On December 31, holiday celebrants can deck the halls with boughs of bawdy at Davenport's burlesque-themed Ecdysiast Arts Museum, with the venue hosting a night of live performances, delicious cocktails, and the ringing in of 2026 in the QC New Year's Reverie, which will feature special pre- and after parties in addition to the main event.
When Danielle Colby and other local women strut, create character, and gradually remove items of their costumes in on-stage routines at the Ecdysiast Arts Museum, they not only bare their bodies, but their souls, personalities, dreams, and desires – and have great fun in the process.
Through January 4, guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to explore themes of nostalgia, community, nature, and perspective in the wonderful collection The Prints of David & Sarojini Johnson.
Court-ing fans in their eagerly anticipated return to Moline, the electrifying athletes of the Harlem Globetrotters bring their “100 Years of Thrills" tour to the Vibrant Arena at the MARK on January 7, thrilling crowds with phenomenal basketball action, comic hijinks, ankle-breaking moves, jaw-dropping swag, and rim-rattling dunks in a fully-modernized amphitheater production.
Enabling visitors to explore the remarkable ways in which animals across 500 million years have adapted armor for survival, and how these adaptations continue to inspire human innovation, the traveling exhibition Animal Armor takes residence in Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center through February 15, the fascinating exhibit exploring the evolutionary battle between protection and predation.
Whitey’s entire life was shaped by the game of golf. Growing up during the Great Depression with a single mother who worked 12-hour shifts to care for her three children – with little help and no car – Whitey’s story is one of resilience and determination.
Propaganda has proven itself to be among the most useful tools in the behavior modifiers' toolbox for capturing human cognitivity and strategically directing it to predetermined, highly specific conclusions. The success of propaganda campaigns depends on the techniques used, and the resources available for deploying and anchoring propaganda, including whether said messaging induces harmony or discord relative to the established hierarchy of social norms and mores.
If housing were free, what kind of house would we live in? A mansion? Maybe a cardboard box? If a third party bought our food, even a close neighbor, would we eat well? Despite the obvious flaws in this logic, politicians have been enticing voters with empty promises of “free” healthcare while simultaneously making it both unaffordable and often unavailable.
The two most intense state legislative pressure campaigns I’ve witnessed both ended in failure. Back in 2017, Governor Bruce Rauner tried everything he could think of to stop legislative Republicans from voting to increase the income tax to about where it was right before he took office for his one and only term.
The Fertilizer Institutes Heralding MAHA's Second Report Brings Attention to Biostimulants That Grateful Graze and Soil Saviors Also Advocate
What if the ubiquitous dandelion plant was not a weed to be destroyed as a pest to the soil it emerges in, but rather a natural, resilient and restorative plant with many soil and human health benefits? What if the dandelion is an abundant plant we should embrace as a soil health monitor and recovery system? What if the dandelion was only one example of many natural or chemical free practices few land owners use to maintain healthy soil?
And they said it couldn't be done! Well, actually, no one to my knowledge ever said that … . But who cares? It was done, dammit! Our annual celebration of area theatre, the Reader Tony Awards, has made it to its 10th anniversary!
It’s a long-running joke at our house that I get Irving Berlin’s Christmas-y shows confused, as both feature his music and plots about saving a small-town lodging facility from financial dire straits. So to be clear: The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse is not currently staging Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, but rather Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher. And if you’re in the mood for a little holiday fun, you will not be disappointed.
Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Kitty (née Israel) Hooker, Mischa Hooker, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.
Harry and Marv. The Grinch. Mr. Potter. Hans Gruber. All of the other reindeer. There is no shortage of Christmas villains, and most are memorable. Yet after seeing Friday’s performance of Santa Claus: The Musical at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, I’m ready to add the name Henchy to the list.
A thrilling seasonal performance that blends the beauty of traditional carols with high-octane rock anthems, cinematic classical re-imaginings, and heartwarming favorites, the Blue Violin Candlelight Christmas Extravaganza comes to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on December 23, delivering a one-of-a-kind holiday concert experience that's bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever before.
With the lineup currently boasting the heavy-metal talents of bassist Rudy Sarzo, guitarist Alex Grossi, lead vocalist Jizzy Pearl, and drummer Johnny Kelly, the hard rockers of Quiet Riot bring their tour to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center for a free concert on New Year's Eve, the group that originally debuted in 1973 currently included among VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock."
Performing from the repertoire of a county icon who boasts two Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, and the RIAA Award for being the U.S.'s best-selling solo-album artist of the century, touring performer Drew Baloh brings his stage spectacular Garth Live! to Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse on December 31, this special New Year's Eve event including such Brooks favorites such as "Friends in Low Places," "The Dance," and "The Thunder Rolls."
With the performer reprising his iconic performance from the Tony-winning Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet, Branson, Missouri’s favorite piano man David Brooks brings On Fire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story to Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center on December 31, the artist and his live band celebrating the country and rockabilly superstar's repertoire through in-your-face talent and unforgettable style.
With Music Taster's Choice labeling the musician “one of the top 10 guitarists in the world,” the acclaimed blues rocker Anthony Gomes returns to Davenport's Redstone Room on January 9 in support of his 2025 album Praise the Loud, the acclaimed recording that Blues Rock Review called "an electrifying experience delivered with copious amounts of energy, virtuosity, feel, and swagger."
James Cameron can always be counted on to deliver visual wonders the likes of which we've never seen before. No, wait: I take that back. I meant to say that James Cameron could always be counted on to deliver visual wonders the likes of which we've never seen before.
Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too. Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again
Thursday, December 18: Discussion of Ella McCay, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and On. What. Fun., previews of Avatar: Fire & Ash, The Housemaid, David, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, Anaconda, Marty Supreme, and Song Sung Blue, and a heartbroken appreciation of Rob Reiner. With Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Thursdays this year, no new segment 'til January 8 ... at which point you can definitely expect a lightning round. Happy Holidays and New Year to you all!
James L. Brooks' first feature since 2010's How Do You Know isn't the worst picture of 2025. It's quite possibly the strangest, though, and suggests that not only has Brooks not made a film in 15 years, but perhaps hasn't seen a film in 15 years.
Although the film is anchored by a ferocious Jessie Buckley and a frequently moving Paul Mescal, it might be impossible, after seeing director/co-writer Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, to reflect on the movie without the face of its titular portrayer coming instantly to mind, and potentially making you well up all over again.
Now playing at area theaters.
An arresting exhibition designed to capture the sensation of the memory of a place – its mood, its texture, its atmosphere – through imagery and abstraction, Kristin Quinn: Luminous Flux Paintings from the Watershed enjoys a showcase through December 28 in the Gildehaus Gallery of Davenport's Figge Art Museum.
A dazzling, visually rich celebration of fascinating felines and the artists who love them, Cats! (the exhibit, not the musical) can be viewed in the third-floor gallery of Davenport's Figge Art Museum through January 4, this rich showcase inspired by our four-legged friends boasting works from both the museum's collection and on loan, and on display through the aid of contributing sponsors Carrie Kimple and Sue Quail.
From now through January 4, masterworks on loan from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be presented throughout the Figge’s Art Museum's permanent collection galleries, with the exhibition Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network dedicated to bringing American art out of museum vaults and placing it on view in communities across the United States.
With both artists hoping that viewers will take some time to look for meaning in their works and enjoy a diversion from the tensions of the day, talents from Iowa and Wisconsin will be showcased at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery, the Niebuhr & Ryan exhibit, through January 5, boasting arresting oil paintings by Michael S. Ryan and mixed-media works by Gary Warren Niebuhr.
With the downtown-Davenport venue celebrating its 100th birthday this year, that centennial milestone will be honored through January 11 with the Figge Art Museum's presentation of 100 Years of Collecting, an exhibit of noteworthy, evocative, and beautiful works on display in the fourth-floor gallery.
You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?)
Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!
