ART
• Bradley University’s Heuser Gallery has two exhibits in early May: Nichle Gronvold-Roller’s MFA show continues through May 3, and a Graphic Design Portfolio Show is scheduled for May 6.
• The Contemporary Art Center has two exhibits displayed through mid-June. “Preston Jackson: Biographical Tracings” is a group of paintings “with stylized figures inspired from nature and childhood experiences” in the Preston Jackson Gallery, with a special presentation at the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 18. And “Morgan Elser: The Other Side of Joy” showcases the Delavan artist’s three-dimensional works in various mediums, scheduled through June 19 in Gallery 3R.
BEYOND BOOKS
• The Peoria Public Library, with sponsorship by Friends of Peoria Public Library, is organizing the “Lakeview Ledger,” a kid-created newspaper. Those 8- to 17-year-olds are now invited through June 2 to submit short stories, poems, articles, comics, artwork, book reviews, etc. The group will meet this summer to work with the material to publish a color issue. For details, email kidnewspaper@gmail.com.
CINEMA
• “Guardians of he Galaxy, Vol. 3” will debut May 5, bringing back the zany superheroes in what could be their final fling: Chris Pratt is Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña is Gamora, Dave Bautista is Drax the Destroyer, and Bradley Cooper is Rocket.
• “The Machine” is an action comedy about a man abducted by Russians seeking revenge for an incident years earlier when comic Bert Kreischer was drunk. Opening May 26, the fictional yarn stars Kreischer as himself, with Mark Hamill as his dad.
STREAMING
• “Saturday Night Live” alum Pete Davidson might be an acquired taste, but his first film, 2020’s “King of Staten Island” had a $2.2 million box office. His new eight-part comedy series, “Bupkis,” premieres May 4 on Peacock and co-stars Edie Falco as his mom and Joe Pesci as his grandpa.
• Launching May 29 on the History Channel, the new three-night docudrama “F.D.R.” seeks to offer a portrait of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, struggling with polio, the Great Depression and World War II. Its producers range from Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose book “Leadership: In Turbulent Times” provided the basis for the production.
COMEDY
• The Jukebox Comedy Club has Bobcat Goldthwait for three shows May 19-20: 8 p.m. Friday and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Big BTW: Tickets for Bobcat’s postponed April 2020 shows will be honored. Just text the club ASAP at (309) 635-3900 to discuss which show you’d like.
MUSIC
• The Peoria Area Civic Chorale on May 5-6 will be joined by its Youth Chorus and guest artist Morgan Dietkus at Five Points Washington for music from the 1920s through the ’50s, featuring Great Ameican Songbook material by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern. Cole Porter and Fats Waller.
• Ellen Monteith and the Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band will be playing at Trailside Center on May 21.
• The “Classical Mystery Tour” is returning May 27 to Five Points Washington to perform dozens of Beatles classics with the Heartland Festival Orchestra.
THEATER
• Peoria Players Theatre is presenting “The Wedding Singer” May 5-7 and May 11-14. Directed and choreographed by Robin Hunt, the romantic comedy is based on Adam Sandler’s 1998 movie.
• The Tony and Grammy Award-winning “Dear Evan Hansen” is coming to the Peoria Civic Center Theater May 30-June 4, in a musical about a bullied, depressed teen counseled to write to himself about what will be good about each day.
TV
• The National Geographic channel on May 1
is scheduled to start the eight-part miniseries “A Small Light,” about Miep Gies, the Dutch woman who risked everything to shelter Anne Frank’s family from Nazis for years during World War II. Bel Powley stars as Gies, with Liev Schreiber as Otto Frank and Billie Boullet as Anne Frank. Two episodes are set to air each night.
— compiled by Bill Knight