News From The Queens Tourism Council
The Golden Oldies (Barbara Cook, Louis Armstrong, Martin Scorsese) compete for attention with the Cutting Edge (Boogie Stomp, a new music forum, performance art) this week.
Other upcoming events include Queen Mother of Reality, a Muslim perspective on the Holocaust and a hike through the dunes.
Here’s the rundown.
– Tonight (Thursday), May 8, Griffin Dunne in Person and Two Movies, 7 p.m. Griffin Dunne, the actor and director best known for his starring role in Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, gives one of the finest performances of his career in the bittersweet new independent comedy The Discoverers, directed by Justin Schwarz. In this special doublefeature, Dunne and Schwarz appear in person to discuss and watch these films. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Thursday, May 8, Boogie Stomp!, times vary (Runs through May 31). Variations Theatre Group presents Boogie Stomp!, a theatrical evening starring two of the greatest jazz/boogie/stride/blues pianists in the world, Bob Baldori and Arthur Migliazza. $45. Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees on Sunday at 3 p.m. (Special gala performance Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m. with cocktail reception and catered buffet supper.) The Chain Theatre, 21-28 45th Rd., LIC, www.VariationsTheatreGroup.com.
– Friday, May 9, Utamaro and His Five Women, 7 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is honoring Kenji Mizoguchi (1898-1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. In this eponymous film, woodblock printmaster Utamaro shuts out the turbulence of the rambunctious 17th century Edo period by painstakingly and conscientiously practicing his art, with the help of five selflessly devoted models. An incensed local magistrate devises a particularly insidious punishment by banning Utamaro from drawing for 50 days. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Saturday, May 10, Broadway legend Barbara Cook, 8 p.m. Twotime Grammy and Tony winner Barbara Cook graces the stage for an unforgettable evening filled with her silvery soprano, warm presence and purity of tone. From Broadway’s favorite ingénue to the defining voice of an era, Cook has performed countless awe-inspiring performances throughout her lifetime. $45/$55/$69. Colden Auditorium, Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing, www.kupferbergcenter.org (save 20% off four tickets using code “barbara20”).
– Saturday, May 10, New Music Composer’s Forum II, 7:30 p.m. Musica Reginae presents its second annual showcase compelling new music for small ensembles by emerging and well-established New York composers. Headlined by HILO Duo (Caroline Eva Chin on violin and Brian Snow on cello). $20/$15/$10 (adult/senior/student). The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, www.musicareginae.org.
– Saturday, May 10, Hello Dolly Party, 1 p.m. The Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image join forces to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day that Satchmo’s “Hello Dolly” knocked the Beatles off the number one spot on Billboard. A special reception, a presentation by Armstrong House archivist Ricky Riccardi and a screening of the film Hello Dolly, starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. $12, includes pass to Armstrong House. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Saturday through Monday, May 10-12, Three Mizoguchi Films, times vary. The Museum of the Moving Image is honoring Kenji Mizoguchi (1898-1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Hometown (May 10 at 1 p.m. and May 11 at 2 p.m.) is about an opera singer who returns to his northern Japan home from training in Italy. White Threads of the Waterfall (May 10, 3 p.m. and May 11, 4 p.m.) is a silent about a circus performer who goes beyond her means to support the young law school student whom she loves. After circumstances force Taki to crime, she goes before the court and the presiding judge- none other than her lover, who must blindly mete out what passes for justice. Miyamoto Musashi (May 10, 4:30 p.m. and May 11, 6:30 p.m.) concerns the 17th century inventor of two-sword combat. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Sunday, May 11, Queens Mother of Reality, morning till dusk. The unveiling of Queen Mother of Reality, Pawel Althamer’s 50-footby 18-foot sculpture of a reclining woman made from reclaimed materials. Dedicated to Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely, the de facto community mayor of Harlem since she was sworn in by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995, this sculpture aims to bring attention to NYC’s displaced and homeless. On view through Aug. 3. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.socratessculpturepark.org.
– Sunday, May 11, Springtime Hike in Breezy Point, 10:30 a.m. Meet at Fort Tilden, Building 1 and carpool in a caravan to Rockaway Peninsula’s western tip to check out dune foliage, shore birds and a surprising assortment of rocks and minerals used in the construction of the Breezy Point Jetty. This two-mile hike is free, but RSVP bmchoen2@gmail.com or (718) 474- 0896 is required.
– Monday, May 12, Opening for Moving the World to the 1964 World’s Fair. Photo exhibit will be on display at the AirTrain JFK Jamaica and Howard Beach stations until Nov. 12.
– Tuesday, May 13, The Holocaust Through Muslim Eyes, 1:30 p.m. Holocaust denial and anti- Semitism have long been recognized as deep-seated problems in parts of the Muslim world. Less well known are the efforts of many Muslims to counteract anti-Semitism and the heroic efforts of Muslims during the Holocaust. Professor Mehnaz Afridi speaks on the Holocaust through Muslim eyes. She is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College. $7 suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
– Wednesday, May 14, Italian Waters Opening, 6 p.m. Western Queens artist Mary Teresa Giancoli exhibits her photographs of processions, people and places in Sicily. Inspired by her memory of a childhood journey to the Italian island, she took images of the ocean, chronicling daily rituals and life in the streets and piazzas. Runs until May 30. Free. Manducatis Rustica, 46-33 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.manducatisrustica.com.
– Wednesday, May 14, Liz Santoro: Relative Collider, 8 p.m (runs nightly through May 17). Liz Santoro has choreographed a dance performance inspired by the relative collider, a machine that offers the opportunity to see, to measure, to quantify, to exchange information between nervous systems. Like the rings of particle accelerators, its structure holds value only insofar as it allows for the creation of an experience and production of specific results. $15. The Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC, www.chocolatefactorytheater.org.
“It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions.
