Flushing Town Hall To Celebrate Lunar New Year With Costume Art, The Dragon King, 2018 Chinese New Year Temple Bazaar

Flushing Town Hall will celebrate the Year of the Dog with a series of events celebrating the Lunar New Year in February and March, including stunning costumes from the Imperial Peking Opera and a presentation of The Dragon King by the acclaimed Tanglewood Marionettes.

Flushing Town Hall will present The Costume Art of Imperial Peking Opera, opening on Saturday, February 17. The Peking Opera is recognized as the most important Chinese theater in China. Known as the "Imperial Theater" because emperors and queens were deeply in love with it during the Qing Dynasty, these opera costumes are considered to be an important achievement in theater art. This exhibition presents carefully selected pieces from some of the most famous episodes in Peking Opera. These charming yet stunning works of art will provide many surprises.

An opening reception will be held on February 17 at 2:00 pm. Visitors can view the exhibition then through Sunday March 11 in the first-floor Gallery. Gallery hours are Noon to 5:00 p.m. on weekends, or by appointment on weekdays. Flushing Town Hall recommends a $5 donation, and students and members can visit for free.

And, on Saturday, March 10, the award-winning Tanglewood Marionettes present The Dragon King, an underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore, at Flushing Town Hall. This tale is filled with colorful sea creatures, exciting adventure, and the gorgeous puppets of the Tanglewood Marionettes. This family show and interactive arts workshop are sure to inspire a love for puppetry in children and adults alike.

The Dragon King will captivate audiences of all ages with a story that transports viewers to a land overtaken by a terrible drought, where everything has turned brown and lifeless. An intrepid grandmother journeys to the bottom of the sea in search of the elusive Dragon King, ruler over all things water, to find out why he has not brought the life-giving rains. You can see highlights from the show in this video.

Founded in 1993, Tanglewood Marionettes is a nationally touring marionette theater based in New England. Large, beautifully hand-crafted marionettes, colorful sets, and integrated lighting and sound create a fully immersive theatrical experience. Its highly skilled puppeteers have spent many years perfecting their art and delighting audiences of all ages as they bring a repertoire of classic tales to life. Tanglewood Marionettes is the recipient of two UNIMA awards, puppetry's highest honor, for The Dragon King and An Arabian Adventure.

Prior to the show, the Tanglewood Marionettes will demonstrate the basics of marionette puppet manipulation through an interactive arts workshop. Participants will be provided with handcrafted marionettes and learn simple movement techniques to express emotion. The marionettes are unpainted to showcase the construction and joining techniques.

Chinese New Year Temple Bazaar

This February also brings the return of the annual Chinese New Year Temple Bazaar, which has been expanded due to its overwhelming popularity over the last three years. The event, which illustrates Flushing Town Hall's mission to present multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities in New York, celebrates one of the most significant traditional holidays in Chinese culture with the Chinese American community during the Lunar New Year, which officially begins on February 16.

Flushing Town Hall is co-presenting the Temple Bazaar with the Council of Chinese-American Associations (CCAA) for a greater lineup of cultural programs, bringing performers from the Anhui province to New York City and presenting classic episodes and arias from Hui opera and Huangmei opera, the popular regional opera originated from Anhui province. The CCAA has extensive experience collaborating with artists from China, bringing them to the U.S. to present at various folk art festivals.

Due to popular demand, Flushing Town Hall is extending the Chinese New Year Temple Bazaar from one to two days on Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11.

On February 10, Flushing Town Hall will kick off the Temple Bazaar with a New Year's parade at 9:30 AM. The march will start in front of the Flushing Queens Library, walking along Main street and making a turn on Northern Boulevard to Flushing Town Hall.

That day's programming will then showcase a variety of performances, including Chinese traditional music, Chinese circus performances, and lion dance. Renowned calligraphers will write New Year couplet onsite for guests to bring home for a good year. The Bazaar also will feature craft stations such as paper-cutting and lantern-making, and food vendors representing various Chinese regional cuisine.

Then on Sunday, February 11, the Anhui Performing Arts Group will perform traditional Hui and Huangmei opera and Anhui folk songs during as three-hour event. To accommodate the special presentation on February 11, there will not be any craft stations or food vendors that day.

Visit www.flushingtownhall.org throughout the month for updates on the schedule of activities and performances. Flushing Town Hall encourages people to purchase tickets early, due to sellout crowds over the last few years. For tickets and more information, visit www.flushingtownhall.org; (718) 463-7700 x222.

Flushing Town Hall is accessible by car, bus, train and foot - located a short distance from the 7 train - at 137-35 Northern Blvd., in Flushing, Queens. Access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility is available.

This season, Flushing Town Hall is opening its doors to teenagers - for FREE. Under the "Teen Access Program", all 13- to 19-year-old boys and girls (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love in the arts and culture.