(Queens, NY) How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Stay in Queens this weekend. Plus, the borough gets a head start on St. Patrick’s Day with events celebrating Irish music, dance, humor, and history. Add to that murder, Mariachis, musicals, Alfred Hitchcock, animation, and Nuyoricans. Here’s the rundown.
March 4, Carnegie Hall presents: West Side Story, through March 6. As a celebration of Carnegie Hall’s 125th anniversary, the Weill Music Institute presents an exploration of West Side Story that immerses audiences in exhibition, theater, and special events (Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm). Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Ave., Maspeth, www.knockdown.center.
March 4, Murder for Two, through March 6. Two performers play 13 roles — not to mention the piano — in a witty homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries. (March 4 at 2 pm, March 5 at 2 pm and 8 pm, and March 6 at 3 pm.) $25-$42. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.
March 4-6, Alfred Hitchcock Weekend, times vary. To celebrate the legendary film director, the following movies will screen: Hitchcock/Truffaut, March 4 at 7 pm and March 6 at 5 pm. Double Take, March 5 at 2 pm; Dial M For Murder in 3-D, March 5 at 4 pm; Vertigo, March 5 at 7 pm; and The Wrong Man, March 6 at 7 pm. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
March 4, Panorama Challenge, 6 pm. This ninth annual, 60-question, NYC-centric trivia contest is for teams. $15 (proceeds go to The City Reliquary Museum at the host). Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queensmuseum.org.
March 4, Ritual de Primavera, through March 20. The debut of a show inspired by Mexican wedding traditions and performed by the Astoria-based Calpulli Mexican Dance Company and its Mariachi band. (Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 4 pm.) $40. Thalía Spanish Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, www.thaliatheatre.org.
March 4, Lend Me a Tenor, 8 pm (and March 6 at 2:30 pm). Set in 1936, the Cleveland Grand Opera Company contracts a world-famous Italian tenor. Circumstances get out of hand with hilarious results due to calamity, mistaken identity, and passion run amok. $18. Maggie’s Little Theater, 66-05 79th Pl., Middle Village, www.maggieslittletheater.org.
March 4, Free First Friday, 10 am. On the first Friday of every month, the museum offers free admission and tours in English and Japanese. Explore the works of an internationally renowned, Japanese-American artist. Free. Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd., LIC, www.noguchi.org.
March 4, Nuyorican Cinema, 7:30 pm. This forum explores Puerto Rican Diaspora cinema via a panel discussion with filmmakers, content creators, and curators. Interspersed with video clips from films such as Hangin’ with the Homeboys, Short Eyes, Empire, Los Sures, and Brincando El Charco, the panel addresses the contributions of New York-born Puerto Ricans to the entertainment industry. Free. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.
March 4 & 5, Smashworks Dance Collective and Roots in Revolution, 8 pm. As part of the monthly Take Root series, Smashworks presents an athletic, prop-oriented work exploring societal pressure to find wholeness in a relationship. Roots is an all-female company that swirls together movement from traditional dances – sabar, djembe, samba – and more contemporary technique. $15. Green Space, 37-24 24th Street, LIC, www.greenspacestudio.org.
March 5, De Temps Antan, 7 pm. This Québécois trio brings explosive musical energy to traditional folk music with a blazing fiddle, brash accordion, and exquisite guitar accompaniment. Performance at 8 pm. $16. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
March 5, Sixth Annual Queens World Film Festival Family Day, noon to 3 pm. View child-friendly animation by adult filmmakers and youth enrolled in the Queens World Film Festival Young Filmmakers Programs. Explore hand-drawn, claymation, stop-motion, and computer-generated animation. Free with admission. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona, www.nysci.org.
March 5, Hairspray, 8:30 pm (and March 6 at 3 pm). This musical tells the story of a plump teenager in Baltimore in 1962. She wins a role on a TV dance program and becomes a celebrity. Then, she launches a campaign to fight injustice. $22. Bay Terrace Garden Jewish Center, 13-00 209th St., Bayside, www.theatrebythebayny.com.
March 5, Lexington Piano Trio, 7:30 pm. Musica Reginae presents Lexington Piano Trio with violinist Cyrus Beroukhim, cellist Arash Amini, and pianist Barbara Podgurski performing some of the most demanding classical works and premieres of new works. $20. The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, www.musicareginae.org.
March 5, Guardians of Flushing Bay, 1 pm. A discussion on how to thwart damage by raw sewage dumped into Flushing Bay and Creek. Free. Skyline Princess Cruise Ship, One World’s Fair Marina, Flushing, more info at guardiansofflushingbay@gmail.com and (609) 651-1288.
March 5, Spring Scan Party,1 pm. Bring old photos of the neighborhood to scan. The photos will become part of a huge collection of images of LIC and Astoria. Free. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, LIC, www.astorialic.org.
March 5, Hands on History: Fruit Harvest, 1:30 pm. Learn about life in the past by creating paper produce inspired by the crops Rufus King grew on his farm. Listen to stories about colonial farming. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
March 5, Note by Note, 1 pm. Steinway & Sons was founded on this day in 1853. Celebrate with archival films such as the documentary Note by Note. Filmmaker Ben Niles spent more than a year charting the process by which Steinway & Sons manufactures one of its concert grand pianos. Free. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, LIC, www.astoralic.org.
March 5, Compost 101, 10 am. Learn how to reduce waste and create compost from leaves, kitchen scraps, garden trimmings, and weeds. $5. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, registration required at www.compost0101.eventbrite.com.
March 6, Women and the Easter Rebellion of 1916, 2:30 pm. A presentation by Hofstra University professor Maureen Murphy, who wrote Compassionate Stranger: Asenath Nicholson and the Great Irish Famine. Free. Queens Historical Society, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.
March 6, An Afternoon of Irish Stories, Humor, and Song, 1:30 pm. The Rockaway Artists Alliance presents a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration with homemade corned beef and performers such as the Acosta School of Irish Music and Dance. Free. Studio 7 Gallery, Fort Tilden, www.rockawayartistsalliance.org.
March 6, The Cultural Crossroads of Ireland & Africa, 1 pm. Niall O’Leary and Lenwood Sloan demonstrate how Irish and African-American dance blend together in tap. Performance at 2:15 pm. $7/$4 for children. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
March 6, Producing Silence: Hollywood, the Holocaust, and the Jews, 1 pm. An interesting lecture. Free. Kupferberg Holocaust Center, Queensborough Community College, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.qcc.cuny.edu/khrca.
March 6, Fertile Ground, 7 pm. This monthly new works showcase allows emerging and established performing artists to present, followed by a wine-and-cheese discussion. $12. Green Space, 37-24 24th St., LIC, www.greenspacestudio.org.
March 6, Con Brio Ensemble, 2 pm. Celebrating its 37th season, the Con Brio Ensemble plays chamber music with piano, violin, oboe, and soprano voice. Expect Bach, Beethoven, and Debussy. $12. Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, www.vomuseum.org.
March 6, Long Island City Tour, 1:30 pm. This three-hour, small-group walking tour goes through LIC’s thriving arts and culinary scene. Meet interesting local artists, makers, and entrepreneurs, and enjoy additional stops for light bites and local microbrews. $65, advance booking required, www.bqetours.com.
March 6, Women in Sports, noon. Celebrate, honor, and engage young women in sports with demos, speakers, activities, and giveaways. Free. Al Oerter Recreation Center, 131-40 Fowler Ave., Flushing, www.nyc.gov/parks.
March 7, Politics As Usual, 1:30 pm. Former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi discusses the current political campaign season, sharing an insider’s view of electoral politics. Suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
March 7, Virtual Tour, 7 pm. Forgotten NY webmaster Kevin Walsh shows scenes from recent trips to Travis, Staten Island, and Broad Channel, Queens, where the NYC skyline is a far-off vision on the horizon. These are two small towns within the big city. $5. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, LIC, www.astoralic.org.
March 8, Social Media Mixer, 6:30 pm. The borough’s Twitter and Instagram influencers meet, greet, and sample unique food and beverages. Free. Spaces, Falchi Building, 31-00 47th Ave., LIC, more info at sbrown@queensny.org.
March 8, Empty Bowls, 3 pm, 5 pm, and 7 pm. Attendees choose a bowl by The Potter’s Wheel, enjoy a meal of soup and bread, and take home the bowl to remember world hunger. $15 donation to help a local family in need. Austin’s Ale House, 82-70 Austin St., Kew Gardens, www.potterswheelny.com.
March 10, Laff Lab Comedy Club, 7 pm. Stand-up comedy with local performers. Free with RSVP. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.
March 10, Button Art, 12:30 pm. Learn ways to create button art, including monograms, sceneries, and trees. Free. Detective Keith Williams Field House, 106-16 173rd St., Jamaica, www.parks.nyc.gov.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.
