On May 3 and 4 at the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center, audiences are invited to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of one of the most beloved dance pieces of all time, with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra's and Heartland Ballet's staged production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake delivering themes of love, betrayal, and redemption that have made the work a perennial favorite in the ballet repertoire.
Traveling the country in support of his new comedy series Bad Thoughts that begins Netflix streaming on May 13, popular standup comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster Tom Segura brings his "Come Together Tour" to Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on May 8, the artist currently hosting the Your Mom's House podcast with his wife and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky, as well as Two Bears One Cave alongside comedian Bert Kreischer.
His credits including touring events with the likes of the Impractical Jokers, comedian Greg Hahn, and two-time Emmy Award winner Jennifer Coolidge, standup hypnotist Doug Thompson brings his touring sensation The DougT Hypnosis Show to East Moline venue The Rust Belt on May 9. Potential stage participants, however, shouldn't worry about doing anything they'll regret in the morning, as Thompson prides himself on delivering a raucously fun evening that doesn’t come at the cost of compromised dignity.
An eagerly awaited springtime touring event rides, jumps, and spins into the Vibrant Arena at the MARK on May 10 and 11 as the Moline venue hosts Monster Jam 2025, the amphitheater event that brings a new level of high-flying, four-wheel excitement to the entire family with racing, two-wheel skills, donuts, and freestyle competitions.
Taking place on May 10 from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., the Putnam Museum & Science Center's new springtime event The Putnam Palooza will treat guests to a celebration centered around spring and the community, with multiple partners of the Putnam and Quad Cities Cultural Trust joining forces to host live music, games, food trucks, displays, and much more.
Jason Tanamor will help celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May with a new, Filipino-inspired shoe that pays respect to the Philippines flag. He designed the Italian-made shoe, the JT I, produced by Alive Shoes, which also aims to expand the underrepresented market of the Philippines.
As you likely know by now, a federal jury deadlocked last week on all three corruption charges against Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago). U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood declared a mistrial after polling individual jurors and arriving at the conclusion that they could not possibly reach a verdict.
Governor JB Pritzker said last week that the extreme uncertainty with the U.S. government and the international economy might mean that the legislature may have to reconvene to reconfigure the state budget after it adjourns at the end of next month.
You’ve probably read about the Republican Party implosion last week in suburban municipal and township campaigns, particularly in DuPage County.
K: Taking pleasure in the ridiculous is key to making this show work, and Zach Ulmer was clearly having a great time. The audience couldn’t help but follow suit!
M: Absolutely. I’d agree that Ulmer was the highlight of the show’s comedy, including some fun ad-libbed asides – and he has a strong singing voice, to boot.
Has it really been only three-and-a-half years since they won my heart with their first production "Jacques"alope? (Answer: Yes.) The founders of this comedic theatrical ensemble, T Green and Calvin Vo, are serving their latest smörgåsbord – Zooted Suits, a merrie medley of classic-cartoon parodies – at the Black Box Theatre. I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!
From April 26 through May 4, high-flying fun will be on hand when the student talents of Davenport Junior Theatre present a brand-new take on J.M. Barrie's classic Peter Pan, an extraordinary tale of excitement and adventure written specifically for the Quad Cities company by Junior Theatre alum and St. Ambrose University graduate Brooke Galván.
Lauded by Vulture as "a brisk, disconcerting brainteaser" that "gives you the satisfying rush of a good mystery," playwriting triumvirate Jeremy Kareken's, David Murrell's, and Gordon Farrell's The Lifespan of a Fact serves as the mainstage season closer for Iowa City's Riverside Theatre, its April 18 through May 4 run sure to demonstrate why Variety praised the work for its "terrifically funny dialogue," and for how the piece ultimately "transcends comedy and demands serious attention."
Hailed by the Des Moines Register as a "punchy comedy" with a "tightly coiled script," the zany farce Girls' Weekend makes its Quad Cities debut at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre May 2 through 11, this comic delight the first full-length published play written by Des Moines native Karen Schaeffer.
Currently in tour in support of their sophomore album Last Chance to Win, a recording that Americana Highways called "superb with its Goose Creek Symphony air and Charlie Gearhart-style vocals," the bluegrass and pop-rock musicians of East Nash Grass headline a May 4 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the California Bluegrass Association adding that, in their 2023 release, the band "manages to make each song a special gem with striking instrumental blends and harmony vocals."
The three live-music events scheduled at Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL) in May pair talented local artists with respectable regional bands, and, on May 18th, a topnotch, brand-new, international heat-seeker.
Delivering what the Associated Press calls “the next best thing to seeing the Beatles” and what the Toronto Star deems “a fun-filled family crowd-pleaser,” the gifted musicians and iconic impersonators of Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles bring their touring production to Davenport's Adler Theatre on May 7, taking crowds on an electrifying journey through the iconic eras of Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and Abbey Road.
Touring in support of their most recent album The Fear of Standing Still – a recording that No Depression said "feels like it stands on the mountain of the last 20 years and surveys the field"– the alt-country and Americana musicians of American Aquarium return to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 7, their latest inspiring Saving Country Music to rave of the band, "No matter who you are or where you come from, they take you somewhere you want to go."
Appearing as the final guests in Quad City Arts' 2024-25 Visiting Artist series, the gifted folk-rock quintet Jarabe Mexicano will perform an exhilarating concert event at Moline's Mercado on Fifth on May 8, the group lauded by cultural anthropologist and noted author Alejandro Lugo a team of musicians who are “truly excellent and bring new blood to the musical traditions they perform."
Due to the nature of his role, Ben Affleck is never allowed to laugh here. With Jon Bernthal gleefully egging him on, though, you can sense how deeply the actor must want to. Heaven knows my audience, myself included, was laughing.
A special night of brilliant music and blistering horror transpires at Davenport's Capitol Theatre on May 8 with the venue hosting Frizzi to Fucli 2025: "Zombie," the Composer's Cut, an event that finds Zombie composer, orchestrator, and conductor Fabio Frizzi headlining a thrilling, soundtracked screening of the genre classic – Lucio Fulci's first-ever horror film – as performed by gifted live musicians.
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, April 24: Previews of The Accountant 2, Until Dawn, The Legend of Ochi, and the 20th-anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith, and discussion of The Wedding Banquet and Sinners, the latter possibly Mike's favorite film over the 20-ish years he's been chatting with D&D. If anything tops it this year, it's gonna be a crazy-good movie year.
There's no point in burying the lede on this. Even though it's only April, I can't imagine seeing a more dazzling, thrilling, thunderously satisfying 2025 release than Ryan Coogler's Sinners.
With the exhibition's originator revered for creating Vodou flags known as drapo for more than 35 years, as well as for pushing the boundaries of this traditional Haitian art form, Myrlande Constant: DRAPO will be on display in the Figge At Museum's fourth-floor gallery through May 4, the artist's escalating interest in expansive proportions finding some of the 17 works in the exhibition spanning more than seven feet.
Highlighting the importance of sustainability in the arts and encouraging their audience to see the beauty of Earth’s resources and ecosystem, a trio of Illinois and Iowa talents enjoy a collective exhibition at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery from May 2 through June 30, Olson, Stampfli, & Sunderman showcasing a beautiful assemblage of quilted art by Lindsay Olson and Jessie Stampfli and sculpture by Robert Sunderman.
You only turn 100 years old once. And while the Figge Art Museum – which originated as the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery in 1925 – is marking its centennial year in many ways, it's pulling out all the stops on Saturday, May 17, with a “Glow Up” party, celebrating a landmark $4-million lighting of its building at 225 West Second Street in Davenport.
Exploring themes of place and time by highlighting the Earth and capturing fragments of memories in paint, fiber, and clay, a trio of Midwestern artisans enjoy a collective exhibition at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center from May 9 through June 20, the Brown, Lennox, & Wenthe exhibit boasting Afrofuturist art by Monica Brown, quilted art by Cheryl Lennox, and ceramic sculpture by Elissa Wenthe.
An eagerly awaited springtime event taking place over Mother's Day weekend in Davenport's spacious Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, the Beaux Arts 2025 Spring Fair will treat visitors to an outdoor celebration of visual arts and fine crafts on May 10 and 11, with the annual event featuring food, live music, children's activities, and works for sale by dozens of artists and Midwestern vendors.
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?)
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