Event
Food for Thought: Cooking Up a Mystery
Rock Island Main Library
Thursday, October 8, 5 p.m.
Some newspapers co-sponsor walk-a-thons and fun runs; some help raise money for disease research and scholarships. Leave it to your friends at the River Cities' Reader to co-sponsor an event in which attendees are encouraged to drink ... at the library.
During October 8's sixth-annual "Food for Thought" fundraiser, "Cooking Up a Mystery," you will indeed have the privilege of sampling wine and Blue Cat Brew Pub beers from within the walls of the Rock Island Main Library. You'll also have the chance to sit for a police-sketch caricaturist, bid on unique gifts in a silent auction, and enjoy live music by Edgar Crockett and the Black Hawk College Jazz Quartet.
But as the event's title suggests, its main hook is gastronomical, and "Cooking Up a Mystery" will find Scott Community College chefs Eudell Watts III and Robert Lewis serving up a divine selection of delicacies, each borrowed from dishes served in best-selling culinary mysteries.
The chefs' Stuffed Fried Pasta with Parmesan Topping is a recipe found in Lou Jane Temple's A Stiff Risotto. Savory Coq Au Vin, a fricassee of chicken, wine, and mushrooms, is from one of the Goldilocks Catering mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson. And the Marinated Skirt Steak Panzella is a blend of tomatoes, grape-seed baguette croutons, and goat cheese, and inspired by a mouth-watering entrée in Nancy Fairbanks' Mozzarella Most Murderous. Good luck keeping me away from that one - even though, at my age, all mozzarella is murderous.
Reservations for "Cooking Up a Mystery" can be made with Amy Penry at (309)732-7302, and for more information on upcoming programs and events at all three of the city's libraries, visit RockIslandLibrary.org.
Music
Brink Festival of World Music
River Music Experience
Saturday, October 3
Davenport's River Music Experience has long been a go-to spot for intoxicating, eclectic musical stylings from around the globe. But on Saturday, October 3, the venue will present an entire world of world-music experiences, with the inaugural Brink Festival of World Music.
Beginning at 1:30 p.m. with a free public seminar in Mojo's Coffee House, the festival boasts a World Market Bazaar featuring the finest in international cuisine, crafts, and musical instruments, and the River Music Experience's Performance Hall will host a trio of seminars by noted musicians: Terry Hanson's Latin percussion workshop at 4:30 p.m.; Thunder Medicine on Native American drumming and dance at 6:30 p.m.; and the Zloti Village Chorus, at 8:30 p.m., proving that anyone can sing in a workshop appropriately titled "Anyone Can Sing!"
The venue's Redstone Room, meanwhile, will offer a quintet of world-music experiences, beginning with the global jazz of Olenka & Otro Mundo at 3 p.m., and concluding with the Community Drum Circle's open jam session at 10:45 p.m. In between those musical bookends, you'll be treated to world-fusion rhythms of Ragaman at 5 p.m. and the Turkish rock fusion of Turkana at 7 p.m.
And as the festival's headliner, the renowned Tim Britton will play traditional-Irish and Uillean-pipe music at 9 p.m., demonstrating why Time magazine described him as "a phenomenon," why the Village Voice raved about his "unearthly music," and why the Washington Post called him, and I quote, "Piping hot!" (As I always say, if you can't come up with a decent punchline, have the Washington Post do it for you.)
Brink Festival of World Music tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door, and are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
Music
Darryl Worley
Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center
Friday, October 9, 7:30 p.m.
I know exactly what you're thinking as you gaze at that accompanying photo: "Damn, Mike's lookin' good."
Your mistake is understandable. But that's actually a photo of Darryl Worley, the country-music superstar who'll share his high-energy talents in a Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center concert on October 9.
The guitar-playing singer/songwriter has thus far released 17 singles that landed on Billboard's Hot County Songs chart, with three - "I Miss My Friend," "Awful, Beautiful Life," and "Have You Forgotten?" - that wound up hitting the number-one spot. (2003's "Have You Forgotten?" actually kept that position for a remarkable seven weeks.) Worley's accolades include "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" nominations from the Academy of Country Music and County Music Association, and the half-dozen albums he's released since his 2000 Hard Rain Don't Last debut have collectively sold more than 1.5 million copies.
Beyond his plaudits and sales, though, Worley can also boast a number of additionally impressive credits. He was the recipient of the VFW's Americanism Award and the USO's Merit Award. He has a foundation in his name, which provides funds for Tennessee's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. He was cited by Tennessee's House of Representatives for his contributions to country music. And in 2007, he posed nude for the July issue of Playgirl magazine.
Seriously, it's like he's my freakin' twin.
Admission to Worley's concert is $35, and for an extra $10, attendees can enjoy a 6 p.m. meet-and-greet with the cast of CMT's hit show Trick My Truck. For more information and tickets, call (800)843-4753, or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Theatre
Around the World in 80 Days
Richmond Hill Barn Theatre
Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 11
So there's this elephant in the barn, and ... .
No, folks, that's actually not the beginning of a joke. Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre is producing Around the World in 80 Days October 1 through 11, and it's gonna feature an elephant in the Barn's loft. I'm guessing it's not a real elephant, but director/technical designer Jennifer Kingry has already pulled off so many stage miracles for area theatres that I wouldn't put it past her.
Described by the Los Angeles Times as "witty in the extreme," and boasting what the Boston Globe called "action and hilarity to spare," author Mark Brown's comic adventure is adapted from Jules Verne's classic novel, which means that an elephant is almost the least of its theatrical inspirations. As Phileas Fogg faces all manner of transportation disasters during his 80-day trek, audiences of all ages can delight in Kingry's imaginings of a runaway train, a raging monsoon, a breathless sled ride, and a whirlwind - the latter likely coming from the speed with which the actors change costume.
For Around the World in 80 Days features a cast of five taking on more than 30 characters between them: Chris White as John Sullivan and Phileas Fogg's assistant, Passerpartout; Mary Bouljon as the Parsi damsel, Aouda, and three other characters; John VanDeWoestyne as Detective Fix and seven other characters; and Adam Overberg as a whopping 16 characters. The globe-trotting Phileas, meanwhile, is being played by popular local actor Greg Bouljon. Yeah, he's just doing that one role. Slacker.
Around the World in 80 Days runs Thursdays through Sundays, October 1 through 11, and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 or visiting RHPlayers.com.
Theatre
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
St. Ambrose University
Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11
"Hey, Jeff, I wrote that last What's Happenin' kind of quickly - any typos?"
"A few, yeah. You wrote that St. Ambrose University is The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."
"Whoops. That's supposed to be 'has.' St. Ambrose University has The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Running October 9 through 11."
"Uh-huh. You also wrote, 'This Tony Award-winning Broadway smash is being directed by the terrifically talented Shelly Frazee, and Stephanie Seward, Valerie Zawanda, Abby Van Gerpen, and Jaci Entwisle are good-natured whores."
"Whoa! That should read, ' ... are playing good-natured whores.' Nice catch!"
"You also wrote, 'The male actors include Nic Anderson, Dan Hernandez, and Andrew Benson, and St. Ambrose's students promise that anyone who buys tickets will be treated to 24 hours of lovin'."
"I know. 'Twenty-four Hours of Lovin'' is one of the show's song titles."
"You didn't capitalize it or put it in quote marks."
"Hmm. That probably reads badly then, huh?"
"Just a bit. But it's this last one I don't get. You close by writing, 'Audiences should have a blast at this raucous, boot-scootin' musical comedy - even if Texas is a lil' ole bitty pissant country place.' Since that's another of the show's song titles, I'm guessing that you again forgot the capital letters and quotation marks, again meant 'has' instead of 'is,' and forgot to italicize 'Texas'?"
"No. That one's fine."
"This isn't retribution for that speeding ticket you got in Houston, is it?"
"I was going 75 on the highway! Texas can bite me!"
For tickets to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, call St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center at (563)333-6251, or visit Web.SAU.edu/galvin.
What Else Is Happenin'... ?
MUSIC
Thursday, October 1 - Wilco. Chicago-based rockers in concert. Main Lounge - Iowa Memorial Union (North Madison Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $30. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit IMU.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, October 3 - Chapter 6. Concert with award-winning a cappella ensemble. Centennial Hall - Augustana College (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $8-$10. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu.
Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra. The first Masterworks concerts of the 2009-10 season, with Mark Russell Smith conducting, and performances of Mozart's Symphony No. 41, "Jupiter," and Mahler's Symphony No. 1, "Titan." Saturday - Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. Sunday - Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 2 p.m. $10-$50. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Friday, October 9 - Tommy Sands. Folk musician and social activist in concert, as part of Quad City Arts' Visiting Artist Series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $8-$15. For information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Sunday, October 11 - Celtic Woman. Famed female vocal ensemble from Ireland, performing in the "Isle of Hope" tour. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $32.50-$62.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
DANCE
Thursday, October 3 - Quad City Ballet Folklorica Gala. Performance by the area's noted Mexican dance troupe. The Capitol Theatre (330 West Third Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $20. For tickets and information, call (563)326-8820 or visit TheCapDavenport.com.
COMEDY
Friday, October 9 - Lewis Black. Stand-up concert featuring the comedian and commentator from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $44-$60. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
ART
Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11 - Left Bank Art League Fall Art Festival. Artworks, food, and fun, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Komen Quad Cities' "Passionately Pink for the Cure" program. LeClaire levee riverfront. Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For information, call Diane Wall at (563)343-2765 or e-mail iipics@hotmail.com.
Saturday, October 10, through Sunday, February 14 - Branching Out: The Art of Wood. Exhibit featuring works by an international roster of accomplished woodturners, including David Ellsworth, Lane Phillips, Bruce Hoover, Dixie Biggs, and Jack Wohlstadter. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m. Free with museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.
LITERATURE
Thursday, October 1 - James Galvin. Award-winning poet reads from his works in the school year's first "River Readings at Augustana" event. Wallenberg Hall - Augustana College (3701 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)794-7823.
Saturday, October 3 - Pen-in-Hand Mini-Conference. Writing workshops with Rachel Mullins, Sarah Gardner, Dan Rosenberg, and Kelly and Tammy Rundle, covering such topics as "Grant Writing," "Target Your Submissions," "TV & Film Writing," and more. Midwest Writing Center (225 East Second Street Suite #303, Davenport). 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $25/workshop, $75/four workshops. For information and to register, call (563)324-1410 or visit MidwestWritingCenter.org.
