News From The Queens Tourism Council
It seems like every form of entertainment is on tap in Queens this week. Film, theater, comedy, guided tours, dance, magic, lectures, fashion boutiques, art, gardening, a Civil War re-enactment, sports, mixed-media, a bazaar and water activities. And in terms of music, there’s chamber, gospel, opera, hip-hop, bohemian and even a world famous mandolin player.
Here’s the rundown.
– Today (thursday) May 16, Second Annual Queens New Music Festival, times vary (through Sunday, May 19). Nine concerts over four days performed by some of NYC’s finest ensembles. $20 per concert or see all nine for $50. Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., LIC, www.secrettheatre.com, info@ram-nyc.org.
– Thursday, May 16, Laughing Devil Comedy Festival, 8 p.m. (until Sunday, May 19). A six-day festival featuring comedians from around the world competing for cash and prizes. $20 a day. Laughing Devil Comedy Club, 47-38 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.laughingdevil.com, 347-913- 3845.
– Thursday, May 16, The Cinema of Immigration, 2 p.m. Part of a 10- week series exploring the immigrant experience in the U.S., the Queens Museum of Art (QMA) presents A Better Life, a 2011 film directed by Chris Weitz. Mexican actor Demian Bichir received an Oscar nomination for his performance as a gardener in East LA who struggles to protect his son from gangs and immigration agents. Mark Ethan, an Actors Studio member who has been presenting this series since 1998, introduces the movie and leads a discussion afterwards. Free. QMA, located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, www.queensmuseum.org, 1-718-592-9700.
– Thursday, May 16, St. Adalbert Bazaar, 7 to 11 p.m. (every night until Saturday, May 18; and on Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 7 p.m.). This annual bazaar will have rides, food, prizes, raffles and more. Free. St. Adalbert School, 52-17 83rd St., Elmhurst, 1-718-424-2376.
– Friday, May 17, Hip-Hop Pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, 7 p.m. Fab 5 Freddy played a key role in bringing hip-hop to audiences around the world. He has also directed music videos and commercials for artists like Queen Latifah, KRS-One, Nas and Snoop Doggy Dog. There will be plenty of great stories, and great videos, in what promises to be an unforgettable evening with F5F. Free, but first-come, first-served. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., LIC, www.movingimage.us, 1-718-777-6830.
– Friday, May 17, Gospel Concert, 7:30 p.m. Tamela Mann, aka Cora from the TV sitcom Meet the Browns, is also famous for her gospel classic “Take Me to the King.” Her voice will fill one of the borough’s iconic churches in a special concert. $25. The Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York, 110-31 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, 1-718-206-4600.
– Friday, May 17, Neil Labute’s Some Girls, 8 p.m. (also a Saturday, May 18 show).Variations Theatre Group closes its fourth season and its first as the managing company of the Chain Theatre with Some Girls. $18/$15 for LIC residents (Bring photo ID with address). Wednesday nights are Buy One Ticket, Get One Free. Thursday nights are Pay What You Can. Chain Theatre, 21-28 45th Rd., LIC, www.chaintheatre.org, 1-646-580-6003.
– Friday, May 17, What’s New in LIC?, 5:45 p.m. Official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum leads a walk from Queens Plaza to the East River waterfront. Rezoning and demographic change stemming from Manhattan spillover have sparked revitalization in this once stagnant industrial neighborhood. Meet at the fare booth on Queensboro Plaza’s lowest level. $15. 1-718-961-8406.
– Friday, May 17, Simpson & Sauternes: Lyra Consort, 6 p.m. Lyra Consort will perform selections from Christopher Simpson’s Little Consorts and other 17th century chamber music on violin, lyra viol and continuo. The program will include Johann Schop’s divisions on the Lachyrmae tune and solos by John Jenkins. $30/$25 in advance. King Manor Museum, Rufus King Park, 153rd Street at Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org, 1-718-206-0545.
– Friday, May 17, Bohemian Festival 2013, 6-10 p.m. (every night through Sunday, May 19). Three days and two nights of camping, live music, food and festivals. $30 weekend and tent pass/$15 weekend pass only. Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Ave., Ridgewood, 1-718-456- 1776.
– Friday, May 17, Irish Movie Night, 7:30 p.m. Irish movie night presents Circle of Friends, a 1995 romantic drama directed by Pat O’Connor, starring Chris O’Donnell and Minnie Driver, from a best-selling novel by Maeve Binchy. Plus the short Moore Street Masala by David O’Sullivan (2011). New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC, www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
– Friday, May 17, The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company: Interior Designs, 8 p.m. (also Saturday, May 18, 8 p.m). This new work by Carolyn Dorfman is part of her dance company’s 30-year celebration. Dorfman has created an immersive environment that reveals the internal and external worlds of performer and spectator as the entire theater becomes the stage. $15 advance/$20 at the door/$10 student. LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, 31-10 Thomson Ave., www.lagcc.cuny.edu, 1-718- 482-5151.
– Friday, May 17, The New York Freestyle Reunion Dance Party, 9 p.m. A freestyle dance party featuring, TKA, Coro, Suave, Cynthia, Judy Torress, David from Nice & Wild, Nayobe, Speedy and Peter Gozzi. $25. Resorts World Casino New York City, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., South Jamaica, www.rwnewyork.com, 1-888-888- 8801.
– Saturday, May 18, Z Boutique: A New Fashion Gallery Concept, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A new popup boutique in a luxe lounge for one day only. This new concept shop brings guests a carefully curated selection of designer merchandise. Complimentary shuttle service from nearby subway stations. Z Hotel, 11-01 43rd Ave., LIC, 1-718-ZSTUDIO.
– Saturday, May 18, Second Annual Rockaway Bike Parade, 11 a.m. Parade participants are encouraged to wear something fun, goofy or ridiculous as they travel the route with bikes, skates, skateboards or peoplepowered carts. Parade will depart from Firehouse 59, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway Beach, www.rwalliance.org, 1-718-327-5919.
– Saturday, May 18, Cooperstown: History Roundtable, 1 p.m. For the 75th Anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame, join Al Ronzoni for a humorous look at America’s Pastime. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, Astoria/ LIC, www.astorialic.org, 1-718-278-0700.
– Saturday, May 18, Paul Taylor Dance Company, times vary (repeats on Sunday, May 19). The legendary troupe returns to Flushing Meadows for its 12th season at Queens Theatre. $25-$46. Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org, 1-718-768-0064.
– Saturday, May 18, NYC Wildflower Week Tour, 2 p.m. Check out native plants in bloom. Discover them in the woodland and perennial gardens and the beautiful fragrance walk on a special tour led by Queens Botanical Garden’s Director of Education Emeritus Fred Gerber. Free admission if you indicate that you are attending the native garden walk. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., www.queensbotanical.org, 1-718-886-3800.
– Saturday, May 18, Spellbound Masters of Magic, 2 p.m. World-class magician Peter Samelson will enchant young children with his sleightof hand tricks. A magic show will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery’s Celebration Hall, where amateur magicians will perform for prizes. $10 per family/$5 for members. MGC, 83-15 Kew Gardens Rd., Kew Gardens. To make required reservations, call 1-347-878-6614.
– Saturday, May 18, 1975, noon to 4 p.m. A group exhibition featuring three Cambodian women: Anida Yoeu Ali’s photographs and video installation recall life in a refugee camp following the Khmer Rouge’s fall; Amy Lee Sanford’s video and photographs depict the process of uncovering the turmoil of the late 1960s and 1970s; and LinDa Saphan’s elevation view drawings of apartment buildings and architectural monuments in current-day Phnom Penh introduce viewers to her mother’s fond memories of living there. Topaz Arts, 55-03 39th Ave., Woodside, www.topazarts.org.
– Saturday, May 18, First Summer Water Safety Event In The Rockaways, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Consider the following: community swims; water and general safety workshops; a surf clinic; health-and-nutrition workshops; CPR training; a talk by an Olympic swim champion; and kayaking. Far Rockaway High School, 08- 21 Bay 25th St., Far Rockaway, www.theswimstrongfoundation.org, 1-646-269-7897.
– Sunday, May 19, A Day of Free Programming, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Noguchi Museum, 9-1 33rd Rd., LIC, www.noguchi.org, 1-718-204-7088.
– Sunday, May 19, Ridgewood Market, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A new monthly artisan flea market at Gottscheer Hall, 657 Fairview Ave., Ridgewood, www.RidgewoodMarket.com.
– Sunday, May 19, Civil War Reenactment, noon to 3 p.m. Peter Ridout, a member of the 124th New York Volunteers Civil War Reenactment Unit, will set up a two-tent encampment. $5 suggested donation. The Castle on Fort Totten, 208 Totten Ave., Bayside, 1-718-352-1548.
– Sunday, May 19, Daylight Loft Buildings in LIC, 10:30 a.m. The daylight loft building was to industry what the skyscraper was to offices. LIC’s great makeover at the beginning of the 20th century coincided with the widespread introduction of this architectural innovation that modernized manufacturing and permitted assembly line production. Take a guided walking tour of the area with official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum. Meet at NE corner 21st St/44th Dr., LIC, 1-718-961-8406.
– Sunday, May 19, Growing and Aging ‘Talk and Tea’ Reading, 1 p.m. The Voelker Orth Museum (VOM) offers a reading-and-discussion series in partnership with the New York Council for the Humanities. VOM provides the tea, the setting, reading materials and an engaging facilitator. Participants contribute to the discussion. The texts include poetry, essays and a novel exploring questions about entering middle age, growing older, caring for aged loved ones, and finding satisfaction in later stages of life. $5 suggested donation. VOM, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, www.vomuseum. org, 1-718-359-6227.
– Sunday, May 19, Second Annual Momo Crawl, 1:30 p.m. Jackson Heights now has at least 19 places that serve momos, the Himalayan dumpling. Test and decide which the best are. Price: Two bills of any denomination, plus shared cost of momos. Meet at Jackson Heights Plaza, vicinity of 37th Road at 74th Street, jeffsayyes@gmail.com, 1-516-428-4085.
– Sunday, May 19, Oratorio Society of Queens Spring Concert, 4 p.m. The Oratorio Society of Queens will perform “Messa di Gloria,” which Puccini wrote as a young man. $30/$25 seniors and students with ID. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-5 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitQPAC.org, 1-718-279-3006.
– Sunday, May 19, York College Gospel Choir, 3 p.m. Free. York College Academic Core Building, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, www.york.cuny.edu.
– Monday, May 20, Celebration of Yiddish Culture and Literature, 1:30 p.m. The Central Queens Y celebrates its 13th Annual Sholem Aleichem Day with a talk by Jonathan Brent, executive director of YIVO, one of NYC’s leading organizations for Yiddish culture. Brent will discuss the continuing influence of Yiddish culture on literature and other aspects of modern culture. $6 donation suggested. CQY, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org, 1-718-268-5011.
– Tuesday, May 21, SC Conversations: Craig Willse, 7 p.m. Willse, an Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies at George Mason University, recently edited the publication Beyond Biopoltics: Essays on the Governance of Life and Death and contributed to Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage. Free. SculptureCenter, 44-31 Purves St., LIC, www.sculpture-center.org, 1-718-361-1750.
– Wednesday, May 22, International Star Andy Statman Plays Mandolin and Clarinet, 7 p.m. Considered one of the world’s premier mandolinists and clarinetists, the Grammy-nominated musician Andy Statman has played with everyone from Itzhak Perlman to Jerry Garcia. This concert is part of a national tour in honor of Statman’s recent National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. LeFrak Concert Hall, Queens College, Reeves Avenue, Flushing, www.qc.cuny.edu, 1-718-997-5597.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
