For 46 years, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse downtown Rock Island has treated audiences to the finest in dining and professional stage entertainment. Now, the theater is gearing up for its 47th season.
It kicks off this November, featuring six mainstage productions including everything from returning musical favorites like “A Christmas Story: The Musical” to “The Addams Family.”
Circa ’21 mainstage performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with doors opening at 5:45 p.m. and dinner served from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.; at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays, with doors opening at 3:45 p.m. and dinner from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.; and 1:15 p.m. Wednesday matinées, with doors at 11:45 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Each performance also is preceded by 15-minute performances from the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse Bootleggers, one of only two performing waitstaffs in the country, according to a news release.
The upcoming season will include:
- “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” rated PG, will run Nov. 8-Dec. 30. The classic holiday movie is brought to life in this Tony-nominated tale that follows 9-year-old Ralphie and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder, carbine-action, 200-shot Range Model air rifle, according to the release.
- “Murder on the Orient Express,” rated PG-13, will run Jan. 17-March 2. Filled with laughs and suspense, this clever stage whodunit delivers all the glamor, intrigue and wit of the Agatha Christie classic. As an American tycoon lies dead in his compartment of the luxurious train, passengers must consequently rely on Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer in case he or she decides to strike again, according to the release.
- “Church Basement Ladies,” rated G, will run March 6-April 27. In this audience favorite, four hilarious women of a Lutheran kitchen handle a Lutefisk dinner, a funeral, an Easter fundraiser and a wedding — all while staving off potential disasters, debating recipes, keeping their pastor on due course and having a lot of fun along the way, the release states.
- “Jersey Boys,” rated PG, will run May 1-July 6. The four-time Tony Award-winning musical is currently the 12th-longest-running Broadway show of all time, featuring phenomenal music, memorable characters and great storytelling, according to the release. The show follows the fascinating evolution of four blue-collar kids who became Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.
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“Menopause: The Musical” CREDIT CIRCA ’21 DINNER PLAYHOUSE “Menopause: The Musical,” rated PG-13, will run July 10-Aug. 24. This returning tune-filled delight follows four women of a certain age as they meet by chance at a lingerie sale and bond over their woeful hot flashes, forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats, chocolate binges and more, the release states.
- “The Addams Family,” rated PG-13, runs Sept. 4-Nov. 2. This Tony-nominated hit features Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, and the sweet, smart young man from a respectable family she has fallen in love with. The family hosts a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents — a party rife with hilarity, slapstick mayhem and plenty of ingenious songs, according to the release.
Tickets for Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse are $63 for evening performances Friday through Sunday, and $56 for Wednesday matinées and evening performances. Reduced-priced tickets are available for students, seniors and groups of 12 or more. 2023 Season subscriptions are available in gold ($285), silver ($245), bronze ($215), student ($33 per show) and all-access Diamond Pass ($800).
To purchase tickets, visit the theater at 1828 Third Ave., Rock Island, or call (309) 786-7733 ext. 2.
