Music
Gene Ween
Rock Island Brewing Company
Thursday, September 8, 8:30 p.m.
You know how there are particular bands and performers you listen to when you're happy, and others that you listen to when you're sad, and others that you listen to when you're stuck in road-construction traffic and people are honking their horns and refusing to merge correctly and you need to hear something soothing before you rip the freakin' steering wheel off with your bare hands?!? (Not that, you know, any of us in the Quad Cities has ever experienced that feeling.)
There's a common misconception that, once the musical- and comedy-filled summer season is over, our area's theatrical output becomes a lot more demanding. But that's absolutely not true. For example, this autumn brings with it the Western charmer Make Me a Cowboy. And the showtune pastiche Give My Regards! And the fairy-tale spoof Honk! And ... .
The Timber Lake Playhouse's 'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3 opened this past Thursday, and it seems a little rude to describe just how staggeringly hysterical the performance was, because unless you were one of the evening's many other cackling patrons, there's literally no way you'll be seeing the same production I did. In theatre, of course, no two shows are ever exactly alike. Yet this one-woman comedy may be a special case in that regard, because not only is 'Til Death Do Us Part dependent on audience interaction, but several audience members are so directly involved in the proceedings - and so spectacularly, riotously well-involved - that they could make legitimate claims for co-star billing, and maybe even deserved paychecks. (As it stands, they're instead treated to lovely parting gifts.)
DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK
ONE DAY
Music
On Thursday, I attended the Timber Lake Playhouse musical The Spitfire Grill, and caught another presentation of the piece - this time at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre - the very next night. I'm actually somewhat disappointed that no additional area venues staged the show over the weekend, because even after two outstanding Spitfire Grills in a row, I would've happily made time for more.
THE HELP
FINAL DESTINATION 5
THE CHANGE-UP






