A group of dedicated student dancers will bring their talents to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on December 19 and 20 when Monmouth, Illinois' Dancer's Studio presents two performances of The Nutcracker, the timeless holiday ballet by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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With the December 21 event designed to inspire holiday cheer and nostalgia through the crooning of classics including "O Tannenbaum" and "Stille Nacht," guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to join the fun of the German Holiday Sing-Along, a celebration of beloved compositions presented in the final "Kaffee und Kuchen" program of 2025.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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M: It was an unmitigated pleasure to watch Sydney Richardson portray this part. She exuded the perfect mix of Midwestern charm and knowing experience to make it really come to life.
Kitty: Oh, absolutely. This show’s brisk run time of just over an hour could easily feel much longer if the script slipped into a singsong lull. But Richardson handles the verse like a pro.
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The Playcrafters Barn Theatre closes out its 2025 season with Cheaper by the Dozen, adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel and directed by Emma Terronez. It offers family-friendly entertainment … if also entertainment devoid of yuletide cheer for the particularly Christmas-adverse.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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On December 18, guests at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center are gonna party like it's (the year after) 1999 with the eagerly awaited arrival of the POP 2000 TOUR, a night of exhilarating pop hits and familiar faces boasting the talents of *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, and LFO.
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Touring in support of their fall release Ready to Roll that inspired Faster & Louder's reviewer to call it "one of the best pop-punk albums I've heard in recent years," the Wyoming-based Teenage Bottlerocket, originated by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle, headlines a December 18 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Punk Rock Theory saying of their latest, "The album has new wave sounds, Ramones-y elements, and a great sound with impeccable pacing."
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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 returns to the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center for the third straight year, the musician's December 18 engagement delivering a one-of-a-kind holiday concert experience that's bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever before.
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A dazzling tribute show that blends the biggest hits from every era with the joy and sparkle of the holiday season, the yuletide stage spectacular Christmas in Taylorville lands at Davenport's Capitol Theatre on December 19, delivering breathtaking visuals, special effects, and holiday surprises that bring the season to life for families, die-hard Taylor Swift fans, and music lovers of all ages.
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Returning to Moline with four performances of three spectacular presentations, the live, multi-sensory musical experience known as the Candlelight Concerts series enjoys its latest Quad Cities engagements at the city's First Congregational Church, the December 19 and 20 events boasting Christmas Special featuring "The Nutcracker" and More on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Tribute to Adele on Friday at 8:30 p.m., and Christmas Classics on Saturday and 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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While Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is fun, it's mildly underwhelming fun – like that three-minute roller-coaster ride you realize wasn't worth the half-hour you waited in line for it.
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Now playing at area theaters.
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For the Davenport's final new exhibition of 2025, the Figge Art Museum will be taking an up-close-and-personal look at some of its most arresting in-house works in A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection, a celebration of the medium on display in the Lewis Gallery from dacember 20 through June 21.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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