58 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 28, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Cosby and Queens A LONG HISTORY, ON STAGE BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Hey, hey, hey, Bill Cosby is coming our way. On Saturday, April 6, one of America’s most beloved and respected comedians, will be taking the stage at the Colden Auditorium at Queens College to share his stories with anyone looking for a night fi lled with laughs. “For me to perform at a college is usually an opportunity to speak and perform. I do not come out and do ‘educational questions;’ this is a performance,” he said. “You get Bill Cosby, the talking comedian who performs his own writings.” No matter the generation gap or gender of his audience, Cosby has fascinated fans with his comedy routines, iconic albums and best-selling books. Cosby promises the upcoming show will be “hilarious” and will include the audience’s identifi cation with the subject of confl icts at home, parenting, and relationships pertaining to the student. “It’s not about the changing of a chair that the student sits in, or whether or not someone can record what the professor is saying or whether one has a computer or a number two yellow pencil,” he said. “It’s about the human beings.” Having experience with raising fi ve children with the former Camille Hanks, Cosby believes it is very important to bring such subjects out on stage and watch everyone laugh and have them know that the person talking to them knows something about their feelings. “People come out saying things like ‘how did he get in my house?’” he quipped. Cosby holds fond memories of Queens when the Huxtables made their move from Brooklyn to Astoria, spending many years fi lming “The Cosby Show” at Kaufman Astoria Studios and where later “Cosby,” a CBS comedy TV series, was also fi lmed for three years. “Many times there are people who have shot their shows there and they always say ‘we were in your studio,’” he said. Breaking television’s racial barrier with the series “I Spy” in the 1960s, Cosby became the fi rst African American to costar in a television series while winning three consecutive Emmys. He also went on to create and produce the Emmy award-winning cartoon “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” designed both to entertain and educate viewers. With Cosby’s intent on portraying an American family, “The Cosby Show” was about a close-knit, upper middle class African- American family. The show conquered the number one spot for years, earning admiration for its contribution to American entertainment and culture. In his current best-seller titled “I Didn’t Ask to Be Born, But I’m Glad I Was,” Cosby talks about everything from the Bible to being a grandfather. For those not familiar with his style of performing, Cosby recommends they watch scenes from his recent appearances on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” or the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Cosby’s performance is part of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts’ “Best of the Best Series.” Tickets are $35 to $65 and are available by calling the Kupferberg Center Box Offi ce at 718-793-8080 or online at www. KupferbergCenter.org. Photo Courtesy of Erinn Chalene Bill Cosby will be performing at the Colden Auditorium at Queens College Saturday, April 6 at 8 p.m. as part of the Kupferberg Center’s “Best of the Best Series.” 1960s Musical Nostalgia at Queens College Hundreds of baby boomers enjoyed a nostalgic Sunday afternoon at Kupferberg Center (Colden Auditorium) at Queens College. Two mega acts from the 1960s sang their most popular tunes and musically honored some other stars as well. The Happenings sold millions of records around the world in the late 1960s. Their two biggest hits were upbeat versions of previous successes- -“See You in September” and “I’ve Got Rhythm.” Their lead singer, Bob Miranda, offered these and almost a dozen more favorites with the group’s drummer, guitarist and singer. Especially well received were tributes to The Four Seasons, The Righteous Brothers and Neil Diamond. Miranda earned a standing ovation for a solo combining songs from West Side Story and The Wizard of Oz. Act II belonged to Jay Black. He offered some of his lead vocals from the 1960s including “Only in America,” “Cara Mia,” and “Come A Little Bit Closer,” which helped establish him as a solid vocal presence for decades. Black sang these hits along with “This Magic Moment” and more than a half dozen more tunes. He opened with a tribute to Roy Orbison, while his encore, “Some Enchanted Evening,” concluded the show. Black encouraged the audience to sing along. At one point he handed the microphone to a fan in the front row who sang with unbridled enthusiasm. The audience also sang the chorus to “Come a Little Bit Closer.” Black’s self deprecating humor throughout his performance was well received. He joked that anyone under sixty would have a hard time fi guring out who he was. Black offered his admiration to songwriters who must fi nd the right words for emotions, especially for painful breakups. He also proudly introduced his son, who was playing on guitar. His grammar school granddaughter was also in the audience. In all, he was backed by a ten piece band and hundreds of admirers in the audience. Bravo! Sunday’s outstanding performance is just one of the programs presented by JES Entertainment, bringing rock, pop, and doo-wop to accessible venues. A tribute to Neil Diamond is coming in April. There’s an oldies concert in May and The Duprees in June. The summer’s schedule includes more 1960s million selling singers. Just call (718) 423-8394 for all the details. As always, save me a seat on the aisle! A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN EXCLUSIVE
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