This past Friday was freaky. Because at the opening night for the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse’s Freaky Friday musical, the many stories of the evening – director Erin Thompson’s return to the theatre where she got her start in 1993’s Annie; her show being Thompson’s first professional directing credit – included the sheer splendor of the entire performance, from the acting to the dancing to the incredible singing. My wife and I definitely left the experience saying, “That was freaky good.”

At the opening night for the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's Ring of Fire, the show began with its eight-person cast, one by one, declaring, “I am Johnny Cash.” Throughout the performance, they all at some point embodied the spirit of “The Man in Black.” And while the production boasts a 34-song set list covering much of Cash’s long songwriting career, I use the phrase “set list” intentionally, because the production does feel more like a concert than a traditional musical.

I left Friday’s opening-night performance of Brighton Beach Memoirs – the final show in the Mississippi Bend Players' inaugural season – with several thoughts on my mind: (1) How do I review something of this caliber? (2) Everyone should go see this, so they, too, can realize how lucky we are to have such talent in the Quad Cities. (3) This show is so good I wish I was a part of it!