Let it be known: My family and I are exactly the intended audience for the Timber Lake Playhouse’s current production of Disney's Frozen. We love the material. We love theatre. So in the words of everyone’s favorite animated snowman Olaf, “Put ‘em together, it just makes sense.” The good news? If you’re also a fan, chances are you’ll feel the same way about this particular production.

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre closes out its 2025 season with a gorgeously sung tribute in director Amy Fritsche's Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver. What this revue by Harold Thau (who's credited for its “original concept”) is lacking in heart is more than made up by the live music played by the onstage actors, all of whom make Denver’s music ring.

The horrifying story told in The Diary of Anne Frank is now being lovingly presented at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre, directed by accomplished actor Elle Winchester.

Kitty: Full disclosure: We once dressed as Mary Poppins and Bert for Halloween. We’re very serious about our Poppins lore.

Mischa: But we promise to be absolutely objective in our reactions to this show.

Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Mischa Hooker, Kitty Israel, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.

Seeing and hearing Countryside Community Theatre's production of Hairspray has nearly stolen my words from me.

A lot of the action follows Aristophanes' original text. The rest is decidedly in the style of Calvin Vo and Tee Green.

True to Steve Martin’s storytelling sensibility, Bright Star is full of heart, laced with tragedy, and balanced by moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Oh, and there’s plenty of banjo.

I’ve never been disappointed to spend a Sunday in the park with Shakespeare, though I am grateful that, this past Sunday night, the weather was fairly mild for July. I admit to being only vaguely familiar with Antony & Cleopatra before the evening commenced, but I was not fully anticipating the story to be as epic as it was in director Alaina Pascarella’s production.

The Timber Lake Playhouse continues its hot streak with Waitress, directed and choreographed by Jennifer Hemphill. A crowd-pleaser through and through, with a charming book that's further buoyed by a wonderfully diverse cast of performers, this production is a saccharine slice of heaven.

Pages