Santana, River Bandits, Burlesque, And More in This Week’s Illinois And Iowa FUN10
It’s Sunday, and QuadCities.com proudly presents Fun10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week!
Every Sunday, we drop a new Fun10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out Fun10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week.
FUN10 — ten ways for you to have fun in the Quad-Cities, this week and every week, running every Sunday, only on your site for fun, free, local entertainment, QuadCities.com!
So what’s on the Fun10 for this week? Read on…
Santana Coming To TaxSlayer Center
Tickets are on sale now!
River Bandits begin home season
The Quad City River Bandits began their season last Friday but they’ll be opening their home season at Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park with a game Tuesday night! Let’s get ready for some baseball!
Bottoms Up Burlesque
The area’s longest running burlesque troupe, Bottom’s Up Burlesque, is set to celebrate their 10 Anniversary with three great shows coming up on April 14,15 and 16! Seats can be reserved for the shows by calling the Circa ’21 ticket office at 309-786-7733, ext. 2 or at the theater’s ticket office located at 1828 3rd Ave. in Rock Island.
Bottom’s Up Burlesque was formed in 2012 with performers who had previously been part of Danielle Colby’s Burlesque Le’ Mustache troupe. From their first show on April 27,2012, Bottom’s Up has connected with local and regional audiences and have sold out many of their shows.” said Brett Hitchcock Circa ’21’s director of audience development. “Bottom’s Up Burlesque has been a very important part of the success story of The Speakeasy. Their shows not only draw audiences from the greater Quad Cities but the entire Midwest! It’s really a testament to the time, energy and talent they put into all their shows. They have become a regional destination for burlesque fans. I think the big reason for their success is at the very core of their mission statement ‘to promote body positivity for both women and men. It doesn’t matter what you look like as long as you are comfortable in your own skin.’ This is a positive message that everyone can understand and appreciate.”
Over the years, the troupe has brought in guest performers from across the United States. They also have introduced many award winning burlesque performers to Quad City audiences. That will be the case, once again, for their special 10th Anniversary show happening on the Circa ’21 stage on Thursday, April 14. The troupe is set to welcome Lilly Rascal and Lady Ginger, from Chicago; Coco Dupree, from Minneapolis; Ebony Reign, from Des Moines; Captain Sin Big, from Decatur; Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha, Ginny Tonic and Magenta Moxie from Iowa City; Iona Fortune, from Omaha and Johan Makeyamoan from Denver. This is addition to fan favorite Bottom’s Up performers. Doors for this special show at Circa ’21 open at 6 and the show begins at 7. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. Food will be available for purchase.
On Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16 Bottom’s Up moves back to The Speakeasy to continue the celebration! Friday the troupe will be offering a male burlesque revue and on Saturday all your favorite current Bottom’s Up performers and some of your past favorites will be making a special appearance! Tickets for these shows also may be reserved by calling the Circa’21 ticket office. Tickets for these shows are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. The doors open at 7 and show is at 8 for both of those shows.
Come out and celebrate with the area’s premiere burlesque troupe this month!
Mockingbird Presents New Murder Mystery Next Weekend
The Mockingbird on Main is presenting the premiere of the murder mystery, Murder at Mistwell Manor next weekend!
What seems like an ordinary paint by numbers murder mystery becomes much more with each new revelation!
The doctor.
The Hollywood starlet.
The manor’s caretaker.
The detective.
And two dead bodies.
Suspicions run wild as Detective Walters hurries to solve the case before another drops dead. This fast paced original work reveals a twist or 3 before racing to a conclusion the audience never sees coming.
Directed by Tristan Tapscott, Murder at Mistwell Manor features Eric Teeter as Milton Bair, the caretaker; Savannah Bay Strandin as Helen Havoc, the Hollywood starlet; Doug Kutzli as Roy Walters, the detective; and Jeremy Littlejohn as Jonathan Brooks, the doctor.
The Mockingbird – now well known for bringing new works to the area – is venturing into new territory The Murder at Mistwell Manor.
“I’ve never written something for this genre before and thought it might be a fun experiment. Are we reinventing what theatre can do? No. Of course not. We are offering a natural escape from the chaos we are all living through,” creator Tristan Tapscott said. Co-producer and actress Savannah Bay Strandin added, “We are trying to program something accessible and something that everyone can enjoy; You can’t go wrong with a noir murder mystery.”
“Working on a new project that no one has ever seen before is always a ‘blessing and/or curse’ proposition,” actor Doug Kutzli noted. “On one hand you have incredible freedom to create a character that is genuinely yours alone with nothing for anyone to compare it to. There is no predisposed perceptions.” He continued, “On the other hand, with that freedom comes the challenge of not having any existing frame of reference; you can’t benefit from what other actors may have done with the character.”
“It’s been an extremely collaborative effort,” Tapscott said. “I always start by saying, ‘the best idea in the room doesn’t have to be mine; it just needs to be the beat idea in the room,’ and that is what makes this process – and The Mockingbird itself – so rad.” Kutzli agrees, “Overall it is generally a good experience, especially when you get to have input on the final version of the script. That was certainly the the way The Murder at Mistwell Manor came together.”
“We know that no one has heard of this show and we know many haven’t heard of us but we hope they can give us a shot,” Strandin added. “We are proud of what we are contributing to the landscape and hope we can continue to do it.”
Murder at Mistwell Manor will play Downtown Davenport’s Mockingbird on Main April 15 and 16 at 8pm. Doors open at 7:30pm for all performances.
All tickets are $15. Students with a valid student ID can pay what they can at any performance.
For additional details and tickets, guests can visit TheMockingbirdOnMain.com.
Music Guild Unveiling ‘A Disaster’ TODAY!
Quad City Music Guild will present the area premier of Disaster! The Musical at 2 p.m. TODAY, April 10!
It’s 1979 and New York’s hottest A-listers are lining up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. Also attending is a faded disco star, a sexy nightclub singer with her eleven-year-old twins, a disaster expert, a feminist reporter, an older couple with a secret, a pair of young guys who are looking for ladies, an untrustworthy businessman and a nun with a gambling addiction.
What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters such as earthquakes, tidal waves, and infernos. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and quite possibly, repair the love that they’ve lost…or at least escape the killer rats.
Disaster features some of the most unforgettable songs of the ’70s. ‘Knock on Wood,’ ‘Hooked on a Feeling,’ ‘Sky High,’ ‘I am Woman,’ and ‘Hot Stuff’ are just a few of the scintillating hits in this hilarious musical comedy.
Disaster!
Presented by Quad City Music Guild
Prospect Park Auditorium in Moline, Illinois
Tickets and details:
Get Your ‘Just Desserts’ At Circa ’21
Praised by Connecticut’s Patch magazine as “a delightfully sweet musical with some savory elements,” Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse opens its exciting 45th season of live entertainment with the delectable new musical comedy JUST DESSERTS. This uplifting musical comedy is making its area stage debut and is being brought to life by a marvelous team of professional talents.
JUST DESSERTS will be presented at Circa ’21 through May 14, with performances on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday matinées at 1:30 p.m. Pre-show entertainment featuring the theatre’s wait staff, the Bootleggers also will precede all performances. Ticket prices are $58.55 per person for the evening dinner-and-show productions and $51.73 for the matinées.
Reservations are available through the Circa ’21 ticket office. For reservations, contact the theatre at 1828 Third Ave., Rock Island or by calling 309-786-7733 ext. 2.
In JUST DESSERTS, five strangers put their hearts, reputations and baking skills on the line to become the crème de la crème of bakers at a county fair. The heat is on to create three different types of desserts during the finals. Among the competition’s eccentric contestants is a determined young woman dreaming of opening her own bakery. There’s also a sexy nail technician who wants to fit in. Plus, a shy school nurse who doesn’t want to be there at all, a mysterious man from Brooklyn who arouses suspicion about his past and the reigning champion who is confident that she’ll garner yet another victory this year.
They’re all sure to get their “JUST DESSERTS” at the Jefferson County Bake-Off in this hilarious theatrical experience that boasts a little mystery, a little romance, some potential cheating and some back-stabbing, with the results sure to prove deliciously satisfying.
Directing JUST DESSERTS for Circa ’21 is venue veteran, Ashley Becher, who previously helmed “Seussical” and appeared in the theatre’s recent “Winter Wonderland.” Becher also directed last summer’s Countryside Community Theatre production of “Newsies: The Musical.” With performers Marc Christopher and Lexi Smith making their Circa ’21 debuts, Becher’s six-person cast is completed by returning actors Bobby Becher “The Play that Goes Wrong,” Elsa Besler “The Play That Goes Wrong,” Sarah Hayes “The Savannah Sipping Society” and Shelley Walljasper “Disenchanted.” TJ Besler, Kiera Lynn and the director herself will serve as understudies.
Area favorite, Ron May, takes the reins as JUST DESSERTS’ musical director. Additional members of the show’s creative team include scenic designer Susie Holgersson, lighting designer and production manager Jeremy Littlejohn, costume designer Greg Hiatt, sound designer Sam Ramont, stage manager Kendall McKasson, technical director Nick Divarco and assistant stage manager and deck manager Emmett Boedeker. Director Ashley Becker and husband Bobby created the musical tracks for the show.
Circa ’21’s entire staff is delighted to be opening their 45th season with this delicious stage treat and urges audience members to make immediate reservations for what is certain to be a spectacular springtime hit. Call the Circa ’21 ticket office at 309-786-7733 ext. 2 for reservations and share in the tasty enjoyment of the sweet musical comedy JUST DESSERTS!
Big Talk Being Held At Davenport Public Library
The Davenport Public Library has partnered with Bethany for Children and Families to offer a program series geared toward modern parenting starting this week.
Children do not come with instructions, join this 5 week program to learn more about navigating parenting in modern times. Throughout this series, parents will be given tools and tricks to have hard and big conversations with their children in a way that will foster healthy discussion.
The sessions will be held on Tuesdays through May 3rd at 5:30 at the |Eastern branch and |Virtually.
Sessions include:
April 12th: Consent
April 19th: Online Safety and Sexting
April 26th: Sexuality
May 3rd: Healthy Relationships
For more information about this program or to register, please visit https://davenportlibrary.libcal.com/event/8970169, for questions, please email qobrian@davenportlibrary.com or wwalljasper@bethany-qc.org.
Black Box Opening ‘Veronica’s Room’ This Week
The Black Box Theatre located in downtown Moline opens the thriller, Veronica’s Room by Ira Levin. “Most people know Ira Levin for ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and ‘Veronica’s Room’ is just as thrilling,” said director Lora Adams.
The synopsis for the play states “This chilling mystery thriller by the author of Rosemary’s Baby explores the thin line between fantasy and reality, madness and murder. Students Susan and Larry find themselves as guests enticed to the Brabissant mansion by its dissolute caretakers the lonely Mackeys. Struck by Susan’s strong resemblance to Veronica Brabissant, long- dead daughter of the family for whom they work, the older couple gradually induce her to impersonate Veronica briefly to solace the only living Brabissant, her addled sister who believes Veronica alive. Once dressed in Veronica’s clothes, Susan finds herself locked in the role and locked in Veronica’s room. Or is she Veronica, in 1935, pretending to be an imaginary Susan?”
The Black Box cast includes Don Faust as The Man, Wendy Czekalski as The Woman, Adrienne Jane Evans as The Young Woman, and Adam Cerny as The Young Man. Directed and designed by Black Box Co-founder Lora Adams, with set construction by Michael Kopriva, stage manager Kori Ralston, crew Samantha Lindholm, and light design by David Miller.
Tickets are available at theblackboxtheatre.com. Show times are Thursday ($13), Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm ($16).
Masks are not required but encouraged.
Bootleg Hill Open Mic Every Thursday
Looking for a spot to showcase your talents?
How about the Bootleg Hill open mic night?
The musical open mic night is back. Happening weekly at Bootleg Hill Honey Meads in downtown Davenport. All are welcome. Hosted by Dan Fennesy and starts at 8 p.m.
Get Fit Every Sunday On The Skybridge
Get Fit on the Davenport Sky Bridge!
Free fitness every Sunday at 9am. Beat those winter blues, keep those cold muscles active and share a smile or a high 5 with some great people! There is about 50 mins to walk, jog run, climb stairs, shake your hips with Zumba and so much more! Positive quotes are hung throughout the course that you go at your own pace at. At the end we draw for prizes thanks to local businesses donating ever week! Wear layers it gets warm inside, water available, and a great playlist!
