Revisiting the top arts and entertainment stories of the year
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
Another year of amazing
events over, and a new one just
begun…
A lot has happened, artswise,
here in the ‘World’s
Borough’ and as 2020 unfolds
there’s tons more in store!
“If Queens were a baseball
player in arbitration with a
team owner, it would be able to
negotiate a huge contract. Put
simply, we had a terrific year!”
said Queens Economic Development
Corporation Tourism
Director Rob MacKay. “We
hosted big-ticket, international
events such as the Hong Kong
Dragon Boat Races, the U.S.
Open, and the Hello Panda Festival.
We hosted tremendous
food events, such as Queens
Taste. And we hosted a wide
array of great theater, art, concerts,
and other unique items,
such as the Flushing Historic
House Tour in December.
“So much fun, and now
we’re ready for a wonderful
2020!”
Here are some highlights:
Back in March, the ninth
annual Queens World Film
Festival (QWFF) shone a spotlight
on a host of boundarybreaking
indie films.
Mexican Oscar-winning
filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón,
once said, “As artists, our job
is to look where others don’t.”
And like Cuarón, participating
filmmakers shared their
own compelling stories with
audiences at the Museum of
the Moving Image (MoMI) in
Astoria.
“Thousand Pieces of Gold”
and “Quiet Storm” were among
the 200-plus local/global
screenings that had something
relevant, moving and worthwhile
to say. The 2019 line-up
included 79 films by women, 14
LGBTQ-themed works, and 15
by Asian filmmakers; also, 6
films were made by kids. Eyebrow
raising shorts included
Academy Award-nominated
“Marguerite.”
“We are finding that artists
everywhere are reflecting the
times we live in.” said QWFF
Executive Director Katha
Cato.
An outrageous, mindblowing
comedy show set in
Queens, explored celebrity,
fame and religion.
Queens Theatre’s audiences
TIMESLEDGER |24 QNS.COM | JAN. 3-JAN. 9, 2020
loved “Relic, or, I Was
Bubbie’s Favorite,” which premiered
Mother’s Day weekend.
Described as intelligent,
with humor and heart, “Relic”
explored the true meaning
of family ties and took the
audience on a surreal and hilarious,
truth-finding journey
from the Rego Park attic of Joel
Feinman’s (Adam Green) bubbie
— where he finds a mysterious
ancient box that transforms
his life – to the last scene
in which he waxes poetic about
circumcisions, Jesus Christ,
and goats.
Director Will Pomerantz
called it “an incredible tourde
force for an actor” who
plays 20 different characters
with different accents.
Performing together with
Blondie, Rock and Roll Hall of
Famer and Grammy awardwinning
composer Elvis Costello
& The Imposters brought
the house down during their
co-headlining performance at
Forest Hills Stadium in July.
That memorable event
marked the first time Blondie
had graced the Forest Hills
stage and a return for Costello,
who last performed there about
35 years ago.
While a super-talented
cast brought that memorable
Broadway experience to LIC
audiences, Queens Theatre
kicked off their 31st season
with a bang. Parsons Dance
company showed off their
moves back in September,
and laughter filled the theater
when Neil Simon’s “Barefoot
in the Park” opened in November
followed by Calpulli
Mexican Dance Company’s
electric holiday show, “Navidad:
A Mexican-American
Christmas.”
“For more than 30 years,
Queens Theatre has introduced
audiences to innovative
and exhilarating theatre,
dance and family programming,”
Executive Director
Taryn Sacramone said. “We’re
inspired by the diversity of our
home borough, and the adventurousness
of our audience
members.”
Filmmakers from across the world gathered at the Museum of the
Moving Image to preview their films before screening at the 2019
Queens World Film Festival. Photo by Ken Brown
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with Purchase of 2 Cocktails,
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/QNS.COM
