Adapted from the literary phenomenon and Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated movie, the musical version of The Bridges of Madison County makes its Quad Cities debut at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse May 23 through July 14 – a rare romantic drama at the venue whose Broadway production was praised by the Associated Press for its “superb, thrilling score,” and by Time Out NY for being “a new work that plays like a classic.”

This past Friday, on a lovely spring night, we had church over at the Black Box Theatre. Powerful, soulful, and believable, the April 27 performance of Crowns: A Gospel Musical was also both entertaining and engaging – a truly spiritual experience that left me with goosebumps and a better understanding of African-American head adornments.

Currently co-starring in the slapstick hit Super Troopers 2 – a movie that earned back its $13.5 million budget in its first three days of release – comedians Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme take the stage at the Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on May 4, treating fans to a night of hilarious reminiscences on their lives, careers, and history as members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe.

With the popularity of television series such as Downton Abbey and The Crown, contemporary audiences have become intrigued by, even addicted to, European aristocracy. I can’t help but think that in comparison to the many works of William Shakespeare, our obsession with binge-worthy TV must be like attending live theatre over 400 years ago. Take, for example, the twisted path of dysfunction, poor leadership, and random acts of stupidity as illustrated in Shakespeare’s tug-of-war tale King John.