06 Jul 2021

“I & You,” July 15 through 24

By Reader Staff

Described by the Washington Post as “sharp and funny” with a “buoyant spirit,” author Lauren Gunderson's two-character dramedy I & You enjoys a July 15 through 24 run at the Black Box Theatre, the show's Moline engagement sure to demonstrate why DC Theatre Scene said it delivered “a validation of the human experience” and “the best thing a play can offer: We might be better people after seeing it.”

05 Jul 2021

Bard and Noble: Genesius Guild’s “Shakespeare’s Life in his Works,” at Lincoln Park through July 11

By Madeline Dudziak

Many questions were raised this last Fourth-of-July weekend, such as: Do you prefer hot dogs or hamburgers? Which summertime dessert should you bring to the barbeque? Most importantly: How much do you really know about Shakespeare? While the first two questions are a mere matter of opinion, Genesius Guild looks forward to helping you better answer that third question with the company's latest production Shakespeare’s Life in His Works.

05 Jul 2021

Loved Letters: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through July 11

By Pamela Briggs

It was great to be back at the Timber Lake Playhouse, a capacious space that somehow still has a cozy ambiance.

05 Jul 2021

Elvis Has Entered the Boating: “All Shook Up,” at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre through July 18

By Rochelle Arnold

I was inside – bare-faced, cool, and enjoying the air conditioning – last Thursday for the opening performance of All Shook Up at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre.

29 Jun 2021

Quad City Music Guild's “Mamma Mia!”, July 9 through 18

By Reader Staff

Nominated for five 2001 Tony Awards and currently the ninth-longest-running Broadway musical of all time, the internationally beloved Mamma Mia! – running at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium July 9 through 18 – becomes the first Quad City Music Guild production to enjoy live performances since 2019, with the show's collection of timeless ABBA tunes inspiring the New York Post to call the experience “one of those nights when you sit back and let a nutty kind of joy just sweep over you.”

29 Jun 2021

The Mississippi Bend Players' “No Child … “, July 8 through 11

By Reader Staff

Lauded by the New York Times as “a lightning-paced, multi-character solo play in the style of John Leguizamo,” the Mississippi Bend Players, from July 8 through 11, wraps up its 2021 summer season at Augustana College with author Nilaja Sun's No Child... , a recipient of two Outer Critics Circle Award nominations that was praised by the Chicago Tribune as “a wonderful piece of theatre.”

29 Jun 2021

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” July 1 through 11

By Reader Staff

Lauded by the New York Times as “effortlessly endearing” and by Variety magazine as “enormously satisfying,” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee continues the 60th summer season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, the show's July 1 through 11 run sure to demonstrate why composer William Finn's celebrated 2005 musical comedy received two Tony Awards and enjoyed a Broadway run of 1,136 performances.

29 Jun 2021

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's “All Shook Up,” July 1 through 18

By Reader Staff

Described by the New York Theatre Guide as “a terrifically entertaining time” and “a great big Broadway show that never loses its mind or its light touch,” the Elvis-meets-Shakespeare musical All Shook Up serves as the summer's latest Clinton Area Showboat Theatre presentation, its July 1 through 18 run delivering hilarity, romance, and a batch of favorite pop and rock tunes including “Heartbreak Hotel,” “It's Now or Never,” and “Hound Dog.”

28 Jun 2021

Oh, There's Nothing Halfway About This Musical's Way to Treat You: Countryside Community Theatre's “The Music Man,” at North Scott High School through July 3

By Pamela Briggs

What would summer in Iowa be without fireworks? And small-town Independence Day celebrations? Ice cream? A marching band? A charming con man? Yep – for me, it's just not summer without The Music Man. This 1957 work by Iowan Meredith Willson (with Franklin Lacey's assist on the story) is my favorite musical. I've seen more productions of it than any other show, and felt lucky to review Countryside Community Theatre's opening-night performance.

25 Jun 2021

Cooper Duper: The Mississippi Bend Players' “Mary & Ethel: How I Learned to Sing,” at Augustana College through June 27

By Pamela Briggs

We don't just hear about the two Broadway ladies, both of whose careers took off in the 1930s and spanned decades; we also hear about Shelley Cooper's theatrical career. After reading her credits in the program bio, I can say that Cooper is a bona fide musical-theatre luminary herself.

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