A native of Zion, Illinois, whose touring act was deemed “Unbelievable!” by USA Today, master illusionist Bill Blagg brings his his astonishing and hilarious prestidigitation to the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center in January 13's The Magic of Bill Blagg Live!, delighting crowds with the sleight-of-hand and audience rapport that led the Chicago Tribune to call the show “a side-splitting spectacular.”

With this year's theme inspired by the Civil Rights leader's famous quote "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle," Rock Island's Martin Luther King will host the virtual presentation of the 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service & Awards on January 16, an online event boasting a variety of performances and presentations in honor of Dr. King, plus the awarding of two scholarships.

A gifted composer and pianist, longtime area-theatre reviewer, and staunch advocate of the local art scene will be the featured guest in the Community Connections series when the Bettendorf Public Library hosts a January 19 program with Jonathan Turner, who will be your knowledgeable, friendly guide as he discusses experiences worth sharing in his recently published book 100 Things to Do in the Quad Cities Before You Die.

On January 17, the Rock Island Public Library's downtown branch invites patrons to examine the long road toward familiar and comfortable surroundings in the presentation The History of the Public Library in the World & in America, a program designed to trace libraries' development, examine why public libraries popped up across America in the mid-1800s, and explore the architecture, collections, and patrons of libraries over thousands of years.

Delivering what the British Theatre Guide deemed "lashings of energy" and "spectacle worthy of a rock video," the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse will treat patrons to an audience with the Queen – or rather, simply Queen – in the imaginative musical revue We Will Rock You, a January 18 through March 11 celebration of the legendary rock and pop band boasting two dozen timeless hits including “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” “Somebody to Love,” and the iconic title tune.

Although the long-running stage sensation will close in New York on January 8 after more than 28 years and 11,472 performances, the gifted percussionists of STOMP are taking their thunderous stage success on the road, with the show's January 19 appearance at Davenport's Adler Theatre to demonstrate why the Boston Globe raved, "If you haven’t seen STOMP, go! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!”

In the Figge Art Museum's current Film at the Figge series, the Davenport venue is screening international, award-winning works that deal with death, loss, and grief in unexpected ways, and the affecting and arresting lineup continues on January 19 with It's Only the End of the World, Xavier Dolan's award-winning French-Canadian drama lauded by The Guardian as a "brilliant, stylized, and hallucinatory evocation of family dysfunction."

The thrilling discography of one of the most popular and successful rock outfits of all time will be celebrated at The Rust Belt on January 13 when the East Moline venue presents the touring sensation Kashmir: The Live Led Zeppelin Tribute Show, an event sure to boast exhilarating renditions of “Whole Lotta Love,” “Immigrant Song,” and of course, the immortal “Stairway to Heaven.”

On January 15, no fewer than 17 gifted Midwestern musicians will perform at Bettendorf's Rivermont Collegiate as featured guests in Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Series, with Mike Conrad & the Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra proving that jazz lovers don’t need to look to New York City or Chicago for beautiful, creative, high-quality music.

With the ensemble currently boasting Walter “Clyde” Orange, James Dean “J.D.” Nicholas, and William “WAK” King alongside their five-piece band The Mean Machine, the legendary funk and soul outfit The Commodores bring their “Greatest Hits Tour” to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on January 8, treating crowds to a beloved repertoire that includes the chart-topping ballads “Easy,” “Still,” and the immortal “Three Times a Lady.”

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