Prompt for the Planet returns to the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on Sunday, bringing local artists and performers to the stage to celebrate Iowa’s environment and explore issues around it. Like the 2022 version of the event, the intent is to encourage community members to take action. “This free event draws inspiration from U.S. […]
Englert Theatre
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with The War and Treaty, a country music power couple ‘rooted in honesty’
Tanya and Michael Trotter Jr. are the driving force behind the award-winning country band The War and Treaty. They also happen to be husband and wife, having connected after Tanya watched Michael perform in a festival in 2010. Since that fateful encounter, their music has gotten attention and accolades from the Grammy Awards to the […]
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In memoriam: Chris Wiersema, curator of the weird and wonderful
An obituary by Andre Perry Christopher (Chris) Wiersema of Iowa City died on Wednesday, March 13, unexpectedly, but peacefully in his sleep. A public memorial will take place on Sunday, April 7 at the Englert Theatre from 2-5 p.m. The Englert is located at 221 E Washington St in downtown Iowa City. Chris was born […]
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Three Saturdays, nine performances, one stage: The Englert’s Local Showcase Series returns Jan. 17
The Englert Theatre’s Local Showcase Series returns in 2024 with three nights of performances featuring exclusively local artists. The goal of this series, spanning January and early February, is to group musically inclined newcomers with experienced veterans on the same night. It is also an opportunity to connect area musicians. The first showcase on Saturday, […]
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Refocus Film Festival’s second year displays ‘very promising’ trajectory for future
The fall film festival season is upon us, and thanks to the dedicated organizers at FilmScene, Iowa finally has a venue to participate. This year’s Refocus Film Festival provided Hawkeye State cinephiles the chance to see exciting films, hear from a panoply of artists and bolster a thriving community of people whose passion has been […]
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‘I love collaboration, I eat it up’: Lex Leto to help launch Englert’s new Track Zero series with Emily Wells on Wednesday
If multi-instrumentalist and composer Lex Letourneau (Leto) isn’t on Iowa City music fans’ radars just yet, they’re bound to make a few blips by the end of autumn. A Georgia native, Leto started grad school at the University of Iowa in 2019 to study with flute professor Nicole Esposito. Experimental, contemporary music, specifically “weird flute […]
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Englert hosting 50 Years of Hip Hop celebration on Friday
From hip hop’s roots in DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick apartment in the Bronx, to its countless iterations across coasts, countries and decades, the Englert Theatre plans to celebrate “50 Years of Hip Hop” on Sept. 15. The event will feature fun visuals and displays that highlight and honor the core elements of MCing, DJing, beat […]
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‘I don’t want my kid to grow up in a culture that admires and rewards white supremacy’: Adeem the Artist set to play Iowa City on Friday
Adeem the Artist has declared this to be their “weird summer of chaos.” During a phone interview with Little Village, Adeem the Artist spoke quickly and eloquently, a gentle type of proselytizing that led them at one point to say, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to sing my songs and tell my story […]
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Booker T. Jones remembers Stax Records, “Green Onions” and his melting pot ’60s soul group ahead of Englert appearance
“Back in 1962, we were breaking the law in a big way just by playing music together in Memphis,” storied songwriter Booker T. Jones recalled. “And while it was OK to break the law if you’re in the right place, like at Stax, in general, it was never OK.” Sixty-two was the year Jones’ interracial […]
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Cedar Rapids Opera celebrates Juneteenth with new, kid-friendly show mixing Mozart and Charlie Parker
Since its early days, the Cedar Rapids Opera has sought to add original works to their repertoire. “I started the company 25 years ago,” said Dr. Daniel Kleinknecht, the opera’s founder, who still serves as artistic director. “It was an idea I had, kind of because in the ’80s, ’90s, so many of my friends […]
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Photo Gallery: Mission Creek Festival 2023
Mission Creek, the beloved three-day Iowa City festival focused on music and literature, returned on April 6-8 for its 18th year. Over 20 national and local music acts performed at various venues downtown across three days. The weekend saw performances by Cat Power, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Snail Mail, Kevin Morby, Greg Wheeler & The […]
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Workers behind the scenes of Iowa’s biggest productions seek ‘voice, power and protection’ through unions
Hancher Auditorium’s relationship with the local stagehand union dates back to when the University of Iowa first created the venue. “Hancher opened the same fall that CAMBUS started [1972],” recalled Mark Falk. “That was my freshman fall. [I thought] ‘Look at all this new stuff, that’s cool.’ As long as there’s been a Hancher, IATSE’s […]
