Replaces Around the World in 80 Days Due to Director Conflict

City Circle Acting Company of Coralville announces that it will produce the Iowa-City area premiere of the 2007 musical comedy Xanadu, which is inspired by the 1980s film of the same name.  The production will be directed by Christopher Okiishi.

Xanadu replaces Around the World in 80 Days on the City Circle schedule, with performances October 10-19.  80 Days director Patrick Du Laney was cast in Our Town at Kansas City Repertory Theater, necessitating his withdrawal from this season.  City Circle hopes to have Du Laney direct 80 Days in a future season.

Director Okiishi says of Xanadu, "It's the classic story of a frustrated artist, an ancient Greek goddess of inspiration, and the music of the Electric Light Orchestra.  Taking the best parts of the 1980 movie (meaning--keeping the songs and completely rewriting the script), author Douglas Carter Bean, who also re-wrote the recent smash Cinderella for Broadway, tells the heartwarming story of two souls finding each other in the California 1980s amid scheming evil sisters, greedy developers, and truly awful fashion choices.  Xanadu features some of the best-loved pop-rock songs for the decade including "Evil Woman", "Strange Magic", "Suddenly", and the hit title song.  Song, dance, a limited amount of roller-skates, and plenty of heart!   No leg warmers will be harmed in the making of this production."

Tickets to the show are $12-$27 and can be purchased online at coralvillearts.org, by calling 319.248.9370, or in person at the CCPA box office at 1301 5th Street and at the Coralville Recreation Center at 1506 8th Street. Group and subscriber discounts are available.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (June 17, 2014) - The following student(s) are named to the Spring 2014 Dean's List at Mount Mercy University. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.60 or better, and who are graded (letter grade, not pass/fail) for six or more semester hours, are eligible for inclusion on the Dean's List.

Those honored include Marissa Albracht and Dana Evan from Bettendorf, Matthew Purl from Davenport, and Kelsey Kernan from Rock Island.

Founded in 1928, Mount Mercy University offers students a personal, practical and faith-inspired education that distinctly blends professional career preparation and liberal arts with a strong curriculum grounded in leadership and service. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mount Mercy University is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and a member of the Conference for Mercy Higher Education.

In more than 85 years, Mount Mercy has grown in size and reputation, adapting to meet the changing educational needs of the Cedar Rapids community. Mount Mercy offers baccalaureate and graduate education to nearly 1,800 students. Popular undergraduate majors include business, nursing, criminal justice, education and social work. Graduate programs are offered in business, education, nursing, marriage and family therapy, strategic leadership and criminal justice. For more information on Mount Mercy, visit www.mtmercy.edu.

Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mount Mercy University is the regional Catholic, Mercy University that promises students of diverse backgrounds, ages and faiths a challenging, practical education that inspires them to discover knowledge, build community and lead courageous lives. Mount Mercy offers baccalaureate and graduate education to nearly 1,800 enrolled students and uniquely blends liberal arts education with professional preparation.

MOUNT CARROLL, IL --  Timber Lake Playhouse opens its second production of the summer, An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley, on Thursday, June 19. Acclaimed Chicago director Chuck Smith directs the play, which runs through Saturday, June 28. The Mount Carroll Rotary Club will sponsor a Jhoole Shop at the playhouse during the run in a partnership celebrating volunteer and non-profit organizations in the region whose missions "live the story" of each theatre production at the playhouse.

Considered a classic of 20th Century theatre, An Inspector Calls takes place on single night in 1912 in England--the exact week the hit BBC drama Downton Abbey begins its storyline. The Birling family is visited by Inspector Goole--interrupting a party celebrating their daughter's engagement. The Inspector implicates each person in the apparent suicide of a young working-class woman. But is this inspector really who he claims to be? And is this a whodunnit? or a who didn't stop it? It's a thrilling mystery about a prominent family's secrets and a stranger who knows too much.

The play became an instant hit in 1945 when it was written, and a 1994 Broadway production won numerous Tony Awards and broke the record for long running national tour for a play. The TLP production stars John Chase, Grant Brown, Cody Jolly, Gabriel Brown, Caroline Murrah and Bethany Fay. Chicago actress and three time Jeff Award winner, Danielle Brothers, makes her TLP debut as Sybil in this mystery with social themes.

TLP's Do Something Spectacular campaign continues with An Inspector Calls through the help of the Mount Carroll Rotary Club. For over 25 years the Mount Carroll Rotary Club has lived the motto of Rotary International, "Service Above Self," by supporting many local groups:  Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Great River Outreach, Friends of the Library, Campbell Center for Historic Preservation, Carroll County Senior Center and Timber Lake Playhouse.  The relatively small club of 28 is also involved with international projects including Carroll County Haiti Mission Project, Polio Plus and Jhoole, an organization living the themes of An Inspector Calls.

Founded by Rockford native Hannah Warren after a photography project took her to India, Jhoole, pronounced "ju-lay," is a non-profit, pioneering "Humanitarian Enterprise." Selling handmade scarves and clothing, it is both a mission-motivated lifestyle brand and a manufacturing company, wedding high-tech machines with traditional Indian handicrafts to benefit artisans and their communities. All profits are reinvested in community improvement, education, and training, with a goal of ending the cycle of poverty for working women who cannot afford to own the clothes they make. More information can be found at jhoole.org.

The Mount Carroll Rotary Club meets each Tuesday at 12:05 at Land of Oz.  For information about the club call 800-244-5994.

For tickets to An Inspector Calls, call the TLP box office at 815-244-2035 or visit them at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in Mount Carroll. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, with matinees at 2:00 pm on Sundays and Wednesday. A 3:00 pm matinee is offered on the first Saturday after the production opens. Tickets are $23.00, $21.00 for seniors, and students are $17.00. This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds from the National Endowment For The Arts.

The eccentric and self-absorbed Bliss family will inspire non-stop, sidesplitting laughter to audiences during the Classics at Brucemore production of Hay Fever, July 10 - 12 and 17 - 19 at 8:00 p.m. The 19th annual Classics at Brucemore performance, directed by Jim Kern, will uphold its reputation as one of Brucemore's signature events. The estate's natural amphitheater will provide a captivating backdrop as the Bliss family breaks social conventions on and off the stage, interacting with the audience and the surrounding area.  Audiences are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to the show; the gates will open at 7:00 p.m.  Advance tickets are $15 for Brucemore Members and students and $18 for adults.  All tickets at the gate are $20.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.brucemore.org, by calling (319) 362-7375, or by visiting the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center.

Hay Fever, written in 1924 by Noël Coward, takes place on a single weekend in June at the summer home of the wealthy and bohemian Bliss family.  Each family member, without consulting the others, has invited a special guest for the weekend.  However, the family is so egotistical that the needs of their guests (and their overwhelmed household employee Clara) go completely unnoticed.  While the Blisses may be awful people to visit, they are hilarious to watch as they turn what should have been a weekend of intimate leisure into riotous mayhem.

Audiences attend the Classics once and realize that what is in their picnic basket is nearly as important as what is onstage. From carryout pizza or deli-sandwiches to elaborate spreads of antipasto plates and roasted chicken, dining is taken to a new level with Brucemore's version of dinner and a show. Packing for a Classics picnic just became easier. Brucemore is partnering with The Early Bird to offer patrons the opportunity to have their picnic waiting for them at the show. Select one of three dining options, call Brucemore (319) 362-7375 to place an order, pick it up in the Visitor Center the night of the event, and enjoy the Classics experience. Picnics must be purchased at least 36 hours before the show date by calling (319) 362-7375. A "Classics Package" is also available, including a wine tote, two picnics, and a bottle of wine. A complete list of the picnic options can be found at www.brucemore.org.

Sponsored by Rockwell Collins and media sponsored by The Gazette, KCRG-TV9, and Hoopla, Hay Fever features a cast of the area's finest actors. Seven return to the Classics stage, including Angela Billman, Matthew James, Jim Kropa, David Morton, Marty Norton, Cherryl Moon Thomason, and Kristen Wilcox. Making their Classics debut are Aaron Murphy and Lindsay Prince. For additional information, please visit the Brucemore website, www.brucemore.org.

The Classics at Brucemore began as collaboration between Torchlight Theatrics and Brucemore in 1996, thus launching outdoor theater in Eastern Iowa. The Classics celebrates a rich history of quality live theater, from Greek tragedy to Shakespearean comedy and twentieth century American drama. Much more than a play performed outdoors, the Classics fully utilizes the natural amphitheater, incorporating the estate itself into the action; actors emerge from the woods, get dunked in the pond, and help themselves to the audience's picnics.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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