Music
Bill Birdsong Miller
Galvin Fine Art Center
Friday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.
If you're familiar with our calendars of events at RCReader.com, you know that event listings are separated into a number of different categories, among them "Music," "Lectures," "Visual Arts," "Movies," and "Kids' Stuff." Bill Birdsong Miller might be the only visiting artist I've run across whose credits make him a good fit for all of them.
Called "powerful and poetic" by USA Today and "an American treasure" by Billboard magazine, Miller will, on October 22, display his internationally acclaimed musicianship in a concert at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center. With six Native American Music Awards (including a 2007 Lifetime Achievement citation) and three Grammy Awards to his name, the singer/songwriter of Mohican heritage has been a significant force in music for nearly three decades, having released more than a dozen spiritual and folk albums, and having shared stages with such diverse talents as Arlo Guthrie, Tori Amos, and Eddie Vedder.
Yet Miller's musical gifts aren't restricted to vocals, evidenced by his composition of the 2008 symphony The Last Stand, described by Israel's YnetNews as "a powerful, poignant journey."
And Miller's gifts aren't restricted to music. He's also a frequent participant on the lecture circuit - with past engagements including speaking for the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian and the Environmental Protection Agency - and a widely praised visual artist, whose paintings, beginning on October 22, will be on display in Galvin's Morrissey Gallery.
So that's "Music," "Lectures," and "Visual Arts." But what, you may be asking, about "Movies" and "Kids' Stuff"? Well, as it turns out, Miller's also the guy who plays the flute for the Oscar-winning song "Colors of the Wind" in Disney's Pocahontas. You know, there's being a Renaissance Man, and then there's just plain showing off.
For more information on, and tickets to, Miller's St. Ambrose performance, call (563)333-6251 or visit SAU.edu/galvin.
Theatre
August: Osage County
Village Theatre
Friday, October 15, through Sunday, October 24
Amazing as it might seem, the holidays are gradually approaching, which means many of us will soon be spending a lot of time with immediate- and extended-family members, and no doubt complaining about how irritating, rude, and downright dysfunctional they are.
Do yourself a favor before the holidays hit: Catch New Ground Theatre's production of August: Osage County, running at the Village of East Davenport's Village Theatre October 15 through 24. Trust me, after seeing this play, you'll never bitch about your family again.
Winner of five 2008 Tony Awards (including Best Play) and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, author Tracy Letts' three-act, three-plus-hour saga - originally produced at Chicago's esteemed Steppenwolf Theatre - concerns the reunion of a large Oklahoma clan after its family patriarch goes missing. Though I haven't yet seen the work produced, I can tell you that it's the most hysterical, heart-wrenching, utterly astonishing stage work I've read in more than a decade. But there's no need to take the show's greatness on my recommendation: Time Out New York described the piece as "a tremendous achievement in American playwriting"; Variety called it a "ferociously entertaining play"; and Entertainment Weekly wrote that August:Osage County "will cement Letts' place in theatrical history."
And to give you an idea of the characters you'll be encountering: Dad's an alcoholic, Mom's a drug addict, daughter Barbara is in a disintegrating marriage, son-in-law Bill is sleeping with one of his students, 14-year-old granddaughter Jean is a pot-smoker - whom son-in-law-to-be Steve is lusting after - and first cousins Ivy and Charles are having an affair.
Your mother complaining about your haircut and low-paying job isn't looking so bad now, is it?
August: Osage County will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, and tickets are available by calling (563)326-7529 or visiting NewGroundTheatre.org.
Music
Gloria Gaynor and Shirley Jones
Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center
Friday, October 15, and Thursday, October 21, 7:30 p.m.
For readers of my generation - of most generations, actually - you really only need three words to form an image of the next musical guest at the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center: "I Will Survive." You'll only need two to picture the center's guest six days later: Partridge Family.
That's right, not one but two celebrated icons of the 1970s will soon be appearing at the Bettendorf venue, when the legendary "Queen of Disco" Gloria Gaynor performs from her repertoire on October 15, and the beloved TV matriarch takes the stage on October 21.
With hits including "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Let Me Know (I Have a Right)," and, of course, the unforgettable power anthem "I Will Survive," Gaynor left a career with the jazz/pop band The Soul Satisfiers for a formidable solo career that's led to chart-topping success and the release of more than two dozen albums to date.
As for Jones, she preceded her stint as singing mom Shirley Partridge with a role in the original Broadway production of South Pacific, played the female leads in the film versions of Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man, and won an Oscar for her turn as a prostitute in 1960's Elmer Gantry.
Yet both gifted ladies have hardly been inactive in the years since the Me Decade came to a close. Which of the following can be attributed to Gaynor, and which to Jones?
1) Sang at the 2003 lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC
2) Was named Honorary Spokesperson of the 2008 NYC Step Out to Fight Diabetes Walk
3) Co-wrote a 1990 bestseller
4) Appeared in the movie Grandma's Boy
5) Appeared on Broadway in Smokey Joe's Cafe
6) Appeared on TV's The Drew Carey Show
7) Appeared on TV's Ally McBeal
8) Appeared on TV's That 70's Show
A) Gloria Gaynor
B) Shirley Jones
For tickets to Gloria Gaynor's and Shirley Jones' Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center performances, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Answers: 1 - B, 2 - A, 3 - B, 4 - B, 5 - A, 6 - B, 7 - A, 8 - A and B. Come on. You really didn't expect that series to let either one of them get away, did you?
JUST FER KIDS!
So, kids, guess who's going to be on stage at the Davenport Junior Theatre? I'll give you a hint: He's small, he has a long tail, and you probably shouldn't leave your grilled-cheese sandwich lying around.
That's right! Everybody's favorite talking mouse, Stuart Little, will be appearing in his own hourlong show at the Annie Wittenmyer Complex, when The Adventures of Stuart Little plays on Saturdays and Sundays, October 16 through 24! Written by Joseph Robinette, and based on the beloved book by Charlotte's Web author E.B. White, this magical stage production follows Stuart as he learns about life, love, and friendship with his human and animal friends, and is being brought to life by director Suzy Lewis and a dozen of Junior Theatre's most talented students!
You're probably familiar with Stuart from both his book and his recent movies, but how well do you know some of the others in our heroic mouse's world? Your parents get their own What's Happenin' quiz this week, so here's one just for you - try your best at unscrambling the names of these eight Adventures of Stuart Little characters!
1) A bird: ARM GOAL
2) A bully: OR LYE
3) A cat: BAT BEET
4) Another cat: BLOW LENS
5) Stuart's dad: DERELICT ELK RIFT
6) Stuart's mom: LATENT LEI LORE
7) Stuart's brother: GREET LITE LOG
8) Stuart's crush: MARIA TREESH
Performances of The Adventures of Stuart Little are at 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, tickets are only $5 at the door for ages three and up, and more information on Junior Theatre shows is available by calling (563)326-7812 or visiting DavenportJuniorTheatre.com.
Answers: 1 - Margalo, 2 - Leroy, 3 - Babette, 4 - Snowbell, 5 - Frederick Little, 6 - Eleanor Little, 7 - George Little, 8 - Harriet Ames.
What Else Is Happenin'...?
MUSIC
Thursday, October 14 - Papa Roach. Platinum-selling rockers in concert, with openers Skillet, Trapt, and My Darkest Days. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $29.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, October 15 - Carrie Underwood. Country-music superstar in concert, with openers Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $35.50-55.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Sunday, October 17 - Ernest Dawkins. Chicago-based jazz saxophonist performs and educates as part of Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Matinée & Workshop Series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. all-ages workshop - $5/adult, children free; 6 p.m. concert - $10-15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit Polyrhythms.org and RedstoneRoom.com.
Tuesday, October 19 - Robert McDuffie & the Venice Baroque Orchestra. Performances of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and Philip Glass' "The American Four Seasons," in a concert presented by Hancher Auditorium. St. Mary's Catholic Church (220 East Jefferson Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-42. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Thursday, October 21 - A Country Cabaret. Classic and contemporary country music with the cast of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and the theatre's performing wait staff, the Bootleggers. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Thursday, October 21, and Friday, October 22 - African Children's Choir. Concerts featuring internationally traveling performers between the ages of seven and 11. Thursday - Augustana College's Ascension Chapel (3701 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island); Friday - First Lutheran Church of Moline (1230 Fifth Avenue, Moline). 7 p.m. Donations accepted. For information, call (309)203-9879.
Thursday, October 21, through Sunday, October 24 - 2010 Black Hawk Chamber Music Festival. 10th-anniversary concerts performed by regional and national musicians, themed "The Intimate Lute & Flute: Irish, Scottish, & Continental Renaissance & Baroque" (October 21, 7:30 p.m.), "The 19th-Century Russian Perspective: Viola, Flute, & Natural Horn Meet the Russian Guitar" (October 22, 7:30 p.m.), and "Love to George! From Johann to George: A Tribute to George Shangrow with J.S. Bach & G.F. Handel" (October 24, 3 p.m.). Trinity Cathedral (121 West 12th Street, Davenport). $10-12 at the door. For information, call (563)323-9989 or visit BHCMF.org.
Friday, October 22, and Saturday, October 23 - Smooth Jazz Fall Festival. Annual concerts presented by Great Sound Promotions, with Friday performances by Four 80 East and Marcus Anderson, and a Saturday performance with saxophonist Paul Taylor. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $48.50-53.50 per night; $82.50-87.50 for both nights. For tickets and information, call (563)324-4208 or visit SmoothJazzSeries.com.
Saturday, October 23 - Jason Aldean. Country-music chart-topper in concert, with opener Uncle Kracker. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $32.25-42.25. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Saturday, October 23 - Lage Lund Guitar Trio. Jazz ensemble performing as part of Quad City Arts' Visiting Artist series. St. John's Lutheran Church (4501 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. Free admission; donations accepted. For information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
Saturday, October 23, and Sunday, October 24 - Bach's Mass in B Minor. Fall concerts with the vocal ensemble the Nova Singers. Saturday - First Presbyterian Church (101 North Prairie Street, Galesburg), 7:30 p.m. Sunday - First Congregational Church (2201 Seventh Avenue, Moline), 4 p.m. $10-20. For tickets and information, call (309)341-7038 or visit NovaSingers.com.
Sunday, October 24 - Steven Curtis Chapman. Award-winning contemporary-Christian singer in concert. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $27-47. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
THEATRE
Friday, October 15, through Sunday, October 31 - Dracula. Stage version of Bram Stoker's vampire classic. Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (311 Riverview Drive, Clinton). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m.; Sundays 3 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (563)242-6760 or visit ClintonShowboat.org.
Friday, October 15, through Sunday, October 24 - Wrestling with Angels & Demons. Original, multi-media production written by students and faculty, on themes of democracy in America. Potter Hall, Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts, Augustana College (3701 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). Fridays & Saturdays - 7:30 p.m.; Sundays - 1:30 p.m. $9-$11. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu/academics/theatre/department. For an interview with director Scott Irelan, visit RCReader.com/y/irelan.
Thursday, October 21 through Saturday, October 30 - To Burn a Witch & A Coupla Bimbos Sittin' Around Talkin'. Suspenseful one-act directed by student Nichole Gill, and one-act comedy directed by instructor Steve Flanigin. Scott Community College's Student Life Center, through door #5 (500 Belmont Road, Bettendorf). Thursdays - Saturdays 7 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, call (563)441-4339.
DANCE
Thursday, October 14 - Bayanihan Phillipine National Dance Company. Touring dancers and acrobats in an event presented by Hancher Auditorium. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-25. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Englert.org.
Friday, October 22, and Saturday, October 23 - I, Vampire. Original ballet by Deanna Carter based on Mike Romkey's novel, performed by the professional dancers of Ballet Quad Cities. Capitol Theatre (330 West Third Street, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.; Saturday 2 p.m. $10-22. For tickets and information, call (309)786-3779 or visit BalletQuadCities.com.
LITERATURE
Thursday, October 14 - River Readings at Augustana: Peggy Anderson. The nonfiction author of Nurse reads from her works. Wallenberg Hall, Augustana College (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)794-7231.
KIDS' STUFF
Friday, October 22 - Disney Live! Mickey's Magic Show. New stage production featuring grand illusions and favorite Disney characters. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. $15.75-45.75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Saturday, October 23 - "Get Animated" Teen Anime Day. Featuring a comic-book and art swap, a costume contest, cosplay activities, refreshments, and more. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Noon. $5. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
COMEDY
Thursday, October 14 - Tammy Pescatelli. Standup comedy with the 2010 winner of Comedy Central's Standup Showdown. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $20-25. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Friday, October 22 - Jerry Seinfeld. Legendary stage and television comic in concert. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $47-77. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
MOVIES
Tuesday, October 19 - Rails Across Russia. A presentation in the museum's World Adventure Series, featuring a post-film Q&A with filmmaker Sid Nolan. Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 1, 4, and 7 p.m. $4-6. For information, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.
Saturday, October 23 - Firefly Forever. Tribute to Joss Whedon's sci-fi/Western cult classic, with a musical performance by Megan Gogerty, a trivia contest, and a screening of the big-screen sequel Serenity. Englert Theatre (221 E. Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, call (319)688-2753 or visit Englert.org.
EVENTS
Thursday, October 14 - Food for Thought. Annual fundraiser for the Rock Island Public Libraries, featuring six food stations, wine, seasonal ales, jazz music by the Edgar Crockett Duo, a silent auction, and more. Rock Island Public Library (401 19th Street, Rock Island). 5 p.m. $25 per person, $45 per couple. For information, call (309)732-7302 or visit RockIslandLibrary.org.
Thursday, October 14 - Doodle Day. Bi-annual fundraiser for the Bettendorf Public Library, featuring an auction of doodles donated by celebrities including Sarah Ferguson, Martina McBride, and Pat Angerer. Bettendorf Public Library (2950 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)344-4175 or visit BettendorfLibrary.com.
Saturday, October 14 - The Midwest Writing Center's Bohemian Ball. Fundraising event featuring performances by Burlesque Le' Moustache, the Barley House Band, magician David Casas, and Diva de Paris. Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $35 per person, $65 per couple. For information, call (563)324-1410 or visit MidwestWritingCenter.org.
