Mount Carroll, IL-- The Magic Owl Children's Theatre at Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP) presents an hour-long version of Seussical, a musical based on the books of Dr. Seuss July 9, 11, 12 and 13 at 2:00 pm. All tickets for Magic Owl shows are only $6.00 and partially sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Each year, these subsidized Magic Owl shows introduce thousands of young people to the joy and magic of live theatre.

Seussical tells the stories of Horton, the elephant, who finds an entire planet of Whos on a small speck of dust, Gertrude McFuzz who longs for Horton and a bigger tail, Mayzie La Bird who convinces Horton to sit on her egg and The Cat in The Hat, who plays tricks as these stories intertwine into one adventure for the characters and the audience. The show also includes references to such Dr. Seuss classics as How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Butter Battle Book, McElligot's Pool, Oh, The Places You'll Go, The Sneetches and The Lorax.

In April, with the help of the Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District, TLP gave away 1000 small trees at the Sauk Valley Children's Fair as part of the company Do Something Spectacular campaign. Kids who planted the trees, like the main character in The Lorax, and sent in pictures received free tickets to the show. The Do Something Spectacular Campaign is designed to use the stories happening on stage at TLP to inspire creativity and community involvement in the region.

The cast of Seussical includes members of TLP's professional resident company from all over the country. Will Boze of Sterling, Illinois also stars as Jojo, the young thinker who thinks up the entire adventure.

Seussical has additional performances August 6, 8, 9 and 10 at 11:00 a.m. TLP is located at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in rural Mount Carroll, IL. Tickets are $6.00 and are available at the box office, by calling 815-244-2035 or visiting www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. The show is appropriate for all ages. Early reservations are suggested, as many Magic Owl shows sell out.

Production Credits:

The Magic Owl Children's Theatre

at Timber Lake Playhouse

SEUSSICAL

Book by  Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Music by  Stephen Flaherty

Lyrics by  Lynn Ahrens

Co-Conceived by  Eric Idle

Based on the works of Dr. Seuss

Direction and Choreography by James Beaudry

SEUSSICAL is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also provided by MTI.

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Brian Blasik hits second grand slam of the season, Rio Ruiz finishes a triple shy of the cycle

GENEVA, Ill. (JULY 7, 2013) - For the first time this season, three Quad Cities River Bandits homered in the same game, as catcher Roberto Pena, second baseman Brian Blasik and third baseman Rio Ruiz each went deep among the visitors' 13 hits in a 12-5 victory over the Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Sunday afternoon.

Quad Cities (12-5 second half, 50-36 overall) had its highest run total since a season-high 17 runs against Great Lakes on April 30 and won for the 13th time in 17 meetings with Kane County (4-13, 34-49). Left-hander Colton Cain (4-5) allowed a first-inning run but retired 13 of 14 batters in one stretch and posted a season-high six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for his first second-half win.

Pena tied the game in the second inning on a one-out home run to the picnic deck in left field off right-hander Tayler Scott (4-4). The home run was Pena's fourth of the season and second against the Cougars. He is 20-for-49 (.408) in 12 games against Kane County.

Quad Cities took the lead in the third inning, as left fielder Dan Gulbransen and designated hitter Jesse Wierzbicki hit back-to-back RBI doubles for a 3-1 lead. Meanwhile, Cain held the Cougars off the board through the fifth inning, retiring 13 of 14 batters in one stretch and posting a season-high six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He was charged with four runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks.

In the sixth inning, Ruiz hit a one-out single, and shortstop Austin Elkins drew a two-out walk to chase Scott. Right-hander Armando Rivero entered and walked first baseman Jobduan Morales to load the bases for Blasik, who hit his second home run - and second grand slam - of the season on a line drive over the left-field fence, extending the Quad Cities lead to 7-1.

The Cougars tallied three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with third baseman Jeimer Candelario hitting an RBI double, and two more runs scoring when center fielder Jordan Scott threw a ball into the third-base stands after catching a fly ball. Kane County closed within 7-5 in the seventh inning, as right-hander Gera Sanchez yielded a sacrifice fly to Cougars first baseman Dan Vogelbach. Left-hander Mitchell Lambson got the final out of the inning and worked 1 1/3 scoreless frames.

Ruiz leading off the eighth inning and added an RBI double in the ninth inning to finish a triple shy of the cycle. Wierzbicki added a two-run double in the ninth inning. With a 12-5 lead, right-hander Chia-Jen Lo retired all three hitters he faced.

Sunday's victory lifted Quad Cities to match its season high of 14 games over .500 and also means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Monday, July 8. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Monday, July 8. Quad Cities will face Kane County in the deciding game of the five-game series at noon Monday, when River Bandits right-hander Lance McCullers (4-4) faces Cougars left-hander Michael Heesch (3-7).

UP NEXT: Golf Night and the John Deere Classic Celebration open the River Bandits' six-game homestand Wednesday against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Modern Woodmen Park. Fans can also enter copies of the bills into a drawing to be one of the two paid up to $100 by the River Bandits on a Pay Your Bill Wednesday presented by U.S. Bank and Mix 96. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

Quad Citians can enjoy an evening of wine and food at Broadway Historic District's 3rd Annual Wine Walk, 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday, August 3. Tickets are $35 per person or $60 per couple. Only 100 tickets are available.

Event goers will receive a sampling of 16 wines and gourmet appetizers while getting an inside look into four premier houses in the Broadway neighborhood. The event will also feature a basket raffle.

Tickets can be purchased through PayPal at www.broadwaydistrict.org or by mailing a check to: Broadway Historic District, c/o Kyla Heddlesten, 541 23rd St., Rock Island, IL  61201. Proceeds from the event will support the organization's efforts to revitalize homes, repair sidewalks, plant trees, and landmark historic properties.

For more information, please contact Kyla Heddlesten at 309.786.5562 or kylamolln@yahoo.com.

The Broadway Historic District is a collection of late 19th and early 20th century homes between 6th and 13th avenues and  17th and 23rd streets in Rock Island, Ill. In 1988, the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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Roberto Pena ties a career high with four hits and leads Quad Cities with three RBIs

GENEVA, Ill. (JULY 5, 2013) - Catcher Roberto Pena tied a career high with four hits, and right-hander Jordan Jankowski was the first Quad Cities River Bandits pitcher to toss seven innings in a start this season, but the team could not hold a lead for more than a half-inning in an 8-7 road loss to the Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Friday night.

The River Bandits (10-5 second half, 48-36 overall) quickly lost a 1-0, first-inning lead and a 3-2, sixth-inning lead but took their largest advantage, 6-3, into the bottom of the eighth inning to put Jankowski in line for a win. Right-hander Juri Perez allowed two walks and a hit within the first four batters to load the bases with one out. Quad Cities right-hander John Neely entered and proceeded to allow all three inherited runners to score with a walk, hit batter, and a game-tying single by third baseman Giuseppe Pappacio.

In a 6-6 tie with one out and the bases loaded, Cougars second baseman Gioskar Amaya dropped a hit just past first base down the right-field line and reached second base for a two-run double that gave Kane County an 8-6 lead. Neely (2-5) got the next two batters but was charged with two earned runs on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Trailing, 8-6, in the ninth inning, Quad Cities assembled a two-out rally against right-hander Justin Amlung. Designated hitter Jesse Wierzbicki was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored on Pena's third RBI and fourth single - matching his first career four-hit game Aug. 27, 2011 with Lexington. But left fielder Dan Gulbransen grounded to second base for the final out.

The River Bandits took their first lead when center fielder Teoscar Hernandez hit the team's first leadoff home run of the season against Cougars left-hander Brian Smith, who set down the next 10 batters in order. The Cougars answered against Jankowski with center fielder Albert Almora's one-out triple and first baseman Dan Vogelbach's two-run home run in the bottom of the inning.

The score remained 2-1 in favor of Kane County (4-11, 34-47) until the sixth inning, when River Bandits right fielder Jordan Scott drew a leadoff walk and scored on shortstop Carlos Correa's game-tying double to left-center field that chased Smith. Right-hander Lendy Castillo entered and allowed Pena's go-ahead single with one out to give Quad Cities a 3-2 lead. But Almora slapped a game-tying home run to left field on Jankowski's first pitch of the bottom of the sixth innning.

In a 3-3 tie starting the eighth inning, Castillo walked Correa, Wierzbicki singled, and Pena hit his second go-ahead RBI single of the night. Two batters later, first baseman Jobduan Morales grounded a two-run double up the first-base line. Castillo walked the next two batters to load the bases with one out, but Hernandez grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep the River Bandits' lead at 6-3.

Quad Cities has lost its last four games in Kane County after winning the first five meetings at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. River Bandits right-hander Mike Hauschild (5-1) will try to stop the skid against Cougars right-hander Jose Rosario (0-4) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

UP NEXT: Golf Night and the John Deere Classic Celebration open the River Bandits' six-game homestand Wednesday against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Modern Woodmen Park. Fans can also enter copies of the bills into a drawing to be one of the two paid up to $100 by the River Bandits on a Pay Your Bill Wednesday presented by U.S. Bank and Mix 96. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.