News From The Queens Tourism Council
Editor’s note: This column was submitted to the Times Newsweekly on Monday, Oct. 29. Some of the events may have been cancelled or postponed as a result of the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Call the venues ahead of time for details.
Not only did Jim Henson invent the Muppets, he also described his creative efforts in great detail in a diary. As the Muppets perform at Kaufman Astoria Studios, it is only fitting that an author who had access to Henson’s journal launch her book on the Muppet master in Queens.
Fun-seekers will also have to opportunity to stay in the borough and enjoy opera, choral music, comedy, dance performances and theater. But don’t forget to stop and enjoy the flags along the way.
Here’s the rundown:
– Tonight (Thursday), Nov. 1, Skillman Festival of Flags. Sunnyside launches a 10-day flag festival on Nov. 1. Each participating business along Skillman Avenue, from 46th Street to 52nd Street, will hang the banner of a different nation, with restaurants and bars offering food specialties, drinks and music from their chosen country. Other businesses will hang flags and offer discounts. 1-718-424-2005.
– Thursday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 17, Billy Witch, a New Dark Comedy, (Thursdays – Sundays), 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Astoria Performing Arts Center offers a quirky, creepy and bawdy comedy. The main character, Oliver, braves the wilderness to discover change at sleepaway camp. Miles from home, surrounded by pubescent boys and girls, the 14-year-old is not prepared for the life-altering transformation. From twisted sexual encounters to spooky campfire stories, Oliver’s time at camp is anything but normal. $12-$18. Children under 14 are not permitted. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria, 1-718-706-5750.
– Saturday, Nov. 3, Book Launch, Author Presentation for Imagination Illustrated, 2 p.m. The Jim Henson Company’s archivist, Karen Falk, will present on the renowned puppeteer, director and-most famously -creator of the Muppets. Henson faithfully kept a journal where he stored ideas, sketches and one-line log entries about his life. This diary is the subject of Falk’s new book Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal (2012, Chronicle Books). Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, 1-718-777-6888.
– Saturday, Nov. 3, Black Wall Street, 3 p.m and 7 p.m. In the 1920s, Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood comprised mostly African-Americans, Indians and Jews who respected and did business with each other. Some of the African-Americans settled on oil rich land and became incredibly wealthy. One of the most popular African-American-owned businesses was Old Lady Boleys, a restaurant where the play Black Wall Street begins. Before the play ends, Greenwood is burned to the ground, and a major economic movement is halted. $20/$10 for students and seniors. York Performing Arts Center, 94-45 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, 1-718-262-8240.
– Saturday, Nov. 3, Take Root: LifeFull, 8:30 p.m. LifeFull is a dance, music and text piece that tells stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Based on interviews with people who volunteer or work in education, women’s rights, missions, animal care and executive coaching, LifeFull offers insight into choices people make to contribute to the lives of others in helpful and positive ways. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., Long Island City, 1-718-956-3037.
– Sunday, Nov. 4, Beijing Opera, 1:30 p.m. Leading roles will be played by Charlene Tong and Alan Chow in two operas: Romance of the Iron Bow, a funny love story about a beautiful young lady and a handsome scholar who meet at a tea house run by the young lady’s mother; and Home Bound, about a general captured in a foreign country. Should he return home to see his mother? $50 Box Seats/$30 Orchestra (Balcony seats are sold out). Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, 1-718-463-7700.
– Sunday, Nov. 4, Astoria Symphonic Choir Serenades, 5 p.m. Maestro Huff conducts charming and beautiful serenades, such as Richard Strauss’ Serenade in Eb, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Gran Partita and Gounod’s Petite Symphony. St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 43-19 30th Ave., Astoria, 1-917-300-8695.
– Sunday, Nov. 4, Marvin Hamlisch Memorial Concert, 3 p.m. The Queens College Orchestra, led by Maurice Peress, will perform works by Hamlisch. Guest artists J. Mark McVey, Christy Tarr, Valerie Lemon and Anne Runolfsson will also perform selections by the Queens College graduate. $25 general admission; $75 VIP. Ticket proceeds will support the Marvin Hamlisch Scholarship Endowment at Queens College. LeFrak Concert Hall, Reeves Avenue, Flushing, 1-718-997-3800.
– Sunday, Nov. 4, How We Are Connected, 3 p.m. Actors, musicians and dancers explore human migration and ancestral history in a multi-genre extravaganza by the Forest Hillsbased New International Center of Diverse Artists. Plus, an organized discussion will look at how all human beings are connected. Free, but register.
The Theater at P.S. 69, 77-02 37th Ave., Jackson Heights.
– Monday, Nov. 5, Lecture on the American Election, Middle East Unrest & Israel, 1:30 p.m. Professor Mark Rosenblum, director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Queens College, will speak on the American election, Israel and the ongoing Middle East unrest. Professor Rosenblum will discuss the risks and opportunities both presidential candidates present for Israel. Suggested donation: $6. Central Queens YM &YWHA, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, 1-718-268-5011.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
