Rose Bishop and Heather Neuenschwander, two classical flutists who recently released the duo album Unseen/Unheard, performed a release recital on Sept. 26 at the James Theater. The album, released on the same day by Strange Moon Records, collects several pieces commissioned by the duo from contemporary composers. It boasts the distinction of being the first-ever […]
The James Theater
‘We are going to make this a FEaST he’d be fucking proud of’: Chris Wiersema’s deep-listening festival carries on in Iowa City
“Bring the Noise” was a musical mantra popularized by the hip-hop group Public Enemy, and Chris Wiersema lived that aesthetic ideal as Iowa City’s premiere programmer of experimental music and other out-there sounds. Over the past quarter century, he brought hundreds of boundary-breaking artists to town in his myriad roles as a house show promoter, […]
Is it hot in here? A local erotica writer reviews Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha’s sexy burlesque circus
No animals were harmed by Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha, Iowa’s premier burlesque ensemble, in the presentation of their circus-themed variety shows last month. But you could still hear plenty of hooting and hollering from the wild animals in the audience of the adults-only Cirque Sensuale — including Yours Truly.
Trans Day of Visibility 2024 in Iowa City includes a variety show, art workshop and rally featuring the JoCo7
There will be a rally on Sunday to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility at College Green Park in Iowa City, featuring speakers discussing the issues facing transgender Iowans, as well as a performance by the Quire of Eastern Iowa. The Southeast Iowa Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is one of the celebrations that will be […]
‘Nosferatu’ and a live, electronic symphony of horror will invade the James Theatre on Oct. 23
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is one of the most unsettling visual tales ever imprinted on celluloid, with an origin story and afterlife as shadowy as its vampiric subject matter. The 1922 German Expressionist film, directed by F.W. Murnau, first crept into this world by sinking its teeth into Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, which […]
‘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 […]
Tiny pianos, big ideas: Witching Hour and FEaST bring playful creatives to Iowa City this fall
When Lucy Yao and Dorothy Chan began collaborating with each other and creating as Chromic Duo, both were already experienced educators and performers, looking for a way to foster community and lift up the Asian American diaspora in New York, which at the time was increasingly the target of racist violence. “I think eventually, when […]
Deidre DeJear, the sole Democrat running for governor, discusses how to win in Iowa City
Speaking to a roomful of Democrats at The James Theater in Iowa City on Saturday night, Deidre DeJear said she knows every election year people say, “this is the most important election of our lives.” But she said this year, it’s true. “We’re in a position right now, where we have a governor who is […]
Take a Crooked Path to Christmas with a ‘grown-up’ cabaret at the James
As the spirit of the holiday season settles onto our region, Chris Okiishi and Patrick DuLaney are revving the engine on their production company, Crooked Path Theatre, to explore and celebrate with an in-person holiday cabaret featuring a wild array of local talent. It’s set to run for four nights at the newly designed James […]

