56 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • FEBRUARY 16, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM buzz ‘Flamenco Vivo’ at Queens Theatre Rain and sleet pummel the grass and gardens near beautiful Queens Th eatre at Flushing Meadows/Corona Park. Inside, the stage itself is pounded by the fi ery steps of “Flamenco Vivo.” Their tribute to southern Spain’s creative history is proudly named “Poema de Andalucia.” Artistic director Carlota Santana (with associate artistic director Antonio Hidalgo) off ers dazzling dancers with charismatic singers and musicians in their third consecutive performance attracting large crowds. Clearly, such enthusiasm onstage and in the audience confi rms the successful resurgence of this mesmerizing and historic art form. In Act 1, a huge screen “upstage” shows both real and expressionistic images that are interwoven into the scenes. Th e ladies, wearing stunning dresses, weave their magic with elegance and swagger. Th e men demonstrate their own compelling emotions with movements that paradoxically reveal both vulnerability and unshakeable confi dence. Unlike other troupes, the dancers frequently strike a pose as if they are human works of art. Th is represents their tribute to artists Romero de Torres and legendary Pablo Picasso. By Act 2, the intensity, grace and beauty of individual performances continues to combine with masterfully choreographed group sequences. Yes, there is pride and love but there is oft en deep sadness. Th e costumes unabashedly become more colorful and bold. Th e excitement in the audience is palpable. Th e singers and dancers acknowledge these moments with a wave and fl ourish. Truly their movements are as beautifully poetic as the legendary artists that they honor. Although solos are unforgettable, the heart and soul of the performance is the ensemble. Bravos and bravisimas to dancers Isaac Tovar, Estefania Ramirez, Eliza Llewellyn, Laura Peralta and Pablo Fraile. Well-earned bows to the musicians Gaspar Rodríguez, Pedro Medina, Francisco Orozco “Yiyi” (singer, percussionist) and Roberto Lorente (singer). Kudos as well to Sally Lesser (costumes), Candy Kuehn (costumes) and Calvin Hazen (music). It takes several choreographers to deliver such a breathtaking project. Th ey include Enrique Vicente, Antonio Lopez, Susana di Palma and José Maldonado. Aft er the show, a special wine tasting session, courtesy of Addictive Wine and Tapas from Jackson Heights, is open to theatergoers of legal age. Good conversation is also available. Th ere will be more dance programs by other talented troupes in the weeks ahead. Call the box offi ce at 718- 760-0064 or surf to www. queenstheatre.org. As always, save me a seat on the aisle. A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN Sample sweet Queens bakers making treats without a store BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@ AngelaMatua One Astoria resident is hoping to expose Queens to desserts from local bakers who do not have traditional storefronts but are whipping up delicious desserts. Ashley Dean, the person behind event-planning company Queen of Astoria, will host Aft er Dinner Party at QNS Collective on Feb. 24. Starting at 8 p.m., the event will include music from DJ J Fuse, cocktails made by local mixologists and gift bags. QNS Collective is an event space located at 36-27 36th St. Dean, who has been planning the party for about two months, described the event as a “laid back aft er-work event on a Friday night.” “I wanted to provide a platform for these bakeries to showcase their work, and most of them are friends and live in the Astoria community,” Dean said. She chose local bakers who needed some additional exposure and those who are giving back to the community. Renee Heitmann, the woman behind Single Girl Cookies, is an Astoria baker who uses her cookies as a way to “spread love and kindness one cookie at a time,” according to her website. Heitmann brings a plate of cookies to an Astoria business every week. When she picks up the plate from a certain shop, the owner has to tell Heitmann what business deserves the next batch of cookies. Montana D’Alessio is the mastermind behind Donut Diva. D’Alessio only sells her creations at Queens Comfort, a restaurant in Astoria. Th ese are no ordinary donuts — with options like cereal cake (you can choose any cereal to sprinkle on your donut), S’mores (chocolate chip cake with marshmallow glaze and graham cracker crumb) and Apple Cider (salted caramel glaze and crushed pie crust or crushed butterfi nger), there’s something for everyone. Aloria Cakes and Gourmet Sweets, also based in Astoria, is a wholesale and custom order bakery. The company uses mostly organic ingredients and each cake, cookie and cupcake is handmade in small batches out of their commercial kitchen space. From birthdays to anniversaries and baby showers, Aloria Cakes can make sweets for any occasion. Jae NYC Eats offers unique Twinkie-inspired cakes called “cakies.” The owners, who are Filipino, infuse their desserts with traditional Filipino flavors like ube, pandan coconut and jackfruit. They also offer chocolate with matcha cream filling cakies and flavors like maple bacon rum. Jae NYC Eats has no commercial space but does offer catering and sells their products at Queens International Night Market. Lexy’s Cupcake Bar specializes in custom order cupcakes. The company sells more traditional flavors like vanilla with buttercream frosting cupcakes and also infuses their products with alcohol to make options like Honey Jack Daniels-infused red velvet cupcakes. Vegan desserts will also be available. Gift bags with merchandise from Yelp and dental products from Steinway Family Dental will be provided “so you can brush your teeth after eating all the sweets,” Dean said. The event will be set up buffet-style so guests can choose to eat whichever dessert is most appealing. Specialty cocktails will also be available but will not be included in the ticket price. Pre-sale tickets cost $15 and a day-of ticket costs $18. To purchase a ticket, visit http://www.queenofastoria. com/2017/02/02/event-announcement/.
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