Music
International Chamber Soloists
Galvin Fine Arts Center
Friday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.
A very special guest is set to amaze audiences at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center, and when I first learned that the Toronto Star called this individual "a superbly equipped player with a rock-steady bow arm and ultra-confident technique," my initial thought was: Awesome! Katniss Everdeen!
And then I remembered that the guest in question was actually Dmitri Berlinsky, the lead violinist and front man for the acclaimed musicians of International Chamber Soloists. And then I remembered that Katniss Everdeen is fictional. Sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake.
Performing on the Galvin stage on November 8, International Chamber Soloists is an assemblage of gifted touring artists led by Berlinsky, and its ensemble of award-winning string players practically constitutes a living, breathing tour of the globe. Beyond the Russia-born violinist, the group showcases young performers from Australia, Belarus, Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and the United States, and has also thrilled concert-goers in dozens of additional countries, having recently completed tours throughout Europe and South America.
Lauded for their dynamic interpretive skills and their collective ability to make classical works by Mozart, Prokofiev, Beethoven, and other greats sound newly vital and fresh, the talents of International Chamber Soloists are sure to exhilarate the Galvin crowd with the sort of musical panache witnessed by American audiences spanning from San Jose's National Theater to New York's Carnegie Hall. Meanwhile, Berlinsky will likely be a show all his own, considering that the New York Times wrote of one his performances: "His tone was rounded and velvety, and he phrased in a way that brought out the music's fire." So with the booking of Berlinsky, Galvin is essentially catching fire. Just like Katniss Everdeen!
Fine. I'm slow on the uptake and have seen too many Hunger Games trailers.
For more information on, and tickets to, November 8's International Chamber Soloists concert, call (563)333-6251 or visit SAU.edu/galvin.
Music
Church of Misery
Rock Island Brewing Company
Saturday, November 2, 9 p.m.
The Japanese touring band Church of Misery will take the stage at the Rock Island Brewing Company on November 2, and along with their significant fan base, the artists have spent years wowing music critics, with AllMusic.com calling the group "the undisputed (and unchallenged) kings of Japanese stoner/doom," and TheObelisk.net describing its musicians as "among the best in the world at what they do."
Still, to be honest, I was a little nervous about asking to write a What's Happenin' on this particular booking, considering that Church of Misery's thrash-metal and psychedelic rockers - musicians who've been blowing away crowds worldwide since the release of 2001's CD debut Master of Brutality - are best-known for songs about mass murderers and serial killers, with titles on the band's discography including "Killfornia (Ed Kemper)," "Road to Ruin (Charles Whitman)," and "Room 213 (Jeffrey Dahmer)."
But then it dawned on me: We're the Reader, damn it! We're not going to kowtow to potentially squeamish sensibilities and the threat of reprisal for articles of perhaps questionable morality!
So, confident in that knowledge, I hereby present the lyrics to the Church of Misery song "Boston Strangler (Albert De Salvo)" in their entirety. My publisher said he'd only consider blacking out words and phrases that might be deemed really offensive.
Please let me inside
Open your door
I'm here to ???????????.
Show me your smiling
And hear me your crying
?????? fall from my grace
??????? - ???????
I lost my mind
In a trance, ??????
?????????? for ???????
???????????? on you, ????
??????????????, and it's so good
I'm caught ?????????????
For my distorted youth
Take that, censorship!
Church of Misery performs locally with opening sets by Against the Grain and Bloody Hammers (you were expecting Fragrant Daffodils?), and more information on the night is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Theatre
The Miracle Worker
Playcrafters Barn Theatre
Friday, November 8, through Sunday, November 17
CurtainUp.com called it "an inspiration." The New York Times deemed it "profoundly moving." Time magazine described it as "unforgettable theater." And from November 8 through 17, the "it" being referenced will find a home at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre with the Moline venue's The Miracle Worker, author William Gibson's telling of the early education of author/activist Helen Keller.
Having lost her sight and hearing as the result of a childhood illness, Keller went on to become the first blind and deaf individual to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, achieved fame (and some notoriety) as an outspoken campaigner for women's suffrage and labor rights, and, in a 1999 Gallup poll, was named one of the most widely admired people of the 20th Century. Gibson's play, meanwhile, explores the origins of Keller's impassioned, fiercely determined temperament, and shows how it was both shaped and harnessed by schoolteacher Annie Sullivan, the practical-minded, tireless educator who taught the young, nearly uncontrollable Keller how to communicate.
Directed by Rae Mary, Playcrafters' Miracle Worker features Laila Haley as Keller, Cayte McClanathan as Sullivan, and a supporting cast of local talents that includes Bill Peiffer, Mollie Schmelzer, Tyler Henning, Leigh VanWinkle, and Al Whitmore. But while you'll certainly learn a lot from Playcrafters' presentation - and will likely have a sensationally entertaining, deeply emotional time doing so - there's no harm in learning more! Try your hand at these Helen Keller head-scratchers:
1) On what day was Helen Keller born?
A) March 3, 1874
B) June 27, 1880
C) September 13, 1893
2) What was Keller's middle name?
A) Adams
B) Bennett
C) Reardon
3) From which institution did Keller graduate?
A) Bryn Mawr College
B) Radcliffe College
C) Yale University
4) What was the date of Keller's death?
A) April 5, 1951
B) May 11, 1963
C) June 1, 1968
5) True or false: When Keller made public speeches, she spoke out loud to her audiences.
Performances of The Miracle Worker take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 or visiting Playcrafters.com.
Answers: 1 - B, 2 - A, 3 - B, 4 - C, 5 - True. Thank you for playing.
What? You thought I was going to end with one of my typical, smart-alecky jokes? In a piece about Helen Keller?!? Well, of all the ... ! What's wrong with you?!? Shame on you for thinking that! No more What's Happenin' pages for you for two whole weeks!
Theatre
A Christmas Story: The Musical
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Wednesday, November 6, through Sunday, January 5
"Ho, ho, ho!!! And what do you want for Christmas, little boy?"
"I want tickets to the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's new production of A Christmas Story: The Musical that was based on the classic holiday comedy from 1983 and that opened on Broadway in 2012 and got nominated for three Tony Awards including Best Musical and that's now making its area debut in a presentation by director Tony Parise from Circa '21's Smokey Joe's Café and has a cast that includes Ben Klocke and Gage McCalester and Marc Ciemiewicz and Andrea Moore and Tom Walljasper and his daughter Krianna and a whole bunch of other people and is filled with fantastic singing and really entertaining dance numbers and all that hilarious dialogue we remember from the movie and that's running between November 6 and January 5 and that's going to be a whole lot of fun for the whole family and I promise I'll be really really good if you get it for me Santa and oh I also want an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range-model air rifle!"
"You'll shoot your eye out, kid."
For more information on, and tickets to, A Christmas Story: The Musical, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
What Else Is Happenin' ...?
MUSIC
Friday, November 1 - Whitey Morgan & the 78's. Michigan-based honky-tonk/country musicians in concert, with an opening set by Fifth of Country. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $10-12. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com. For a 2011 interview with Whitey Morgan, visit RCReader.com/y/whitey.
Friday, November 1 - Cowboy Junkies. Canadian alternative-country/blues/folk rockers in a concert co-sponsored by the Englert Theatre. First United Methodist Church (214 East Jefferson Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $25-38. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org. For a 2008 interview with the band's Alan Anton, visit RCReader.com/y/junkies.
Saturday, November 2 - Cowboy Indian Bear. Kansas-based independent rockers in concert, featuring an opening set by The Bubble Baths. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $5. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Wednesday, November 6, through Friday, November 8 - Terrance Simien. Concerts with the Blues in the Schools educator/musician, presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Wednesday: Center for Active Seniors (1035 West Kimberly Road, Davenport), 11:30 a.m. Thursday: RME Community Stage (131 West Second Street, Davenport), 7 p.m. Friday: The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf), 9 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)322-5837 or visit MVBS.org.
Friday, November 8 - Local H. Alternative rock duo in concert, with opening sets by The Post Mortems and Satellite Heart. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $12-15. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, November 8 - Wycliffe Gordon. Jazz trombonist performs a concert in Hancher Auditorium's Visiting Artists series. The Mill (120 East Burlington Street, Iowa City). 7 and 9:30 p.m. $10-20. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, November 9 - Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas. Concert with the Detroit-based jazz, blues, and soul musicians, preceded by a SPECTRA poetry reading at 8 p.m. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 10 p.m. $5 suggested donation. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com. For an August interview with Hernandez, visit RCReader.com/y/hernandez.
Sunday, November 10 - Sybarite5. String quintet performing as Quad City Arts Visiting Artists, in an event held in partnership with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Augustana College's Wallenberg Hall (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 3 p.m. $10-25. For tickets and information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
Tuesday, November 12 - Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: Masters of the Fiddle. Rave-ups, ballads, and step dancing in a concert in Hancher Auditorium's Visiting Artists series. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-35. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Tuesday, November 12 - The Alejandro Ziegler Tango Orchestra. Concert featuring the touring musicians from Buenos Aires. Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (1301 Fifth Street, Coralville). 6:30 p.m. $12-23. For tickets and information, call (319)248-9370 or visit CoralvilleArts.org.
Wednesday, November 13 - Jake Shimabukuro. Jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, classical, and folk music with the touring ukulele player. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $30-33. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
THEATRE
Friday, November 1, through Sunday, November 17 - Last Call: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim. Musical revue of songs by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, created by Tyson Danner and Mike Schulz. QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. "Pay what it's worth" ticket pricing. For tickets and information, call (563)650-2396 or visit QCTheatreWorkshop.org.
Sunday, November 3 - Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. Supernatural musical presented in radio-drama format, featuring a book by Stephen King and score by John Mellencamp. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $39.50-69.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com. For an interview with star Bruce Greenwood and director Susan V. Booth, visit RCReader.com/y/darkland.
Monday, November 4 - Theodore Roosevelt. One-man reflection on the president's triumphs and failures, featuring actor Terry Lynch. Eldridge Public Library (200 North Sixth Avenue, Eldridge). 6:30 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)285-4794 or visit ScottCountyLibrary.org.
Thursday, November 7, through Sundays, November 17 - I Take This Man. Romantic comedy by Jack Sharkey, directed by Dana Skiles. Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo). Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. $8-10. For tickets and information, call (309)944-2244 or visit RHPlayers.com.
Friday, November 8, through Sunday, November 10 - Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill. A journey through the noted musician's career, directed by Bill Theisen and conducted by William LaRue Jones. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $5-20. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
COMEDY
Friday, November 8 - Murder at Skuttlebutt Sound. A new pirate-adventure murder mystery with the It's a Mystery! troupe, written by Scott Naumann. Skellington Manor Banquet & Event Center (420 18th Street, Rock Island). 6:30 p.m. $35 for dinner and show. For tickets and information, call (363)344-9187 or visit SkellingtonManor.com.
VISUAL ART
Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3 - Fall Mississippi River Valley Art Drive. Seventh-annual, self-guided tour featuring more than 400 works by artists residing within 100 miles of the Mississippi River. For information, visit MRVAD.com.
EVENTS
Friday, November 1, through Sunday, November 3 - Fall Antique Spectacular. Annual event featuring 70 exhibitors offering fine antiques and collectibles for sale. QCCA Expo Center (2621 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday 5-9 p.m., Saturday10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $7 weekend pass. For information, call (712)324-9964 or visit AntiqueSpectacular.com.
Friday, November 1 - Cirque Mechanics: Birdhouse Factory. Stage spectacular in which factory workers are acrobats and machines are circus props. Orpheum Theatre (57 South Kellogg Street, Galesburg). 7:30 p.m. $25-40. For tickets and information, call (309)342-2299 or visit TheOrpheum.org.
Friday, November 8 - QC United's Third-Annual Food & Wine Experience. Event featuring international wines, samplings from three area chefs, and live music with electric violinist Jerald Daemyon. River Music Experience (131 West Second Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $50-65/person, $90-130/couple. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, November 8 - Rock 'n' Roll Bingo. Music-trivia fundraiser held in support of the John R. Kiley Memorial Scholarship, with host Cody Tucker of radio station B100FM. Knights of Columbus Hall (1111 West 35th Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $10 at the door. For information, visit RockNRollBingoQC.com.
Sunday, November 10 - Unity Fest International. A celebration of community diversity featuring food tastings, cultural performances, ethnic demonstrations and crafts, and more. Putnam Museum (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). Noon-5 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)349-1870 or visit QCUnited.org.
Tuesday, November 12 - Theresa Caputo. Interactive readings and personal stories with the star of TLC's Long Island Medium. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $41.75-100. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
