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.
