Orchestra Iowa (previously the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra) presented their next-to-last concert of the season on Sunday, May 18 at the Coralville Center For the Performing Arts. I don’t think it was designed as a symphonic venue; the stage looks a little snug for a full orchestra. But as a venue, it has a lot going […]
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Theater Review: ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ from Coralville’s City Circle Theatre Company
Before now, I wasn’t familiar with the 1992 Tony award winner for best play, Dancing at Lughnasa, or its playwright Brian Friel, who has been called “Ireland’s Chekhov.” I also must admit that I’ve attended Coralville’s Center for the Performing Arts and its resident theater company, City Circle’s productions, far less than some of the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Orchestra Iowa’s centennial season features Iowa composers and world-class performers
Lasting 100 years is clearly something for any arts organization to celebrate. “It gives an illusion of permanence,” says Orchestra Iowa music director Timothy Hankewich. “But nowhere is it written that a community will have a symphony orchestra.” In recent decades, many orchestras have folded in the United States. The continuous existence of Orchestra Iowa […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘The Machine Stops’ blends opera, sci-fi and rock to showcase Iowa talent, explore a tech dystopia
Not everyone sits at home dreaming of attending an opera. But it might just be time to start. The Machine Opera Company is bringing an exciting new modern opera to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. The Machine Stops will be staged for just two performances later this month. Librettist Cecile Goding has always […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
New opera ‘Orphan Train to Iowa’ brings a dark but hopeful history to the Coralville stage
A little-known piece of Iowa history is coming to the stage in a one-night-only opera from the Crescendo Children’s Choir. Child and adult singers, including professional opera stars, will perform Orphan Train to Iowa: For the Love of Pete on Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. The […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Step into another world with City Circle’s ‘Matilda’
The saying goes that a final dress rehearsal needs to be riddled with dropped lines, missed cues and costume snafus in order for opening night to shine. City Circle Theater Company’s final dress of Matilda: the Musical may not need to accept conventional wisdom in order for their show to be a success. The show, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Form follows function: Creating new theater works in COVID-times
The theater community in eastern Iowa is antsy. In the five months since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered stages across the country, theater artists here — a region that boasts multiple professional theaters, countless community theaters and new eager startups laying claim to their own vibe at a rate of at least one or two a […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Getting to know the Evitapus: Eight women take on an iconic role at the CCPA
These Evitas portray Eva Duarte Péron so seamlessly, you will find yourself forgetting there are eight women playing her. However, at the same time, you see how all women can change so completely as their lives play out.
Posted inCommunity/News
Watch: Caucus night at Coralville Precinct 1
Not everything went wrong on Caucus Day. A Democratic precinct in Coralville, Iowa saw a record turnout and relatively smooth proceedings — even though caucus rules can be confusing. Little Village sat in on Coralville Precinct 1 (at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts) the night of Monday, Feb. 3, 2020.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Youth Rising amplifies teen voices engaging the current political climate
This weekend, young people from eastern Iowa — 10 writers, 11 spoken word performers and 16 dancers — will present Youth Rising, an exploration of politics, community and their place in it all. The event is presented under the auspices of the Open Doors Dance Festival, a summer-long dance intensive for students ages 12-22.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Eastern Iowa sees an explosion of local theatre this weekend
Once upon a time, in a land much like ours, summer was a down time for the theatre community. You’d have an outdoor Shakespeare production, perhaps, but by and large, companies drew down the curtain for a few months, especially at community and amateur theatres. Those times are gone, and this weekend is a phenomenal […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘This is My Brave’ explores stories of mental illness
This is My Brave Coralville Center for the Performing Arts — Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. This year marks the second annual eastern Iowa This is My Brave presentation. The event is a collection of stories, poems, songs and essays written and performed by people living with or affected by mental illness. The show […]
