‘Noel’ coming to Town Hall

Co-producers of an upcoming concert are hoping to not only get people in the holiday spirit, but to also unite the community.
“Noel: A Night of Everlasting Love” will be held at Flushing Town Hall, located at 137-35 Northern Boulevard, at 7 and 8:45 p.m. on Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18. It is being presented by SuperNova Productions in cooperation with the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.
“It hasn’t been done in New York,” co-producer Andrew Joseph Koslosky said of the show.
Koslosky explained that the show was first done in Disneyland as the Disneyland Candlelight Processional. It tells the story of Christmas using traditional carols and an original piece by the show’s arranger, Derrick Johnson, titled “Shout for Joy.”
About a year ago, Koslosky shared the music with Clyde Bullard, who is also co-producing the performances at Flushing Town Hall. He thought it was “beautiful” and “magnificent” when he heard it.
“Noel” will feature about 70 singers who will be joined by 14 professional singers. The show’s 20-piece orchestra is also made up of professionals.
“The other people who are [in the show] are getting the opportunity to sing with these marvelous voices,” Koslosky said.
Koslosky and Bullard have added some elements to the show. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will perform “Everlasting Love” to open the performance.
They will also tell the story of Jacob Riis, a Richmond Hill resident credited with bringing Christmas carols to the United States. Riis’ story was documented in a book by historian and teacher Carl Ballenas and the Aquinas Honor Society of the Immaculate Conception School.
“We’re trying to create unity in the community,” Koslosky said. “The theme here is that music is an international language, that we can use music to communicate [and] deal with all kinds of things throughout the world.”
Proceeds from the show will benefit four different charities – The Josephine Foundation, The Irish Apostolate of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, Friends of Maple Grove and The Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.
“All of them have strong ties to Queens,” Koslosky noted. He also said, “We’re trying to show people that you can have a good time on stage and do good things for people. You don’t have to be a professional to do that.”
Koslosky said that the goal for the show is for it to be successful so it can become an annual event where different charities are supported each year.
“If this works and people come out to support us, we can do it every year,” he said. “I think that anybody that’s into the holidays will be lifted by this.”
CDs will be made of “Noel: A Night of Everlasting Love” and it will be filmed to air on Queens Public Television.
Tickets for “Noel” are $20 for general admission and $30 for VIP reserved box seats. They can be purchased through The Josephine Foundation at www.thejosephinefoundation.org or by calling 516-334-1536. They can also be bought by contacting the Flushing Town Hall box office at 718-463-7700, Ext. 222.