05 Aug 2024

It Takes a Village: Quad City Music Guild’s “Fiddler on the Roof,” at the Prospect Park Auditorium through August 11

By Madeline Dudziak

If you’re anything like me, from the moment you step into the Prospect Park Auditorium, you’ll be swept away by the stark and rickety set that is the little village of Anatevka, and the fact that the titular Fiddler is already just chilling on the roof. You might miss Josiah Wollan initially – he kind of blends in and the set is merely backlit – but his humanity emanates from time to time in small movements ... or, at least, it did at Friday’s opening-night performance of Quad City Music Guild's Fiddler on the Roof.

29 Jul 2024

Watch Them Devotin' Full Time to Floatin': Countryside Community Theatre's “The Little Mermaid,” at the North Scott High School Fine Arts Auditorium through August 4

By Pamela Briggs

Ten miles from the Mississippi River, the peaceful, corn-stippled town of Eldridge escaped the floods. Yet it is currently awash by the undersea explosion of music, color, joy, laughter, and drama that is Disney's The Little Mermaid, which is being produced by Countryside Community Theatre at the North Scott High School Auditorium.

28 Jul 2024

Big Girls Do Cry: “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre through August 4

By Alexander Richardson

The Marvelous Wonderettes, directed by Ryan Scoble, is the closing production of the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre’s 2024 season, and what a sendoff! Featuring gorgeous vocals, fun choreography, and enough nostalgia to give you a toothache, this production is a must-see for those who grew up in the '50s and '60s, or anyone who’s a fan of those eras of music.

28 Jul 2024

We Like All the Colors, But Pink Just Looks So Good On Us: “Pinkalicious: The Musical” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through August 10

By Madeline Dudziak

Move over Barbie: There’s a new pink gal in town.

22 Jul 2024

Along Came a Spider … : “Charlotte's Web,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through July 28

By Kitty Israel

It’s hard to imagine a more ideal venue for a performance of Charlotte’s Web than the Playcrafters Barn Theatre. Because the show's action takes place almost entirely in a barn, the space itself blends seamlessly with the set, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the world of the play.

22 Jul 2024

Comedy and Drachma: Genesius Guild's “Plutus,” at Lincoln Park through July 28

By Pamela Briggs

Aristophanes wrote Plutus more than 2,400 years ago, and we're still griping that people wealthier than we are haven't necessarily earned it, whether through hard work or by reason of virtue.

15 Jul 2024

Not Quite Ozsome, Not Quite a Baum: “The Wizard of Oz,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through July 28

By Alexander Richardson

The summer-theatre season trundles on with the latest from the Timber Lake Playhouse: The Wizard of Oz. While it features some strong performances, a children’s choir double digits strong, and even an acting dog, certain directing choices made by Chaz Wolcott hinder this timeless classic.

15 Jul 2024

Surfin' Turf: “The Bikinis,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through August 24

By Pamela Briggs

The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's current production is The Bikinis, which is subtitled A New Musical Beach Party, and I attended Thursday's preview night. The musical part is enjoyable; the four singers and four-member band perform admirably. However, I'd personally subtitle the rest of the show When Bad Scripts Happen to Good People.

15 Jul 2024

Harmony: “Songs for a New World,” at the Black Box Theatre through July 19

By Pamela Briggs

I was overdue for captivating theatre, and on Friday, the Black Box Theatre delivered.

15 Jul 2024

Signed, Sealed, Delivers: “84 Charing Cross Road,” at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre through July 21

By Madeline Dudziak

Dear Quad Cities Theatergoer,

It may seem strange that I should be writing this letter, the explanation being that 84 Charing Cross Road, now playing at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, is a play that is almost exclusively epistolatory in nature: The story is told through the recitation of letters. The opening-night performance was a charming evening, and in telling you about it, I could think of no better method than through that of a letter.

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