With the crowned winner receiving a cash prize and a featured spot in the Capitol Theatre's Wickedest City Burlesque & Variety Fest on Saturday, April 18, the Wickedest Performer burlesque competition will be held at Davenport's Adler Theatre on April 16, the evening featuring electrifying artists from across the country, including Arizona, North Carolina, Seattle, Des Moines, and the Quad Cities.

Taking place as part of the venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, the German American Heritage Center's Verschleppt: The Carrying Off of Markus & Anna Mattes will offer a haunting, moving family saga on April 12, the program presented by John Mattes and Debbi Nitekman Kohl, the latter of whom will also deliver a powerful performance on piano.

With the scheduled lineup boasting the talents of David Lucas, Hans Kim, Timmy No Brakes, and Martin Philips, one of the world's most popular live podcasts becomes a live touring sensation in Killers of Kill Tony, its April 3 stop at Davenport's Adler Theatre treating audiences to a night with comedians who have graced the Kill Tony stage their with wit, humor, and unique comedic styles and characters.

His research having transformed the field of ornithology, leading to the evolution of bird-watching from a hobby to scientific discipline, noted "Bird Man' Robert Ridgway will be celebrated in an April 9 program at the Rock Island Public Library's Downtown Branch, with renowned storyteller and author Brian “Fox” Ellis presenting a first-person impression of the Illinois legend and the story of his lifelong work at the Smithsonian Institution.