Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is kicking off 2026 with the Quad Cities debut of the musical comedy, “Lucky Stiff,” which has been called “sublimely silly and highly entertaining” by Tripod.
The musical runs through March 7 at the Downtown Rock Island theater. Performances are scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday matinees at 1:15 p.m.
All performances are preceded by pre-show entertainment from the theater’s wait staff, the Bootleggers.
Ticket prices are $70 for Friday-through-Sunday productions and $63 for Wednesday matinee and evening productions. Reservations can be made online at circa21.com, by calling the ticket office at (309) 786-7733 ext. 2, or visiting the 1828 Third Ave. dinner theater.
“Lucky Stiff” is a madcap murder mystery musical about Harry Witherspoon, who inherits $6 million from his uncle, Anthony, under the condition that he takes the embalmed body on a vacation to Monte Carlo. If he fails, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.
The plot thickens with the appearance of Rita, who also is after the money her late uncle embezzled from her husband, and her brother Vinnie, who has been blamed for the crime. The story features mistaken identities, disguises, farcical chases and an eccentric cast, all orbiting the omnipresent corpse of Uncle Anthony.
Directing and choreographing the show is Ashley Becher, whose recent Circa ’21 credits include “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” and “Chicago.”
Circa ’21 management urges patrons to make reservations quickly for what they call an “unforgettable wintertime treat” in the theater’s 49th season.
