News From The Queens Tourism Council
It’s all about numbers. Thanks to the six-day Latino Cultural Festival, various musical genres, theater, and dances are dazzling audiences at the Queens Theatre this week.
Plus, a two-week film festival screens over 100 movies in Long Island City, and various free Shakespeare plays show around the borough. There’s also an 18th annual street fair in Jamaica and a 14th annual commemoration of a jazz legend in Sunnyside.
Here’s the rundown.
– Tonight (Thursday), July 31, World Beat Folklore Colombia, 8 p.m. Traditional Colombian music with three legends: Andrea Tierra; Johanna Castañeda, a singer and cuarto player with her Afro-Colombian group Rebolú; and Carolina La O, an internationally renowned musician who has won Latin Grammys and Latin Billboard awards. The ladies will join together for an encore. $30. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Thursday, July 31, Two Gentlemen of Verona, 8 p.m. The Queens-based Hip-to-Hip Theater Company presents an early Shakespeare slapstick comedy about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness … and a dog. Special workshop for children at 7:30 p.m. Free. Cunningham Park, vicinity of 73rd Avenue, Union Turnpike, and Francis Lewis Boulevard, Fresh Meadows, www.hiptohip.org.
– Thursday, July 31, Motor City Revue, 7:30 p.m. A night of music from the Motown era. Free. Astoria Park Great Lawn, Shore Boulevard between the Hell Gate Bridge and Astoria Pool, www.centralastoria.org.
– Thursday, July 31, The Vinnys with Judy Pieri, 7 p.m. This Jackson Heights/Astoria group plays cabaret music as part of the Woodside Summer Concert Series, presented by the Northwest Woodside Coalition and Goliard Concerts. Free. Sgt. Collins Park, 58th Street and Broadway, Woodside, 1-718-205-1030.
– Friday, Aug. 1, Damas Del Bolero, 8 p.m. An evening of six bolero singers spanning three generations, including Ivana Ivanna, a passionate, enchanting singer; Mariel Sol, an Argentine-Ecuadorian vocalist and songwriter; Gloria Mirabal from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; Marlene De La Peña, who interprets many styles of music infused with her Cuban heritage; Elsa Ozuna, a singer from the Dominican Republic; and Wendy Olivos, an Ecuadorian singersongwriter who performs her own acoustic music. $30. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2, Jamaica Arts & Music Summer (JAMS) Festival, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The main event of this 18th annual festival is a Saturday of multicultural and educational family fun, shopping, community resources, and entertainment. Free. Always the first weekend in August along 10 blocks of Jamaica Avenue, which are closed to vehicular traffic from Parsons Boulevard to 170th Street, Jamaica, www.go2ccj.org.
– Friday, Aug. 1, King Cymbeline, 7:30 p.m. The Queens-based Hip-to- Hip Theater Company presents a fantastical action-adventure Shakespeare play that combines tragedy, comedy and romance. King Cymbeline’s only daughter, Imogen, secretly marries against his wishes, and he banishes her new husband. With war looming and an evil stepmother plotting, the spunky princess ventures into the wild to reunite with her true love. Special workshop for children at 7 p.m. Free. Sunnyside Gardens Park, 39th Avenue and 49th Street, Sunnyside, www.hiptohip.org.
– Friday, Aug. 1, Beach Flix, sundown. Bring a blanket or beach chair and watch the movie Lost Boys outdoors on the sand. Free. Beach 87th Street, Rockaway, www.RockawayCivic.com.
– Friday through Sunday, Aug. 1-3, Ser Feliz No Tiene Hombre (Happiness Knows No Man), 8 p.m. Created by and starring Colombian superstar Marilyn Patiño, this Spanishlanguage play is a fascinating true tale of two very different women, who in the end are looking for the same thing. $20. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows- Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Concert, 2 to 7 p.m. Bix Beiderbecke was an influential 1920s jazz musician who lived in Sunnyside. This year’s 14th annual commemoration concert features a 1920s theme and an exciting lineup of performers, including The Sunnyside Wolverines; the Sunnyside Social Club; the Pendulum Swings; the Sunnyside Drum Corps; and the Big Apple Lindy Hoppers. A dance floor will be set up in the street, and the day will include a free photo booth and a 1920s costume contest. Local businesses will offer giveaways and services. Free. Vicinity of 46th Street between Greenpoint Avenue and Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, www.sunnysideshines.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Caperucita Roja (Little Red Riding Hood), 1 p.m. A bilingual musical for the entire family which tells the classic fable of Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red challenges the wolf, leading audiences on an exciting journey of dance, song, and original music. $14. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Two Gentlemen of Verona, 7:30 p.m. The Queensbased Hip-to-Hip Theater Company presents an early slapstick comedy about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness … and a dog. Special workshop for children at 7 p.m. Free. Gantry Plaza State Park’s northern lawn, vicinity of 49th and 50th avenues along the East River., www.hiptohip.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Mariachi Flor de Toloache, 8 p.m. NYC’s only allfemale mariachi band has 10 members who utilize traditional instruments, violins, trumpets, guitarrón (bass), vihuela (five-string guitar) and guitar. Members are from countries spanning the globe, including Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, and the United States. $30. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows- Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Play Reading: Cuerdas, 8 p.m. This play is about three brothers who are at an airport, having decided to travel together to meet their father, whom they haven’t heard from in over 20 years. He is the best tightrope walker of all time, a gift he wants his children to experience, or at least, so says his letter. The journey develops between an airplane, an airport, a taxi and a stadium. Free. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Saturday, Aug. 2, Kid’s Singer Zev Haber, 1 p.m. Great live music for youngsters as part of the shopping center’s Children’s Summer Entertainment Series. Free. Rego Center, 61-35 Junction Blvd., Rego Park, www.regocenter.com.
– Sunday, Aug. 3, Indian Actor Honored, Movie Screened, 6 p.m. Om Puri, the prolific and internationally renowned Indian actor, appears for a conversation about his career moderated by actress and writer Madhur Jaffrey. A tribute program, presented with clips of Puri’s finest performances, and a preview screening of The Hundred-Hoot Journey, in which he co-stars with Helen Mirren, are included. $20, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
– Sunday, Aug. 3, Fernando’s Kitchen and La Toquilla, 7:30 p.m. A double bill. Fernando’s Kitchen blends world music with flamenco using a cajón (wooden box). The night continues with La Toquilla. Ecuadorian singer Alejandra Garcia takes traditional Ecuadorian and Latin American music and mixes it with world, electronic and rock music. She’s accompanied by a DJ, an electric guitar player with a driving rock sound and bluesy riffs, and an acoustic guitar player who integrates classical and flamenco scales. $30. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Sunday, Aug. 3, King Cymbeline, 5 p.m. The Queens-based Hip-to-Hip Theater Company presents a Shakespeare play that combines tragedy, comedy, and romance. King Cymbeline’s only daughter, Imogen, secretly marries against his wishes, and he banishes her new husband. With war looming and an evil stepmother plotting, the princess ventures into the wild to reunite with her true love. Special workshop for children at 4:30 p.m. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32- 01 Vernon Blvd. in Long Island City, www.hiptohip.org.
– Sunday, Aug. 3, Hindu Awareness Day, 3 p.m. Sloka chanting, colorful dances, mediation and great food in the canteen. Free. The Hindu Temple Society of North America, 45-57 Bowne St., Flushing, (718) 460-8484.
– Monday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 17, The Chain NYC Film Festival, times vary. Picked from hundreds of submissions from all over the world, this second annual festival presents more than 100 films, everything from short documentaries to full length narratives and a web series. The Chain Theatre, 21-28 45th Rd., LIC, www.chainfilmfestival.com.
– Monday, Aug. 4, Despicable Me II, 8:30 p.m. Outdoor screening as part of Central Astoria LDC’s 2014 Movies on the Waterfront series. Free. Astoria Park Great Lawn, Shore Boulevard between the Hell Gate Bridge and Astoria Pool, www.centralastoria.org.
– Tuesday, Aug. 5, And You and I, 7 p.m. A live rock concert is part of Live at the Gantries, a series of outdoor performances featuring Queens-based musicians. Free. Gantry Plaza State Park, a 10-acre waterfront oasis between 49th and 50th avenues along the East River, LIC, www.liveatthegantries.com.
– Tuesday, Aug. 5, Italian Night, 7 p.m. Live Italian music as part of 2014 Juniper Valley Park Free Summer Concerts. Free. Juniper Valley Park, 80th Street between Juniper Boulevard North and Juniper Boulevard South, Middle Village, www.junipercivic.com.
– Tuesday, Aug. 5, Bringing the World to the Fair: The Port Authority’s Role-Trade, Travel and Tourism in Queens, the Region and the World, times vary. The Port Authority of NY & NJ’s multi-media exhibit will be on view in the auditorium lobby through Nov. 1, Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Free with admission. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-34 Main St., Flushing, www.queensbotanical.org.
– Tuesday, Aug. 5, Comfort Women Speak, 7 p.m. Oksun Lee and Ilchool Kang share their stories as “Korean comfort women” (sex slaves for the Japanese) during World War II. Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center and Archives, Queensborough Community College, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.qcc.cuny.edu/KHRCA.
– Wednesday, Aug. 6, Monthly Jazz Jams, 7 p.m. Open to professional jazz musicians, graduate students studying jazz, and music educators. Meet new contacts, hone your chops, and jam each month. All are welcome to play or listen. House band and jam session led by Queens Jazz OverGround. $10, free for performers and students. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Wednesday, Aug. 6, Real Diamond: A Tribute to Neil Diamond, 7:30 p.m. This cover band plays as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of summer concerts hosted by Maspeth Federal Savings. Free. Main office parking field, 69th Street and Grand Avenue, Maspeth, (718) 335-1300.
– Wednesday, Aug. 6, Two Gentlemen of Verona, 7:30 p.m. The Queens-based Hip-to-Hip Theater Company presents an early slapstick comedy about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness … and a dog. Special workshop for children at 7 p.m. Free. Near the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, www.hiptohip.org.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s many attractions. More info available online at www.itsinqueens.com.
