Patrick Green and Jill Schwartz rehearse Love Stories featuring Romeo & JulietDance

Love Stories featuring Romeo & Juliet

Scottish Rite Cathedral

Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.

 

Ballet Quad Cities' latest presentation in the company's annual Love Stories series - being staged February 27 and 28 at Moline's Scottish Rite Cathedral - is officially titled Love Stories featuring Romeo & Juliet. As love stories go, that's an awfully powerful one. It's also a pretty depressing one, considering that Romeo and Juliet, in the end, both die.

Of course, you know that. And Ballet Quad Cities' Courtney Lyon knows you know that. And that's why choreographer and BQC Artistic Director Lyon chose to do something unusual in her particular take on Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers: "I put the end of the ballet first."

Adapted from what she describes as Prokofiev's "massive and epic" ballet that lasts a full four acts, Love Stories featuring Romeo & Juliet will run a far less intimidating 70 minutes with intermission. Beyond merely being shorter, however, Lyon says this condensed version - one featuring all-new choreography - also allowed her to "be creative in how I wanted to tell the story. I didn't feel like I had to have Shakespeare holding my hand."

The production's uniqueness begins with Lyon's decision to open at the Bard's climax. "I knew the audience would be sitting there looking at Romeo and Juliet and thinking, 'Oh no, those two are going to die and they have no idea,'" says Lyon. "The audience has more knowledge than the people on-stage. So I thought that starting at the end would be a neat way to connect with them, letting them know, 'We know you're smart and you know what's gonna happen.' And that, I think, leads to you having a different take on the story - thinking about Romeo and Juliet in the afterlife, being together forever."

And as this Love Stories continues, so do the story's variations on both its Shakespeare and Prokofiev forebears. For one thing, says Lyon, "I have three main characters and that's it. I have Romeo, and I have Juliet, and I have the role of Fate," a newly imagined character being danced by longtime BQC favorite (and the choreographer's husband) Jacob Lyon. With the rest of the company enacting other real and fantasy figures in Romeo's and Juliet's world, Fate, says Courtney, "also knows what's going to happen. And feels as sympathetic and emotionally attached as, hopefully, the audience does. 'Poor Juliet is so happy right now - she has no idea what's coming.'"

Yet with BQC veterans Patrick Green and Jill Schwartz enacting its leads, Lyon says that the whole presentation is designed so "the audience will be surprised by what they see. There are parts of the ballet that actually go backward - the dancers move backward through their material in a way that shows time going backward. I have a group of women who show up periodically throughout the ballet and have kind of an angelic quality, and your perception of who they are and what they're doing keeps changing.

"I mean, I've seen the ballet several times all the way through," she continues, "and I'm able to look at it from a different angle every time." But don't fret, Romeo & Juliet purists, because not everything you love has been altered.

"Of course I have fight scenes," says Lyon with a laugh. "Really meaty fight scenes!"

For information on, and tickets to, Ballet Quad Cities' Love Stories featuring Romeo & Juliet, call (309)786-3779 or visit BalletQuadCities.com.

 

 

Kristin DiableMusic

Daytrotter/Communion Club Night

Rozz-Tox

Friday, February 20, 7:30 p.m.

 

On February 20, Rock Island's Rozz-Tox hosts another group of gifted artists in the area's latest Daytrotter/Communion Club Night, and included on the bill is the Nashville-based folk duo Field Division. On the pair's Web site, however, musicians Evelyn Taylor and Nicholas Frampton credit much of their haunting and ethereal sound to their Midwestern roots, with Taylor saying, "Our music is grounded in the peace that comes from growing up in Iowa ... . It's a humble sort of beauty which influences our sound in such an expansive way." So clearly, Taylor and Frampton didn't grow up anywhere near the I-74 bridge during rush hour.

Des Moines was actually where Field Division's talents, in their youth, called home. But given the international acclaim Taylor and Frampton have received for their rich, relaxed compositions - particularly in the wake of their 2014 EP debut Reverie State - it's likely that the singers/songwriters feel at home wherever they appear. Portugal's Music & Riots Magazine, for instance, praises the "breezy-dreamy indie folk" performers' ability to deliver "a sound that transcends the restless and abstracted spirit." And the UK music blog ThisIsTruLuv.com writes that Field Division's "blissful music runs high on soulful harmonies and rapturous textures, occupying the gulf between the likes of Feist, Bon Iver, Other Lives, and Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac."

Joining Taylor and Frampton on February 20's Club Night lineup is another artist who can relate to the appeal of the Midwest: singer/songwriter Mo Carter, a St. Louis native who now calls Davenport home, and who has emerged as one of the most popular and frequently booked artists on the Quad Cities music scene. Also a member of the area's all-female folk-rock ensemble Busted Chandeliers, Carter draws inspiration from such influences as Patti Griffin and KT Tunstall, and has routinely knocked out crowds at the River Music Experience, the Broken Saddle Saloon, and numerous outdoor festivals. Her repertoire, meanwhile, includes memorable acoustic anthems such as "Crumbled," "Little Ditty," and "I Don't Love You" - that latter one rather ironically titled considered how much Carter's audiences love her.

And wrapping up Daytrotter Communion's latest assemblage of spectacular musicians is Baton Rouge native Kristin Diable, who, in 2012, was famously offered a long-term contract on NBC's The Voice and turned it down in favor of pursuing her own voice. Given her subsequent years of touring and critical success, plus the plaudits the independent singer/songwriter has amassed for her latest album Create Your Own Mythology - a release that scored her the cover of this month's OffBeat Magazine - it would be hard to argue she made the wrong choice. NPR's Katie Presley has raved, "She can croon, she can holler, she can sing, she can do it all!" New Orleans' Times Picayune, meanwhile, not only writes, "Kristin Diable's voice is a formidable instrument, Dusty Springfield sass couched in Norah Jones seduction," but labels the artist the "biggest thing out of Baton Rouge since rush hour." So if, when she's in the Quad Cities, Diable hits the I-74 around 5 p.m., she's definitely gonna feel at home.

For more information on the artists scheduled for the Daytrotter/Communion Club Night, visit RozzTox.com.

 

 

Mountain SproutMusic

Mountain Sprout

Rock Island Brewing Company

Saturday, February 21, 9 p.m.

 

"So this was a weird one, doc."

"Tell me about it, Mike."

"Well, I guess it don't matter. Just desperate times like any day of the week. But it was after midnight and I was in my '57 Chevy waiting for the strippers. I was late for the show, so before the after-party I was havin' PBR in the car - drunk and high on marijuana, thinkin' about s----ing in the woods."

"Um ... okay ... ."

"And then the police come! They're ridin' my ass and tellin' me to stand up, buckle up ... somethin' up. But even though this was a long time comin', I figure I'm too old for this s---. It's not like I'm the town drunk of these dry counties! Plus, I got habits to feed and I gotta smell the daisies at the whiskey church of the green bud, you know what I mean?"

"Not really. But continue."

"So I tell 'em, 'Give it your best shot!' and drive off to see my hot young honey. But before I get home to the dang girl - that pill-popper tweeker - I flip my Chevy near Crack Rock Mountain. And just when I'm thinkin', 'Where's my beer?', I hear this little bird, this turkey buzzard, say, 'Screw the government and never drink again.' Then I pass out, and wake up starin' into the sun. With a hangover."

"Wow."

"What do you think it means, doc?"

"Well, Mike, considering you've just name-dropped 36 of their songs, I'm guessing your dream was about the raucous bluegrass musicians of Mountain Sprout, who'll be playing the Rock Island Brewing Company on February 21."

"Uh, doc ... ?"

"After all, they're hugely popular touring artists whom music critics love. The Kansas City Star, for instance, says, 'Mountain Sprout gives its mash-up of hillbilly-blues and bluegrass compositions a potent shot of punk attitude,' and the Arkansas Democratic Gazette calls the four-piece 'a potent combination" that performs "funny songs about weed smoking and beer drinking and fight causing with fervor and a sense of believability.' And I'm betting you're writing an article about the band's forthcoming RIBCO concert. Hence - your dream!"

"Yeah, but doc, this wasn't a dream. This happened to me last Saturday night."

" ... "

"Doc?"

"Have you thought about maybe joining the band?"

 

Mountain Sprout performs with an opening set by Frank F. Sidney's Western Bandit Volunteers, and more information is available by visiting RIBCO.com.

 

 

What Else Is Happenin'... ?

 

MUSIC

Friday, February 20 - Pokey LaFarge. Country-blues and jazz musician in concert, with an opening set by Luke Winslow-King. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8:30 p.m. $14-17. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.

Friday, February 20, and Saturday, February 21 - Great River Show Choir Invitational. Middle- and high-school students compete in a fundraising weekend for the show choirs of Davenport Central and West high schools. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). Friday 4:30-9:20 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-10:30 p.m. $5-12. For information, visit RiverCtr.com.

Friday, February 20 - Bucktown Revue. A celebration of Mississippi River Valley folk music, storytelling, poetry, and humor, with emcee Scott Tunnicliff and special guests. Nighswander Theatre (2822 Eastern Avenue, Davenport). 7 p.m. $12 at the door. For information, call (563)940-0508 or visit BucktownRevue.com.

Saturday, February 21 - Maggie Brown. African stories and songs with the Quad City Arts Visiting Artist. Redeemer Lutheran Church (1107 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf). 7 p.m. Donations encouraged. For information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.

Saturday, February 21 - Portland Cello Project. Indie-rock string ensemble in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $17-20. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2013 interview with the band's Doug Jenkins, visit RCReader.com/y/cello.

Sunday, February 22 - Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds. New York-based soul/rock musicians in concert, with an opening set by Larkin Poe. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.

Sunday, February 22 - Ahreum Han Congdon. Performing Arts Series concert with the church's principal organist and artist-in-residence. First Presbyterian Church of Davenport (1702 Iowa Street). 2 p.m. $10-15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1691 or visit FPCDavenport.org.

Sunday, February 22 - Quad City Flute Association Day. Annual event featuring a 1 p.m. meet-and-greet, a 1:30 p.m. concert with Grammy-winning flutist Rhonda Larson, a 2:45 p.m. workshop with Larson, and a 4:30 p.m. playing session. First Congregational Church of Moline (2201 Seventh Avenue, Moline). $8, free for members. For information, visit QCFluteAssociation.com.

Tuesday, February 24 - Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn. Concert with the Grammy-winning banjo musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $35-55. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.

Friday, February 27 - Battle of the Bands: Finals. Final competition between prevailing local musicians who performed 45-minute sets of original music. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.

Friday, February 27 - Brainchild. Funk, rock, and jam musicians in concert, with an opening set by The Low Down. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.

Saturday, February 28 - Nickelback. Rockers in their No Fixed Address North American Tour, with special guests The Pretty Reckless. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 8 p.m. $25-80. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.

Saturday, February 28 - John Michael Montgomery. Chart-topping country musician in concert. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (2021 State Street, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. For information, call (800)843-4753 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.

Saturday, February 28 - Local H. Alternative-rock duo in concert, with opening sets by Satellite Heart and Permasmile. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $12-15. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com. For a 2013 interview with the band's Scott Lucas, visit RCReader.com/y/localh.

Saturday, February 28 - Old Shoe. Five-piece Americana roots rockers in concert, with an opening set by Afternoon Moon. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $9.50-11.50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.

Tuesday, March 3 - Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlesela. Folk and jazz musicians in concert. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $25-35. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.

 

THEATRE

Thursday, February 19 - Any One of Us: Words from Prison. Augustana College students perform a collection of monologues written by incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women in the United States, held in conjunction with Richard Ross' Girls in Justice exhibit. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.

Friday, February 20, through Sunday, February 22 - Glengarry Glen Ross. David's Mamet's Pulizer Prize- and Tony-winning comedy about real-estate swindlers, directed by Corinne Johnson. St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center (2101 Gaines Street, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. $9-13. For tickets and information, call (563)333-6251 or visit SAU.edu/theatre.

Friday, February 20, through Saturday, February 28 - Why Torture Is Wrong & the People Who Love Them. Dreamwell Theatre presents Christopher Durgan's political comedy about America's growing homeland "insecurity," directed by Rachael Lindhart. Unitarian Universalist Society (10 South Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m. $12-17. For tickets and information, call (319)423-9820 or visit Dreamwell.com.

Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28 - Big Rock Candy Mountain. Musical comedy of bluegrass favorites by Tristan Tapscott and Danny White. Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.

Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 8 - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Tony-winning musical comedy about a grade-school bee, directed by Ken Van Egdon. Iowa City Community Theatre (4265 Oak Crest Hill Road, Iowa City). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $10-18. For tickets and information, call (319)338-0443 or visit IowaCityCommunityTheatre.com.

Friday, February 27 - La Maleta. Immigration tale designed for grades two through six, incorporating Spanish and English, in a Hancher Auditorium Visiting Artists presentation. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 6:30 p.m. $5-10. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.

 

DANCE

Thursday, February 26, through Saturday, February 28 - Dancers in Company Home Concert. Choreographed vignettes with UI's touring repertory company. University of Iowa's Space/Place Theatre (20 Davenport Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $5-12. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.uiowa.edu.

 

COMEDY

Saturday, February 28 - Two and a Half Black Men. An evening with touring comedians Xavier Lamont, Bobby Hill, and Jay Washington. The Backroom Comedy Theater (1510 North Harrison Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (309)781-9617 or visit BlacklistComedy.com.

 

EXHIBITS

Saturday, February 21, through Sunday, March 1 - Young Artists at the Figge: Muscatine. Exhibit of works by elementary art students. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.

Wednesday, February 25, through Friday, April 17 - Mary Jones. Exhibit of mixed-media work by the Grand View University professor. St. Ambrose University's Catich Gallery (2101 Gaines Street, Davenport). Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. For information, call (563)333-6444 or visit SAU.edu/catich.

 

EVENTS

Thursday, February 19 - Martini Shake-Off. Annual fundraising competition for the HavLife Memorial Foundation, featuring martini samples from 25 bars and restaurants, appetizers, a silent auction, live music by Identity Crisis, and more. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 5:30 p.m. $50. For tickets and information, visit HavLife.org.

Friday, February through Sunday, February 22 - RV & Camping Show. Annual event featuring new models, vendors, presentations, and more. QCCA Expo Center (2621 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday noon-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5-7. For tickets and information, call (309)788-5912 or visit QCCAExpoCenter.com.

Saturday, February 21, and Sunday, February 22 - Great River Flea Market & Collectibles Show. Event featuring dozens of vendors with unique wares and antiques. Col Ballroom (1012 West Fourth Street, Davenport). 8 a.m.-3 p.m. For information, call (563)322-4431.

Saturday, February 28 - Nursery School 2015: Lessons in Gardening. Local and regional horticulture experts share tips and information on topics including rock gardens, ground covers, raised beds, pruning, beekeeping, canning, and more. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 8 a.m. $45-55. For information, visit web.extension.illinois.edu.

Saturday, February 28 - Big Bacon Bonanza. Bacon-themed event sponsored by Churches United of the Quad City Area, featuring vendors, tastings, music, celebrity judge Danielle Dimovski, and more. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 4-7 p.m. $10-25. For information, visit CUQCA.org.

Saturday, February 28 - QC Hashers Red Dress Run. Fifth-annual event in which male and female racers don red dresses to raise funds for the Hand-in-Hand charity, with multiple stops for games, contests, cold beverages, and more. Shenanigan's (303 West Third Street, Davenport). 1 p.m. start. For information, call (703)909-5088 or visit Facebook.com/QCRedDressRun.

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