• Virtual Event – “Dr. Temple Grandin: The Hidden Gifts of Visual Thinkers,” April 3

    Appearing in a special virtual program in conjunction with her most recent book Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, & Abstractions, Dr. Temple Grandin - one of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism - takes part in an April 3 lecture presentation hosted by Illinois Libraries Present and the Rock Island and Silvis Public Libraries, allowing participants insight into the humanitarian who has been at the forefront of research and activism for autism and neurodiversity for decades.

  • “Ghosts: Do You Believe?”, April 6

    A thrilling live show hosted by paranormal expert Dustin Pari of TV's Ghost Hunters, the nationally touring stage spectacle Ghosts: Do You Believe? will fill Davenport's Capitol Theatre with tales of the otherworldly on April 6, offering patrons an invitation to witness where the boundaries of reality and the supernatural blur.

  • Ballet 5:8's “Imagine Better,” April 6

    With See Chicago Dance raving that "it’s easy to feel the heart of this company and the passion that resonates from its mission," the gifted artists of the female- and minority-led company Ballet 5:8 return to the Quad Cities for their performance of Imagine Better, an evening of magical choreography and unmistakable passion taking place at Moline's Bartlett Performing Arts Center on April 6.

  • “Breaking Barriers: Walls Throughout History,” through May 5

    Boasting objects of significance from its vast collection, as well as ancient Asian, Middle Eastern, and Roman artifacts on loan from the Putnam Museum, the German American Heritage Center will treat guests to a fascinating historical exploration in Breaking Barriers: Walls Throughout History, the new homegrown exhibition on display in the Davenport venue's first-floor gallery through May 5.

  • “Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry,” March 3 through May 19

    With special attention paid to Roddewig Schmidt Candy Company, Velma Chocolates, and other former Quad Cities institutions, Davenport's German American Heritage Center will, from March 3 through May 19, explore different candy manufacturers in our area in the exhibition Sweet Treats: German Influence on the QC Candy Industry, demonstrating how the Quad Cities were once home to numerous candy manufacturers of German heritage popular both locally and regionally.

  • “The Book of Mormon,” March 29 and 30

    Enjoying a three-performance Adler Theatre run, the musical-comedy smash The Book of Mormon returns to Davenport on March 29 and 30, with Ben Brantley's 2011 New York Times review proclaiming, “I am here to report that a newborn, old-fashioned, pleasure-giving musical has arrived … the kind our grandparents told us left them walking on air, if not on water. So hie thee hence, nonbelievers (and believers, too), to The Book of Mormon, and feast upon its sweetness.”

  • Sing … Sing, Sweet Charlotte: “Jane Eyre,” at the Black Box Theatre through March 29

    Plucky, abused orphans. English-language literature is full of 'em: Dickens' lads Oliver Twist and David Copperfield; Canada's Anne Shirley; America's optimistic Annie; prehistoric Europe's Ayl; contemporary Britain's Harry Potter. One 177-year-old orphan still going strong is Jane Eyre.

  • Quad City Music Guild's “Kinky Boots,” April 5 through 14

    Winner of six 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score for pop icon Cyndi Lauper, the high-kicking musical Kinky Boots kicks of Quad City Music Guild's 2024 season with an eagerly awaited Prospect Park Auditorium run April 5 through 14, the show called “cause for celebration” by Entertainment Weekly and, according to Time Out New York, “the very model of a modern major musical.”

  • “Churchill,” April 9

    With his play lauded by Theatre in Chicago as a work that "stands out for its blend of historical depth and personal insights," David Payne brings his nationally touring one-man show Churchill to Davenport's Adler Theatre on April 9, the piece allowing the British character actor to portray a famed historical figure previously portrayed by Gary Oldman, who won an Academy Award for playing Churchill, and Albert Finney, Brendan Gleeson, and John Lithgow, all of whom won Emmy Awards as the former British Prime Minister.

  • “Exit Laughing,” April 11 through 21

    Delivering what Talkin' Broadway describes as "laugh-out-loud moments and a wonderful life lesson about not letting life pass you by," the Paul Elliott comedy Exit Laughing opens the 2024 theatre season at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, its April 11 through 21 run sure to deliver what Stage Whispers hailed for its "great script, great timing" and "great fun."

  • Blake Shelton, March 27

    With his 11th chart-topper "Doin' What She Likes" having broken the record for the most consecutive number-one singles in the 24-year history of Billboard's Country Airplay chart, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling country superstar Blake Shelton brings his national tour to Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on March 27, the icon also famed for having been a judge on the televised singing competitions Nashville Star and Clash of the Choirs, as well as a 12-year coach on NBC's The Voice.

  • Daniel Villarreal, March 28

    Touring in support of his fall release Lados B that Pitchfork called a "sunny, vibey jazz record" that "brings back a distinct era of rediscovery and anti-nostalgia," Chicago-based drumming powerhouse Daniel Villarreal returns to Davenport's Raccoon Motel for a March 28 headlining concert event, Villarreal's previous album Panamá 77 lauded by the Eisenberg Review as "a mesmerizing myriad of instrumental folk-funk sounds and psychedelic jazz texture.

  • The People Brothers Band, March 29

    Wisconsin-based talents whose laurels include nine award wins from Madison Area Music Association, including citations as Pop/R&B Artist of the Year in 2017, '19, and '20, the artists of the People Brothers Band headline a March 29 concert event at Davenport's Redstone Room, with the group's 2023 album Sisters & Brothers hailed by Isthmus as "a master class in blending rock, soul, and jam-friendly positive vibes into an upbeat instant classic."

  • Emily Beisel and Bill Harris, March 29

    Performing together on a tour of the United States and Canada that finds the artists employing electronics, amplification, and feedback to augment their acoustic sounds, Chicago-based improvisers Emily Beisel (bass clarinet, electronics) and Bill Harris (drums, electronics) join forces for a March 29 concert event at Rock Island's Roxx-Tox venue, creating a sonic space that can at times be aggressive, dense, and massive, as well as subtle, spacious, and sensitive.

  • Foghat, March 30

    Rock legends responsible for eight gold albums, one platinum and double-platinum album apiece, and iconic status as the talents behind the 1975 classic "Slow Ride," the musicians of Foghat headline a March 30 concert event at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, with original drummer Roger Earl sure to demonstrate that while he has been with the band for more than half a century, he has no plan of stopping now.

  • Ice-sickly: “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Road House,” “Shirley,” “Immaculate,” and “Late Night with the Devil”

    When Finn Wolfhard's Trevor Spengler tells his mom about some potentially ghostly strangeness taking place in their inherited firehouse, Carrie Coon's Callie spends their entire conversation absentmindedly scrolling. That's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: Not worth the energy it would take to lift your eyes from your phone.

  • Mike Schulz with Dave & Darren on Planet 93.9 FM

    Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too.

    Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again.

    Thursday, March 21: Prior to previews of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Late Night with the Devil, Immaculate, and Shirley, discussion of Arthur the King, Love Lies Bleeding, One Life, The American Society of Magical Negros, and Snack Shack, the latter of which lived up to its promise and then some,

  • From Hurt Dogs to Hot Dogs: “Arthur the King,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “One Life,” “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” and “Snack Shack”

    Most people, I think, would agree that box-office returns aren't necessarily an indicator of quality. But it was still a bit disheartening to discover that of the five movies I caught over the weekend, the two I most enjoyed were the titles most likely to leave the area when the new Ghostbusters gobbles up screens this upcoming Friday.

  • Teddy Talks: “Imaginary,” “Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and “20 Days in Mariupol”

    Almost no one, in retrospect, likes a misleading trailer, and I don't know anyone who enjoys a trailer that seems to give away a narrative's contents from points A to Z, making you feel like you've seen the movie months before you actually see it. (Ordinary Angels, anyone?) Yet I reserve a special kind of irritation for trailers that wind up almost exhaustively descriptive of the eventual experience simply through the predecessors they choose to plug.

  • Now Playing: Friday, March 22, through Thursday, March 28

    Now playing at area theaters.

Art

  • Last Chance Exhibition Tour Night: “Tradition Interrupted,” March 28

    On March 28, guests of Davenport's Figge Art Museum are invited to celebrate the closing of the popular exhibit Tradition Interrupted through a special "Last Chance" exhibition tour, which will provide an up-close examination of this fascinating selection of 23 artworks created by 12 artists from around the world - creative talents who firmly believe that everyday objects have the power to evoke memories and inspire emotions.

  • “Wallflower,” through March 29

    A collection of arresting ceramics by a talent who grew up along the Mississippi River will be on display at Black Hawk College's ArtSpace Gallery through March 29, with Laura Vincent-Arnold's Wallflower revealing its artist's continued interest in, as she says, "creating in multiple mediums, exploring where my mind takes me, solitude, and nature … always a nod to nature."

  • “Tradition Interrupted,” through March 31

    Featuring a fascinating selection of 23 artworks created by 12 artists from around the world, the Figge Art Museum's new Tradition Interrupted will serve as the Davenport venue's final exhibit to open in 2023, its showcase in the Katz Gallery through March 31 boasting works by creative talents who firmly believe that everyday objects have the power to evoke memories and inspire emotions.

  • “Come Celebrate with Me … ,” through March 31

    On display in the Peter Paul Luce Gallery of Mt. Vernon's Cornell College through March 31, the fascinating exhibition Come Celebrate with Me ... will treat patrons to a collection of arresting pieces by the Illinois-based interdisciplinary artist Nicole Davis.

  • “Sculpture Garden,” April 6 through June 23

    This spring, the Figge Art Museum's Katz Gallery will be transformed into an oasis within the museum with the Davenport venue's new Sculpture Garden, providing a space for contemplation, mindfulness, and relaxation from April 6 through June 23.