#WeeklyColumn | November 10 – November 16, 2016
BY Michael Gillen
After a long, tough election season, the borough relaxes with gingerbread villages, environmental art, Korean movies, garbage (yes, garbage), Japanese folk art, and a pajama party. Here’s the rundown.
Nov. 10, Thursday Jazz Night, 8 pm. Neo Jazz artist Veronica Nunn performs as part of an ongoing series on the second Thursday of each month. $10 suggested admission. Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, 161-04 Jamaica Ave.
Nov. 11, GingerBread Lane, Jan. 15, 2017. A 500-square-foot mini-metropolis with more than 1,000 houses bridges, stores, trees, trains, and other structures made of gingerbread, royal icing, and candy. The annual exhibition always includes Candy Cane Place, Eggnog Bay, Gum Drop Row, Peppermint Central Park, and Toffee Boulevard. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona.
Nov. 11, New York Korean Film Festival, Nov. 13. This 14th annual presentation features seven Korean movies that focus on the family, as mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents struggle to survive the zombie apocalypse, law school exams, ambitious aristocrats, and secret societies. Times vary. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.
Nov. 11, Coreyah, 8 pm. This world music band comprises of four Korean traditional instrument players, a guitarist, and a percussionist. They play a wide range of genres, including the sounds of Korea, South America, Africa, and the Balkan Peninsula. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Nov. 11, In the Car with Blossom and Len, Nov. 20. Two-time Emmy winner Martha Byrne (As The World Turns) stars in this comedy about siblings Holly and Fern, their wacky parents, and the complexities of aging. (Nov. 11, 8 pm; Nov. 12, 2 pm and 8 pm; Nov. 13, 3 pm; Nov. 17, 2 pm; Nov 19, at 2 pm and 8 pm; Nov 20, 3 pm.) $25-$42. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Nov. 11, Eco Art Show, Dec. 23. Kenneth Burris presents Invisible Neighbors, paintings, drawings, and a slideshow on the often overlooked animals, reptiles, and insects of Queens. (Opening night is Nov. 11 at 6 pm.) The Local NYC, 13-02 44th Ave., LIC.
Nov. 11, Family Pajama Party, 6:30 pm. A professional interactive storyteller spins bedtime stories. Wear pajamas and bring a sleeping bag for a comfy cozy family event. $16. Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston.
Nov. 11 and 12, Take Root, 8 pm. Aimee Plauche & Performers do The Octopus, an absurdist and darkly comic dance theater work. Rastro/Julieta Valero does Cancionero, a nostalgic piece that explores the dichotomy of being alone while within a sea of people. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC.
Nov. 12, Oscar De León with Ismael Miranda, 8 pm. Venezuela native De León is known as “El León de la Salsa.” Puerto Rican Miranda, aka “El Niño Bonito de la Salsa,” joins him for an explosive show filled with rhythm, ballads, and electric dance moves. $39-$125. Colden Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.
Nov. 12, Diwali Festival, 1 pm. Masters from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan celebrate Diwali with traditional regional dances from all three countries. Plus, henna painting, rangoli, a dance workshop, installations of traditional South Asian dress, food, and handmade jewelry. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Nov. 12, Howard University Gospel Choir, 6 pm. This legendary group shares its message of peace, hope, and love through praise songs. Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave.
Nov. 12, Tobacco Road, 1 pm. This classic, 75-year-old movie depicts the Lesters, who are about to be thrown off their land for nonpayment of rent. Regardless, the poverty-stricken but intensely-proud Jeeter chases away anyone who tries to help them. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, LIC.
Nov. 13, Garbage: The Future, 2 pm. Presentations by Larissa Harris of the Queens Museum, Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, Anthropologist-in-Residence Robin Nagle, and Artist-in-Residence Mierle Laderman-Ukeles about the NYC Department of Sanitation’s initiative to rework the city’s garbage and recycling infrastructure. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Nov. 13, Long Island and the Civil War, 2:30 pm. Harrison Hunt, co-author of Long Island and the Civil War, talks about the struggles of more than 3,000 men of different ethnicities and creeds from current-day Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties who fought to preserve the Union. Local women raised considerable funds for Union hospitals and Long Island companies became focal points for producing uniforms and medicines for the Union army. Queens Historical Society, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing.
Nov. 13, Fertile Ground, 7 pm. This monthly showcase allows emerging and established artists to perform, followed by a discussion with wine and cheese moderated by Artistic Director Valerie Green. $12. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC.
Nov. 13, Design, Rhythm & Geometry in Abstraction, 3 pm. A panel discussion on aspects of Mingei, a Japanese folk art movement started in the 1920s. Free. Dorsky Gallery, 11-03 45th Ave., LIC.
Nov. 13, Drawing on the Past, 2 pm. A conversation with Lucia Minervini, Sam Vernon (artist and museum caretaker), and Emma Bonanomi (historian and the museum educator) about working with history in their artistic production. Minervini also opens her exhibition on prints that focus on three generations of women in the Voelker-Orth family. $5. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing.
Nov. 15, Queens LGBT Authors Celebrate New Books, 7 pm. LGBT writers from Queens read from their diverse books published this year and discuss their creative and professional issues. Free. Queens Pride House, 76-11 37th Ave., Jackson Heights.
Theater that continues from last week:
Nov. 10, Evensong, Nov. 19. The Astoria Performing Arts Center presents a play about a gay Mexican-American man who is homeless in NYC. The Texas transplant works as a bank teller, goes on online dates, and tries to navigate the shelter system. (Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm.) Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria.
Nov. 10, Fear in Porcelain, Nov. 19. Sam Kim premieres this solo dance that incorporates fierce sexual restraint to obliterate the ego and eradicate the self. (Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm.) The Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC.
Nov. 11, Spamalot, Nov. 13. Royal Star Theatre presents a musical lovingly ripped off from the eponymous motion picture. (Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 3 pm). Immaculate Conception Auditorium, 179-14 Dalny Rd., Jamaica Estates.
Nov. 12, My Fair Lady, Nov. 20. The timeless story of a low class flower vendor who is transformed into an elegant lady includes classic songs such as “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” (Nov. 12 at 8 pm; Nov. 13 at 3 pm; Nov. 20 at 2 pm and 7 pm.) Theatre by the Bay, 13-00 209th St., Bayside.
Nov. 12, Senna, 3:30 pm; Exit Through the Gift Shop, 6:30 pm; Nov. 13, Stories We Tell 3:30 pm. Screened as part of a series on documentaries called “Pushing the Envelope,” Senna follows Brazilian Formula One racer Ayrton Senna’s exciting life. Exit Through the Gift Shop chronicles the burgeoning Los Angeles street art scene via eccentric French shopkeeper Thierry Guetta. Stories We Tell questions the truth by investigating the secrets kept by a family of storytellers and interviewing a cast of characters of varying reliability, eliciting refreshingly candid, yet mostly contradictory, answers to the same questions. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District.
#weeklycolumn #itsinqueens #eventsinqueens #queenstourismcouncil