Led by director Dana Skiles, Saturday's performance was polished, entertaining, and high-quality. The intensity of the scenes, practical and special effects, stage combat, and dark humor are all things that probably proved a challenge, but Richmond Hill’s presentation rose to the occasion and delivered these elements without misery. In fact, the experience overall was quite the opposite of miserable.

In describing their latest Johnny-and-Fungus adventure, the comedy FunkyologyHaus of Ruckus co-founder T Green says that the show “is sort of like our homage to Indiana Jones, The Goonies, Lara Croft, and National Treasure, with sprinklings of Legends of the Hidden Temple.” But in case you were wondering whether Green's latest stage endeavor alongside Ruckus co-founder Calvin Vo was timed to coincide with the big-screen Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny opening at the month's end, Vo has a simple answer for you: “No.”

As a Broadway classic, Hello, Dolly! is one musical I’ve always known about but have never actually seen. Director Lora Adams’ Black Box Theatre production, meanwhile, is a lighthearted tale that enchants from start to finish, so unless you’re a certified fun-hater, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this show.

When it first debuted on Broadway under the title SpongeBob SquarePants, the show went on to receive 12 Tony nominations, though it won only one. The Spotlight Theatre’s production, helmed by Noah Hill, largely fits that same mold, with a lot of great work coming through. But things didn’t gel as much as I hoped they would.

I don’t think there’s another show that I’ve seen more productions of than Grease. High-school, community-theatre, professional-theatre, film, filmed-for-TV, now summer stock … . Had you asked me a week ago what I thought of Grease, I would have told you it’s boring and overdone. But the sixth time must be the charm, because Timber Lake Playhouse’s production was a freaking blast.

Hailed by The Guardian as "an incredibly fun, energetic performance" that "remixes some of your favorite moments from the show with a new and touching story," the stage version of a children's-TV sensation hits Davenport's Adler Theatre stage on June 14 and 15 in Bluey's Big Play, a blend of live actors and puppetry that, The Guardian continued, "doesn’t shy away from sharing honest truths while celebrating imaginative play."

Lauded by Broadway World as “a fantastic production sure to satisfy old fans and charm new ones,” the theatrical adaptation of one of Hollywood's most revered movie musicals, the timeless Singin' in the Rain, enjoys a June 9 through 18 run at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium, with the Quad City Music Guild talents taking on a Tony Award-nominated stage treat that Chicago Theatre Review called “a glitzy, glamorous homage” that “offers up a flood of entertainment.”

Praised by the New York Times as "irresistibly exciting" as well as "sweet, sad, and enchantingly sincere," author Diana Son's critically acclaimed Stop Kiss serves as the latest presentation in the Playcrafters Barn Theatre's Barn Owl Series, its Moline run from June 9 through 18 sure to demonstrate why NY Newsday lauded Son's "unusually real, complicated female characters" and "her very smart and engaging new play."

A funny and witty exploration into themes of friendship and infidelity, the conflict between friendship and romance, and the foolish behavior of people in love, Two Gentlemen of Verona kicks off Genesius Guild's 2023 summer with a June 10 through 18 run, William Shakespeare's classic comedy in Rock Island's Lincoln Park continuing Guild's recent trend of season-openers boasting almost exclusively student talents.

Lauded by DC Metro Theatre as "a fast-paced musical comedy" that's "vastly entertaining and perfect for kids (and grown-ups) of all ages," the area debut of Garfield: The Musical with Cattitude enjoys a June 6 through 24 run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, this delightful stage treat a purr-fect entertainment for fans of family musicals and the legendary comic strip created by Jim Davis.

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