#WeeklyColumn | April 20 – April 26 | It’s In Queens!
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Earth Day is coming, and as to be expected, the best celebrations are in Queens. The borough also hosts Buddhist art, Caribbean theater, Baroque music, wacky dance, tulip blooms, and the Mother of All Expos.
April 20, Opening Reception: Hopscotch, 6 pm. Six artists — Michael Blake, Rachel Granofsky, Joyce Kim, Daniel Kukla, Iz Öztat, and Ryan Russo – present everything from mixed-media sculptures to tromp l’oeil paintings inspired by Argentinean novelist Julio Cortázar’s eponymous book, Hopscotch. Local Project, 11-27 44th Rd., LIC.
April 21, Earth Day, 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm (April 22, 11 am to 5 pm). Reuse, recycle, and rethink. Take part in hands-on activities, learn how personal choices impact the environment, and create strategies to combat degradation. Free with admission. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
April 21, Romanticism and the Nationalistic Spirit, 7:30 pm. Queens Symphony Orchestra plays music including Overture to Nabucco by Verdi; Carmen Suite No. 1 by Bizet; and Symphony No. 8, Op. 88 in G Major by Dvorak. Free, but reservations are required. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside.
April 21, QueensWay Spring Tour, 11 am. This 2.2-mile walk tours the streets adjoining the QueensWay with a brief stroll on the rail bed section in Forest Park. See the “before” condition and learn about the project’s history. Free. Meet at 107 Continental Ave. in Forest Hills.
April 21, Enchanted Journey, 6:30 pm. Baroque duo Black Marble performs 17th- and 18th-century works by Mozart, Leclair, Reger, Barbella, and others. This husband-and-wife team plays Stainer violins made in 1660 and 1668. $15. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave.
April 21, Cathy Maguire and Friends, 7 pm. A night of the most famous and popular country songs by a former child star in Ireland. $70 (open bar). New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC.
April 21, Jimena Paz: Yellow, April 30. This solo dance begins precisely two hours before sundown and deals with the idea of foreignness. (April 21, 5:41 pm; April 22, 5:42 pm; April 23, 5:43 pm; April 28, 5:49 pm; April 29, 5:50 pm; and April 30, 5:51 pm). $20. The Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC.
April 21 + 22, Take Root, 8 pm. MoveWorks does four pieces exploring the psyche of a simple-yet-comedic country-woman. Ballaro Dance presents three quirky works. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC.
April 21, My Country Men, 8 pm (April 22, 8 pm and April 23, 4 pm). A play by Harlan Penn from Trinidad and Tobago. $25/$35. Black Spectrum Theatre, Roy Wilkins Park, 177th Street and Baisley Boulevard, Jamaica.
April 22, Latin Dance Fiesta, 8 pm. Sisa Pakari Danza Ecuador, Ballet Folclórico Del Salvador, Ballet Folklórico Paraguayo Panambí Verá, and Bombazo (Puerto Rican) Dance Company are in this lively and colorful show. $25. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
April 22 + 23, Tulip Time, noon to 4 pm. Tulip tours, bulb-planting demonstrations, crafts, and thousands of spring tulips. Free with admission. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
April 22, Opening: Goryeo Buddhist Paintings, 5 pm. This exhibition displays works by three Korean artists — Joy Rock, Chang Ho Kang, and Seoung Jo Hyun — who are inspired by Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). $5 suggested donation. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
April 22, Green Garden/Green Planet, 1 pm. An afternoon of art, hands-on workshops, and take-away information. Meet artist Nancy Rakoczy and such eco-friendly agencies as NYC H2O and Shore Walkers. $5/$8 per family/free for children under 3. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing.
April 22, If Music and Sweet Poetry Agree, 7 pm. The Queens Consort — two violins, cello, viola, and harpsichord — presents English Baroque music by Handel, Purcell, Hayes, Arne, and Flackton. (This is the borough’s only professional early music ensemble playing on period instruments.) $20. St. Mark’s Church, 33-50 82nd St., Jackson Heights.
April 22, Earth Day Family Celebration, 7 pm. Take a sunset stroll through the trails and discover springtime treasures. Then gather for fireside Native American stories and music honoring Mother Earth and the precious balance in the natural world. $5 and pre-registration is required. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.
April 23, The Mamas Expo, 10 am to 2 pm. This seventh annual show offers fun activities for children and info, products, and services for parents. $16 for adults/$13 for children. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
April 23, Holi: The Spring Festival of Colors, 2 pm. This colorful event is presented by the Hindu Temple Society of North America. Performers from different nationalities and cultures express their joy of the changing season and their gratitude to Mother Earth. Free. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
April 23, Mali Meets Morocco, 7 pm. Two cultures on one stage with an open dance floor. Sylvain Leroux and Source present a danceable mix of jazz-inflected music from Mali. Rachid Halihal and Fez play Moroccan classical and folk music. Then, they join together to jam. $16. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
April 23, Artrageous, 3 pm. Artists, singers, dancers, and an element of audience involvement and interaction. Following the show, those present can buy the art created live on-stage. $39-$42. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside.
April 23, Seussical, 1 pm + 3 pm. Adapted from the Broadway version, Dr. Seuss’s beloved characters find themselves intertwined in a crazy-quilt adventure in which the power of imagination and the most miraculous “think” ever saves the day. $14. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
April 23, Jacob Riis Settlement House: Past, Present & Future, 2:30 pm. Executive Director Christopher Hanway discusses this community center’s history and its namesake, social reformer Jacob A. Riis. $5/$3 for seniors and students. Riis Settlement House.
April 23, Fertile Ground New Works Showcase, 7 pm. A non-curated performance by Dugal Dance Projects, Jacques Movement Laboratory, Leah Moriarty + Solana Hoffman-Carter, Mariam Dingilian, Mei/Co Dance, and Nazmo Dance Collective. $12. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC.
April 24, The Moth StorySLAM, 7 pm. Storyteller hopefuls put their names in The Moth Hat. A half hour later, names are picked, and they take the stage to discuss Spring Cleaning. Judges then pick the winner. $10. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
April 24, Orchestra of Exiles, 1:30 pm. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Josh Aronson discusses his book Orchestra of Exiles: The Story of Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic, and the One Thousand Jews He Saved from Nazi Horrors, on Holocaust Memorial Day. $8 suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills.
April 25, Queens Dinner Club, 7 pm. To celebrate its one-year anniversary, the club returns to the restaurant where it held its first outing for Chinese-Indian fusion. $45: Tangra, 39-32 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside.
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Top image: Queens Symphony Orchestra
Bottom image: Theatreworks USA