Music
Holiday Pops featuring Debby Boone
i wireless Center
Saturday, November 23, 7:30 p.m.
Not that you'd know it from these pages, but when in public, I do try to behave with a fair amount of professional decorum. Yet this past September, when I ran into Steve Jobman - the artistic director for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's November 23 Holiday Pops concert at the i wireless Center - and he told me they'd secured Grammy winner Debby Boone as this year's featured vocalist, I'll admit it: I squealed like a little girl. Apologies to those nearby who thought I maybe saw a mouse.
The daughter of famed pop crooner Pat Boone, Debby began touring with her family's vocal ensemble at age 14, eventually landing on the Billboard charts with 1975's "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" and 1977's "Hasta Mañana." But it was later that year, with the release of Debby's first solo album You Light Up My Life and its title track, that the singer became a star.
Spending 10 consecutive weeks atop Billboard's Hot 100 chart - more than any previous song in the chart's history - and earning Debby the Grammy for Best New Artist, "You Light Up My Life" quickly became the biggest-selling hit of the 1970s.
It also, for some of us, became the song that our grade-school music teacher made us perform for a big school assembly, so some of us listened to it an awful lot. And developed serious crushes on Debby as result. Hence, my squealing.
Since then, Debby has gone on to find success in musical theatre and contemporary-Christian music, land a number-one hit on Billboard's country charts with "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again," pick up two more Grammys, and even co-author numerous children's books with her husband Gabriel Ferrer. (And not for nothing, but especially for age 57, she continues to look fantastic.) So kudos to Jobman and the Quad City Symphony for the amazing booking for this year's Holiday Pops. I'd be tempted to ask them if I could meet Debby after the show, but you know ... . Why make her think there are mice ... ?
Holiday Pops will also feature performances by the Sanctuary Choir of Davenport's First Presbyterian Church and the Quad City Symphony Youth Choir (those lucky so-and-so's ... ), and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting iwirelessCenter.com.
Event
Buddy Valastro: The Cake Boss
Adler Theatre
Thursday, November 21, 7:30 p.m.
I do hope, on November 21, that the janitorial staff at Davenport's Adler Theatre have their mops and squeegees at the ready, because there just might be a few hundred trails of saliva they'll have to contend with.
The reason for this potential flooding is the area arrival of Buddy Valastro, the celebrity chef best known as the star of TLC's reality series Cake Boss. And while Valastro is a good-looking guy, I was kind of thinking the drool might result more from his interactive presentation, which will find the Hoboken, New Jersey, native giving live cake- and cupcake-decorating demonstrations. So if you're prone to losing control at the first sight of frosting, you might want to request seats in the back.
Valastro's Adler event will also feature him sharing stories of his career as a professional baker - and, as the 36-year-old started working at his family's business, Carlo's Bakery, at age 11, I'm betting that he's amassed a bunch of good ones. Taking over the bakery's head-chef reins at age 17, after his father's passing, Valastro proved to be both an exceptional entrepreneur and, with the 2009 debut of Cake Boss, one with exceptional natural charisma, to boot; the show led to the spin-offs Kitchen Boss and Bakery Boss, plus the competition series Next Great Baker, in which the champion chef earns cash and an apprenticeship at Carlo's Bakery.
With those programs plus several books to his credit - among them The Essential Cake Boss, released a mere month and a half ago - Valastro has emerged as the preeminent baking authority of his generation, and as his fans will attest, certainly the most entertaining one. So enjoy the culinary artist's presentation and his accompanying question-and-answer session, and remember: Bring a bib.
(See? I told my editor it wouldn't be offensive if I did this whole article in Valastro's Italian-American accent! You weren't bothered by it at all, were you?)
For tickets to Buddy Valastro's November 21 engagement, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Music
Daytrotter: Communion
Rock Island Brewing Company
Thursday, November 21, 7 p.m.
The word "communion" has several definitions. It can mean "the elements of the Eucharist" or "an association or fellowship" or "the sharing of thoughts or emotion." Or it can mean "the title of a 1989 sci-fi movie so bad that my buddy and I left halfway through and were forced to drown our irritation in beer at two in the afternoon." (Not that, of course, that would be my definition or anything ... .)
But on November 21, the word "communion" is going to mean "a kick-ass assemblage of hot indie musicians," at least if Daytrotter and RIBCO have anything to say about it. A special event showcasing the singing/songwriting talents of artists from all across America, the Communion concert should also be emblematic of the word's definition as "a group of people having a common religious faith" ... if that faith is the belief in the power of searching, soulful music.
On the docket for the night: Denver's indie-pop duo Tennis, composed of husband and wife Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore; the six gifted musicians who form Salt Lake City's Night Sweats; Brooklyn-based pop-rockers Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro of Savoir Adore; Chicago trio On & On, which boasts three former members of Scattered Tress; and the Quad Cities' own The Multiple Cat, featuring Ryan Collins, Ben Crabb, Patrick Stolley, and Eric Stone.
Is your indie-music cred impressive enough that you can tell them apart based on album or EP titles alone? Let's find out! Try matching these five titles with the artists who released them.
1) Cape Dory
2) Elements of
3) Give in
4) Red
5) The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel & the Girl with Animals in Her Throat
A) The Multiple Cat
B) Night Sweats
C) On and On
D) Savoir Adore
E) Tennis
Tickets to the Communion concert are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and more information on the night is available at (309)793-4060 or RIBCO.com.
Answers: 1 - E, 2 - A, 3 - C, 4 - B, 5 - D. I understand if you mistakenly guessed The Multiple Cat on that last one. Usually, it is a cat that has something caught in its throat.
Theatre
The Tempest
District Theatre
Friday, November 15, through Sunday, November 24
"Hi, Mike."
"Jeffrey! A man of unlimited breath and bounty! I bid you fair day!"
"Oh, Lord ... . I presume you're going to the theatre?"
"Forsooth! I am to see a delightful cheer by that prosperous Bard of Avon - William Shakespeare!"
"That was my guess."
"Heigh my heart!"
"Let's see ... Genesius Guild's summer season ended ... and the Prenzie Players' new show isn't for a few more weeks ... ."
"Nay! I shall be in attendance of Shakespeare's The Tempest, a prose of empiercing compare, at Rock Island's District Theatre! 'Twill be the company's initial foray into the merry grace of Shakespare's poetic tongue!"
"Well, you certainly seem excited for it."
"I feel as though a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ears!"
"That's from The Tempest, right?"
"Aye! As are 'What's past is prologue' and 'O, brave new world' and 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on!' Thine ear is good as the best!"
"Right. So who's in the show?"
"All manner of mickle talent! Mike King as Prospero, Lauren VanSprebroeck as Miranda, Tristan Tapscott as Ariel, Joseph Maubach as Gonzalo, Bryan Tank as Trinculo, Ed Villarreal as Stephano, Andy Curtiss as Antonio, Doug Adkins as Sebastian ... ! And they have the fortune to be led in triumph by director Chris Causer, of the District's Hair and reasons to be pretty! How beauteous mankind is!"
"Yeah, that's from The Tempest, too. When it's running?"
"The actors shall tread the boards from the 15th of November through its 24th night. And with that, I'm off! Fare thee well, kindly Jeffrey! Parting is such sweet sorrow!"
"You can stop talking like that now."
"Fine."
"And I'd ditch the costume."
"But codpieces go with everything."
The Tempest will be performed Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)235-1654 or visiting DistrictTheatre.com.
Exhibits
Figge Art Museum
November through February
When my siblings and I were little kids, we were expressly forbidden, by our mother, to hang out in the dining-room area unless she was present. That's where we kept the "good glassware" reserved for guests, and she was sure that we'd break something. I'm guessing that our mother also wouldn't have wanted us anywhere near the Figge Art Museum's new exhibits this winter, because boy oh boy, they're going to feature an awful lot of items we might've broken. The Davenport venue is currently displaying several exhibitions that wouldn't have wound up in shards on our family's dining-room floor, and there's still time to catch the museum's Medieval Monsters (on display through December 15), 1934: A New Deal for Artists (through January 5), A New Deal for Illinois: The Federal Art Project Collection of Western Illinois University (through January 5), Walter Haskell Hinton: Image Maker for Deere (through February 2), College Invitational (through February 9), and Eye on UI Faculty: Byron Burford, Stuart Edie, & James Lechay (through March 2). But a warning to you parents of young bulls-in-china-shops out there: Things at the Figge are about to get glassy! On display January 25 through May 4, Katja Loher: Videoplanet - Orchestra will present video works projected onto weather balloons and from within glass spheres. Landscape: Ingalena Kienell & Beth Lipman, from February 15 through May 25, will showcase pieces by glasswork artists from Wisconsin and Sweden. Roman Glass Works will be on display from February 22 through May 20, featuring glass vessels from the collections of Augustana College and the Putnam Museum. And prior to all of those new exhibits, the Figge will prove that some kids can be trusted around the "good glassware," and can even make some of their own, in the January 18 through May 4 exhibition Kids Design Glass. So hopefully, this winter, I'll be seeing you at the Figge for - . Wait a sec, my mom is texting me ... . She's saying she just visited the Figge's Web site, and says I'm not allowed there 'til summer. Aw, man ... ! For more on the Figge Art Museum's winter events, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.
Events
i wireless Center
December through March
This winter in the Quad Cities, a 12,000-seat facility will find itself home to bulls, broncs, horses, ponies, ostriches, and a monkey, and I can guess what you're asking: "Is this the i wireless Center we're talking about here, or freaking Noah's Ark?" Definitely the former, and if it is winter in the Quad Cities, that means it's time to treat the family to another go-round(up) with the World's Toughest Rodeo, the touring event that hits the i wireless Center on January 24 and 25. But don't think that just because you've previously seen the tour, you've seen it all; in addition to the riding and wrangling fun you're expecting, this year's presentation will feature nightly ostrich races and special performances by the rootin'-est, tootin'-est simian this side of the Pecos: Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey. (Ain't he cute?!) As usual, the Moline venue will also play host to some sensational concert events this winter, among them the holiday-themed multimedia spectacle of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's The Lost Chrismas Eve on December 12, country music's nine-time Billboard chart-toppers The Zac Brown Band on December 15, and two nights with CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Jason Aldean, performing January 18 and 19 alongside Florida George Line and Tyler Farr. Comedian Jeff Dunham is set to wow i wireless Center crowds on February 27, and is bringing with him a bunch of friends, some of them boasting unusual names - Grumpy Retiree, José Jalapeño, Achmed the Dead Terrorist - and most of them made of felt. Comedy mixed with exhilarating physical prowess will be on display when the legendary Harlem Globetrotters bring their "2014 Fans Rule World Tour" to downtown Moline. And as it's winter, you can bet that numerous other nights at the i wireless Center will highlight the thrill of professional ice hockey, with 21 games scheduled between November 29 and March 5 for local speed demons the Quad City Mallards. Mallards, of course, would not be on Noah's Ark. 'Cuz ... ya know ... they can float. And fly, come to think of it ... . For more on the i wireless Center's wintertime happenings, visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Music & Dance
Quad City Arts Visiting Artists
December through February
Destino. Hammerstep. Galumpha. No, they're not über-villains in the next Avengers movie. They are, in actuality, the next sets of performing-arts masters scheduled to educate and entertain as part of Quad City Arts' 2013-14 Visiting Artists series. Appearing at the First Presbyterian Church of Davenport on December 15 - and giving abbreviated versions of their scheduled public concert at the Deere-Wiman Carriage House on December 6 and Moline Public Library on December 7 - Destino features two musicians and two vocalists famed for bringing modern flair to traditional pop and classical works, and the numerous venues they've played include Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, St. Peter's Basilica, and Walt Disney World. (That burning smell you're sensing is my professional envy wafting through the paper.) The artists of Hammerstep - scheduled to perform at Bettendorf High School on February 8 - are a nationally lauded troupe of Irish-step, tap, and hip-hop dancers known for their exceptional choreographed moves, as well as their passionate commitment to bringing their art to underprivileged youths through urban-outreach programs. As for Galumpha, it's an ensemble that's a little tough to describe ... at least in the space allotted here, considering the first sentence of the artists' press-release bio features the phrases "striking visual effects," "inventive choreography," "physical comedy," and "stunning acrobatics." But portions of Galumpha's fast-paced, athletic stage show have been seen on The Late Show with David Letterman, TNN's Crook & Chase, and the MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon, and the group's inventive live performances have been witnessed in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. So, nope. Not Avengers villains. Though I would kind of kill to see the face-off between them and Hulk. "Galumpha sma-a-a-ash!!!" For more information on the 2013-14 Visiting Artists series, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
Events
Adler Theatre
December through February
Ba da da dum. (Snap, snap.) Ba da da dum. (Snap, snap.) Ba da da dum, ba da da dum, ba da da dum. (Snap, snap.) Name that tune! Okay, yeah, that was an easy one. But it also seemed the best way to get you psyched about the impending arrival of The Addams Family, Broadway's recent musical-comedy hit whose national tour hits the Adler Theatre on February 11. Yet along with Gomez, Morticia, Cousin Itt, and the rest of that creepy and kooky clan, a number of other special guests are on the docket during the Davenport venue's winter season, including a few that, taken together, sound an awful lot like ABBA and Green Day. That would be because the Broadway at the Adler series also features December 17's Swedish-pop extravaganza Mamma Mia! and a January 8 production of American Idiot, the Tony-winning Green Day musical that inspired the New York Times' Charles Isherwood to call it "as invigorating and ultimately as moving as anything I've seen on Broadway this season. Or maybe for a few seasons past." On the subject of seasons, the 2013-14 season for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra continues this winter with the group's Masterworks III and IV performances, the former (on December 7) featuring guest conductor Alasdaire Neale and violinist Naha Greenholtz, and the latter (on February 15) with Mark Russell Smith conducting and Roberto Diaz and Elissa Lee Koljonen on violin. (The Masterworks concerts will be repeated at Augustana College's Centennial Hall on December 8 and February 16, respectively.) A different, 14-piece orchestra will be playing at the Adler on December 1 when the venue welcomes pianist extraordinaire Jim McDonough on his "Holiday Grande 2013" tour, while a quartet of crooners from touring productions of Jersey Boys gather Under the Streetlamp on December 19, treating audiences to an evening of classic pop tunes from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. And finally, it wouldn't be winter at the Adler without the annual stagings of Tchaikovsky's holiday classic The Nutcracker, which the awesome talents of Ballet Quad Cities will perform - accompanied by Orchestra Iowa - on December 14 and 15. Enjoy the performance, and tell 'em Drosselmeyer sent you! (I played The Nutcracker's Drosselmeyer twice for Ballet Quad Cities. It's been a year since I mentioned it. Thought maybe you'd forgotten.) For more on the Adler Theatre's winter events, visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Music
Holiday Concerts
November and December
Here's hoping you're up for some holiday tunes to go along with your holiday season, because we sure do have a lot of them to tell you about. In fact, I think the easiest way to tell you about them all in the space allotted is to just list 'em chronologically, so here goes. November 30: "A Celtic Christmas" (Iowa Theatre Artists Company) and the Copa Crew Big Band Holiday Show (Ohnward Fine Arts Center). December 1: Jim McDonough's "Holiday Grande 2013" (Adler Theatre), the Holiday Zither Concert (German American Heritage Center), and Central Standard Time's "christmastime" (Coralville Center for the Arts). December 5: Black Hawk College Holiday Choral Concert (First Congregational Church of Moline), and "Sing-Along Messiah" (Coralville Center for the Performing Arts). December 6: The Davenport Chordbuster Barbershop Chorus' "Celebrate the Holidays" (Heritage Church). December 6 and 7:"Christmas at Augustana" (Augustana College's Centennial Hall). December 6 through 8: The Great Bluegrass Herons' Acoustic Christmas Concert (Iowa Theatre Artists Company). December 8: St. Ambrose University's An Ambrosian Christmas (Adler Theatre). December 10: Branson on the Road: Christmas Style (Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse). December 11: "Festival of Carols" (Englert Theatre). December 12: The Trans-Siberian Orchestra's The Lost Christmas Eve (i wireless Center). December 14: The Lennon Sisters Christmas Show (Riverside Casino Event Center) and Lynne Rothrock's Christmas Cabaret (Iowa Theatre Artists Company). December 14 and 15: A Christmas Messiah (Augustana College' Centennial Hall). December 15: The Quad City Wind Ensemble's Holiday Concert (St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center). And December 21: The Nova Singers' A Nova Christmas (St. Paul Lutheran Church of Davenport). Check it out. Twelve days of Christmas. And you didn't even have to endure my singing, "Fi-i-i-i-ve go-o-o-old ri-i-i-i-imgs!!!" For more on area concerts during the holidays, visit the online Reader Music Calendar.
Events
Family Presentations
December through February
Kids. What's the matter with kids today? (Yes, those are lyrics from Bye Bye Birdie, but I swear I'm not about to break into song.) I mean, how can any child ever complain about being bored when confronted with the hundreds of activities and events found in the Reader's seasonal Family Fun Guide calendars? Take this winter's, for instance. Not even considering all of the many, many happenings taking place at area libraries and other venues, kids can treat themselves - or rather, have you treat them - to all sorts of exciting shows geared specifically to them. They can enjoy a Rudyard Kipling classic in the Center for Living Arts' staging of The Jungle Book (December 6 and 7), or a timeless Margery Williams tale in the Old Creamery Theatre's The Velveteen Rabbit (November 30 through December 21). They can see Charles Dickens' holiday masterpiece come to life in two productions of A Christmas Carol, one at Rock Island's District Theatre (December 6 through 15), and one at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (December 13 through 22). They can take a trip to St. Ambrose University's Toy Camp (December 7 and 8), or join Davenport Junior Theatre in an aquatic trek 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (February 15 through 23). They can go to Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, where in addition to a re-imagined family favorite with A Christmas Story: The Musical (now through January 5), the venue will deliver a holiday fantasy just for them in A Fairy Tale Christmas (November 29 through December 28). And they can see holiday dreams come true for one lucky little girl in the beloved Tchaikovsky ballet The Nutcracker, performed at the Englert Theatre by students of Nolte Academy of Dance (December 6 through 8), and at Davenport's Adler Theatre by the professional talents of Ballet Quad Cities (December 14 and 15). You remember that I twice played Drosselmeyer for the company's annual Nutcracker, right? It's been a year since I mentioned it. Thought maybe you'd forgotten. [Editor's note: You just mentioned it in the Adler Theatre article above, Mike. Get over it.] For more on wintertime events for kids, visit the online Reader Kids Calendar.
What Else Is Happenin' ...? : November 14 through 27
MUSIC
Thursday, November 14 - Matthew Curry & the Fury. Blues and rock musicians in concert, with an opening set by The Winter Blues All-Stars. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $7. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Thursday, November 14 - Lorie Line: Born in Bethlehem. The holiday tour with the pop singer and her Fab Five, featuring old favorites and new seasonal songs. Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (1301 Fifth Street, Coralville). 7:30 p.m. $48. For tickets and information, call (319)248-9370 or visit CoralvilleArts.com.
Friday, November 15 - Daphne Willis. Acoustic, pop, and rock musician in concert, with an opening set by Hood Smoke. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8:30 p.m. $8. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2008 interview with Willis, visit RCReader.com/y/daphnewillis.
Friday, November 15 - Joanne Shaw Taylor. British blues guitarist and singer in a concert sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf). 9 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (563)355-0655 or visit TheMuddyWaters.com. For a 2009 interview with Taylor, visit RCReader.com/y/taylor.
Friday, November 15 - Ray Live! A Tribute to Ray Charles. A night of classic blues and soul tunes from the Charles catalog. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $5-10. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Friday, November 15 - Robert Cray Band. Concert with the Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist and his ensemble. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 8 p.m. $25-35. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
Friday, November 15 - Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp. Fourth-annual piano concert featuring performances by Chase Garrett, Robert Roth, and Mr. Boogie Woogie. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $30-45. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, November 16 - James Blake. Singer/songwriter performs in support of his 2013 album Overgrown. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $25-27. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Sunday, November 17 - Daniel Leahy Trio. Jazz pianist/vocalist and his ensemble educate and entertain in the Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinée Series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. workshop: $5/adults, free for students. 6 p.m. concert: $10-15. For tickets and information, call (309)373-0790 or visit Polyrhythms.org or RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, November 22 - 1964: The Tribute. Concert with the internationally touring Beatles tribute artists. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $34.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Friday, November 22 - Tiny Moving Parts. Idie rockers in concert, with performances by Ice Hockey, The Easy Mark, and A Little Strange. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $5. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Friday, November 22, through Sunday, November 24 - Hansel & Gretel. Engelbert Humperdinck's fairytale operetta performed by Opera@Augustana. Augustana College's Wallenberg Hall (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $8-14. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu.
Saturday, November 23 - Orquesta Son Del Tumbao. Salsa music and dancing with Ed East, Omar Alaniz, and Nelson Martinez. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, November 23 - Rickie Lee Jones. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter in concert. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $35. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Wednesday, November 27 - Minus Six CD Release Party. Concert with the area pop and rock musicians. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $6. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
THEATRE
Thursday, November 14, through Sunday, December 22 - Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas. Holiday-themed musical-comedy sequel to Church Basement Ladies. Old Creamery Theatre (39 38th Avenue, Amana). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 3 p.m. $18-27.50. For tickets and information, call (319)622-6194 or visit OldCreamery.com.
Thursday, November 14, through Saturday, November 23 - The Imaginary Invalid. Molière comedy about an aging hypochondriac, directed by Carol MacVey. University of Iowa's David Thayer Theatre (200 North Riverside Drive, Iowa City). Thursdays through Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $5-17. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Theatre.UIowa.edu.
Friday, November 15, through Saturday, November 23 - Gruesome Playground Injuries. Dreamwell Theatre's production of Rajiv Joseph's two-character drama. Unitarian Universalist Society (10 South Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m. $10-13. For tickets and information, call (319)423-9820 or visit Dreamwell.com.
Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23 - Urinetown: The Musical. Tony Award-winning musical comedy presented by the Carl Sandburg College music department. Orpheum Theatre (57 South Kellogg Street, Galesburg). Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m. $12. For tickets and information, call (309)342-2299 or visit TheOrpheum.org.
COMEDY
Friday, November 15 - Walloped at da Wake. New Mafia-wake murder mystery with the It's a Mystery! troupe, written by Kim Eastland. Skellington Manor Banquet & Event Center (420 18th Street, Rock Island). 6:30 p.m. $35. For tickets and information, call (563)344-9187 or visit SkellingtonManor.com.
Saturday, November 16 - Lily Tomlin. The legendary comedienne performs in a presentation in the Hancher Auditorium Visiting Artists series. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 7:30 p.m. $10-45. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Friday, November 22 - Kathleen Madigan. An evening with the stand-up comedienne and Last Comic Standing contestant. 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.
MOVIES
Saturday, November 16 - Bringing It Home. Screening of the new industrial-hemp documentary, featuring a Q&A Session, hemp food and drink samples, an informative display on Iowa hemp history, and more. Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 East Second Street, Davenport). 1 p.m. Free admission. For information, visit BringingItHomeMovie.com.
EXHIBIT
Saturday, November 16, through Sunday, February 9 - College Invitational. Exhibit featuring artwork by students from Ashford University, Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Knox College, Monmouth College, Scott Community College, St. Ambrose University, Western Illinois University, and the University of Iowa. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.
KIDS' STUFF
Thursday, November 14, through Sunday, November 17 - Disney on Ice: Passport to Adventure. All-new skating spectacular featuring favorite Disney characters. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). Thursdays and Friday 7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m.; Sunday 1 and 5 p.m. $16-51. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
EVENTS
Friday, November 15 - River Cities' Reader 20th Birthday Celebration. As we enter our third decade as the Quad Cities' independent newspaper, enjoy food, beverages, music, and more. Modern Woodmen Park (209 South Gaines Street, Davenport). 5-10 p.m. Free admission. For information, visit the home page at RCReader.com.
Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24 - Iowa Burlesque Festival. Event presented by Danielle Colby, featuring Saturday's "Shimmy Baby Shake Off" burlesque contest at 6 p.m. and the "Queens of a Peel" headliner show at 10 p.m., and Sunday's "Please, Have Mercy" Awards, highlighting new headliner sets and the winners of Saturday's shake-off. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). Saturday 6 p.m., Sunday 7 p.m. $15-55. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
