Here you'll find different ways to explore the River Cities' Reader Spring Guide, which features more than 1,500 events over the next three months. Below are event highlights for the next two weeks and the entire spring, drawn from our What's Happenin' pages and calendar. The Scribd version of the issue allows you peruse it online. And you can always keep up-to-date with what's going on in the Quad Cities area with our comprehensive online calendar. Of course, you can also pick up the River Cities' Reader at more than 700 locations throughout the Quad Cities.
Music
The Maia Quartet
First Presbyterian Church of Davenport
Sunday, March 13, 4 p.m.
The latest guests in Quad City Arts' Visiting Artists series are the members of the acclaimed Maia Quartet, and I love that accompanying photo of the musicians, because it's exactly how I imagine being greeted when I eventually wind up in Heaven.
Don't laugh. I could still get there.
Besides, given the group's plaudits and credits, the Maia Quartet's sound is nothing if not heavenly. Boasting four world-class chamber musicians in violinists Tricia Park and Zoran Jakovcic, cellist Hannah Holman, and viola player Elizabeth Oakes, the group was formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1990, and has served as the University of Iowa's quartet-in-residence since 1999. Yet in addition to their academic duties in Iowa City, the members of the Maia Quartet have also thrilled audiences worldwide with beautiful, innovative takes on scores of classical pieces.
Needless to say, they have the reviews to prove it: The Baltimore Sun raved about the Maia Quartet's "sparkling musical intelligence and youthful enthusiasm"; the Washington Post lauded the group's "waves of opulent sounds tending toward abandon, cradled in understatement"; and the Columbus Dispatch wrote, "The Maia Quartet combines great energy, skill, and musicality with impressive maturity."
And the ensemble's skills are further demonstrated by its list of professional engagements, including those at the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing; Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center; the Up-Beat Festival in Hokkaido, Japan; and the Thurnauer Chamber Music Camp in Tenafly, New Jersey. Really, it's quite something for Quad City Arts to secure visiting artists who've performed in so many intimidating locales. And New Jersey. Ha ha ha ha ha ... !
Hmm. It's probably jokes like that that'll keep me from getting into Heaven, right?
The Maia Quartet performs at the First Presbyterian Church of Davenport (1702 Iowa Street) on Sunday, March 13, and more information on the musicians' 4 p.m. concert is available by calling (309)793-1213 or visiting QuadCityArts.com.
Music
The Roots
Iowa Memorial Union
Wednesday, March 9, 8 p.m.
The hip-hop, R&B, funk, and rock musicians of The Roots play the University of Iowa's Iowa Memorial Union on March 9, and if you're at all familiar with modern music, you probably already know a great deal about the group.
You likely know, for instance, that the band was formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, both of whom have stayed with The Roots through numerous lineup changes over the years. You probably also know that after the release of the group's first studio album, Do You Want More?!!!??!, in 1995, The Roots cracked Billboard's Top 40 chart with 1996's Illadelph Halflife, and had further Billboard successes with such CDs as 1999's Things Fall Apart and 2004's The Tipping Point (both of which reached number four on the charts), 2008's Rising Down (number six), and last summer's Wake Up! (number eight).
You're do doubt aware that The Roots have thus far scored four Grammy Awards, have been nominated for seven others, and received the 2007 NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Duo or Group." You know they were named by Rolling Stone as "one of the 20 greatest live acts in the world," that they were the first hip-hop group to perform at Lincoln Center (in 2002), and that they recently played a sold-out concert at Radio City Music Hall. And you're probably familiar with The Roots' famed collaborators, a roster that includes Mos Def, Common, Erykah Badu, Eve, Chrisette Michele, and Kanye West.
But here's something I bet you didn't know: Since 2009, The Roots have been ... wait for it ... the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! No, seriously! Somehow, with all of their touring, the musicians still find time to banter with Fallon and rock the host's studio audience, and ... .
What do you mean, everybody knows that? Guess I gotta force myself to stay up past 9:30 one of these nights ... .
For tickets to The Roots' Iowa City concert, call (800)745-3000 or visit ScopeProductions.org.
Theatre
And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson
Village Theatre
Thursday, March 10, through Sunday, March 20
Two of my most cherished memories as an Augustana College theatre major were appearing in Thornton Wilder's Our Town, and performing in Jim Leonard Jr.'s And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson. This April, Augie will again be staging Our Town. And beginning March 10, Davenport's New Ground Theatre will open And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson.
It's like area theatre is conspiring to remind me that no, I'm not in my early 20s anymore.
I will try, however, not to hold that against Jackson director Patti Flaherty and her talented cast, because I, for one, am psyched to finally see this play that I've long been a fan of. Set in Jackson, Indiana, the piece concerns a young woman with cerebral palsy who's forced to contend with the prejudices, small-mindedness, and casual cruelty of the locals in her sleepy burg. Yet while it sounds like the downer to end all downers, Leonard's piece is actually an exhilarating and highly theatrical examination of small-town life, a kaleidoscopic drama that tempers its sadness with occasional terror and frequent bursts of exhilarating high comedy.
With the Washington Times writing that "Leonard has an exceptional ear for dialogue, both prosaic and poetic" and the Washington Tribune calling the play "a showcase for exceptional acting, clever and effective staging, and forceful dialogue," And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson is a performer's dream filled with endlessly quotable lines. (And I mean that literally: I've trotted out the show's "Moose monologue" for dozens of auditions over the past 20 years.) Consequently, I'd like to extend a "Break a leg!" to New Ground's cast of Jami Em Behncke, Susan Perrin-Sallak, Michael Carron, Joshua Kahn, David Cabassas, Jenny Winn, and Kylie Jansen, who will no doubt have a blast portraying the many citizens of Leonard's Jackson. If you notice someone in the audience mouthing dialogue while trying to mask his raging jealously, that's probably me.
And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson will be staged at the Village of East Davenport's Village Theatre March 10 through 20, and tickets are available by calling (563)326-7529 or visiting NewGroundTheatre.org.
Music
James Taylor and Willie Nelson & Family
Adler Theatre
Friday, March 11, and Sunday, March 13
Two musical superstars are set to make long-awaited Quad Cities appearances over the same weekend, as the Adler Theatre presents an evening with folk singer extraordinaire James Taylor on March 11, and a night with country-music legend Willie Nelson - performing with son Luke Nelson and his band Promise of the Real - on March 13.
For those of you who don't know who the men are ... .
Okay, seriously. Does anyone not know who the men are? No?
On to the quiz, then!
Everyone can correctly identify whether it was James or Willie who famously crooned "On the Road Again," "You've Got a Friend," "Always on My Mind," "Fire & Rain," "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys," and "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)." But how well-acquainted are you with some of the musicians' lesser-known singles? Of the following, which tune was crooned by James Taylor, and which by Willie Nelson?
1) "Baby Boom Baby"
2) "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone"
3) "Last Letter"
4) "Never Die Young"
5) "Nobody There but Me"
6) "One Man Parade"
7) "The Piper Came Today"
8) "September Grass"
A) Willie Nelson
B) James Taylor
For tickets to both James Taylor's and Willie Nelson & Family's Davenport engagements, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Answers: 1 - B, 2 - A, 3 - A, 4 - B, 5 - A, 6 - B, 7 - A, 8 - B. Admit it: You thought that last one was a Willie song! Shame on you!
Theatre
Frost/Nixon
Harrison Hilltop Theatre
Thursday, March 10, through Saturday, April 2
"So, Mr. President ... why didn't you burn the tapes?"
"Well, Mr. Frost, that is an excellent question, and one I've given much thought to over the years. As a matter of fact - I'm not sure whether you know this - but it's a question that's also been addressed in some depth by a playwright named Peter Morgan. He's a British man, as I understand. I do so enjoy the British. A very talented people. I remember one time when I was in the Oval Office, and Swifty Lazar had just come for an afternoon of conversation ... ."
"Uh, yes, we seem to be getting off-track, Mr. President ... ."
"He said he'd just seen the most interesting play by this Morgan author. You'd probably like it. It had a political theme, and it won a Tony Award for Best Actor, and was turned into a successful movie by Ron Howard. Do you know Ron Howard? I always enjoyed him on The Andy Griffith Show. Not so much when he was on that program set in the 1950s, the one with that Funzie character ... ."
"Um ... Mr. President ... ?"
"Anyway, Swifty was just raving about this Morgan play, which the New York Times described as 'briskly entertaining,' as I recall. Swifty apparently saw it at this Midwestern venue called the Harrison Hilltop Theatre. Harrison. You know, Benjamin Harrison was always, I thought, an underrated president ... ."
"Sir ... ?"
"But what made me think of the play was that Swifty said it was just like the conversation we're having here. There was an actor named Kevin Grastorf playing the commander-in-chief, and an actor named Adam Michael Lewis playing the interviewer, and it was filled with dramatic re-creations and psychological tension and even a number of laughs ... . Oh, I do enjoy a good laugh at the theatre. The last time Pat and I were at the Kennedy Center, we saw the most charming performance ... ."
"I'm sorry, Mr. President, I'm afraid we're out of time."
"Are we? My. That went fast."
The Harrison Hilltop Theatre will stage Frost/Nixon March 10 through April 2, and tickets are available by calling (563)449-6371 or visiting HarrisonHilltop.com.
Events
Adler Theatre
March through May
"'Purpose,'" as the leading character in the hit Broadway musical Avenue Q so eloquently croons it, "is that little flame that lights a fire under your ass." Okay, granted, the sentiment's not exactly Rodgers & Hammerstein. But it would be hard to argue that it's not true, and Davenport's Adler Theatre is set to fulfill its own purpose this spring by treating audiences to a series of absolutely first-rate music, dance, and comedy events. Avenue Q, in fact, will deliver singing, dancing, and laughs when the Tony Award-winning puppet extravaganza lands on the Adler Stage on March 18, while more classical theatrical pleasures can be found in the April 30 and May 1 stagings of Ballet Quad Cities' Cinderella, featuring choreography by company Artistic Director Courtney Lyon, and an original piano score by Karl Moraski. Speaking of "classical," the Quad City Symphony Orchestra wraps up its latest season with Adler productions of Masterworks V, with guest conductor Carl Topilow, on March 5, and Masterworks VI, featuring world-renowned violinist Midori, on April 16. Music with vocals - and what vocals! - will be on hand with award-winning blues-rock star Joe Bonamassa on March 6, iconic folk singer James Taylor on March 11, and the multi-platinum-selling Christian rockers of Third Day, appearing on March's 12th day. Audiences will see that country music is truly in the genes when Willie Nelson & Family perform in Davenport on March 13. On March 19, two legends of comedy take the stage in the sure-to-be-hilarious touring event Cheech & Chong: Get It Legal. And on April 7, the Adler is proud to present a night with beloved satirist and best-selling author David Sedaris. A note to Sedaris, in case he'll be using the same dressing room previously occupied by Willie and Cheech & Chong: Maybe bring along some air freshener. And eyedrops. I'm just sayin'. For more information on the Adler's springtime events, visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Events
i wireless Center
March through May
You know, it's never too early to start thinking about Mother's Day. At least that's what my mother always says. So do right by your Mom this year and surprise her with some advance tickets to one of the sensational springtime events lined up at the i wireless Center. Does your mother like music? If so, the Moline venue has plenty of excellent options for both you and her, with the chart-topping country musicians of Rascal Flatts performing on March 4; the soulful sounds of The Four Tops' and The Temptations' A Night of Motown Legends tour on May 4; four-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney on May 5; the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "rock theater" performance of Beethoven's Last Night on May 13; and my own mother's personal favorite singer, multi-platinum-selling recording artist Josh Groban, on May 28. Maybe Mom would prefer that her music came with some jaw-dropping Chinese acrobatics? (And who wouldn't?!) If so, by all means score tickets to the April 19 and 20 engagement of Cirque du Soleil's Dralion, the blend of avant-garde music, comedy, and perilous stunts enjoyed by more than 8 million people since its 1999 premiere. And if your mother's into sports, you've got no less than eight options for early Mother's Day presents at the i wireless: six ice-hockey games with the Quad City Mallards scheduled between March 5 and 23; a special arena-football showdown between the Iowa Barnstormers and the Milwaukee Mustangs on March 3; and one-on-one and tag-team action galore on March 13, with the stars of the WWE Smackdown Road to Wrestlemania event. Don't scoff. Edge, Kane, and The Big Show have Moms, too, you know. For more information on the venue's springtime happenings, visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Events
Hancher Auditorium Presentations
March through May
Jules Verne took characters around the world in 80 days. This spring's Hancher Auditorium presentations are taking you around the world in 71. Verne was such a slacker. The wrap-up to the University of Iowa's 2010-11 visiting-artist series begins across the Atlantic - by way of Iowa City's Englert Theatre - with the March 4 concert by the musical sextet Danú, which the Irish Herald called "the finest traditional band in Ireland." Audiences will then experience the Philadelphia-flavored hip-hop and soul of The Roots, playing the Iowa Memorial Union on March 9, followed by a trek down to Alabama, when the 10-time Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Take 6 plays the University of Iowa venue on March 24. Back across the ocean we go for the March 25 performance by the German choral musicians of Calmus - winners of the Concert Artists Guild's 2009 International Competition - when the quintet takes the stage at Iowa City's West High School. The University of Iowa's theatre building will, on April 1, host the sights, sounds, and emotions of post-Katrina New Orleans in the Universes theatre troupe's Ameriville, described as a theatrical dialogue that's also "an old-school variety show." For a slightly-more-Northern Southern experience, the traditional folk-music and string-band outfit the Carolina Chocolate Drops will play the Englert Theatre on April 7. Internationally acclaimed Asian chamber musicians Daniel Ching and Sandy Yamamoto, together with John Largess and Joshua Gindele, fill Iowa City's Riverside Recital Hall with the classical strains of the Miró Quartet on April 14. And wrapping up Hancher's world tour with a taste of Australia, the acrobats, jugglers, and contortionists of Circa (not Rock Island's Circa, mind you ... ) will showcase breathtaking feats at a furious pace in the Englert's performance on 61 Circus Acts in 60 Minutes, described by the Circa group as "circus without the boring bits." I certainly hope they're not referring to eating cotton candy and watching the elephants poop, because those are, like, the best bits. For more on Hancher Auditorium's springtime events, visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Events
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and Ghosts of the Abyss
Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre, March through June
Hero of the Titanic Launch Party
Midwest Writing Center, March 12, 1 p.m.
I presume you've heard that director James Cameron is planning to release a 3D version of his Oscar-winning blockbuster Titanic in April of 2012, to coincide with the hundred-year anniversary of the ship's sinking. Because of course, with Cameron, a tribute in the form of a nice poem or something would've been out of the question. But if you're already feeling the desire to completely immerse yourself in Titanic lore, there's no need to wait 13 months. From March 13 through June 26, Davenport's Putnam Museum is proud to house Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, an interactive, fastidiously detailed exhibit that has already been viewed by more than 20 million people worldwide. Designed with a focus on human stories of this tragedy, the exhibition will give museum visitors the chance to learn of the Titanic's construction, wander through first- and third-class cabins, and experience numerous tales of heroism and heartbreak through photographs, authentic artifacts (including salvaged fragments of the ship itself), and extensive re-creations of rooms aboard the ocean liner. In conjunction with The Artifact Exhibition, the Putnam's IMAX Theatre will also screen the return of Cameron's 50-minute 3D documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, in which state-of-the-art technology was employed to survey the wreckage of the Titanic - both its exterior and interiors - for the first time since the 1912 disaster. And as a prelude to the Putnam's Titanic-themed events, Davenport's Midwest Writing Center, on March 12, will celebrate the release of local writer Lilly Setterdahl's new novel Hero of the Titanic - the follow-up to her 2007 work Maiden of the Titanic - with a book-launch party featuring a reading by the author, book-signing opportunities, and refreshments ... hopefully sans iceberg lettuce. Sorry. Too soon? Information on Setterdahl's Davenport engagement is available by calling (563)324-1410 or visiting MidwestWritingCenter.org, and for more on the Putnam's Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and Ghosts of the Abyss screenings, call (309)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.
Theatre
Musicals and Dance
March through June
Admit it: Knowing that spring's right around the corner is inspiring you to burst into song! What's that? It isn't? Hmm. Well, you'd certainly agree that spring's arrival makes you want to dance on air! No? Not really? Wow. Way to ruin a really good intro, folks. In any event, there are plenty of singers and dancers in the area who will be celebrating spring's arrival through exciting and entertaining musical performances over the next three months. Iowa City's Englert Theatre will host Opera Iowa's production of Mozart's enchanted The Magic Flute on March 23, while the nearby Amana Colonies will be the home for a 1940s-era USO tour in the musical G.I. Jukebox. Davenport's Adler Theatre will offer the crooning puppets of Avenue Q on March 18, before turning the stage over to Ballet Quad Cities and the professional dance company's new take on Cinderella April 30 and May 1. Quad City Music Guild will be Shout!-ing its springtime happiness when the all-female, '60s-themed pop revue opens on March 31, and a modern rock classic is given an all-ages-allowed spin in The Center for Living's Rent: The School Version, opening May 13. The area's summer-theatre season gets a late-spring head start when the Timber Lake Playhouse presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning musical Sunset Boulevard on June 2, while that same day sees the debut of the hit musical comedy Nunsense at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, being performed in repertory with the boy-band alternative Altar Boyz, opening June 3. After last summer's smash Sunday in the Park with George, the Harrison Hilltop Theatre returns to Stephen Sondheim territory with the bloody good Sweeney Todd on April 21. And at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, not only is a beloved TV series given a theatrical spin in March 25's Happy Days: The Musical, but a famed children's book comes to stage life in April 12's family musical Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. So depending on which production you show up for, Circa's springtime days will either be "happy" or "terrible-horrible-no-good-
Theatre
Comedies and Dramas
March through June
In discussing area theatre over the next three months, let me begin with three simple letters: OMG! That's actually both the name of the first production on the spring-theatre docket - the latest collection of Walking the Wire monologues at Iowa City's Riverside Theatre, opening March 3 - and a pretty fair assessment of the variety inherent in this spring's comedies and dramas. Riverside will follow that show with the April 1 debut of the South Africa-set The Syringa Tree, and the Amanda Colonies' Old Creamery brings audiences to the deep South (of the U.S.) with April 28's comedy The Dixie Swim Club. The Playcrafters Barn Theatre will deliver bonding between the generations in March 11's Visiting Mr. Green and lighthearted homicide in May 13's Rehearsal for Murder, while the play version of a recent Oscar nominee is produced in the Harrison Hilltop Theatre's Frost/Nixon on March 10. Davenport's New Ground Theatre will bring Jim Leonard Jr.'s theatrically inventive And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson to life on March 10 and will stage an original, to-be-determined title beginning May 19, while the Village Theatre will also house the Curtainbox Theatre Company's April 8 premiere of Speed-the-Plow, an acidic David Mamet comedy featuring Erin Churchill, Dan Hernandez, and a Reader journalist whose modesty forbids the mention of his name. (You know, for now.) Student actors will get in the spring-theatre game with Black Hawk College's three-man spoof The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) on March 31, St. Ambrose University's period comedy Lady Windermere's Fan on April 14, Augustana College's stage classic Our Town on April 29, and Davenport Junior Theatre's fantastical Alice in Wonderland on April 30. The area classical-theatre troupe the Prenzie Players will stage their long-in-demand take on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet beginning April 8. And wrapping things up in Geneseo, the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre will deliver laughs with author Jeff Daniels' raucous Michigan comedy Escanaba in da Moonlight on April 7, and incredibly sage advice in June 2's Don't Talk to the Actors. Tossing 10s and 20s at us, though, is always a welcome gesture. More information on the area's springtime plays can be found by visiting the Reader's theatre calendar of events.
What Else Is Happenin'...?: Tuesday, March 1, through Wednesday, March 15
MUSIC
Thursday, March 3 - Burnin' Love Cabaret. Greatest hits from the '50s and '60s performed by cast members from All Shook Up and the theatre's performing wait staff, the Bootleggers. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Friday, March 4 - Rascal Flatts. Chart-topping country musicians in concert, with opener Chris Young. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $25-59.75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, March 4 - Twista. Hip-hop artist and rap star in his "The Perfect Storm" tour, hosted by DJ Captain. Col Ballroom (1012 West Fourth Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $20-30. For tickets and information, call (217)899-7656 or visit ShowClix.com.
Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra. A musical tour to galaxies far, far away, in the fifth Masterworks concerts of the season, led by guest conductor Carl Topilow. Saturday - Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport), 8 p.m. Sunday - Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m. $12-52. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Sunday, March 6 - Joe Bonamassa. Singer/songwriter and blues-rock star in concert. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $39-69. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Monday, March 7 - Tian Kong Choir. Performance by the female choir from Central China Normal University. Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)203-9879 or e-mail clydeandrewwalter@augustana.
Tuesday, March 8 - Paul Thorn. Concert with the blues, rock, and country performer. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $12. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Wednesday, March 9 - The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Acclaimed big-band musicians in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $20. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Friday, March 11 - Manny Lopez & His Big Band. An intimate evening with Lopez and his 13-member ensemble. Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 6 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Saturday, March 12 - Fishbone. Ska, punk, and funk legends in concert, with an opening set by Heatbox. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9:30 p.m. $15-20. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Saturday, March 12 - Third Day. Multi-platinum-selling Christian rockers in concert,with openers Tenth Avenue North. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $25-75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Saturday, March 12 - Grand Zither Concert. Performance event sponsored by the German American Heritage Center, featuring Hanau, Germany's Tony Temerson, and the North American Zither Orchestra. St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center (518 West Locust Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (563)322-8844 or visit GAHC.org.
Saturday, March 12 - Jo Dee Messina. Concert with the country-Western artist behind "I'm Alright" and "Bye, Bye." Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center. (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $20-30. For tickets and information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.
Sunday, March 13 - Jury's Irish Cabaret. Performance extravaganza featuring Ireland's Tony Kenny, comedian Joe Cuddy, the Dublin City Dancers, and more. Ohnward Fine Arts Center (1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa). 2 p.m. $13-25. For tickets and information, call (563)652-9815 or visit OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
Sunday, March 13 - An Evening with Walter Trout. Blues, jam, and rock musician in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
THEATRE
Friday, March 11, through Sunday, March 20 - Visiting Mr. Green. Two-man dramatic comedy by Jeff Baron, directed by Greg Bouljon. Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (309)762-0330 or visit Playcrafters.com.
Friday, March 4, through Sunday, March 13 - Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside - OMG! Annual festival of original works, focusing on moments of surprise, shock, and hilarity. Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Thursdays through Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $12-26. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
MOVIES
Sunday, March 6 - Country School: One Room - One Nation. Documentary on the life, death, and rebirth of Midwestern one-room schools by area filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle. Nighswander Theatre (2822 Eastern Avenue, Davenport). 2 p.m. $5. For information, call (563)326-7862 or visit CountrySchoolMovie.com. For an interview with the filmmakers, see RCReader.com/y/countryschool.
Tuesday, March 15 - Beneath the Jungle & Beyond: Mesoamerica. A screening in the museum's World Adventure Series, with a post-film Q&A with filmmaker Dale Johnson. 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.
LITERATURE
Saturday, March 5 - Pen-in-Hand Writing Conference. Featuring workshops on mystery writing, grant-writing, creative-writing basics, writing for the Web, slam poetry, and a free poetry-writing workshop for students ages 10 to 14. Midwest Writing Center (225 East Second Street Suite 303, Davenport). 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $20-25 per workshop, $60-75 for all workshops. For information and to register, call (563)324-1410 or visit MidwestWritingCenter.org.
SPORTS
Thursday, March 3 - Iowa Barnstormers Vs. Milwaukee Mustangs . Battle between the Arena Football League teams. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $11-50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Sunday, March 13 - WWE Smackdown World Tour. Wrestling action with WWE superstars The Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, Hornswoggle, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Masters, Chavo Guerrero, Beth Phoenix, and Michelle McCool. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 3 p.m. $15-60. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
ART
Saturday, March 12, through Sunday, May 1 - 35th Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition. Annual juried competition and exhibit, featuring works by artists residing within 150 miles of the Quad Cities. Augustana College Art Museum (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). Tuesdays through Sundays, noon-4 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)794-7231 or visit Augustana.edu.
EVENTS
Friday, March 4, through Sunday, March 6 - Spring Antique Spectacular. More than 70 vendors with a wide variety of antiques and collectibles for sale. QCCA Expo Center (2621 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday 5-9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $6 admission for for all three days. For information, call (712)326-9964 or visit AntiqueSpectacular.com.
Saturday, March 5 - Wine at the Warehouse. St. Ambrose University presents an event held in conjunction with the 2011 Wine Festival, hosted by Dimitri Papageorgiou and his staff. Dimitri Wine & Spirits (1735 West Third Street, Davenport). 4 p.m. $45. For information and tickets, call (563)333-6290 or visit SAU.edu/winefest.
Friday, March 11 - Henry Farnam Dinner. Annual event sponsored by River Action, with featured speaker Henry Posner III, chair of the Railroad Development Corporation, giving an illustrated presentation on "A Bridge to the Future: Iowa Interstate, the Quad Cities, and the U.S. Rail Industry." Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel (421 West River Drive, Davenport). 5 p.m. cash bar, 6:30 p.m. dinner, 7:30 p.m. Program. $40 per person, $375 per table of 10. For information and reservations, call (309)764-6122 or visit RiverAction.org.
Saturday, March 12 - Kelly's Irish Pub & Eatery St. Patrick's Day Celebration. The largest St. Patrick's Day party in Iowa, with one ton of corned beef and cabbage, 200 kegs of green beer and Guinness, skydiving leprechauns, live music all day, and more. Kelly's Irish Pub & Eatery (2222 East 53rd Street, Davenport). 6 a.m.-2 a.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)344-0000 or visit KellysIrishPubAndEatery.com.
Saturday, March 12 - CASI's 2011 St. Patrick Day's Races. Featuring a 9 a.m. quarter-mile Tot Trot for kids up to age seven ($12 per child includes T-shirt and medal), a 9:30 a.m. one-mile family run/walk ($12 per person includes T-shirt), and a 10 a.m. 5K run/walk with chip-timing ($25 per person includes T-shirt, with $30 day-of registration). River Music Experience (129 Main Street, Davenport). For information or to register, call (563)386-7477 or visit CASISeniors.org.
Saturday, March 12 - St. Patrick's Society Grand Parade XXVI. Annual holiday parade starts at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street in Rock Island, travels through downtown Rock Island and across the Mississippi River via the Centennial Bridge, and proceeds through downtown Davenport to Second and Harrison streets. 11:30 a.m., with a 1 p.m. post-parade bash at the Col Ballroom (1012 West Fourth Street, Davenport, $15). For information, call (309)788-2341 or visit StPatsQC.com.
