Music
VOCES8
Galvin Fine Arts Center
Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.
For the final performers in its 2011-12 Visiting Artists Series, Quad City Arts has booked an area residency with the renowned a cappella singers of VOCES8, and a glance at the group's three most recent CDs shows its tracks to include "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," "Kyrie from the Mass for Four Voices," "Shenandoah," "Me & My Shadow," "Wir glauben an ainen Gott," and "Jailhouse Rock." Because apparently, it would've killed Quad City Arts to find performers with range.
Ah, but I do enjoy kidding Quad City Arts; it is, after all, tough to imagine the organization finding performers with more range. Based in London, and founded in 2003 by ex-choristers of Westminster Abbey, the exquisite vocalists of VOCES8 have thrilled audiences worldwide with a diverse and extensive repertoire ranging from early English and European Renaissance works to modern pop standards. Portions of that repertoire, meanwhile, will be experienced when the ensemble performs at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center on March 3, in a presentation revealing why BBC Radio praised the group's "audacious arrangements" and stated, "Fans of a cappella ought to hear this."
VOCES8 had its first taste of international recognition at 2005's 44th International Choral Grand Prix in Gorizia, Italy, where the octet won first prize for Best Jazz Performance and the audience vote for Best Performance. The following autumn, at the 38th International Choral Contest in Tolosa, Spain, the ensemble received first prize in both the sacred and secular categories. And since then, VOCES8 has rarely stopped touring, bringing its signature blend of rich harmonics to stops throughout Germany, Belgium, France, Austria, Spain, Italy, Israel, and, this year, the United States.
It probably goes without saying that music critics have been as effusive in their praise as the vocalists' fans have been. But in case it doesn't ... . Classical Music Daily raved about VOCES8's "rich sounds of beautifully blended voices intertwining in pristine velvety textures." And in addition to giving the group's holiday CD Evensong four out of four stars, The London Paper called the album "traditional holiday fare without an ounce of cheese." Even though I'm that guy who really only attends holiday parties for the hors d'oeuvres, I presume that was meant as a compliment.
For tickets to VOCES8's March 3 performance, call (563)333-6251, and for more information on the group's local residency, visit QuadCityArts.com.
Exhibit
Locating Place: Perceptions of Space in 20th Century Photography
Figge Art Museum
Saturday, March 10, through Sunday, April 29
If you'd be so kind, take a look at the accompanying, untitled photograph of a spiral staircase by visual artist Clarence John Laughlin. Start at the top right of the photo, and slowly follow the staircase's beams to the center. Then, again slowly, follow the beams from the center to the photo's top right. Then do it again. Slo-o-owly. From top right to center. And then from center to top right. Top right to center. Center to top right ... .
You're getting sleepy. Ve-e-ery sleepy.
You're feeling the need to view the Figge Art Museum's new exhibition, Locating Place: Perceptions of Space in the 20th Century. You're feeling the urge to visit the exhibit on its opening day, March 10, and several times more before its closing on April 29.
You're wanting to marvel at the nearly five-dozen photographs pulled from collections at the Figge and the University of Iowa Museum of Art. You're wanting to study how the photos touch upon topics ranging from interior states of mind to the impact of humanity on the natural environment. You're wanting to gain insight into our culture, our society, and our identity through the exhibit's mist-shrouded gardens and empty city streets and evocative landscapes. You're wanting to soak in the talents of such gifted photographers as Karl Blossfeldt, Josef Sudek, Kenneth Josephson, Toshio Shibata, and Imogen Cunningham.
And after enjoying the Locating Place exhibit, you're feeling compelled to send the Reader a heartfelt thank-you card for helping guide you to this special, limited-time event. You can wake up now.
So, folks, got any plans this spring?
For more information on Locating Place: Perceptions of Space in the 20th Century, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.com.
Theatre
Southern Crossroads
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Wednesday, March 7, through Saturday, April 14
You know how, in general, follow-ups are rarely as good as the originals? I bring this up because, from March 7 through April 14, the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse presents Southern Crossroads, a musical whose prequel I actually saw - and adored - while vacationing in Virginia last year. So while I haven't yet seen Southern Crossroads itself, I'm here to tell you that if original stage productions are nearly always better than the works they inspire, we're likely gonna be in for a helluva good time.
Written in 2009 by Warner Crocker and Steve Przybylski of Middletown, Virginia's Wayside Theatre, Southern Crossroads is set in 1932 and finds a family of touring musicians stranded after the Depression-era foreclosure of their latest venue. Yet what results, at least if my Virginia experience can be trusted, is a funny, touching, joyously high-spirited jamboree of country, bluegrass, and gospel hits of the period, all played live by the musical's actors. (With a song list featuring such timeless standards as "Keep on the Sunny Side," "I'll Fly Away," "Mountain Dew," "Little Brown Jug," and "Midnight Special," those are some serious hits.)
In the Southern Crossroads prequel I saw last spring, several gifted Circa '21 veterans - Eddie Staver III, Bob Payne, Vaughn Irving, Chris Blisset - just happened to be in the cast. Circa's new offering, meanwhile, also finds a number of exceptionally talented venue veterans on hand, with roles for such area favorites as Brad Hauskins, Kimberly Furness, Tristan Tapscott, Steve Lasiter, Cari Downing, Andrew Crowe, and Tom and Rachelle Walljasper. And rounding out the production's ensemble are two musicians/actors making their Rock Island debuts: Chad Willow and Matthew Baldoni, the latter of whom I caught in an outstanding production of the historical drama Tecumseh! while vacationing in Ohio last summer.
Yes. I took two out-of-state vacations in 2011. But as I saw shows during those vacations that I'm now referencing for work, I guess they were technically business vacations. Wonder if I can write them off on my taxes ... ?
For more information on, and tickets to, Southern Crossroads, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Exhibit
Dinosaurs Unearthed
Putnam Museum
Saturday, March 3, through Sunday, July 8
Opening at the Putnam Museum on March 3, and running through July 8, is the traveling exhibition Dinosaurs Unearthed, which will allow museum visitors to experience the world of these amazing creatures through landscaped scenes, a dig pit, 22 fossils, two skeletons, and 14 animatronics that will replicate dinosaurs' size, movements, and sounds.
The eight-year-old version of me just wet his pants with excitement.
Actually, dino-phile or not, it's hard to imagine who wouldn't be fascinated by this state-of-the-art exhibit, designed to both educate and entertain audiences with the mysterious allure of dinosaurs and the science behind their existence. Species from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods will be explored in this comprehensive showcase of dinosaur knowledge and discovery, and the exhibition and its hands-on activities will be augmented by daily screenings of Flying Monsters 3D, a 45-minute edu-tainment on the enigmatic pterosaur narrated by famed naturalist David Attenborough.
In anticipation of the Putnam's prehistoric events, who's up for a little dino-quiz? (My inner child's answer: "Me me me!!!") Try matching the following dinosaurs with their average length.
1) Apatosaurus
2) Brachiosaurus
3) Diplodocus
4) Gigantosaurus
5) Stegosaurus
6) Triceratops
7) Tyrannosaurus rex
8) Velociraptor
A) 7 feet
B) 27 feet
C) 30 feet
D) 39 feet
E) 43 feet
F) 70 feet
G) 75 feet
H) 170 feet
For more information on the Dinosuars Unearthed exhibit and showtimes for Flying Monsters 3D, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.
Answers: 1 - F, 2 - G, 3 - H, 4 - E, 5 - C, 6 - B, 7 - D, 8 - 1. Eight-year-old me would've had that information at his fingertips. Forty-three-year-old me had to look it up. Damned loss of brain cells ... .
Events
i wireless Center
March through May
As a fortysomething individual who grew up surrounded by the signature sound of Barry Manilow - on TV specials, in movies, on the radio, on his parents' stereo, on their eight-tracks in the freakin' car - I originally considered including the man's songs throughout this preview of springtime events at the i wireless Center. The legendary performer, after all, will be appearing in the Quad Cities on March 8, and so writing an "I can't smile without you at the Copacabana, Mandy, so let's go to the i wireless Center ... " kind of thing seemed appropriate. But why resort to such a corny format when so many incredible events are scheduled for the Moline venue this spring? On March 9, for instance, the i wireless Center will welcome chart-topper Chris and the members of his hard-rocking ensemble Daughtry, and the Canadian rockers of Nickelback make their area return on April 10. Contemporary Christian rock will be represented with the 16-time Dove Award winners of Casting Crowns on March 23, while April 5 brings with it the Grammy Award-winning country crooning of Lady Antebellum. Classical-music lovers will receive both an earful and an eyeful when the powerhouses of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra land in Moline on March 18 for the multimedia extravaganza Beethoven's Last Night; a world-renowned instrumentalist takes the stage in the i wireless Center's May 5 performance with Yanni; gospel fans will shout a spirited "Hallelujah!" at May 19's area return of the ever-popular Bill Gaither Homecoming Tour. And in addition to this sensational musical lineup, the i wireless Center will give monster-truck enthusiasts a thrill with the big-wheeled, steel-crushing action of the Monster Jam on April 27 and 28, while fun on the ice can be enjoyed in the six remaining hockey games in the Quad City Mallards' season. And without having made any cheeky references to Barry Manilow songs, we've now reached the end of this article. Looks like we made it! Aw, crud ... so close. For more information on the i wireless Center's springtime schedule, visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Events
Anne Frank: A History for Today
March through June
"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are good at heart." So goes the unforgettable, extraordinarily hopeful sentiment of 15-year-old Holocaust victim Anne Frank, and over the next few months, the efforts of a number of good people will be dedicated to ensuring that Frank's legacy isn't forgotten. In the community-wide project Anne Frank: A History for Today, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and the Putnam Museum, numerous area venues and organizations will participate in a springtime remembrance of Anne Frank and the effects of the Holocaust, among them the Figge Art Museum, which is currently showcasing German artist Erwin Eisch's famed Kristallnacht prints in its War & Remembrance Art Exhibit (on display through April 15). In addition to hosting the Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibition from March 31 through May 28, the Putnam Museum will house a complementary exhibit in the form of Eva Gieringer Schloss' Paintings Created in Hiding by Erich & Heinz Geiringer. Educator and author Barbara Powers, meanwhile, will offer an exhibit of her own at the Rock Island Public Library's downtown branch, during the April 8 through June 8 display of her A Tribute to the Children of the Holocaust: Portrait Collages That Bridge the Gap Between Then & Now. Augustana College's annual Geifman Endowment in Holocaust Studies Lecture will find Holocaust survivor Agnes Schwartz speaking in Wallenberg Hall on April 23, with Schwartz also serving as the Tri-City Jewish Center's guest speaker for its April 22 Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance event. A pair of Putnam Museum screenings will address the Holocaust in the venue's documentary presentations The Rescuers (April 15), which concerns 13 diplomats who helped save tens of thousands of Jewish lives, and Nicky's Family (May 6), a tribute to the Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children. And in addition to Augustana's performances of the Holocaust-themed And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank scheduled for area high schools, the dancers of Ballet Quad Cities will lend their talents to the Anne Frank ballet From the Pages of a Young Girl's Life, a public performance of which will be staged March 3 at the Holzworth Performing Arts Center. For more information on the spring events in the Anne Frank: A History for Today program, call the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities at (309)793-1300, or visit JFQC.org.
Events
Adler Theatre
March through May
There's such a wide variety of music-related events heading to Davenport's Adler Theatre this spring that just glancing at the schedule makes me want to dance. To the relief of absolutely everyone, however, I don't have to, considering how many of the venue's guests will be doing the dancing for me. The hoofing begins on March 6 with the extraordinary Celtic performers of Riverdance, appearing in the legendary group's farewell tour, and continues on March 8 through 10 with the world-renowned talents of director/choreographer Yuri Grigorovich's Legends of Russian Ballet tour, with the Bolshoi Theatre's members presenting selections from such memorable ballets as Don Quixote and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The strains of Mr. Tchaikovsky will also be heard throughout the Adler when Ballet Quad Cities stages its springtime productions of the Russian composer's The Sleeping Beauty on May 19, while more classical marvels on hand in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's final performances in its 2011-12 Masterworks series: March 3's War Requiem, and March 31's Der Rosenkavalier. (Performances of the two will also be held at Augustana College's Centennial Hall on March 4 and April 1.) Audiences will be treated to a spirited blend of Broadway-style music and dance in March 23's touring production of the musical-comedy sensation Damn Yankees, with plenty of music sans dance on tap in the April 17 booking with the a cappella wizards of Straight No Chaser. A singular country artist delivers both music and tales from his extraordinary career when Trace Adkins brings his "Stories & Songs" tour to Davenport on May 10. And wrapping up the Adler Theatre's exciting roster of springtime happenings are the Canadian comedians of Red Green's Live Wit & Wisdom Tour, a May 1 event that finds the beloved TV characters offering homespun wisdom, relationship advice, and plenty of handyman tips. If you think this booking doesn't quite mesh with the Adler's musical theme this spring, then you're obviously not familiar with Green's campfire ode to his wood-burning stove, a ditty that begins, "It hisses and cracks and burns things real bad / It belches and smokes, but then so did my dad." Granted, it ain't Tchaikovsky, but still ... . For more on the Adler's springtime season, visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Events
Englert Theatre
March through May
I recently printed out the list of springtime happenings at Iowa City's Englert Theatre, and honest to Pete, I'm not sure which I'm more psyched about: the March 30 performance with Arrested Development's David Cross, one of the funniest actors/comedians on the planet, or the April 14 Midnight Movie Series presentation of Tommy Wiseau's The Room, one of the (unintentionally) funniest films on the planet. I'm calling it a draw, but they're hardly our only options for exceptional Englert entertainment over the next three months. If you're in a musical frame of mind, the venue has a plethora of concerts lined up, among them gigs with the blues rockers of Hot Tuna (March 8), the Steely Dan tribute artists of The Fez (March 9), the acclaimed Celtic crooners of Lúnasa (March 10), the swooning romantic vocalists of The Magnetic Fields (March 28), and the soulful singer/songwriter Mason Jennings (April 6). If it's music accompanied by beloved stories that you're searching for, the Englert hosts the Iowa City Community Theatre's take on the stage classic Gigi (March 1 through 4), and the University of Iowa School of Music's operatic rendition of Romeo & Juliet (April 26 through 29). On May 19, celebrated humorist Polly Frost takes the Iowa City stage in her one-woman show How to Survive Your Adult Relationship with Your Family, with more comedy courtesy of April 14's Nerdist Podcast Live! event, featuring a taping of the popular podcast and stand-up with hosts Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira. Stage artists from across the Atlantic will be on view when the Englert screens National Theatre Live presentations of Shakespeare's classic The Comedy of Errors (March 24) and Oliver Goldsmith's 1773 comedy She Stoops to Conquer (April 11). And if The Room isn't enough Midnight Movie Series enjoyment for you - though heaven knows it should be - additional titles on the Englert's late-night-cinema docket include Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-winning Moulin Rouge! (April 7), Christopher Nolan's thrillingly knotty Memento (May 5), and Monty Python & the Holy Grail (March 10). Admission is $3 at the door, but feel free to attempt a trade by instead bringing the Englert ... a shrubbery!!! More information on the Iowa City venue's spring season can be found at Englert.org.
Events
Hancher Auditorium
March through May
Performing at the University of Iowa's Space/Place Theatre in the stage odyssey Punk Yankees - a production that the Chicago Reader called "tongue-in-cheek, subversive, and best of all great fun" - the acrobatic dancers of the Lucky Plush company appear as guests in Hancher Auditorium's springtime visiting-artists lineup, sharing their desire (as stated on Hancher's Web page) "to make a wholly original statement by liberally borrowing from other work." And here I thought I was the only one secretly doing that. But the original and hugely entertaining treats in Hancher's spring season don't end with that March 8 Punk Yankees performance - heck, they don't even begin with it. On March 2, in a concert at Riverdale's Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Hancher presents an evening with the masterful, chart-topping funk musicians of Tower of Power, and four days later, one of America's premier instrumental ensembles takes the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts stage in March 6's concert with the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. More Grammy-winners will be on hand when the soaring gospel stylings of the Soweto Gospel Choir fill the Riverside Casino on March 27, while Iowa City's Englert Theatre will be alive with both the afrobeat rhythms of Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 on March 31 and the saxophone-fueled magic of jazz artist Dave Pietro on April 5. One of Hancher's recently commissioned theatrical projects will have its public debut at Riverside Theatre, when author Christopher Lewis and the Working Group Theatre present Mayberry (April 27 through 29), a work exploring the impact of Iowa City's increasing African-American population. Geniality, goofiness, and astonishing juggling tricks will abound on May 20, when Iowa City High School hosts the stage wizardry of Hancher visiting artists The Gizmo Guys. And finally, in a May 4 performance at Iowa City's Zion Lutheran Church, the Grammy-nominated Enso String Quartet will demonstrate the musical precision and athleticism that led MusicWeb International to praise their "playing that threatens the very limit of technical possibility," and their exciting output that sounds "as though all the hounds of hell were chasing them." If the quartet needs a fifth member to sit amongst them screaming, "Aa-a-a-a-a-a-ah!!!!!!", I'm their guy. For more on the visiting artists in Hancher Auditorium's springtime lineup, visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
What Else Is Happenin'...? : Thursday, March 1, through Wednesday, March 14
MUSIC
Friday, March 2 - Tower of Power. Acclaimed funk and jazz artists in concert, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 7:30 p.m. $19-42. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, March 3 - Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Noted blues musicians in concert, with an opener by Hal Reed. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2005 interview with Slim, visit RCReader.com/y/magicslim.
Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra: War Requiem. The fifth Masterworks concerts of the season, with performances by soprano Caroline Thomas, tenor John Dehaan, baritone Phillip Zawasca, the University of Minnesota Chorale, the Minnesota Boychoir, the Augustana College Choir, Quad City Choral Arts, and the Chamber Orchestra from Hochschule for Musik in Detmold, Germany. Saturday - Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport), 7:30 p.m. Sunday - Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m. $11-53. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Tuesday, March 6 - The Great Barrier Reefs. Concert with the Nashville-based, steel-pan-fronted jazz and funk musicians, with an opener by Firesale. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, e-mail info@rozz.tox.com and visit RozzTox.com.
Tuesday, March 6 - Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Concert with one of America's premier instrumental ensembles, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (1301 Fifth Street, Coralville). 7:30 p.m. $18.50-42. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Wednesday, March 7 - The Avett Brothers. Folk rock with Scott and Seth Avett, in a presentation by Scope Productions. Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge (125 North Madison Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $30. For tickets and information, call (319)335-3395 or visit ScopeProductions.org.
Thursday, March 8 - Barry Manilow. Legendary singer/songwriter in concert. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 8 p.m. $19.99-129.99. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Thursday, March 8 - Hot Tuna. Blues-rock concert featuring bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $30-32. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Friday, March 9 - Daughtry. American rockers fronted by former American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry, with opening sets by Safetysuite and Mike Sanchez. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $35-45. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, March 9 - The Fez. Fifteen-piece band dedicated to faithfully reproducing the jazz/rock fusion of Steely Dan. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Friday, March 9 - John Michael Montgomery. Famed country singer of "I Swear" and "Be My Baby Tonight" in concert. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $20-30. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Friday, March 9 - Matthew Santos. Grammy-nominated folk, rock, and soul musician in concert. RME Community Stage (131 West Second Street, Davenport). 8:30 p.m. $5. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, March 10 - Kaivama. Concert with the Minneapolis-based folk duo, with an opener by Finnish composer/fiddler Arto Järvelä. River Music Experience (131 West Second Street). 8 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, March 10 - Lúnasa. Concert featuring some of Ireland's most acclaimed musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Stree, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $22-25. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Tuesday, March 13 - Buckwheat Zydeco. Famed roots and zydeco musicians in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $18-24. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2006 interview with Buckwheat Zydeco, visit RCReader.com/y/buckwheat.
THEATRE
Thursday, March 1, through Sunday, March 4 - Gigi. Musical classic by Lerner & Loewe, presented by Iowa City Community Theatre. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. $12-20. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit IowaCityCommunityTheatre.com.
Thursday, March 1, through Sunday, March 4 - Bye Bye Birdie. The rock 'n' roll musical classic, presented by the Pearl City Players. Muscatine Community College's Little Theatre (152 Colorado Street, Muscatine). Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. For information, call (563)288-6037 or e-mail director David Lane at dlane@eicc.edu.
Friday, March 2, through Sunday, March 11 - Walking the Wire: This Will Never Work. Annual monologue festival, with works on the theme of "hare-brained schemes and skeptics proved wrong." Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m.; Sundays 2 p.m. $15-28. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
Friday, March 9, through Sunday, March 18 - If It's Monday, This Must Be Murder. Detective comedy by Pat Cook, directed by Gary Clark. 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.
Saturday, March 10 - The Magic Flute. Mozart's masterpiece on love, forgiveness, and magic, presented by Opera Iowa. Ohnward Fine Arts Center (1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa). 7 p.m. $10-20. For tickets and information, call (563)652-9815 or visit OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
DANCE
Saturday, March 3 - From the Pages of a Young Girl's Life. Ballet Quad Cities' production of the one-act ballet based on the life of Anne Frank. Davenport North High School's Holzworth Performing Arts Center (626 West 53rd Street, Davenport). 2 and 8 p.m. $10-20. For tickets and information, call (309)786-3779 or visit BalletQuadCities.com.
Tuesday, March 6 - Riverdance. Thunderous celebration of Irish music and dance in the group's farewell tour. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $36.50-61.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Thursday, March 8 - Lucky Plush Productions' Punk Yankees. An intimate and innovative night of contemporary dance-theatre, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. University of Iowa's Space/Place Theatre. (E114 Halsey Hall, corner of Madison and Jefferson streets, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $12.50-25. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Thursday, March 8, through Saturday, March 10 - Legends of Russian Ballet. Touring company led by world-renowned director/choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, showcasing selections from classics including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Le Spectre de la Rose, and Chopiniana. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m.; Saturday 3 p.m. $32-152. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
COMEDY
Thursday, March 1 - Etta May's White Trash Diary. All-new stand-up with the famed comedienne. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $20-25. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Saturday, March 3, through Saturday, March 17 - Cross-Country Comedy Competition. Stand-up-comedy contest with weekly preliminaries on Saturdays and finals on March 31, with the grand-prize winner receiving $1,000 and a booking at this fall's Iowa Comedy Festival. Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5. For information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit C4Comedy.com.
EVENTS
Friday, March 2, through Sunday, March 4 - Antique Spectacular. Annual antiques and collectibles festival featuring more than 70 distributors. QCCA Expo Center (2621 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $7 admission good for all three days. For information, call (309)788-5912 or visit QCCAExpoCenter.com.
Saturday, March 3 - Wine at the Warehouse. Appetizers and a casual tasting of some of the best wines available in the Quad Cities, in a fundraiser for the annual St. Ambrose University Wine Festival. Dimitri Wine & Spirits (1735 West Third Street, Davenport). 4 p.m. $45. For information and to reserve, call (563)333-6290 or visit SAU.edu/alumni.
Wednesday, March 14, through Saturday, March 17 - Gathering of the Green. Conference dedicated to John Deere antique two-cylinder and New Generation tractor and implement restorers, collectors, and enthusiasts, featuring historical and technical workshops, vendors offering John Deere-related items, an auction, and more. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). For information, call (815)910-2500 or visit GatheringOfTheGreen.com.
