Figgy Pudding Short Play Fest

Xmas Comedy at Café Marlene in Sunnyside

December 1, 2011 / Sunnyside / Theater in Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. Sofia Geier, founder of the Unity Stage Company, has put together a comedic treat of nine quick one act plays that draw upon holiday traditions, providing cheer by cynically poking fun at people, places and patches out of the spirit of Christmas past ... and present.

I attended one of their dress rehearsals several days prior to opening night. The plays included some sharp turns in the road and a small sag in the middle. But the general production quality, playwrights' humor and professional acting kept me amused for most of the hour and a half the plays ran.

Click here to read more about the Unity Stage Company’s nine one act plays in the Figgy Pudding Play Fest at Café Marlene running Thursday through Sunday, December 1 – 4, beginning at 8 pm.

Sunnyside Christmas Tree Lighting 2011

T'is The Season To Be Jolly

November 28, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. It's hard to believe another year has gone by. On Tuesday, the Queens Chamber of Commerce held its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Sabba Park on Queens Blvd and 50th Street, marking such an occasion.

It was a warm, wet night, with temperatures in the 60's. The rain came down lightly and intermittently, but just enough to ward off any sort of large gathering, like the one that had assembled last year.

Click here to view our report and photo slide show of the Sunnyside Christmas Tree Lighting of 2011.

Taste of Sunnyside

Restaurants in Sunnyside @ 2nd Annual Food Event

October 18, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. It was a fine night for a food fest in Sunnyside, New York. So I sauntered on down to the Sunnyside Community Service Center to see what delectables awaited me at the 2nd annual Taste of Sunnyside.

There were 20 Sunnyside restaurants and four beverage vendors this year. All of which are located in the Sunnyside vicinity. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to sample all of them before the end of the first seating.

There were two seatings this year, and both were pretty well sold out … click here to read the rest of our report on the Taste of Sunnyside, including a slide show with photos of the food, many of the restaurateurs, and the folks who’d come to sample the fare of the restaurants in Sunnyside.

Greening Western Queens

July 9, 2011 / Sunnyside / Eco-friendly In Queens / Queens Buzz. I went to check out the Greening Western Queens event which was held in Sunnyside on Saturday morning. I went, not knowing what to expect, and found the event provided a tree-mendous opportunity to learn more about what trees do for us, how to get involved in identifying places to have trees planted, as well as how to care for them.

The Con Ed blackout in 2006 hit areas like Astoria and Sunnyside rather hard. Following the blackout there were financial settlements made with Con Ed, one of which was a $7.8 million fund that went to NorthStar for the purposes of building more sustainable – and thus energy efficient – infrastructure in these neighborhoods.

I wasn’t aware that these two neighborhoods have far less tree coverage than the city average [which is 14% tree coverage] and hence require far more air conditioning to keep cool in the summer.

Click here to learn more about Greening Western Queens - including info about tree types, tree insects, tree mapping and tree care certification in Queens. You will also learn how you can become involved in selecting public and private tree planting locations in Queens.

Queen Of Angels Art Fair

Sunnyside Fair Becoming Established Art Sales Venue

June 18, 2011 / Sunnyside / Art Exhibits / Queens Buzz. It was a warm sunny afternoon in Sunnyside as I made my way down to the Queen Of Angels Church to view the work of about 30 artists. I went late in the afternoon, as last year there was a large crowd at the opening [after Sunday mass], and the numbers didn’t taper off until the end of the afternoon.

This art fair, like a fine wine, continues to evolve. The fair includes exhibitors from the Sunnyside, Woodside and other Queens neighborhoods, as well as from Brooklyn. The artwork on display is for sale, making it interactive so-to-speak, and it seemed like there was a fair amount of sales this year, although I can’t tell whether it’s because I know the artists better [and they feel more comfortable telling me such things] or because they sold more. In any case it’s for a good cause, as some of the proceeds also go toward the Queen of Angels Church. The eye shown in the photo to your left is the work of Casey Concelmo.

Later today click here to read more about and view photos of the Queen Of Angels Art Fair in Sunnyside.

Inside The Creative Process

John Jasperse Open Rehearsal At Topaz Arts In Woodside

May 2, 2011 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Dance & Theater / Queens Buzz. I visited Topaz Arts in Woodside Monday night, to observe an open rehearsal presented by John Jasperse & Company. Jasperse is a highly regarded contemporary choreographer and dancer. He is the creator of a number of award winning works, the most recent of which is Truth, Revised Histories, Wishful Thinking and Flat Out Lies. He is currently working on a new dance to be presented at BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music] this fall as part of their Next Wave program. Next Wave showcases innovative dance, theater and music.

The open rehearsal began with Jasperse showing what are essentially draft dance pieces of his new work. There were a number of dancers involved in the project who performed while we watched and listened to the accompanying music on a portable player. As the event was an Open Rehearsal, the dancers weren’t wearing any costumes or outfits, but rather loose athletic clothing, the kind you’d expect to see them wearing while practicing.

Click here to read more about John Jasperse & Company open rehearsal at Topaz Arts in Woodside.

St Pat's Parade 2011 Photos

Parade In Sunnyside, Woodside & Queens

March 7, 2011 / Sunnyside & Woodside / Queens Buzz. The St. Pat's For All Parade in Sunnyside marched up Skillman Avenue to Woodside in spite of a persistent rain and overcast skies. The event was headlined by the Mayor, the City Council Speaker, two city councilmen, a former police chief and a couple of guests from Ireland.

Of note was Christine Quinn's impassioned speech about eliminating discrimination. This speech was in response to a decision by the St. Patrick's Day Parade organizers in Staten Island to prohibit gays from marching in their parade. A similar decision was made about ten years ago by the Manhattan St. Patrick's Day parade organizers. The St. Pat's For All Parade in Sunnyside & Woodside does not prohibit gays from marching in its parade.

Given the inclement weather and shortened parade route [all parade routes have been shortened by 25% this year], there appeared to be far fewer parade watchers, but that didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits [pun intended]. Shortly after the parade ended a great downpour came, telling us all that the parade was over. I guess our Irish guests brought along a bit of weather from the old country.

Click here to view a slide show of St Patrick's Day Parade photos 2011 in Sunnyside, Woodside & Queens.

Turkish Cultural Center Celebrates Ashura

Noah's Pudding Commemorated

January 14, 2011 / Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. I just returned from an evening at the Turkish Cultural Center in Sunnyside, where I joined them in celebrating Ashura or Noah’s Pudding. Ashura is an ancient Turkish tradition that commemorates the landing of Noah’s Ark following the great flood. According to the Book Of Genesis, Mount Ararat in Turkey is where Noah's Ark finally touched dry land. A photo of Mount Ararat is shown in the photo to your right.

Mount Ararat is located in eastern Turkey along the Iranian border. The mountain is a dormant volcano that stands nearly 17,000 feet tall and is the highest point in that region of the Middle East.

Click here to learn more about the Turkish Cultural Center in Sunnyside and about the ancient tradition of celebrating Noah’s Pudding. This report also includes photos of the event which was held at the center.

Dance Competition Raises Thousands

Proceeds To Go To New Unit Of Variety B&G Club

Sunnyside / November 22, 2010 / Queens Buzz. On Satuday night I attended a fundraiser at St. Raphael's Auditorium in LIC / Sunnyside. As I walked in I found myself swept up by the magnitude of the crowd, as well as the energy and excitement for the event.

The auditorium was filled with an assortment of tables and chairs, nearly all of which were filled. Dazies Restaurant had catered the event and the food was going fast. The introductory remarks were made by City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who had talked about the importance of programs for kids to which the proceeds of this event would go.

I met Vincent Renda and Vanessa Lockel who helped orient me to the overall program and upcoming dance competition. Click here to read our full account of the great Dance Competition Fundraiser for the new Sunnyside unit of the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens.

What Happened At The Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival?

Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival 2010

September 25, 2010 / Sunnyside / Queens Buzz. The Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival ended last weekend. After the festival there was animated chatter about the films which included a blend of comedy, drama, animation and documentaries.

So I set about to interview members of the audience to see which film they liked best. And to my surprise everyone seemed to favor a different film - including me. The photo to your right is a clip from 'Some Jobs Are Simple'. Click here to read our report and view photos of the Sunnyside Shorts Film Festival 2010.