FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com MAY 19, 2016 • TIMES 25 around queens Forest Hills Stadium prepares for 2016 summer concert lineup Ozone Park youngster earns high marks Lianna Menegalli, a third-grader at P.S. 63 in Ozone Park, was recently presented with the Student of the Month award for her achievements. Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder visited the school last week and provided Menegalli with a citation honoring her dedication to learning. Pictured from left to right are P.S. 63 Principal Diane Marino, mother Lynn Menegalli, Goldfeder, Lianna Menegalli, father Micahel Menegalli and teacher Donna Romano. Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder BY VICTOR MARASSO [email protected] @ridgewoodtimes Queens residents, as well as music lovers throughout the city, are gearing up for the 2016 Forest Hills Tennis Stadium concert series. Now in its second year, this season’s lineup is going to be more exciting than ever before The 14,000-seat horseshoe-shaped venue gives concertgoers a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline in the distance. The stadium itself is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood. Around the stadium, there is a park-like ambiance, with trees and grass everywhere you look. When dusk falls and the stadium’s lights are aglow, the scene is picture postcard perfect. This legendary venue is also home to a great deal of history. The stadium was built in 1923, specifi - cally to host the U.S. Open tournament and the Davis Cup. During its heyday, the stadium was also the site of the wildly popular Forest Hills Music Festival. Frank Sinatra, The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel, Diana Ross, The Rolling Stones and The Who are just a few of the performers who graced the stadium stage. In 1964, The Beatles performed two concerts here. Paul, John, George and Ringo actually arrived by helicopter both nights. Their chopper landed on the grass, near the west side tennis club’s Tudor-style clubhouse. With a police escort, The Beatles walked over to the stage, with a sold-out crowd of screaming fans in attendance. After doing an hour-long set, the band went back to the waiting helicopter and took off. But, eventually, the glory days of the stadium came to an end. The U.S. Open moved to Flushing Meadows Park in 1978. Concerts were held sporadically at the venue through the early ’90s until it was closed down for good. Abandoned and in complete disrepair, the onceproud stadium was almost razed in 2010, to make way for a condo development. But a new lease on life was granted to the stadium in 2013, when concert promoters Madison House reached an agreement with the West Side Tennis club to renovate and re-open the venerable venue. The new promoters addressed community concerns about noise and potentially unruly crowds at several meetings with community residents and civic leaders. After a lot of headaches and red tape, the promoters were given the green light to start booking acts. In 2014, The Who made a triumphant return to Forest Hills. With over 3 million dollars in renovations, the stadium is more cozy and comfortable than ever before. The beautiful retro facade on the outside of the stadium has been burnished up a little, but still looks as nice as it did back in the day. Though professional tennis is no longer played there, the spirit of competition still lives on at One Tennis Place. Four surfaces, (clay, Har-Tu, hard and grass), are spread out over 38 tennis courts. The grounds also feature a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool. The 2016 lineup of concerts is as follows: June 16, 2016, and June 17, 2016 (6:30 p.m.) Mumford and Sons June 18, 2016 (5 p.m.) Disclosure Presents Wild Life June 25, 2016 (7 p.m.) Dolly Parton June 30, 2016, and July 1, 2016 (7:30 p.m.) Paul Simon July 7, 2016 (7:30 p.m.) Matthew Morrison with the New York Pops July 8, 2016 (8 p.m.) Bob Dylan July 20, 2016 (7 p.m.) Flight of the Conchords July 22, 2016 (7:30 p.m.) Louis C.K. July 23, 2016 (7 p.m.) Chris Stapleton Aug. 27, 2016 (7 p.m.) Flume Oct. 9, 2016 (7:30 p.m.) Van Morrison The E, M, F and R train stations are only a few blocks walk from the stadium. The Long Island Rail Road also has a station nearby. Photo via Forest Hills Stadium
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