year after) 1999 with the eagerly awaited arrival of the POP 2000 TOUR, a night of exhilarating pop hits and familiar faces boasting the talents of *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, and LFO.
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Touring in support of their fall release Ready to Roll that inspired Faster & Louder's reviewer to call it "one of the best pop-punk albums I've heard in recent years," the Wyoming-based Teenage Bottlerocket, originated by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle, headlines a December 18 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Punk Rock Theory saying of their latest, "The album has new wave sounds, Ramones-y elements, and a great sound with impeccable pacing."
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A thrilling seasonal performance that blends the beauty of traditional carols with high-octane rock anthems, cinematic classical re-imaginings, and heartwarming favorites, the Blue Violin Candlelight Christmas Extravaganza returns to the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center for the third straight year, the musician's December 18 engagement delivering a one-of-a-kind holiday concert experience that's bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever before.
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A dazzling tribute show that blends the biggest hits from every era with the joy and sparkle of the holiday season, the yuletide stage spectacular Christmas in Taylorville lands at Davenport's Capitol Theatre on December 19, delivering breathtaking visuals, special effects, and holiday surprises that bring the season to life for families, die-hard Taylor Swift fans, and music lovers of all ages.
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Returning to Moline with four performances of three spectacular presentations, the live, multi-sensory musical experience known as the Candlelight Concerts series enjoys its latest Quad Cities engagements at the city's First Congregational Church, the December 19 and 20 events boasting Christmas Special featuring "The Nutcracker" and More on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Tribute to Adele on Friday at 8:30 p.m., and Christmas Classics on Saturday and 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
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James L. Brooks' first feature since 2010's How Do You Know isn't the worst picture of 2025. It's quite possibly the strangest, though, and suggests that not only has Brooks not made a film in 15 years, but perhaps hasn't seen a film in 15 years.
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Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too. Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again
Thursday, December 11: Discussion of Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Merrily We Roll Along, Fackham Hall, and Five Nights at Freddy's 2, previews of Ella McCay and (maybe?) Silent Night, Deadly Night, and thoughts on what Netflix's potential acquisition of Warner Bros. might mean for the motion-picture industry. The outlook ain't rosy.
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Although the film is anchored by a ferocious Jessie Buckley and a frequently moving Paul Mescal, it might be impossible, after seeing director/co-writer Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, to reflect on the movie without the face of its titular portrayer coming instantly to mind, and potentially making you well up all over again.
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With the independent film's “Roadshow Tour” making its first stop in Davenport, the mystery-drama Jury of Her Peers enjoys a special screening at the Last Picture House on December 16, writer/director William Rock's true-crime feature adapted from a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning native Iowan Susan Glaspell.
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Now playing at area theaters.
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An arresting exhibition of sculptural works is on display at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Gallery through December 17, with Nature's Faces: Crow Haven Ceramics and Mississippi Mud Studios treating visitors to the talents of Dean Wellman and Denise McCullough, as well as Mississippi Mud Studios' Gary Carstens.
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For the Davenport's final new exhibition of 2025, the Figge Art Museum will be taking an up-close-and-personal look at some of its most arresting in-house works in A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection, a celebration of the medium on display in the Lewis Gallery from dacember 20 through June 21.
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An arresting exhibition designed to capture the sensation of the memory of a place – its mood, its texture, its atmosphere – through imagery and abstraction, Kristin Quinn: Luminous Flux Paintings from the Watershed enjoys a showcase through December 28 in the Gildehaus Gallery of Davenport's Figge Art Museum.
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A dazzling, visually rich celebration of fascinating felines and the artists who love them, Cats! (the exhibit, not the musical) can be viewed in the third-floor gallery of Davenport's Figge Art Museum through January 4, this rich showcase inspired by our four-legged friends boasting works from both the museum's collection and on loan, and on display through the aid of contributing sponsors Carrie Kimple and Sue Quail.
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From now through January 4, masterworks on loan from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be presented throughout the Figge’s Art Museum's permanent collection galleries, with the exhibition Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network dedicated to bringing American art out of museum vaults and placing it on view in communities across the United States.
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