28 Jun 2021

Oh, There's Nothing Halfway About This Musical's Way to Treat You: Countryside Community Theatre's “The Music Man,” at North Scott High School through July 3

By Pamela Briggs

What would summer in Iowa be without fireworks? And small-town Independence Day celebrations? Ice cream? A marching band? A charming con man? Yep – for me, it's just not summer without The Music Man. This 1957 work by Iowan Meredith Willson (with Franklin Lacey's assist on the story) is my favorite musical. I've seen more productions of it than any other show, and felt lucky to review Countryside Community Theatre's opening-night performance.

25 Jun 2021

Cooper Duper: The Mississippi Bend Players' “Mary & Ethel: How I Learned to Sing,” at Augustana College through June 27

By Pamela Briggs

We don't just hear about the two Broadway ladies, both of whose careers took off in the 1930s and spanned decades; we also hear about Shelley Cooper's theatrical career. After reading her credits in the program bio, I can say that Cooper is a bona fide musical-theatre luminary herself.

23 Jun 2021

Genesius Guild's “Shakespeare's Life in His Works,” July 3 through 11

By Mike Schulz

Promising nights of classical-theatre education blended with beautifully phrased entertainment, Genesius Guild presents its second show of the 2021 season in the July 3 through 11 run of Shakespeare's Life in His Works, a debuting exploration into the Bard's works boasting clips from classical favorites and narration written by 92-year-old Guild founder Don Wooten.

21 Jun 2021

Six Appeal: Genesius Guild's “Measure for Measure (abridged),” at Lincoln Park through June 27

By Pamela Briggs

Whether you are shy about trying Shakespeare or are a Bard aficionado, has Genesius Guild got a show for you! The first production of their shortened season, Measure for Measure (abridged), is very funny, well acted, deftly staged, easy to follow, and – so important for an outdoor venue in summer – short.

21 Jun 2021

Teach Us How to Shimmy: The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's “Smokey Joe’s Café,” at the Riverview Park Bandshell through June 27

By Rochelle Arnold

It was a beautiful summer night on Saturday, and I was thrilled to attend the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre’s energetic new musical Smokey Joe’s Café. Celebrating the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, this production took place outdoors, across the street from the Showboat in the charming Riverview Park Bandshell. And from the first note of the first song, I knew I was in for a treat.

21 Jun 2021

Victim of Circus Dance: “Pippin,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through June 27

By Rochelle Arnold

The song “Corner of the Sky” has always been one of my favorite Broadway tunes. I love the lyrics, especially, because they touch areas deep inside my heart with their nuances of looking for meaning in life and trying to find a place where you fit in. The words: “Rivers belong where they can ramble / Eagles belong where they can fly / I’ve got to be where my spirit can run free / Got to find my corner of the sky” really ring true in my own experiences. And this song is the centerpiece for the season opener – the musical Pippin – now playing at the Timber Lake Playhouse.

17 Jun 2021

Pigment of Your Imagination: The Mississippi Bend Players' “Red,” at Augustana College through June 20

By Madeline Dudziak

I feel confident in giving Red two thumbs up, but should you attend for yourself and disagree with me … . Well, I think that’s exactly the point of director Cait Bodenbender’s production: You can choose for yourself as long as you do so from a place of honesty.

16 Jun 2021

The Mississippi Bend Players' “Mary & Ethel: How I Learned to Sing,” June 24 through 27

By Reader Staff

Two powerhouse vocal legends will be celebrated by one supremely gifted Augustana College professor from June 24 through 27 when the Mississippi Bend Players present Mary & Ethel: How I Learned to Sing, with area stage performer, director, and instructor Shelley Cooper showcasing the musical talents of her musical idols Mary Martin and Ethel Merman in an exuberant one-woman show.

16 Jun 2021

Countryside Community Theatre's “The Music Man,” June 25 through July 3

By Reader Staff

One of the most enduring and entertaining stage musicals of all time will be the first of two summer shows presented by Eldridge's Countryside Community Theatre, with the company returning to stage performance for the first time in two years in its June 25 through July 3 run of composer Meredith Willson's classic The Music Man.

15 Jun 2021

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's “Smokey Joe's Cafe,” June 17 through 27

By Reader Staff

Described by the Hollywood Reporter as “infectiously fun” and a show that exudes “propulsive, nonstop energy,” Smokey Joe's Cafe serves as the second production in the Clinton Area Show Boat Theatre's summer season, its June 17 through 27 run sure to demonstrate why, after more than a quarter-century, this thrilling assemblage of pop standards remains the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history.

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