A tale as old as time will be given a magical new stage presentation when the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center unveils the classic story of Beauty & the Beast on April 21, with the gifted members of the Panto Company USA bringing the beloved musical to life with flawless comic banter and lavish dance routines.

In an April 20 program in which she will share her family history and how that history became the basis for her new book, the Quad Cities' esteemed poet, actor, and performance artist Shellie Moore Guy will take part in a special local-author visit at the Rock Island Public Library's Watts-Midtown Branch, treating family audiences to the saga behind her new release The Family Tree.

In a performance showcasing the culture of the Tsimshian Tribe from Metlakatla, Alaska, the Git Hoan Dancers' remarkable stage spectacle People of the Salmon, Tsimshian - Representing Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest comes to the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center on April 19, the ensemble boasting a reputation of high-energy, enthusiastic, and spirit-filled entertainment that thrills and educates thousands of audiences on the rich culture of Tsimshian people throughout the world.

New works by a pair of gifted Iowa artisans will be decorating the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery from April 24 through July 1, with thoughtful and arresting pieces in the Schafer & Rocca exhibit showcasing the talents of oil painter John Paul Schafer of Cedar Rapids and wall-sculpture artist Kimberlee Rocca of Solon.

On April 25, guests of Davenport's Figge Art Museum are invited to enjoy an early "Last Chance" exhibition tour for the venue's popular Peter Xiao: A Room That One Is In (And All Things In It), an installation of arresting paintings by our area's beloved, longtime Augustana College Professor of Art and the college's Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts.

A wonderfully funny and moving solo performance designed to make audiences question how preconceived notions about disability can blur the truth, writer/actor Aaron Pang's autobiographical Herein Lies the Truth enjoys its world-premiere staging at Iowa City's Riverside Theatre April 18 through 28, its author a University of Iowa MFA nonfiction candidate who will relate the story of how an accident changed the trajectory of his life.

Two legendary rock outfits will share one Moline stage on April 13 with the eagerly awaited arrival of "The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour," which will deliver an unforgettable night of classic hits by two bands enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top.

His professional accolades including five GMA Dove Awards, two of them earned as "Male Vocalist of the Year," Nashville-based contemporary-Christian musician and singer/songwriter Brandon Heath headlines an April 18 concert event at Davenport's Capitol Theatre, the artist's credits including the chart-topping Leaving Eden and the top-five smashes What If We, Blue Mountain, and No Turning Back.

Lauded by the Chicago Reader as a talent who "makes meaningful, seamless connections, rigorously integrating disparate styles so they make musical sense," award winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Wanees Zarour will perform three area concerts as the latest guest in Quad City Arts' Visiting Artist series, his styles praised for transcending borders and drawing from traditions spanning the entire globe.

Performing locally not long after the musical biography Bob Marley: One Love became a box-office smash, the Legendary Wailers featuring Junior Marvin headline an April 13 concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, the outfit's bandleader the Jamaican-born guitarist and singer who was invited to join Bob Marley & the Wailers a full 47 years ago.

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