Tuesday, April 29, 2014

It’s In Queens! (May 1 to May 7)


A circus, a retrospective on a Japanese filmmaker, the mother of all parenting expositions and an ensemble musical are big ticket items this week. But there are also sheep-shearing, comedy, shopping, history and cleaning opportunities. Here’s the rundown.

May 1 Allegro, times vary (runs through May 17). This rarely seen musical from the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein follows Joseph Taylor Jr. from birth to age 35. From the tranquility of his small Midwestern hometown to the hectic din of big city life, this doctor’s son loses sight of his goals and struggles to avoid compromising his principles. Thurs. and Fri. at 8 pm; Sat. at 2 pm and 8 pm. $18/$12 seniors and students. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria, www.apacny.org.

May 1, Universoul Circus, times vary (runs through May 10). Enjoy a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater and music that spans genres, including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. $22-$48, Roy Wilkins Park, Merrick and Baisley boulevards, Jamaica, www.universoulcircus.com.

May 1, A Colorful Expression of Mind, 5 pm. Opening of an art show featuring work by people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Spearheaded by Venture House, this exhibit includes paintings, sculptures, graphic art, and multimedia pieces. Runs through June 29. Queensborough Community College Art Gallery at 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.qcc.cuny.edu/artgallery.

May 2, Ugetsu, 7 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image honors Kenji Mizoguchi (1898–1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Ugetsu is about two brothers in war-torn 16-century Japan who leave their wives and village to pursue wealth and martial glory. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.

May 3, A Celebration of Irish Music, 7:30 pm. Producer, recording engineer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Donohue welcomes an all star line up of musical guests. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Avenue, LIC, www.nyirish.org.

May 3, Kew Gardens Spring Flea Market, 8 am to 5 pm. Check out more than 30 vendors selling everything from books to antiques to pottery. All vendor fees benefit Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s pediatric department. (Rain date: May 10). LIRR North Parking Lot, 82-60 Austin St., Kew Gardens.
May 3, Beach 121st Street Cleanup, 10:30 am to 1 pm. Volunteer event with free tee shirts on first-come basis. Free, but must RSVP by email for details to admin@rockawaycivic.com.
May 3, Jane’s Walk in Rockaway Park, 11 am to 1 pm. Join the Beach 116th Street Partnership and celebrate the legacy of famed author and urbanist Jane Jacobs with a guided tour by Vivian Carter, author of Images of America: Rockaway Beach. Free, but must RSVP by email for details to information@shopbeach116.com.

May 3, Mario Cantone LIVE!, 8 pm. His celebrity impersonations and hilarious musical impressions are dead-on. Best known as Anthony Marantino in the HBO series Sex in the City, this outrageously joyful stand-up comedian and stage actor has appeared on the Today show and as a guest host on The View. He garnered critical acclaim for his Tony-nominated, one-man show Laugh Whore. $40, Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitqpac.org.

May 3, To The Fair! Remembering the New York World’s Fair 1964-1965, 11 am to 5 pm. Watch documentary clips featuring Robert Moses and John F. Kennedy, the film Lucy at the World’s Fair, promotional and pavilion films, models of dinosaurs, newsreels, photographs, slides, music, memorabilia, poster art, and much more. Free. Central Queens Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, www.queenslibrary.org.

May 3, Sansho the Bailiff, 2 pm; Street of Shame, 7 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image is honoring Kenji Mizoguchi (1898–1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Sansho is a story of human suffering and resilience. In feudal Japan, a nobleman’s children are kidnapped and sold into slavery to the merciless Sansho the Bailiff. Street of Shame concerns five women living as daughters, mothers, wives, loan sharks, and dreamers when they are not selling their bodies as prostitutes. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.

May 4, The Mother of All Expos, 10 am to 4 pm. New York City’s best resources, experts, entertainment, and shopping experiences at the ultimate day for parents and kids. $10-$45/free for children under 2. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona, www.themamasexpo.com.

May 4, Queens Music Fest, noon to 4 pm. The Queens Symphonic Band hosts this inaugural event, featuring music by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky, as well as solo performances. $10/$8 seniors and students. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitQPAC.org.

May 4, Farming in Flushing, 2:30 pm. A lecture by Gus Schumacher, whose family has been in the farming industry since his great-grandfather emigrated from Germany to NYC in 1848. In 1888, his grandfather, Fred Schumacher, moved the family farm to Flushing, where they farmed until 1968. $5. Queens Historical Society, Weeping Beech Park, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.
May 4, Celebrate Queens Farm, 11 am to 4 pm. Sheep shearing, spinning demonstration, hayrides, tours, plant sale, live music, locally made food. $5. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Floral Park, www.queensfarm.org.

May 4, A Taste of Rockaway Beach, noon to 6 pm. Buy a pass for $10 and try each of the 11 participating restaurants. Rockaway Beach, www.rockawaybeachheart.org.

May 4, Song of Home, 2 pm; Oyuki the Virgin, 3:30 pm; Sisters of the Gion, 6:30 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image honors Kenji Mizoguchi (1898–1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Song of Home contrasts two country-bred boys: a coach driver who has never left his home; and a student who returns from Tokyo with city-slicker affectations and Western jazz records. In Oyuki the Virgin, two geishas flee their village with aristocrats and bourgeoisie. Though these prostitutes are supposedly beneath this company, they prove to be morally superior to their social betters. Sisters of the Gion is a devastating portrait of two geisha sisters—one deferential and loyal, the other defiant and mercenary. 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 wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Do you "YOU TUBE"?

One of the best ways to define your brand these days is to create a you tube channel and post videos that tell the story of your company. If you're a restaurant you could show your chef creating a meal or diners giving testimonials, maybe you're a contractor that wants to show the work you've done.

The best part about user created videos is that you control the content and the message of the message you want out there. It also allows users (customers) to interact with your brand on a different level. It's much easier for a customer to watch a video then for them to read through your mission statement or company directive.

I have included a link to a page called You Tube Channel leaders. These are companies taking their usage of you tube to the next level. They are creating exciting and engaging videos that are generating tons of shares and fan reactions. Maybe you don't have the budgets they do but I guarantee you can take away some of their best practices and see what a difference they are making with their videos.

Remember, You Tube is owned by Google and being a "Brand Channel Leader" would certainly help your SEO a great deal

YOU TUBE LEADERS

It’s In Queens! (April 24 to April 30)


Let’s dance…or let’s watch highly acclaimed, highly trained dance troupes, since a few are coming to Queens this week. There are also plenty of outdoor activities—hiking, biking, doing the luge, bird-watching, celebrating Earth Day—as well as the Osmond Brothers, comic Steve Solomon, and the borough’s premiere food-and-networking event, Queens Taste 2014. Here’s the rundown.

April 24, Tone and Color Concert, 1 pm. The Quintet of the Americas, a woodwind group widely known for its expertise in South American music, performs Latin jazz, tango and other genres. Free. Community Mediation Services, 89-64 163rd St., Jamaica, www.quintet.org

April 25–May 11, King Lear, times vary. Queens-based Titan Theater Company concludes its critically acclaimed, award-winning second season with its take on Shakespeare’s intimate family drama about an aging king and his three daughters. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org

April 25, Pleading Against Prophecy, 8 pm. In-Sight Dance Company presents its third Millennial Ballet, an original dance work set to “Water in a Whale,” the debut album of critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Jillette Johnson. $15/$10 in advance. Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 153-10 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.insightdance.org

April 25-May 18, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, times vary. This troupe pays tribute to the joys and soul of Mexico. The program includes the debut of Flores Chiapanecas (Flowers from Chiapas) with live marimba accompaniment. Fridays and Saturdays, 8 pm, and Sundays, 4 pm. $35/$32 for students and seniors/$30 on Fridays. ThalĂ­a Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, www.thaliatheatre.org

April 26, My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy, 2 pm and 8 pm (April 27 at 3 pm). Steve Solomon provides an evening of hysterical comedy with the voices about 30 hilarious characters and situations. $35/$25 for rear seating. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org

April 26, Take Root, 8 pm. ClancyWorks Dance Company presents two works choreographed by Adrienne Clancy. Driven [by the female heartbeat] examines the roles women take on in the 21st century. Benchmarks celebrates the value of daily interactions and challenges by bringing the audience on a choreographic journey. Benches are continuously redesigned in different formations to refresh the stage visually and create new landscapes where various dramatic situations can unfold. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.GreenSpaceStudio.org

April 26, Rufus King’s Reading in London: Using the History of Rome to Understand the French Revolution, 4 pm. A lecture by David J. Gary, the Kaplanoff Librarian for American History at Yale University, about Rufus King’s time as minister to Great Britain from 1799-1803. King read The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and recorded excerpts from this book and others in two notebooks. In this lecture, Gary shows how an examination of these notebooks allows us to understand King’s fears, anxieties, and challenges as a statesman and diplomat. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org

April 26 -27, USA Luge Slider Search, all day. An official, nationwide recruitment tour by USA Luge targeting ages 9-13. The goal is to identify young athletes for the USA Luge Junior Development Team. Free, and all participants receive a USA Luge tee shirt. Crocheron Park, vicinity of 214th Place, 214th Lane, 215th Place, Cross Island Parkway and 35th Avenue, Bayside. Sign up online at www.usaluge.org/search

April 26, Bike and Hike Fort Tilden, 10 am to noon. Enjoy the sights of Fort Tilden on this two-mile biking and hiking trip with a park ranger. Bring water, sunscreen, bike and helmet, and dress for the weather. Free, but reservations are required, call 718-338-3799. Jacob Riis Park, Rockaway Beach

April 26, NYC Audubon Spring Migration Bird Walk, 10 am to 1 pm. Take a three-mile hike around ponds and gardens with naturalist Don Riepe and identify Jamaica Bay’s spring migrants. Free, but contact Riepe at 718-474-0896 or donriepe@gmail.com to reserve a spot. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Broad Channel.
April 26, Earth Day in Jamaica Bay, 10 am to 3 pm. Join the American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and the Broad Channel Civic Association for a day of service in honor of Earth Day. Events include beach cleanups, plantings and an ecology walk in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Free, but for more information email cathy@littoralsociety.org or call 718-474-0896, www.littoralsociety.org

April 27, The Osmond Brothers, 3 pm. The Osmond Brothers have been thrilling packed houses across the world for over five decades and still continue to wow crowds with their warm tones and comedy. Whether you love jazz, barbershop, rock, country, pop or something else, the Brothers present a knock-out performance of Osmond talent at its finest. $35. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitqpac.org

April 27, Fertile Ground, 7 pm. Now in its eighth season, this monthly showcase for emerging and established artists produces the work of more than 50 choreographers each year. This non-curated performance event features five-six choreographers each evening, and includes a post-performance discussion with wine and cheese, moderated by Artistic Director Valerie Green. $10. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.GreenSpaceStudio.org

April 27, Glass Painting Workshop, noon. This class introduces the basics of glass painting: how to trace a design and coloring with transparent, water-based paints. $25 (materials fee). Bayside Historical Society, 208 Totten Ave., Bayside, www.baysidehistorical.org

April 28, Art Show Opening, 5:30 pm to 8 pm (runs to June 21). Author, playwright, senator and artist Abdias Nascimento was a critical political figure in Brazil and a founding force for the South American country’s black movement. Queens College will exhibit 40 large-scale, brilliantly colored digital prints of Nascimento’s art based on the theme of the forces of nature and mediators between heaven and earth, humans and the gods. The opening includes a roundtable on Nascimento and African-based religions in the Americas. Free. Godwin-Ternbach Museum (open Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 7 pm; and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm), 405 Klapper Hall, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, www.qc.cuny.edu/godwin_ternbach

April 29, Queens Taste 2014, 6 pm to 9 pm. The borough’s premiere food-and-networking event with about 50 restaurants and beverage purveyors providing samples of their products. $100/$175 for two. Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, 135-20 39th Ave., Flushing, www.itsinqueens.com/queenstaste
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com

Thursday, April 17, 2014

World's Flair in today's Daily News

On April 22,1964 the world came to Queens for opening day of the World's Fair that opened in Flushing Meadow Park. 
Here is what that newspaper looked like:

Today we produced a look back at the '64 and '39 fairs and it looks amazing. We have beautiful archival photos and great pieces from our very own Lisa Colangelo, Borough President Melinda Katz, Matthew Silva on why we need to save the NYS Pavilion and Nicholas Hirshon on why the pavilion matters to him.




Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Central Astoria Presents Their 2014 Spring Fling


The Central Astoria Local Development Coalition, founded in 1979, is a not-for-profit community organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the neighborhood of Astoria as a vibrant, affordable, harmonious and desirable community in which to live, work, and do business.

Join them for a celebration on April 30th as they set up a meet and greet at Astoria Federal Savings bank. There will be some fine food on display to try and taste and its a great place to meet your fellow Astoria neighbors.

Call 718-728-7820 for more information or to buy tickets


Spring Fling
Join the Central Astoria LDC for their Spring Fling on April 30th 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Woodside on the Move : Third Annual Youth Festival



Third Annual Youth Festival
Co-Sponsored by:
The Fresh Air Fund
WOLD CUP, WORLD MUSIC
Free Games for all ages!Free refreshments! 
Music, Soccer, Dance, Art 
Exhibits and more 
Saturday April 12
   11am to 3pm
           Windmuller Park Woodside
      52nd street 39th drive Woodside 

For more information please contact Adriana at 718-476-8449 ext 12 or email her at abeltran@woodsideonthemove.org 

www.facebook.com/WoodsideontheMove/ twitter.com/WoodsideontheMove

Monday, April 7, 2014

Guest Blogger: Michelle Kawka and The Power of Twitter

What can you express when you're only limited to 140 characters? Well, in the world of Twitter, its all the space you'll get so you better figure it out quick.

Twitter can be anything you want it to be. Do you have a random thought you want to share with the world? Tweet it out. Comedians have used it to get people interested in their thoughts or points of view and generate a following for their live gigs and albums. Companies use it to get their core marketing message across and celebrities have used it to keep up with fans and allow fans to keep up with them.

Check out the blog post from our friend Michelle Kawka on the power of twitter:

Michelle's Blog on the Power of Twitter


Michelle is an excellent photographer and a genius at using social media to her advantage. Check out her website for all your photographic needs:

http://www.michellekawka.com/

or follow her on twitter @michellekawka or see some of her work on Instagram