
Sitare Sadeghi, Adam Brett, Heather Parcells, Mark Woodard, Nancy Teerlinck, Fred Frabotta, and ensemble members in the Timber Lake Playhouse's Anything Goes
If the Internet is to be believed – and when isn't it? – the traditional gift for a ninth anniversary is pottery. But while our theatre-reviewing team and yours truly briefly considered getting y'all lovely handcrafted vases or replicas of the ashtray I made in elementary school (ah, more innocent times …), we instead decided to treat you to sincere, exultant, pithy words of praise in announcing recipients of the Ninth-Annual Reader Tony Awards!
For those new to our yearly celebration, this is the occasion during which the River Cities' Reader's dedicated crew of theatre lovers – this time around I'm joined by Pamela Briggs, Madeline Dudziak, Mischa Hooker, Kitty Israel, and Alex Richardson – share thoughts on what moved us, tickled us, and frankly knocks our socks off over the past 12 months of area stage works. Whenever possible in a given year, we like to literally one-up the legitimate Tonys by selecting six favorites in each of 10 categories. And for the first time ever, we have six authors participating in the process, meaning we could just as easily have titled the article “Picks o' Six by Six.” But even the good Dr. Seuss would've gagged on that one.
Before commencing (not that all of you haven't already blown off this introduction and skipped ahead), it's important to reiterate that the choices below are mere examples of what we adored over the 2024 area-theatre season, and not meant to be any kind of set-in-stone final word on the subject. Maybe we could offer one if all of us saw all of the many, many productions that opened either locally or in nearby regions. But we do individually miss some stuff, and speaking personally, frequent out-of-town commitments this year caused me to miss an awful lot.
That said, I did catch more than two-dozen area presentations, and our intrepid critiquing squad collectively reviewed 67 titles for the Reader, and trust me: As devoted stage-hounds, all five of them saw significantly more than they personally covered in review form. So we hope you enjoy our appreciative musings on three-dozen productions by 15 distinct companies, venues, or institutions of higher learning – a veritable Whitman's Sampler of theatrical greatness. You never know what you're gonna get! (And now Forrest Gump fans are gagging, too.)
As always, the rules for commendation were simple yet precise. No one could personally cite a show more than three times – this year, two proved the max – and every chosen title had to be produced in the area; no tour stops allowed. No one could acknowledge a Reader reviewer, editor, family member, or spouse (nor, in Kitty's and Mischa's cases, a recent fiancé/fiancée – congrats, you two!), though productions that any of us were involved with were eligible elsewhere. It should also go without saying that no one could cite any presentations they directly participated in. Ties could happen – and, on three occasions here, did happen – if two or more performers from the same show had roughly equivalent stage time and/or impact. And as has been the case since 2016, nobody's individual write-up could exceed 50 words as counted by whatever spellchecker I'm working with. For some reason, my current laptop considers dashes and ellipses to be words … but whatever. Insentient beings must know best, right?
Pamela, Madeline, Mischa, Kitty, Alex, and I would like to extend huge thanks to everyone who helped make the 2024 stage scene so vital and thrilling – and of course, that includes you fellow theatre fans willing to spend your time, money, and attention on this art form that's so very special to all of us. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, everyone, and here's to continued fulfilling adventures in 2025!
- Mike Schulz
Production
Exit Laughing, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Pamela Briggs). This comedy, with its wacky let's-steal-our-dead-friend's-ashes premise, was deeper and funnier than I'd expected thanks to director Mike Skiles, Paul Elliott's great script, and five agile actors with top-level emotive skills who offered consistently superb reactions, glorious timing, and an excellent grasp of tone. I'm still marveling over it.
Jersey Boys, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Madeline Dudziak). Before the stage became New Jersey, the Bootleggers brought the house down with the absolute best pre-show ever. (No, really: It may never be topped!) Then director Michael Ingersoll’s cast took over and I was blown away again – lights, costumes, music, choreography, and performing talent all beautifully accounted for.
A Little Night Music, Quad City Music Guild (Mischa Hooker). This is one of the toughest musicals to pull off successfully, given its convoluted plot, difficult characters, and complex music for which everyone needs to be absolutely topnotch. But director Colleen Houlihan's production had no weak links. Great singing and acting, lavish set and costumes – a real extravaganza.
The Secret in the Wings, St. Ambrose University (Kitty Israel). This production stole my theatre-kid heart, boasting all the drama and fancy of the Grimms’ fairy tales plus an incredibly versatile set, an array of gorgeous costumes, and a cast of nine talented actors playing 57 different roles. I still think about director Daniel Hale's show on a regular basis.
Songs for a New World, Black Box Theatre (Mike Schulz). Radiantly performed by Evan Gagliardo, Katie Griswold, Noah Hill, Noel Jean Huntley, Kaden Micklos, Jordyn Mitchell, Kira Rangel, and Keenen Wilson, directors Shelley Cooper's and Kelsey Walljasper's Jason Robert Brown revue was 90 minutes of resplendent joy, but also love – for the material, for one another, and for us.
Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, Black Box Theatre (Alex Richardson). I generally find musicals too frequently vapid and shallow. Lora Adams' exemplary production sidestepped the genre's pitfalls and provided a shocking and fascinating look into the minds of two killers. Adam Cerny's and Daniel Williams' haunting relationship is still fresh in my mind almost a full year later.
Director
Michael Callahan, Medea, Genesius Guild (Madeline). I've always appreciated Genesius Guild’s use of traditional Greek masks. So color me surprised when director Michael Callahan employed them here in an entirely different way; character actress Lena Slininger, as the titular Madea, almost didn't wear hers at all! A most peculiar and engaging evening of Greek theatre indeed.
Becca Johnson, Evita, Spotlight Theatre (Kitty). Evita is a complex musical with a large cast – a challenge for any director. Johnson’s directorial choices were fresh and creative. The show was well-paced; her staging made excellent use of the entire playing space; and the ensemble always felt like distinct characters rather than a featureless mob.
Corinne Johnson, Murder on the Orient Express, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Mike). Without skimping on laughs, Johnson and her top-tier ensemble did the damnedest thing with author Ken Ludwig's comedic whodunit: They treated Agatha Christie's classic with the tragic weight it deserved. This gorgeously designed MotOE was great fun, but it also hurt, the innocent and guilty never turned into mere punchlines.
Jessica Taylor, Ripcord, Spotlight Theatre (Alex). Beyond guiding her actors to performances that were both broadly hilarious and specifically devastating, Taylor used the Spotlight’s expansive space marvelously. Her action wasn't confined to the parameters of the set, nor even to the stage itself, and elevated David Lindsay-Abaire's already exceptional script.
Calvin Vo, Punk Rock Lobster, Haus of Ruckus (Mischa). Obviously, sitting at the helm of a Haus of Ruckus production, Vo is no stranger to what I imagine is a chaotic yet exhilarating process. But in Punk Rock Lobster, he succeeded more than ever in bringing all the company's zany, disparate elements together, creating a highly satisfying comedic whole.
Kelsey Walljasper, Kinky Boots, Quad City Music Guild (Pamela). A reluctant, milquetoast shoe heir and spirited drag performer conspire to manufacture comfort – and freedom – in men's-sized, high-heeled boot form. Alongside music director Mitch Carter, Walljasper assembled this beautifully moving thousand-piece puzzle with a stellar, stylish cast, superlative orchestra, to-die-for costumes and wigs, impressive sets, and flawless fierceness.
Lead Actress
Kate Farence, A Streetcar Named Desire, Playcrafters Barn Theatre (Pamela). Farence was exquisitely distressing, funny, and real as an iconic fragile survivor. Needy, vain, self-deluded, and duplicitous, Farence's Blanche crumbles as her tragic past is revealed, her brother-in-law taunts then viciously assaults her … and, most devastatingly, the man she loves finally wants only what all the other men wanted.
Patti Flaherty and Susan Perrin-Sallak, Ripcord, Spotlight Theatre (Mischa). Ideally matched to drive each other 'round the bend, the two contrasting characters on whom this comedy is structured were embodied compellingly and hilariously by this powerhouse duo. Either one would be a guaranteed treat, but having Flaherty and Perrin-Sallak in the same show? Downright perfection.
Kiera Lynn, Jane Eyre, Black Box Theatre (Kitty). Because it’s not enough to play one of literature’s most famous heroines, why not also do it in song? Lynn’s expressive performance brought me to literal tears (in the best possible way) as she perfectly embodied Jane’s anguish and resolve. And her soaring vocals were nothing short of angelic.
Heather Parcells, Anything Goes, Timber Lake Playhouse (Alex). Despite not being the emotional core of the story, the role of Reno Sweeney is a vehicle built specifically for stars. And I can hardly recall the last time I saw someone shine as brightly as Parcells in a show-making performance that was equal parts astonishing and achingly funny.
Jackie Skiles, Charing Cross Road, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Madeline). Skiles was on stage for nearly the entirety of director Jennifer Kingry’s production as book lover Helene Haff, her brash and unapologetic line deliveries making the character relatable and riotous. It was amazing how she could interact with her fellow stage-mates without ever being able to speak with them. Brava!
Savannah Bay Strandin, Dial M for Murder, Black Box Theatre (Mike). Because I traditionally see her from yards away at Circa '21, Strandin's portrayal of a gaslit spouse, in this intimate venue, felt both thrilling and revelatory. Her pained, quietly desperate readings and beautifully subtle physicality kept revealing complicated emotional intent – and Strandin's British dialect, to these ears, was unimprovable.
Lead Actor
Kendall Burnett and Pat Flaherty, The Sunshine Boys, Playcrafters Barn Theatre (Kitty). These two absolutely shone as hilarious friends-turned-foes. Flaherty was especially captivating as the exasperating yet somehow lovable curmudgeon Willie Clark stomping about shouting ridiculous demands, while Burnett’s quietly canny Al Lewis provided a perfect contrast. This pair were at the height of their comedic powers during the “doctor sketch.”
Adam Cerny and Daniel Williams, Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, Black Box Theatre (Mischa). Thrill-killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were respectively, mesmerizingly portrayed by Williams and Cerny in a tour de force performance conveying a complex web of crime, deceit, and sexuality that did not let up for a minute. This duo truly pushed the boundaries of the Black Box space.
James Driscoll, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mockingbird on Main (Alex). Atticus Finch is an American archetype: a vanguard of justice, defender of the weak, and grounding presence for his community. I’m hard-pressed to think of a local actor who could better exemplify these qualities than Driscoll, who was more than up to the task of performing and delivering a classic.
Skip Greer, Harvey, Playcrafters Barn Theatre (Mike). Initially, you might've thought it was simply an expert Jimmy Stewart impersonation. But as Harvey progressed, Greer's Elwood Dowd, with his individuality, deliriously eccentric rhythms, and heart-melting genuineness, seemed to embody the very idea of goodness. I know you're a busy touring musician, Skip, but seriously – more acting, please!
Joe Urbaitis, Fiddler on the Roof, Quad City Music Guild (Madeline). Under Jake Ladd’s direction, Urbaitis made this popular papa come to life in a fun and unexpected way. It would've been easy to phone in a performance similar to those given by previous Tevyes. Yet Urbaitis made the role completely his own, looking and sounding great while doing it.
Matt Walsh, The Truth, Black Box Theatre (Pamela). Walsh played bumbling narcissist Michel, whose heart (and man-part) wants what it wants. Unfortunately, he's a very bad liar. Walsh put forth a precise, hilarious, extraordinarily controlled performance, including marvelous drunk acting. He appeared in every scene of this French farce's U.S. debut. And his British accent was also magnifique.
Featured Actress
Abi Jensen, In the Heights, Countryside Community Theatre (Mike). Countryside's barn-burner had energy for days. Yet Jensen's Nina – especially in her early triumph “Breathe” – did more than exhilarate. She made you understand precisely what can happen when troubled circumstances meet unreasonable expectations, crafting a marvelously empathetic figure who never begged for our sympathy. Lin-Manuel would be proud.
Teresa Moore, The Sunshine Boys, Playcrafters Barn Theatre (Pamela). Out-funnying Pat Flaherty's infirm comedian Willie is a tough assignment, but Moore's imperturbable nurse earned an A-plus. Willie balked at her every order, but his caretaker dominated, and prevailed, while his insults fell flat. In their scene, Moore's understated line interpretations and stony demeanor were more comical than Willie's quips.
Emma Regnier, Ripcord, Spotlight Theatre (Mischa). As the highly put-upon but always smiling (or attempting-to-smile) nurse Scotty, Regnier was a delight to watch. Forever mediating between the leads, she unfailingly struck the right notes between patient, peppy, and exasperated in the character’s quest to keep the nursing-home peace.
Jane Simonsen, Exit Laughing, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Alex). I’m still chuckling when I think of Simonsen’s line deliveries as a goofy best friend in director Mike Skiles' comedy. She did something I’ve never seen before: She got a laugh out of every single line she uttered – not including the rapturous laughter she earned with mere facial reactions.
Tifany Simosky, My Son Is Crazy, but Promising, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Madeline). Who wouldn’t want to play a mobster’s girlfriend named Chi-Chi? Director Dana Skiles knew what she was doing in casting Simosky to do just that. Chi-Chi might've seemed ditsy, with her Brooklyn accent and boyfriend named Oysters. But make no mistake: Simosky, demonstrating perfect comedic timing, was entirely endearing.
Jo E. Vasquez, Punk Rock Lobster, Haus of Ruckus (Kitty). Vasquez’s earnest portrayal of the hilariously naïve Manny the Manatee (a wannabe mermaid and punk-rock upstart) was so endearing that I was genuinely fangirling when she realized her rock-star dreams at the end of the show. Vasquez’s comedic timing did much to make this Haus of Ruckus character a hit.
Featured Actor
Marc Christopher, The Addams Family, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Kitty). Christopher delivered a shining example of stellar character acting. His portrayal of Uncle Fester was both hysterical and unexpectedly moving, with his facial expressions and vocal inflections the icing on the cake. By the end of Christopher’s solo number “The Moon and Me,” he had stolen the audience’s hearts.
Will Crouch, Ripcord, Spotlight Theatre (Alex). Crouch conveyed years of heartbreak and hope by simply standing in a doorway. He was a clown that would belong in the Joker hall of fame were it put to film. And he was a dippy yet affirming sky-diving instructor. What can’t the guy do? This was an unforgettable performance.
Patrick Kelley, Of Mice & Men, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Pamela). Among a fantastic cast, Kelley delivered an outstanding portrayal of one-handed Candy, who feared losing his modest job, bed, and board. He was going along to get along – even acquiescing to bad advice from a co-worker. When happenstance killed his dream to own land, Kelley's reaction shattered my heart.
Jeremy Mahr, A Streetcar Named Desire, Playcrafters Barn Theatre (Madeline). Mahr brought such an impressively kind demeanor to the role of Mitch that even though I knew perfectly darned well there was no happy ending for Kate Farence’s Blanche, I wanted one. Where Cole McFarren’s Stanley was rough, Mahr was refined, bringing a delicate and much-needed balance to the production.
Joshua Ponsones, The Addams Family, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Mike). A bunch of this musical's actors deserve figurative Tonys, but only its Lurch was honestly huggable. Doing loads with little, Ponsones provided unfailingly riotous garbled obsequiousness, and was damned moving when emerging as a vocal powerhouse before the finale. I saw this “twist” coming a mile away. I still bawled.
Keenen Wilson, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Mockingbird on Main (Mischa). I could easily, and justly, have cited Wilson for other roles this year, but this is a case of a supporting part that truly made a production. Other elements in this drama were solid, but Wilson’s compelling and commanding Tom Robinson delivered a searing, unforgettable focal point.
Costuming
Lora Adams and Sarah Kahler, La Bohème, Opera Quad Cities (Mike). I presumed the singing would be divine, and it was. To everyone's benefit, things also looked divine, chiefly thanks to Adams' and Kahler's splendid period wardrobe that perfectly expressed temperament, station, and mood. This opera would've snagged a costume-design Oscar if Moulin Rouge!'s Baz Luhrmann were around to film it.
Becki Arnold, The Comedy of Errors, Augustana College (Alex). These costumes were gems, boasting a mixture of genres and styles that all blended seamlessly and made sense of the chaotic world of Shakespeare's comedy. I especially liked Arnold's asymmetrical design of the mismatched twins that added to the comedic confusion of everything.
Heather Blair, Anastasia, Spotlight Theatre (Madeline). From poor Russian comrades to the elite class in France, the characters in Aaron Baker-Loo’s Anastasia ran the gamut and were all costumed well. But in their flowy white and sparkly attire, Blair truly outdid herself with the things Claire Sattler’s Anya almost remembers about the ghostly Romanov family.
Heather Blair and Sara Wegener, Tarzan: The Musical, Spotlight Theatre (Pamela). Wonder women Blair and Wegener clothed and wigged about 30 people, plants, and apes. (The apes wore black with colorful cloth strips, fringy headgear, and bold facial markings.) Also onstage were 19th-century British-explorer togs, leafy leotards … and, amazingly, Tarzan's skimpy loincloth and voluminous dreadlocked wig stayed on throughout.
Bradley Robert Jensen, The Addams Family, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Kitty). I could write a paragraph praising every single costume in this show, but I have to give special mention to the ancestors’ ghostly period costumes. I also loved that Jensen managed to maintain the Addams family’s distinctive look while still adding a unique flair with his individual designs.
Sara Wegener, Evita, Spotlight Theatre (Mischa). Featuring a protagonist famous for her style and charisma, Evita needs a costumer who is up to the task of matching that magnetism to a suitable wardrobe – not to mention dressing all the other cast members' characters, from generals to common folk. Wegener did it all and then some.
Scenic/Lighting Design
Lora Adams and Michael Kopriva, Dial M for Murder, Black Box Theatre (Madeline). It continually shocks me how Adams and Kopriva so convincingly transform the Black Box space into opulent, intrinsically detailed sets. This 1950s London flat was no exception. Impressively, it appeared that you could just move in and live comfortably – if knowing a murder occurred there didn't scare you off.
Emmett Boedeker and Savannah Bay Strandin, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mockingbird on Main (Alex). Boedeker and Strandin transforming the intimate Black Box Theatre into an entire Southern-Gothic town consisting of a single house front was an astonishing feat. There wasn't an ounce of this design I would've changed: The gorgeous night blues and immaculate set dressing were both hauntingly literal and breathtakingly imaginative.
Spencer Donovan, Clue: On Stage, Timber Lake Playhouse (Kitty). Donovan’s set made perfect use of Timber Lake’s turntable stage. He designed Clue’s famous mansion in three distinct sections – the hall, the dining room, and the study – that all looked great individually, but Donovan’s design also allowed the characters to move easily between rooms as the set rotated.
Heather Hauskins, Jersey Boys, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Mike). Circa '21's lighting effects are so frequently employed to augment shows that it's downright exhilarating when, occasionally, they become shows. Hauskins' confident, Broadway-style razzle-dazzle more than enhanced the tremendous work of the thunderously good Bear Manescalchi and company; it made you realize your dinner-and-performance ticket price was a freaking bargain.
Aaron Hook, The Secret in the Wings, St. Ambrose University (Mischa). The audience in St. Ambrose’s studio theatre was effectively transported into the haunting realm of often-dark fairy tales through the magic of Hook’s set and lighting, which featured eerie glowing phosphorescence, intricately intertwined tree roots, and a dungeon-evoking staircase – a perfectly crafted environment for the stories.
Dominic Ramirez, The Stacks: An Immersive Mystery, Rock Island Tunnel Co. (Pamela). Two echoing floors of shelving with adjoining spaces; a subterranean maze with a deeper chamber below – Ramirez infused this staggeringly huge emptiness with books, enigmatic artwork, missing-person fliers, documents, photos, secret notes, and eerily floating objects. Under colorful glows, it was a dreamy, atmospheric playground for actors and audience.
Music/Sound
In the Heights, Countryside Community Theatre (Madeline). Music director Chase Shoemaker had a huge task in this production, given the many song styles in various Latin rhythms, and performed by a large, fairly young cast, to boot. He proved more than up to the challenge, ultimately delivering captivating music that flowed beautifully, full of energy and passion.
Jekyll & Hyde, Timber Lake Playhouse (Kitty). With its song list full of murder, unrequited love, and battling the monster within, this isn’t a musical that allows for halfhearted performance. Philip Bryan’s robust tenor led a cast chock-full of vocal talent, including an absolutely stellar ensemble. Their rendition of “Murder, Murder!” still haunts me.
Jersey Boys, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Alex). I've attended Jersey Boys at least six times. And that’s just counting Circa 21’s production. The vocals only improved over the run, and music director Ron May’s stewardship did wonders with arrangements of classic songs that have frankly never sounded better. I still catch myself humming “Oh, What a Night.”
Kinky Boots, Quad City Music Guild (Mike). God, where to begin in praising music director Mitch Carter's triumphant assemblage of talent? David Edwards' goosebump-inducing “The Soul of a Man”? Adrienne Jane Evans' pipes and uproarious physicality in “The History of Wrong Guys”? Keenen Wilson singing anything? Let's call it a hundred-way tie and leave it at that.
La Bohème, Opera Quad Cities (Mischa). Opera Quad Cities went big, and came through in a big way with a production that featured amazing vocal talents from the main characters (played by Madelynn Baez, Foo Chen Gui, Chad Sonka, and Shelley Cooper) to the supporting figures and chorus, as well as a most creditable live orchestra.
Songs for a New World, Black Box Theatre (Pamela). Eight performers; eight musicians; 16 songs. But the glorious voices, movements, and emotion here, in all possible permutations, equaled factorial, exponential, infinite values. Under music directors Mitch Carter and Rob Elfline, they displayed abundant musicianship, theatrical prowess, and unquantifiable passion, thrills, laughs, and tears far beyond words. Unforgettable.
Memorable Moment
The Bubbles, The Little Mermaid, Countryside Community Theatre (Pamela). Exuberant performers in vivid costumes on clever sets exhibited prolific comedic and dramatic skills. But I was sure "Under the Sea" wouldn't measure up to the animated original. Then it surpassed it, as cascades of iridescent bubbles floated down from the catwalk and across the audience. Simple, stunning, magical. Wow.
The Closer, Anything Goes, Timber Lake Playhouse (Alex). Cole Porter's titular song comes with sky-high expectations, and director Tommy Ranieri’s excellent ensemble was more than up to the task. Featuring a tap line, killer vocals, and more energy than even a battery-powered bunny could supply, this Act I finale alone was worth the price of admission.
The Clowns, A Little Night Music, Quad City Music Guild (Mischa). “Send in the Clowns” is very well known, and sometimes even feels like a cliché. But even a great song needs technical skills and creativity to make it work, and Rachel Vickers gave an absolutely show-stopping performance with her sensitive, character-driven, engrossing rendition of this Sondheim classic. Breathtaking!
The Earworm, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (Madeline). I stand by what I said in March: The musical-theatre bop “Animal Heart” cemented itself to mine. (Apparently, it was even my 12th-most-played song this year.) Pairing Andrea Moore’s choreography with Bradley Robert Jensen’s spot-on costumes, this was unquestionably the most memorable three minutes of theatre in my 2024.
The Pause, Of Mice & Men, Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (Mike). John Steinbeck's most heartbreaking literary/theatrical conceit might be the mercy-killing of Candy's beloved dog. Here, director Justin Raver elongated the already unbearable tension until we were practically begging for closure. It was harrowing, riveting theatre … made even more affecting by our actually seeing, and loving, the pup Kane beforehand.
The Puppets, Spaceworms, Haus of Ruckus (Kitty). I’m a longtime fan of Calvin Vo’s puppet designs, and his work in Spaceworms was sensational. His puppets are simply operated and have adorable details – such as the Spaceworms’ tubular mouths and skinny, pink arms. Vo’s masterpiece, though, was Harry, the giant space monster, who definitely stole the show.