News From The Queens Tourism Council
Diversity. Queens is famous for it, but this column probably focuses on it too much. But how else to describe these upcoming events? Polish films, Colombian dance, a Russian orchestra, Chinese art, Irish music, German composers, Australian performance art, Greek and Italian food, and then a native daughter’s poetry.
Here’s the rundown.
– Tonight (Thursday), Nov. 13, Gingerbread Lane, 4 to 7 p.m. The opening celebration for the world’s largest gingerbread village, which will be on display past Christmas. Music, hands-on activities, holiday beverages, gingerbread-themed treats, and a chance to meet Jon Lovitch, the lane’s chef and creator. RSVP for free admission. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona, www.nysci.org.
– Thursday, Nov. 13, Blind Chance, 7 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image (MMI) is screening 13 Polish movies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Eastern European country’s first free parliamentary elections. Blind Chance shows three possible outcomes for a medical student running to catch a train: he becomes a Communist party activist; he joins the opposition; and he gets married and lives nonpolitically.
MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
– Thursday, Nov. 13, Book Launch and Performance Party, 7:30 p.m. Queens born and raised writer, poet, performer, and curator Audrey Dimola releases her second book of poetry and prose, Traversals, at a newly opened venue. QED: A Place to Show & Tell, 27-16 23rd Ave., Astoria, www.audreydimola.com.
– Thursday, Nov. 13, LIC Partnership’s 27th Annual Trade Show, 10 a.m. until mid-afternoon. This B2B trade show attracts several thousand attendees and more than 140 exhibitors. Keynote speech by Kenneth Adams, President and CEO of Empire State Development Corporation. Free to attend (no registration required), but advanced registration to exhibit and tickets to luncheon are required. Astoria World Manor, 25- 22 Astoria Blvd., www.licpartnership.org.
– Friday, Nov. 14, NEA Jazz Masters: Swing Broadway, 8 p.m. Jazz masters Jimmy Heath, Barry Harris, and Jimmy Owens play blazing melodies and rhythmic vibes with Steve Davis on trombone, David Wong on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Friday, Nov. 14, Colombia Revista Musical Review, runs through Dec. 14. The music and dance of Colombia with Harold Gutierrez and his Band. $37-$40. Thalia Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, www.thaliatheatre.org.
– Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14- 15, Reject Dance Theater and Yung-Li Dance, 8 p.m. Reject Dance Theatre’s piece explores “territory” from three different perspectives: human relationships, gender identity, and animal interactions. Yung-Li Dance presents a movement-based performance with four female dancers deploying an unrestricted sequence of bold sensory compositions. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.GreenSpaceStudio.org.
– Friday, Nov. 14, Interrogation, 7 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is screening Polish movies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Eastern European country’s first free parliamentary elections. In this film, a 1950s cabaret singer is taken in for an interrogation. She realizes she is being asked to denounce an acquaintance as a traitor. This harsh appraisal of Stalinism was banned during martial law and not released until 1989. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m. The famed group balances orchestral, operatic, and choral classics with equally significant 21st century music. Prices vary. ColdenAuditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, www.kupferbergcenter.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Tin Throat Ensemble, 2 p.m. Evocative and provocative, this band reaches into the reservoir of folk and improvisational traditions, setting them aflame and distilling an intoxicating rhythm, catchy melodies, and outright fury. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Lexington Piano Trio with Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, 7:30 p.m. Musica Reginae proudly commences its 14th season with Lexington Piano Trio, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary as an ensemble. $20 adults and seniors/$10 students with ID/Free for children under 12. The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills Gardens, www.musicareginae.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Hands-on History: Designing the Manor, noon to 3 p.m. Learn about the King Manor’s architecture and get inspired to design a house. Hear stories about building and decorating houses using imagination and creativity. Families with children of all ages are welcome. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-3 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Sherman’s March: The Beginning of the End, 1 p.m. Civil War experts discuss General Sherman’s devastating march through the south. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Society, Quinn Building, 35-20 Broadway, LIC, www.astorialic.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Guided Tour of Astoria, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum leads a tour of this neighborhood where Italians and Greeks are being replaced by Arabs, Bosnians, Brazilians, Mexicans, and yuppies. Explore Astoria from its important transportation arteries: Steinway Street (a former trolley route); 31st Street (under the elevated train); the Grand Central Parkway, which bisected the neighborhood 70 years ago; and 30th Avenue, a café-lined promenade. $20. Meeting location is provided after tickets are purchased. Register at www.mas.org/tours.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Brock McGuire Band in Concert, 7:30 p.m. Paul Brock started a solo career in the 1960s by mastering the single-row, two-row, three-row, and five-row button accordions. Manus McGuire is an Irish fiddler who was voted “Male Musician of the Year” in 2006 by the Irish American News. Garry O’Meara is one of the hottest banjo players on the scene today. Dennis Carey is a musician/composer/arranger with a diverse musical background from Irish traditional to classical, jazz and pop. $22/$11 for seniors, unemployed, students. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave, LIC, www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
– Saturday, Nov. 15, Smaller Sky, 2 p.m.; and Escape from the Liberty Cinema, 4:15 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is screening Polish movies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Eastern European country’s first free parliamentary elections. In Smaller Sky, a 45-year-old scientist rebels against his life by leaving his family and living at a railway station. Liberty Cinema is about a screening of a new movie in which the characters rebel, refusing to play mindless roles. Instead, they engage with the audience, and authorities don’t know how to handle the situation. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
– Sunday, Nov. 16, Music for Autism: Interactive Concert, 11 a.m. Guidonian Hand, the country’s leading modern trombone collective, performs as per the nonprofit Music forAutism, which raises public awareness through interactive concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their families. Free. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
– Sunday, Nov. 16, Live Jazz, 3 p.m. Bill Jacobs and his ensemble (alto sax, piano, bass, drum, percussion, congas) play Be-Bop, Jazz classics and original arrangements. $15 adults/$12 seniors & students. Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., www.jcal.org.
– Sunday, Nov. 16, Fertile Ground, 7 p.m. This monthly new works dance showcase features Cecilia Seaward, Dirty Soles Dance, Jesse Factor, Left of Centre, PowerHouse, and Thryn Saxon Dance. $10. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.GreenSpaceStudio.org.
– Sunday, Nov. 16, Man of Iron, 3:30 p.m; The Mother of Kings, 7 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is screening Polish movies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Eastern European country’s first free parliamentary elections. Man of Iron follows the evolution of a union organizer, modeled on Lech Walesa, from the riots of 1970 to the formation of the Solidarity trade union. The Mother of Kings follows a poor Warsaw widow and her four sons. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
– Monday, Nov. 17, Atomic Spy David Greenglass, 1:30 p.m. Sam Roberts discusses his book on atomic spy David Greenglass, who died in a nursing home without much press attention in July. This iconic figure of the Cold War played a crucial role in convicting his sister, Ethel Rosenberg, and brother-in-law, Julius Rosenberg, for stealing atomic secrets. $8 suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
– Monday, Nov. 17, An Evening with Darren Aronofsky, Patti Smith, and Noah, 7 p.m. A special screening of the adventure epic Noah followed by a discussion with director Aronofsky and singer/songwriter Smith whose soulful, haunting song “Mercy Is,” is featured in the film. The two discuss Noah and their collaboration; Smith performs “Mercy Is.” $25. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Wednesday, Nov. 19, Opening: Highlights of the Daghlain Collection of Chinese Art, through Jan. 10, 2015. Several thousand years of Chinese history and culture are represented by ceramics, jade, pottery, and wood objects dating from the Stone Age (ca. 6,000-2,500 BCE) to the Ming dynasty (ca. 1,368-1,644). Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens College, 405 Klapper Hall, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, www.qc.cuny.edu/godwin_ ternbac h
– Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 19-22, Luke George (Australia): NotAbout Face, 8 p.m. (additional show on Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.). This performance art piece is an experiment in anonymous intimacy and fake belief. $15. The Chocolate Factory Theatre, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC, www.chocolatefactorytheater.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.
