To my joy, Girls' Weekend, now making its area debut at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre, is delightful. I laughed more than I have in a year of theatre.

With its script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the New York Times number-one-best-selling and Caldecott Honor Award-winning Pigeon picture books, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!: The Musical opens the 2025 theatrical season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, this presentation by the venue's Magic Owl Children's Theatre sure to entertain kids of all ages during its May 6 through 10 run.

A special presentation by the Genesius Theatre Guild of the Quad Cities in preparation for its summer season at Rock Island's Lincoln Park, the Shakespearean celebration Songs & Sweet Airs will enjoy a live presentation at the Rock Island Public Library's Watts-Midtown Branch on May 13, this reader's-theatre performance a supercut of some of the Bard's greatest writing that boasts scenes and monologues from many of his plays.

One of few musicals in history to win Tonys, a Grammy, and the Academy Award for Best Picture, the legendary Chicago makes its long-awaited debut at Rock island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse with its May 7 through July 5 run, this second-longest-running show in Broadway history a smash with both audiences and critics, the New York Times stating, "It has theatrical muscle, the characters are vivid, and its issues are ongoing in our public discourse."

Hailed by Variety as a “wonderfully funny” and “ambitiously constructed work,” and by the New York Observer as “unshowily fresh and humane,” playwright David Auburn's Proof closes the 2024-25 theatre season at Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center, this Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner also lauded by the New York Daily News as a “smart and compassionate play of ideas.”

Based on an unfinished Charles Dickens novel and the winner of five 1985 Tony Awards including Best Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood enjoys a City Circle Theatre Company presentation at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts May 2 through 11, the critically lauded smash famed for being the first Broadway musical to be presented with multiple endings, the finales for each performance determined by audience vote.

Local Theatre Auditions/Calls for Entry

Updated: Monday, May 5

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.

Has it really been only three-and-a-half years since they won my heart with their first production "Jacques"alope? (Answer: Yes.) The founders of this comedic theatrical ensemble, T Green and Calvin Vo, are serving their latest smörgåsbord – Zooted Suits, a merrie medley of classic-cartoon parodies – at the Black Box Theatre. I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!

K: Taking pleasure in the ridiculous is key to making this show work, and Zach Ulmer was clearly having a great time. The audience couldn’t help but follow suit!

M: Absolutely. I’d agree that Ulmer was the highlight of the show’s comedy, including some fun ad-libbed asides – and he has a strong singing voice, to boot.

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