#WeeklyColumn | It’s In Queens! Feb. 8 to Feb. 14
BY QEDC It's In Queens
With Lunar New Year and Black History Month as main themes, Queens is full of parades, dragons, jazz and MLK-inspired events. But diversity rules in this borough, and French comedy, British film, Latin dance, and even bionic humans are also on tap.
Feb. 8, Cyrano, Cyrano, Feb. 17. Four actors play more than 100 characters in this 70-minute play full of romance, sword fighting, and quick changes. The first two shows are sold out. The remaining schedule is Feb. 10 at 4 pm; Feb. 14-16 at 7: 30 pm, and Feb. 17 at 4 pm. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Feb. 8, Poets of Pandaemonium: The Cinema of Derek Jarman and Humphrey Jennings, Feb. 17. This retrospective juxtaposes two 20th century English filmmakers. Jennings was a documentarian, while Jarman addressed queer life. Schedule: “Blue + Listen to Britain,” Feb. 8, 7 pm; “Angelic Conversation + Words for Battle,” Feb. 9, 4:30 pm; “The Last of England + The Dim Little Island,” Feb. 9, 6:30 pm; “In The Shadow of the Sun + The Birth of the Robot,” Feb. 10, 7 pm; “Sebastiane + The Silent Village,” Feb. 15, 7 pm; “War Requiem + The True Story of Lili Marlene,” Feb. 16, 7 pm; and “Jubilee + Fires Were Started,” Feb. 17, 6 pm. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Feb. 8, Latinx Homages, March 10. Tremendous dance and music by Latino singers and composers. Salsa, Cumbia, Tex-Mex, Cha-cha-cha, and Mambo. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 4 pm. Thalía Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside.
Feb. 8, Black History Month Celebration Part II, 7:30 pm. A conversation with actress-filmmaker Karyn Parsons and a screening of “The Bessie Coleman Story,” a short animated film about the first African American female aviator. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Feb. 8, Rumination & Hope, In & Out of Time, 8 pm. Saxophonist-composer Tyrone Birkett presents autobiographical accounts of his perspective on how a Black man of a certain age bridges the struggles between relevance and retirement, memory and regret, promise and revival. He uses saxophone with effects, drums, voice, and dance to juxtapose 1970s soul themes with postmodern sonic textures. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Feb. 9, Lunar New Year Parade, 11 am. After kicking off from the 109th Precinct, the Flushing parade winds its way from Union Street and 37th Avenue to Main Street and 39th Avenue. Expect everything from dragons to K-pop musicians to fencing.
Feb. 9, Viva Momix, Feb. 10. Iconic pieces from a dance-illusionist company. Magic, invention, and physical artistry. Schedule: Feb. 9 at 2 pm (talkback) and 8 pm; Feb. 10 at 3 pm (Audio Description available). Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Feb. 9, Lunar New Year Celebration, noon. Year of the Pig-themed crafts, performances, workshops, and activities for the whole family. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
Feb. 9, Lunar New Year Tinker Festival, 2:30 pm. Participants create a personalized, light-up LED lantern influenced by the Year of the Pig. Free, but reservations are required. Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th St., Flushing.
Feb. 10, Queens Symphony Orchestra, 2:30 pm. The orchestra celebrates Black History Month with the New York premiere of “Make Gentle the Life of this World” by Raymond Horton, a piece that features the speech by Senator Robert Kennedy on the night of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Performance includes works by two African-American composers. Free, but reservations are recommended. LeFrak Concert Hall, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing.
Feb. 10, Queens International, 1 pm. Panel discussions, talks, screenings, and other events that examine the poetics of perception, technology, and scientific inquiry. Schedule: 1 pm, Breakfast at Tiffany’s performance by artists Emmy Catedral and ray ferreira; 1:30 pm, Performance by artist Emilio Martinez Poppe; 2 pm, Screening of “Milford Graves Full Mantis” and Q+A with artists Milford Graves, Jake Meginsky, and Christoph Cox; 3 pm, The People’s Guide to the Queens International Writing Workshop; 4:30 pm, Capitalist Casualties: Gender, Technology, and the Virtual Body with speakers Silvia Federici, Shaka McGlotten, and artist Haley Bueschlen. Sarah Leonard modifies. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Feb. 10, Center of Attention: Isamu Noguchi’s ‘PL2,’ 1973, 3:30 pm. A guided conversation about “PL2,” a piece with modular panels assembled around a wooden frame to create a luminous tea house-like structure. Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC.
Feb. 10, Bird Walk with NYC Audubon, 10 am. Explore Meadow Lake’s avian life with NYC Audubon experts. The leaves are off the trees and the water is wide open for wildlife now. Meet at the Meadow Lake Drive entrance to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, near 69th Road/Jewel Avenue.
Feb. 10, Free Screening: 12 Years A Slave, 3 pm. A special, Black History Month screening of a 2013 film adapted from an 1853 slave narrative memoir. Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th St., Flushing.
Feb. 11, Bionic Me, May 5. With hands-on displays and full-body experiences, this exhibition explores the medical and industrial breakthroughs that have enhanced the human experience. Visitors can move a ball with their mind, manipulate a robot arm, race against a Paralympian, use night vision to see in the dark, and explore how technology can provide camouflage and make a human invisible. Exhibits include Mind Control, Augmented Surgeon, Exoskeleton, and Tunnel of Darkness. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona.
Feb. 11, Live Drawing with Models, 6 pm. Open to all talent levels. Supportive environment. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Feb. 13, The Glass Menagerie, Feb. 24. Pigeonholed Theater presents the classic Tennessee Williams play about family, dreams, bitterness, and abandonment. Weekdays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2 pm. The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., Long Island City.
Feb. 14, Thursday Night Jazz Series, 8 pm. Jasper Dütz is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. The New School graduate has performed at Blue Note NYC, Hollywood Bowl, and Monterey Jazz Festival. Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, 161-04 Jamaica Ave.
Continued from last week
Feb. 2, Lunar Year Plant Sale, Feb. 9. Everything from jades to peace lilies. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
Feb. 2 See It Big! Costumes by Edith Head, March 10. Head, an in-demand costume designer who won eight Academy Awards, did the wardrobes for many of Hollywood’s greatest stars, including Grace Kelly, Bette Davis, and Audrey Hepburn. Here’s the schedule: “The Uninvited,” Feb. 2 at 2 pm; “Double Indemnity,” Feb. 2 at 4:30 pm; “The Lady Eve,” Feb. 2 at 7 pm and Feb. 3 at 3 pm; “Double Indemnity,” Feb. 9 at 2 pm; “To Each His Own,” Feb. 10 at 2 pm; “The Heiress,” Feb. 10 at 4:30 pm; “Roman Holiday,” Feb. 10 at 6:30 pm and Feb. 16 at 2 pm; “Sunset Boulevard,” Feb. 16 at 4:30 pm and Feb. 17 at 2 pm; “I Married a Witch,” Feb. 22 at 7 pm; “Funny Face,” Feb. 23 at 4 pm; “Sweet Charity,” Feb. 23 at 6:30 pm; “I Married a Witch,” Feb. 24 at 3 pm; “Funny Face,” Feb. 24 at 6:30 pm; “To Catch a Thief,” March 8 at 7 pm; “The Birds,” March 9 at 3 pm; “Marnie,” March 9 at 6 pm; “The Birds,” March 10 at 3 pm; and “Marnie,” March 10 at 6 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District.
Queen, until Feb. 16. The Astoria Performing Arts Center presents this play about two female scientists who have spent seven years researching vanishing bee populations. Just as they’re about to publish a career-defining paper, one finds an error that could damage their reputations, careers, and friendship. Shows are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm. The Black Box at the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, 21-12 30th Rd. Astoria.
How Many Zombies Are Too Many Zombies? until Feb. 15. With 20-minute games that can have as many as 25 players, participants take on the role of scientists, helping the “Center for Calamity Control” simulate a zombie outbreak. Via mathematical modeling, players simulate, analyze, and make predictions about this complex, real-world phenomenon. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
In Practice: Other Objects, until March 25. This exhibition displays new pieces by 11 artists and artist teams that probe the slippages and interplay between objecthood and personhood. SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves St., LIC.
Wall Floor Positions, until Feb. 23. As part of the exhibition “Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts,” artists make themselves into minimalist prop sculptures, moving through various poses in relation to the floor and wall. Live performances every hour from 1 pm to 5 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave.
Photo courtesy of Momix Inc. and Charles Paul Azzopardi