Appearing virtually in a special event made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a pair of gifted writers will participate in the May 25 presentation An Evening with Jessamine Chan and Emily Maloney, an entertaining and informative night featuring Chan, the New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers, and Maloney, the critically lauded author of the essay collection Cost of Living.
Praised by ChicagoNow for his “warm, engaging stage presence and inventive, impeccable joke writing,” touring comedian Michael Palascak brings his standup set to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Rhythm Room on May 26, the noted funnyman having performed at nearly 200 colleges and universities (including Davenport's St. Ambrose) over the years, as well as on talk shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, Kevin Hart's LOL Lounge, and Conan.
On May 29, patrons of Davenport's German American Heritage Center will be treated to a fascinating presentation on one of the longest-running religious traditions in world history, with The Oberammergau Passion Play: Tradition & Renewal Since 1633 exploring the work that was performed every year from 1634 to 1680 – and, with a few exceptions, every 10 years since 1680 – by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany.
Hosted by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club and returning to the Village of East Davenport for the first time since 2019, an eagerly anticipated Memorial Day tradition returns for its 55th year in the Quad Cities Kwik Star Criterium – a May 30 event featuring hundreds of adult and youth cyclists from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participating in nearly a dozen bicycle races, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes awarded throughout the day.
Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the first month of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from May 31 through July 2, will address such topics as commercial fishing, steamboating, the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Hauberg Estate, and the history of Arsenal Island.
Gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin has spent tens of millions of billionaire Ken Griffin’s dollars introducing himself to Republican primary voters. Yet, a recent poll taken for WGN TV by Emerson College Polling shows he’s leading Senator Darren Bailey by just four percentage points, 24-20, with nineteen percent split between the other four candidates and undecideds “leading” with 37 percent.
Almost every weekday since the beginning of February, the Richard Irvin campaign has sent at least one press release to reporters about a host of issues, from crime to taxes to corruption to former House Speaker Michael Madigan to, well, you name it. Last week, however, the Irvin campaign was conspicuously silent for 24 hours.
I’ve mentioned before that House Speaker Chris Welch has said since the day he was elected to his chamber’s top job last year that he is fully committed to protecting all of his incumbents, whether in the primary or in the general election. That wasn’t always the case with his predecessor, House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The Illinois Senate adjourned its session April 9 just after 3 o’clock in the morning. The House adjourned about three hours later, as the sun was coming up. This wasn’t the first time that the chambers worked into the wee smalls to finish their work, including a budget, and it probably won’t be the last, but it’s getting to be a bit much. Senate President Don Harmon told me afterward that, in the future, he would like to “avoid” adjourning sessions that late.
In 1895, a 32-year old entrepreneur in New York City bought a failing newspaper and hatched a bold plan to turn it around. The newspaper industry was cutthroat, especially in New York. There were at least 16 other daily newspapers in circulation, and there was fierce competition for readers’ attention. But the young entrepreneur had an idea: thrill readers with tales of death, destruction, and brutality in the Cuban War for Independence against Spain.
One of the most cherished animated musicals of all time will roar with glorious theatrical life when the enchanted tale of Disney's Beauty & the Beast enjoys a May 20 through July 16 run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, the Tony Award-winning smash reuniting family audiences with beloved characters and songs in a show Variety magazine praised as an “opulent stage musical” boasting “fantastic production values and a memorable score.”
Haus of Ruckus fans will be delighted to learn that Green's and Vo's signature nuttiness will remain intact. There will be puns. There will be puppets. This time, however, there will be twice as many of them.
Praised by Variety magazine for i
Praised by the Bangor News as “a smashing hit” and “a rib-tickler if ever I saw one,” the farcical comedy Here Lie Jeremy Troy enjoys a June 2 through 12 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, its playwright Jack Sharkey also the author of such recent venue hits as Missing Link, I Take This Man, and 100 Lunches: A Gourmet Comedy.
With their most recent album Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston lauded by American Songwriter as "a near-perfect marriage of pop rock sensibilities and lyrical sincerity," the revered indie rockers of Built to Spill headline a May 25 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the musicians currently celebrating three decades of live performance and the forthcoming release of their 10th full-length recording When the Wind Forgets Your Name.
Armed with iconic hits such as “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin' into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” "Fantasy Girl," and "Back Where You Belong," the touring musicians of 38 Special bring their singular brand of exhilarating Southern rock to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on May 26, continuing the legacy of the band's long history in the company of 38 Special vocalist/guitarist Don Barnes, who began with the group in 1975.
Boasting an iconic repertoire of songs that includes "You're No Good," "When will I Be Loved," "That'll Be The Day," "Blue Bayou," and many other genre-crossing smashes, the tribute musicians of The Linda Ronstadt headline a May 26 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, celebrating the beloved, now-retired artist who charted 38 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles, 10 of which reached the top of the charts.
Described by Rolling Stone as performing “heartland rock in the vein of working-class heroes John Mellencamp and Tom Petty, but distinguished by a power-pop sheen,” the Cerny Brothers – Sherrard, Illinois natives Robert and Scott – play Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 27 and 28 in support of their most recent album Looking for the Good Land, a work No Depression called “an artifact in realism and artistic translation of all the feelings that there are no words for.”
With his most recent album The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania lauded by Pop Matters as “a collection of 10 beguilingly potent song-stories" in which "much that goes unsaid, indeed, says a lot," indie-rocker Damien Jurado headlines a May 27 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the singer/songwriter praised by Exclaim.ca for "his ability to express emotions, truths and transcendent moments through brief character studies."
Damned if I didn't grin and giggle at Family Camp from the very start, and damned if I didn't get misty-eyed on a couple of occasions – though given the film's leanings, I should probably be saying “darned." I'll try to remember that if, or more hopefully when, we get a sequel.
Arriving in the midst of a franchise extender almost shockingly bereft of weirdness, one scene in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did manage to completely surprise and tickle me.
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, May 5: Discussion of Memory and a preview of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Martin Campbell's Liam-Neeson-with-a-gun revenge thriller isn't necessarily a good movie, but compared to four-fifths of its Irish headliner's big-screen blood baths, it's definitely an improvement.
Purchased in honor of the Figge Art Museum's late museum trustee, board president, and museum supporter Tom Gildehaus, the visitor favorite Corn Zone will be on display at the Davenport venue May 21 through September 4, its “corn field” installation of oversize blown-glass ears carefully suspended from the museum's ceiling with rope, and designed to explore the fragility of glass, the story of corn, and contemporary issues in farming.
In the 12th installment of the venue's latest group exhibition, the artistic talents of 41 students from area colleges and universities will be on display in the Figge Art Museum's College Invitational 2022 from May 28 through August 28 – a showcase of techniques and mediums including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, clay, digital illustration, silkscreen, mixed media installation, and found materials.
Dozens of paintings by the gifted artist credited for introducing Impressionism to the United States – many never before seen – will be on display at the Figge Art Museum from May 28 through August 28, with the Davenport venue exploring the work, life, and career of a celebrated 19th-century American in the exhibition John Leslie Breck: American Impressionist.
With the venue presenting its first exhibition of visual art since 2020, Rock Island's Rozz-Tox houses a collection of colorful and evocative new and small paintings in Leslie Bell: Little Theaters, an exhibit (on display through May 29) boasting the talents of the beloved, retired professor of art at Davenport's St. Ambrose University.
A collaboration between American photographer Richard Misrach and Mexican-American artist and composer Guillermo Galindo, the pair's combined museum piece Border Cantos / Sonic Borders will grace Davenport's Figge Art Museum through June 15, the artists' work exploring the complexities of the southern border through photography, sculpture, and sound, inviting us to bridge boundaries and initiate important conversations.
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