News From The Queens Tourism Council
There’s no doubt about the season as upcoming events include A Christmas Carol, holiday concerts with Handel’s Messiah, giftwrapping workshops, tree lightings, and Santa, Santa, Santa.
But the Ebenezer Scrooges of Queens will also be able to enjoy art, film, dance, music, speeches, and winter fun at Citi Field.
Here’s the rundown.
– Tonight (Thursday), Dec. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 21, A Christmas Carol, times vary. The inresidence Titan Theatre Company brings a soaring adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three transformational visits he endures from spirits of his past, present, and future. Prices vary. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
– Thursday, Dec. 11, Torn Memories of Nanking, 7 p.m. A screening of the award-winning documentary by Tamaki Matsuoka, a Japanese teacher and journalist who dedicated more than 25 years to finding out what happened in Nanking in the late 1930s. The film is based on interviews with more than 250 former Japanese soldiers and 300 survivors of the Nanking Massacre. Call before to confirm. Queensborough Community College’s Kupferberg Holocaust Research Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.qcc.cuny.edu/khrca.
– Friday, Dec. 12, The Corona Youth Music Project Holidays Concert, 6 p.m. The Corona Youth Orchestra, Corona Children’s Orchestra, and No Frontiers Children’s Orchestra showcase Beethoven and holiday classics with additional performances by new students in orchestral initiation programs in the area. Queens Museum, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queensmuseum.org.
– Friday, Dec. 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe Art Show, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. This third annual exhibit features a wide range of work by local artists with an emphasis on religious pieces. Free. Gear Art Gallery, 61-08 Myrtle Ave., Glendale, 718-386-2812.
– Friday, Dec. 12, See It Big! Animation: Cheatin’, 7 p.m. The See It Big Series is presenting 16 contemporary animated films. Cheatin’ is about a newlywed wife who proves her love by becoming her husband’s mistress. Reception follows. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Astoria District, www.movingimage.us.
– Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12- 13, Take Root: Aviva Geismar’s Drastic Action, 8 p.m. The monthly Take Root aids in the development of new dance work by providing choreographers the opportunity to be produced in a full-length or paired evening of work. Drastic Action premieres “Dis/Location,” a halfhour dance based on Geismar’s experience as an immigrant’s child and on interviews with immigrants. The piece explores the painfulness of leaving home, the rituals humans use to make a new home, the awkwardness of trying to fit into a new culture, and the struggle for connection with one another. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.greenspacestudio.org.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, O Sole Trio, 7 p.m. This vibrant ensemble features soprano Erin Shields, baritone Giuseppe Spoletini, and David Shenton, a virtuoso pianist and violin player. They do everything from opera to jazz to pop tunes. Free with suggested donation. Sunnyside Reformed Church, corner of 48th Street and Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside, 1-718-426-5997.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, Citi Field Winter Fest, 1 to 5 p.m. A winter wonderland with Santa, Mr. Met, caroling, and beverages for sale. $10/$7 for children. Citi Field, 123- 01 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, www.nymets.com.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, Hands-on History: Deck the Halls, noon to 3 p.m. King Manor decks its halls for the winter. Come for a special holiday tour and learn how the King family celebrated the season. Create your own traditional winter and holiday decorations. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, 74th Annual Winter Concert, 7:30 p.m. The Queens College Choral Society, accompanied by a full orchestra, performs Handel’s Messiah. The society has members that range from high school students to men and women who have been with the group for more than 40 years. $20. Colden Auditorium, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, www.qcchoralsociety.org.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, Christmas in Connecticut, 1 p.m. Screening of a classic 1945 romantic comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck. Free. Greater Astoria Historical Society, Queens Building, 35-20 Broadway, Fourth Floor, www.astorialic.org.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, Songs of Mary, 4 p.m. The Forest Hills Choir sings a collection of choral pieces exploring the Virgin Mary. The show features “Magnificat” and “O Magnum Mysterium.” The Churchin the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills Gardens, www.thecitg.org.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, Le Ciel est à vous, 2:30 p.m.; White Paws, 5 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image (MMI) is doing a retrospective on iconoclastic French director Jean Grémillon, a titan of pre-New Wave French cinema. In La Ciel, a petit bourgeois couple is united in a common goal; Thérèse wants to break the solo long-distance flying record for women, and Pierre, a mechanic, is devoted to helping her, even as her passion becomes increasingly all-consuming and dangerous. In White Paws, a sexpot arrives in a fishing village and stirs up a dangerous rivalry among local men, while her husband remains wholly ignorant of her shenanigans. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, 8 p.m. A one-night-only staged reading of a poignant, sharp, and laugh-out-loud funny play. Chain Theatre, 21-28 45th Rd., LIC, $30, www.variationstheatregroup.com.
– Saturday, Dec. 13, See It Big! Animation: A Town Called Panic, 1 p.m. The See It Big Series is presenting 16 contemporary animated films. In French with English subtitles, Panic is a surreal tour de force based on a Belgian animated cult TV series about three plastic toys-Cowboy, Indian, and Horse-and the weird events that take place in their rural town. Museum of the Moving Image, 36- 01 35th Ave., Kaufman Astoria District, www.movingimage.us.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Messiah & More, 4 p.m. The Sacred Music Society presents its annual Christmas concert with the Oratorio Society of Queens. Enjoy traditional, classical and new holiday songs with audience participation. $25/$10 for children under age 12. Our Lady Queens of Martyrs Church, Ascan Avenue and Queens Boulevard, Forest Hills, 718-268-6251.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Speech by a Trail-Blazing Journalist, 4 p.m. Best-selling author Gail Sheehy speaks about her new memoir about her life as a writer who walked NYC streets with hookers to expose violent prostitution; marched in Northern Ireland as British paratroopers opened fire; and sought out Egypt’s president Anwar Sadat when he was targeted for death after making peace with Israel. The book recounts her interviews with 20th century leaders, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, and Hillary Clinton. Minimum donation in advance is $18 and includes kosher desserts and coffee. Forest Hills Jewish Center, 106-06 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Winter Holiday Festival Workshop, 1 p.m. Celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa with an art-making workshop and storytelling. Robin Bady shares her favorite tales of miracles, menorahs and dreidels. Timothy Bellavia helps create beautiful Christmas wreaths using up-cycled fabrics and ribbons that will be donated to local senior centers in Queens. Tammy Hall shares tales from African traditions that are typically told during the Kwanzaa season. Free. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd, Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Little Makers: DIY Gift Wrap, 10:30 a.m. Give your gifts a personal touch by designing and making your own holiday wrapping paper and cards. Advance registration is recommended. $8 per family, plus admission. New York Hall of Science Maker Space, 47-01 111th St., Corona, www.nysci.org.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Fertile Ground, 7 p.m. Fertile Ground is a monthly showcase for emerging and established artists with a postperformance discussion with wine and cheese. This month features Cedan Dance Company, Chandler Dance, danceETHOS Performance Company, In Noon Dance, Monteleone Dance Collective, and N^2 Dance. $10. Green Space, 37- 24 24th St., LIC, www.greenspacestudio.org.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, Santa, Rudolph, Elves & Music, noon to 4 p.m. Santa, Rudolph, and the elves visit theMyrtleAvenue BID at noon. NYC Brass Entourage performs holiday music at noon, and Opera on Tappers sings holiday tunes at 2 p.m. Free, 71st Avenue Plaza, Myrtle Avenue just off Forest Avenue, Ridgewood, www.ridgewoodny.com.
– Sunday, Dec. 14, White Paws, 2 p.m.; L’Amour d’une femme, 5 p.m.; Postwar Shorts, 7:30 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is doing a retrospective on iconoclastic French director Jean Grémillon, a titan of pre-New Wave French cinema. In White Paws, a sexpot arrives in a fishing village and stirs up a dangerous rivalry among local men, while her husband remains ignorant of her shenanigans. Meanwhile, on a small island off the Brittany coast, a female doctor must deal with the prejudices of the insular villagers whom she hopes to help, and of the Italian engineer whom she loves in L’Amour d’une femme. Postwar shorts include Alchimie (1952-54, 7 minutes), La Maison aux Images (1955, 18 minutes), Haute Lisse (1956, 16 minutes), and André Masson et les quatre éléments. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
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.
