Lecture
Mike Singletary
Adler Theatre
Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.
Appearing locally as part of the Eastern Iowa Community College's Viewpoint Distinguished Speakers Series, Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary takes the stage at the Adler Theatre on April 7.
The current head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Singletary served four previous seasons with the team as its assistant head coach, and prior to that was the inside linebackers' coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
His astonishing career with the Chicago Bears found him playing in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, being chosen an All-NFC selection nine consecutive times, being named All-Pro eight times, and amassing 1,488 career tackles, 885 of which were solo tackles.
Singletary is the father of seven children. He owns a Montana-based car dealership. He's written three books - Singletary One on One, Calling the Shots, and Daddy's Home at Last - and co-founded the leadership-training company Leadership Zone. He's a widely respected motivational speaker, and a hero to millions worldwide.
Oh, and his nickname is "Samurai Mike."
And you thought he and I had nothing in common.
Tickets to Singletary's Davenport lecture are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting AdlerTheatre.com, and more information on the Viewpoint Distinguished Speakers Series can be found at EICC.edu/viewpoint.
Music
Richard Stoltzman: Salute to Benny Goodman
Englert Theatre
Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.
World-renowned musician Richard Stoltzman began playing the clarinet when he was in grade school. So did I. And if my reviews were even a millionth as positive as the ones Stoltzman currently receives, I might've actually stuck with it.
On April 3, this musical legend pays tribute to another musical legend in the one-night-only engagement Richard Stoltzman: Salute to Benny Goodman. Performing at Iowa City's Englert Theatre in a concert presented by the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, Stoltzman will honor "The King of Swing" with exhilarating performances of some of the most popular music of the 20th Century, backed by the talents of the U of I's own Johnson County Landmark Jazz Band. With more than 50 albums to his name and credits including sold-out performances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl, the evening should offer a rare glimpse at the gifts of a true musical prodigy. Oh, and did I mention the reviews?
The New York Times: "He is, by any standards, one of the world's premier clarinetists and a musician with an exceptionally personal approach to every piece he plays." The San Francisco Chronicle: "The greatest clarinetist of the century." The Los Angeles Star News: "He projects emotion as few artists can on any instrument." The San Francisco Examiner: "He brings more variety to three notes than most musicians bring to an entire repertoire." And the Washington Post: "He is an artist of indescribable genius."
Hmph. Like just one of those raves would have killed my grade-school clarinet instructor ... ?
For tickets to Richard Stoltzman: Salute to Benny Goodman, call (319)335-1160, and more information on the event is available at Hancher.uiowa.edu.
Comedy
Aisha Tyler
Penguin's Comedy Club
Thursday, April 2 through Saturday, April 4
"Hi, Mike!"
"I don't believe it - you're actress and comedienne Aisha Tyler! Wow! What're you doing here?"
"Well, I'm visiting Davenport from April 2 through 4, performing my stand-up at the Freight House's Penguin's Comedy Club, and since the Reader's office was right down the street, I thought I'd stop in for a visit!"
"I don't believe this! I've been a fan of yours for years!"
"How sweet!"
"I mean, I thought you were awesome when you were hosting Talk Soup, and I loved your recurring character on Friends, and you were absolutely hilarious in your Comedy Central concert Aisha Tyler Is Lit: Live at the Filmore ... !"
"Thanks, I've received a lot of compliments on that."
"And you're always charming and funny when you're guesting on talk shows - I know you've been on Late Night with David Letterman, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Larry King Live, and Jimmy Kimmel Live ... !"
"Jimmy's a great guy."
"And you've also appeared in the movies Bedtime Stories and Balls of Fury, and the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm, Boston Legal, and Nip/Tuck, and you've written the book Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl, and for a while, you were even the substitute reviewer for Roger Ebert on Ebert & Roeper at the Movies! It's so cool meeting you! You've done, like, everything!"
"I guess that's true. But there's one thing I'd like you to do for me."
"Oh, uh ... what's that?"
"Wake up."
"Huh?"
"Wake up!"
"What the ... wha ... ? Jeff?! What're you doing here?"
"You fell asleep at your desk again. You were muttering something about Aisha Tyler?"
"Aw, damn it, Jeff!"
For information on Aisha Tyler's April 2 through 4 performances at Penguin's, visit QCFreightHouse.com/penguinsComedyClub.upcoming.php or call (563)324-5233.
JUST FER KIDS!
Hey, everybody!
Do you see that little girl in the pink shirt? I bet you all know who that is. That's right! It's everyone's favorite cartoon adventurer - Nickelodeon's very own Dora the Explorer!
And do you see that little girl behind the journal? You probably know who that is, too. Correct! None other than Junie B. Jones, the popular heroine of Barbara Park's children's books!
Both Dora and Junie are funny, curious, and beloved by millions, and on Tuesday, April 14, the girls will share something else in common - they'll both be appearing on Quad Cities stages!
Dora can be seen at the Adler Theatre on April 14 and 15, when the touring family production Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys makes a stop in Davenport. In the show, Dora and her pals solve problems and overcome obstacles while searching for Dora's missing Teddy bear - but they won't find him without your help!
And Junie will make her area debut at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, when the hour-long family musical Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business debuts on April 14. Running through May 9, the show finds Junie (played by Sunshine Ramsey) in a pickle when she overhears her grandma calling her baby brother "the cutest little monkey" - and then tells her whole class that she's actually getting a monkey!
To get you in the spirit for these upcoming events, try to find your favorite Dora the Explorer and Junie B. Jones characters in this word-search!
| H | B | P | W | E | H | L | D | D | O |
| E | A | J | D | I | E | G | O | D | L |
| M | L | M | L | N | M | R | R | Y | L |
| A | I | K | A | U | A | A | U | S | I |
| R | C | S | C | J | C | C | T | I | E |
| E | I | T | S | I | Y | I | H | A | I |
| P | A | I | R | U | T | D | L | D | K |
| I | E | C | A | R | G | G | D | L | N |
| W | F | O | B | E | N | N | Y | E | E |
| S | T | O | O | B | A | P | S | R | T |
From Dora the Explorer:
Alicia, Benny, Boots, Daisy, Diego, Dora, Isa, Map, Swiper, Tico,
From Junie B. Jones:
Grace, Gus, Ham, Junie, Lucille, Ollie, Ricardo, Ruth, Teddy, Tickle
And just in case your Mom and Dad won't let you circle the hidden words on your computer screen, here are downloadable versions of both the puzzle and the answers... but no cheating!
For tickets to Dora the Explorer Live!, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com; for tickets to Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business, call (309)786-7733 extension 2, or visit Circa21.com.
What Else Is Happenin'...?
MUSIC
Thursday, April 2 - New Kids on the Block. The famed '90s boy band in concert. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $28.50-$65. For tickets and information, call (309)764-2000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, April 3 - Moreland & Arbuckle. Roots-blues musicians in their first area appearance. Blueport Junction (6605 West River Drive, Davenport). 9 p.m. $5. For information, call (563)326-3251 or visit BlueportJct.com.
Saturday, April 4 - Starship starring Mickey Thomas. Pop-rock musicians of "We Built This City" and "Sara." Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (2021 State Street, Bettendorf). 7 p.m. $35-$40. For tickets and information, call (800)843-4753.
Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Season-ending concerts in the Masterworks series, with Mark Russell Smith conducting, and guest artist Leon Bates on piano. Saturday: Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $5-$48. Sunday: Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 2 p.m. $7-$32. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Monday, April 6 - North Scott High School Jazz 1. Concert in support of the jazz band's May participation in New York City's Essentially Ellington Festival, and the group's subsequent performance at Lincoln Center. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. Donations accepted. For information, call (563)285-3317 or visit NSBand.com.
Thursday, April 9 - The Beach Boys. The legendary surf rockers, with special guests The Boat Drunks. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $35-$65. For tickets and information, call (309)764-2000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
MOVIES
Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 - Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. Thirty-one features, shorts, documentaries, music videos, and animated and experimental films by Iowa filmmakers. Collins Road Theatres (1462 Twix Town Road, Marion). $10/session, $35/all-event pass. For information, call (319)377-4555 or visit CRIFm.org/festival.html.
COMEDY
Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 - Robert Schimmel. Veteran comedian and author of Cancer on Five Dollars a Day. Penguin's Comedy Club (421 West River Drive, Davenport). 7:30 and 10 p.m. $17.50. For information, call (563)324-5233 or visit QCFreightHouse.com/penguinsComedyClub.upcoming.php.
MUSEUMS
Friday, April 3 - Venus & Vino. Fundraiser for the fifth-annual Venus Envy Quad Cities, featuring a wine tasting, light hors d'oeuvres, and a preview of the event's performers. Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $20/person, $30/couple. For information, visit VenusEnvyQC.org.
Saturday, April 4 - Egg Drop Kerplop. 12th-annual family contest in which teams build impact-resistant containers and drop eggs from the Great Hall balcony. Family Museum (2900 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf). 11 a.m. Free with museum admission. For information, call (563)344-4106 or visit FamilyMuseum.org.
