The
Golden Oldies (Barbara Cook, Louis Armstrong, Martin Scorsese) compete for
attention with the Cutting Edge (Boogie Stomp, a new music forum, performance
art) this week. Other upcoming events include Queen Mother of Reality, a Muslim perspective on the Holocaust and
a hike through the dunes. Here’s the rundown.
May 8, Griffin Dunne in Person and Two Movies, 7 pm. Griffin Dunne, the actor and director best known for
his starring role in Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, gives one of the
finest performances of his career in the bittersweet new independent comedy The
Discoverers, directed by Justin Schwarz. In this special double-feature,
Dunne and Schwarz appear in person to discuss and watch these films. Museum of
the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave.,
Astoria, www.movingimage.us
May 8, Boogie Stomp!, times vary (Runs through May 31). Variations
Theatre Group presents Boogie Stomp!, a theatrical evening starring two
of the greatest jazz/boogie/stride/blues pianists in the world, Bob Baldori and
Arthur Migliazza. $45. Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm, with matinees on
Sunday at 3 pm. (Special gala performance May 16 at 7 pm with cocktail
reception and catered buffet supper.) The Chain Theatre, 21-28 45th Rd., LIC, www.VariationsTheatreGroup.com.
May 9, Utamaro and His Five Women,
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. In this eponymous film, woodblock print-master Utamaro shuts out the
turbulence of the rambunctious 17th century Edo period by painstakingly and
conscientiously practicing his art, with the help of five selflessly devoted
models. An incensed local magistrate devises a particularly insidious
punishment by banning Utamaro from drawing for 50 days. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave.,
Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
May 10, Broadway legend Barbara Cook, 8 pm. Two-time Grammy
and Tony winner Barbara Cook graces the stage for an unforgettable evening
filled with her silvery soprano, warm presence and purity of tone. From
Broadway’s favorite ingénue to the defining voice of an era, Cook has performed
countless awe-inspiring performances throughout her lifetime. $45/$55/$69.
Colden Auditorium, Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway, Flushing,
www.kupferbergcenter.org (save 20% off four tickets using code “barbara20”).
May 10, 7:30 pm. Musica Reginae presents its second annual showcase
compelling new music for small ensembles by emerging and well-established New
York composers. Headlined by HILO Duo (Caroline Eva Chin on violin and Brian
Snow on cello). $20/$15/$10
(adult/senior/student). The
Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, www.musicareginae.org
May 10, Hello Dolly Party, 1 pm. The Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Museum of
the Moving Image join forces to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
the day that Satchmo’s “Hello Dolly” knocked the Beatles off the number one
spot on Billboard. A special reception, a presentation by Armstrong House archivist
Ricky Riccardi and a screening of the film Hello
Dolly, starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. $12, includes pass to
Armstrong House. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us
May 10-12, Three
Mizoguchi Films, times vary. 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. Hometown
(May 10 at 1 pm and May 11 at 2 pm)
is about an opera singer who returns to his northern Japan home from training
in Italy. White Threads of the
Waterfall (May 10, 3 pm and
May 11, 4 pm) is a silent about a circus performer who goes beyond her
means to support the young law school student whom she loves. After
circumstances force Taki to crime, she goes before the court and the presiding
judge—none other than her lover, who must blindly mete out what passes for
justice. Miyamoto Musashi (May 10, 4:30 pm and May 11, 6:30 pm)
concerns the 17th century inventor of two-sword combat. MMI, 36-01
35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us
May 11, Queens Mother of Reality, morning till dusk. The
unveiling of Queen Mother of Reality, Pawel Althamer’s
50-foot-by-18-foot sculpture of a reclining woman made from reclaimed
materials. Dedicated to Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely, the de facto community
mayor of Harlem since she was sworn in by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995, this
sculpture aims to bring attention to NYC’s displaced and homeless. On view
through Aug. 3. Free. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.socratessculpturepark.org
May 11, Springtime
Hike in Breezy Point, 10:30 am. Meet
at Fort Tilden, Building 1 and carpool in a caravan to Rockaway Peninsula’s
western tip to check out dune foliage, shore birds and a surprising assortment
of rocks and minerals used in the construction of the Breezy Point Jetty. This
two-mile hike is free, but RSVP bmchoen2@gmail.com or (718) 474-0896 is
required
May 12, Opening
for Moving the World to
the 1964 World’s Fair. Photo exhibit
will be on display at the AirTrain JFK Jamaica and Howard Beach stations until
Nov. 12
May 13, Queens Chamber of Commerce Annual Trade Show and Business Breakfast
been The Queens Chamber of Commerce presents Queens' largest business to business trade show at Citifield. Before the expo the NY Daily News is sponsoring the pre show breakfast that will have a panel of World's Fair enthusiasts and experts to talk about the impact of the World's Fairs.
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| www.queenschamber.org |
May 13, The Holocaust Through Muslim Eyes, 1:30 pm. Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism have long been recognized as deep-seated problems in parts of the Muslim world. Less well
known are the efforts of many Muslims to counteract anti-Semitism and the
heroic efforts of Muslims during the Holocaust. Professor Mehnaz Afridi speaks
on the Holocaust through Muslim eyes. She is Assistant Professor of Religious
Studies and Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education
Center at Manhattan College. $7 suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09
108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org
May 14, Italian Waters Opening, 6 pm. Western Queens artist Mary Teresa Giancoli exhibits
her photographs of processions, people and places in Sicily. Inspired by her
memory of a childhood journey to the Italian island, she took images of the
ocean, chronicling daily rituals and life in the streets and piazzas. Runs
until May 30. Free. Manducatis Rustica, 46-33 Vernon Blvd., LIC, www.manducatisrustica.com
May 14, Liz Santoro: Relative Collider, 8 pm (runs
nightly through May 17). Liz Santoro
has choreographed a dance performance inspired by the relative collider, a
machine that offers the opportunity to see, to measure, to quantify, to
exchange information between nervous systems. Like the rings of particle
accelerators, its structure holds value only insofar as it allows for the
creation of an experience and production of specific results. $15. The
Chocolate Factory, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC, www.chocolatefactorytheater.org
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.
