Christina Myatt and Kelly Lohrenz in ChicagoI really like Chicago. Its tuneful score, uniquely vaudevillian presentation, and delightfully naughty nature make it one of my favorite stage musicals. There's one number in the show, however, that tops them all for me: "Cell Block Tango," which is sexy, fun, and what I consider the benchmark for the overall production. And on Friday night, my entertainment needs would've been met, and then some, had the District Theatre's production actually ended after this number, even thought it's only the fourth song in the piece.

(clockwise from left) Melissa Anderson Clark, Jonathan Grafft, Jason Platt, and Jackie Madunic in God of CarnageNew Ground Theatre's God of Carnage is one of the funniest shows, if not the funniest, I've seen on a Quad Cities stage so far this year. Not only is the script by playwright Yasmina Reza sharp, surprising, and witty, but director Derek Bertelsen's handling of the pacing and his cast's character choices had me laughing embarrassingly loudly at Thursday's performance. Even two days later, I find myself mentally inserting quotable dialogue from the play into conversations (though I'd rather not quote any of it here, as most of the best lines involve the "F" word).

Adrienne Griffiths, Kirsten Sparks, Megan Wheeler, and Shannon McMillan in The Marvelous WonderettesI found the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's The Marvelous Wonderettes to be sweet, well-sung, and, frankly, borderline annoying.

Eddie Staver III, Kimberly Furness, Mike Schulz, and Jessica Denney in Time Stands StillI quite appreciate the way Kimberly Furness and Eddie Staver III work with tension, using silence, emotional distance, anger, and passionate desire, among other acting tools, to portray the intensity (or lack thereof) in their onstage relationships. Their violent, sometimes stunted, oftentimes broken, yet undeniably sensual connection in both the Curtainbox Theatre Company's Danny & the Deep Blue Sea in 2008 and Fool for Love in 2010 was breathtaking to watch. And while their current efforts in Time Stands Still are much more subtle, they're no less dramatic. Instead of their stunning physical work in the previous two shows, Furness' and Staver's performances here rely on the verbal and emotional aspects of their relationship, one superbly crafted by these gifted actors.

Jon Schweppe, Roger Akers, Bryan Woods, and Nicholas Wallbusser in Make Me a CowboyThe Playcrafters Barn Theatre's Make Me a Cowboy will appeal to anyone who likes pure, wholesome, clean-humored comedy that's light on plot and heavy on friendly cowboys and public-domain cowboy-themed songs. While that "anyone" does not include me, I at least recognize the earnestness in playwright and director Don Bailey Bryant's effort to present a decent show, and Make Me a Cowboy certainly made for a good time for Friday's audience, many of whom sang along to a good number of ditties and seemed pleased with the production.

Nancy Evans, Adelina Feldman-Schultz, and Sherry Konjura in Nana's Naughty KnickersFor what it is, the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's Nana's Naughty Knickers is rather amusing and somewhat unexpected. The title, for me, conjures up images of scantily clad grannies telling off-color, elderly-themed jokes in a wild farce. Instead, playwright Katherine DiSavino's piece is a mild farce, with a unique plot and interesting, likable characters (and only a handful of age-based jokes). I didn't laugh quite as much as I expected to during Friday's opening-night performance, but I was more engaged than I anticipated I would be, and interested in where DiSavino would take her characters.

Evita, at the Clinton Area Showboat TheatreDirector Tommy Iafrate beautifully bookends the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's Evita with scenes in which the actors acknowledge, or the staging makes clear, that the cast is performing specifically for an audience.

Erika Thomas, Susan Granet, Christopher Thomas, and Spencer Clark in The Music ManChristopher Thomas could sell me anything. On Thursday night, he was peddling the character of Harold Hill in a preview performance of Quad City Music Guild's The Music Man, and Thomas plays the part with such bombastic charm - and just a hint of smarm - that despite knowing of the character's swindling intentions, I was buying his Hill's shtick hook, line, and sinker, right along with the good people of River City.

Aristophanes' The WaspsIt's not easy for me to review Genesius Guild's The Wasps, as this comedy does not rely on quality acting, the focus of most of my reviews. (In truth, the actors who don't try to be hilarious and don't attempt great acting here are more successful at being funny than the few that do.) Don Wooten's direction also doesn't matter as much for The Wasps as directing would in, say, King Lear. As was stated in the pre-show speech, this is sort of the Guild's end-of-summer party, with the audience invited to watch the actors intentionally make fools of themselves. And happily, this party is utterly ridiculous and, at times, raucously funny, and elicited waves of laughter through Saturday night's crowd.

Mackenna Janz and Allison Winkel, alternating performances as AnnieThe Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's Annie feels like a show I've never seen before, even though I'd seen it many times prior to Thursday night's performance. While the musical's characters are portrayed in familiar ways, director Patrick Stinson's work seems new, mostly because of designer Kenneth Verdugo's sets. As odd as that sounds - the idea that a set could change the feel of an entire show - it's true, because the design not only affects the look of the production, but also how the stage space is used, and what elements are highlighted as a result.

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