Kupferberg Center at Queens College Announces 2011-2012 Season

Kupferberg Center for the Arts announces its 2011/2012 season of classical music, theater, dance, special events and family programming. Season highlights include the New York premiere of Tear Jar, The Blues Musical, Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway, which is a Queens exclusive, and the 50th anniversary of the Kupferberg Center's classical concert series.

Classical music was the first sound to emanate from the new Charles Colden Auditorium in 1961 when the New York Philharmonic, under Maestro Andre Kostelanetz inaugurated the hall. In every season since, classical music has played a starring role in the Kupferberg performance series and this season is no exception. Audiences can choose from outstanding concerts by talented and innovative artists whose passionate playing excites audiences worldwide. The first performance in this series is Ahn Trio, Piano Trio on November 6, 2011.

In addition to classical music, the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College presents a rich schedule of performances this season.

The Marriage of Bette and Boo - October 27 - November 6, 2011
Presented by Queens College Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance
Written by: Christopher Durang
Director: Claudia Feldstein
The Marriage of Bette and Boo chronicles the dysfunctional family story of one couple trying to cope as they contend with their own parents, raise their son and try to overcome their inability to communicate with each other.
Tickets: $12 - $14, The Performance Space, Rathaus Hall M11

Ahn Trio, Piano Trio - Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 2:00 pm
The members of the Ahn Trio-sisters Maria, Lucia and Angella-are redefining the art and architecture of chamber music. The Ahns breath new life into the standard piano trio literature with commissioned works from visionary composers like Pat Metheny, Kenji Bunch, Maurice Jarre, Nikolai Kapustin and Michael Nyman.
"One of the most glamorous and hip sister acts in classical music" - The Los Angeles Times
Tickets: $34 - $36, Lefrak Concert Hall

The Nutcracker - Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 3:00 pm
The perfect introduction to the perennial holiday favorite The Nutcracker is back by popular demand. Brighton Ballet Theater Company's original version-featuring dazzling Russian-trained dancers, exquisite costumes and the beloved music by Tchaikovsky-has been created for family audiences. All ages.
Tickets: $12 - $18, Colden Auditorium

Bebe & Cece Winans - Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Join us for this very special concert. Detroit-born brother and sister BeBe (Benjamin) and CeCe (Priscilla) Winans are part of the gospel-singing Winans family. As a duo, BeBe & CeCe embrace and extol the gospel message, however, their records have the production value and style of contemporary R&B. They are true crossover artists whose popularity has not waned in the years since their mainstream debut release in 1987 with the self-titled album BeBe & CeCe Winans. This debut record gave them their first R&B hit, "I.O.U. Me," which topped R&B and inspirational charts and generated Grammy nominations, and Dove and Stellar Awards.
BeBe and CeCe Winans' accolades include three Grammy Awards, nine Dove Awards, two NAACP Image awards, two Soul Train Music Awards, numerous Stellar Awards, three Gold albums, and one Platinum album.
Tickets: $44 - $48, Colden Auditorium

Influx: Turkish Contemporary Dance - Saturday, February 25 at 8:00 pm
The Kupferberg Center and the QC Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance present a special performance for the Year of Turkey: Exploring Past, Present, and Future.
Traveling from Istanbul, Turkey, Choreographers/Dancers Mustafa Kaplan, Ayse Orhon and Filiz Sizlani, create compelling work that challenges perceptions of dance. The performance includes: Cok, conceived and performed by Ayse Orhon. COK and is a meditation on the question, "How many bodies can a body embody?" The dance is narrated through personal reflections of dancers, choreographers and visual artists from Istanbul. It also includes Sek Sek choreographed and performed by Mustafa Kaplan and Filiz Sizlani. Sek Sek investigates the opposing forces and equilibrium that emerges when bodies interact.
The performance will be followed by a Q & A session, moderated by Gurur Ertem,
the artistic co-director of Bimeras Culture Foundation and a founding member of iDANS Festival in Istanbul, Turkey.
Tickets: Free, Goldstein Theatre

Leo - Saturday, March 3, 2012, 8:00 pm & Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Staged Reading presented by The Kupferberg Centre and the Queens College Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance
Written by Rosa LaBorde
Director: Susan Einhorn
Set in Santiago Chile and told through the prism of memory, Leo is the story of three young friends who form a bittersweet, love triangle during the tragic days following the assassination of President Salvadore Allende.
Tickets: Free, The Performance Space, Rathaus Hall M11

Matt Haimovitz, Cello - Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Matt Haimovitz made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as a soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. At 17, he made his first recording with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Today Haimovitz is renowned as a musical pioneer who has inspired countless new listeners through his visionary approach.
"Hearing a cello played with such fervor and commitment- not to mention high artistry- is a priceless experience," raves the Los Angeles Times.
Tickets: $34 - $36, Lefrak Concert Hall

Tear Jar, The Blues Musical - March 9 - 18, 2012
New York Premiere
Director: Victoria Racimo
Book: Jerry King Musser & Victoria Racimo
Music & Lyrics by: Robert Welsh
Presented by the Kupferberg Center, Chris Bravacos & Palomino Entertainment Group
Seasoned blues man, Mason Ball, returns to The Blue Rose after a long absence. He's surprised to discover that the 'new kid in town' has claimed the stage. This young upstart, one JD Hunter, is unwilling to relinquish the limelight and makes it clear that the 'old blues' is dead. To add to the tension, Mason's private love interest shares with him a serious, personal loss. Mason dips his finger into a jar of tears and touches her with the potion. Mason's gift of healing brings new interest to his music. Conflict between the two musicians arises but they find themselves at a new place in their lives after discovering life's potential magic is available to anyone.
Tickets: $23 - $25, LeFrak Concert Hall

Magic School Bus - Sunday, March 18 2012 at 3:00 pm
Seatbelts everyone! Maximum Entertainment's The Magic School Bus® celebrates its 25th Anniversary with an all-new musical adventure. Hop on the Magic School Bus for a whirlwind tour from the arctic to the equator. See telltale signs of climate change and learn how conservation, recycling and alternative energy can make a difference. Ms. Frizzle and her class are up for the climate challenge. Are you? Recommended for ages 5-8.
Tickets: $12 - $18, Colden Auditorium

Harlem Quartet, String Quartet - Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Each member of the Harlem Quartet is a seasoned solo artist, having appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and the Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, National, New World, and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras, among others.
Praised for its "panache" by The New York Times, its mission is to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire, highlighting works by minority composers.
Mozart: Quartet in d minor, k.421
Beethoven: String Quartet, Op.18, No. 6
Schubert: Death and the Maiden
Tickets: $34 - $36, Lefrak Concert Hall

For Rent - April 11 - 18, 2011
Presented by the Kupferberg Center and the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College
Written by Ozen Yula
Director: Handan Ozbilgin
In For Rent by acclaimed Turkish playwright, Ozen Yula, poor, rural teenagers come to the big city to find prosperity but instead are led into prostitution and violence. The play explores the criminal underworld of modern-day Istanbul.
Tickets: $5 - $10, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Box Office: 718.482.5151

Zeynep Ucbasaran, Piano - Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Praised for her "consummate mastery ... an art of crystalline clarity" (Music & Vision), Turkish-born Zeynep Ucbasaran was a prizewinner in the 1996 and 2000 Los Angeles Liszt Competitions and was designated a "woman of distinction in the year 2003" by the Daughters of Ataturk organization in the US. She has given many recitals and concerts worldwide and in the United States. This performance is part of Queens College's Year of Turkey celebration.
"An agreeable elegance pervades pianist Zeynep Ucbasaran's playing," proclaims The Gramophone.
Tickets: $34 - $36, Lefrak Concert Hall

Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway - Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 8:00 pm
A Queens Exclusive and Neil Berg's first New York City show of 100 Years of Broadway in 2012.
100 Years of Broadway recreates the greatest moments from the finest shows of the century featuring some of the same stars that made these moments famous. Incredible voices and a talented band take the audience on a trip down memory lane and right back into the present with thrilling numbers from Broadway's latest hit shows.
"100 Years of Broadway... brought down the house and it doesn't get much better than that." Robert Diamond, Broadwayworld.com
Tickets: $26 - $28, Colden Auditorium
Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. - Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Seen on the "Late Show with David Letterman," on Broadway, at the New Victory Theater and at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, it's the show called "helium light and hilarious" by The New York Times.
Fast-paced, universally engaging and theatrically clever, Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. has won the praise and affection of audiences worldwide. The big blow-up shapes shimmer, balloon, deflate and bounce in a rainbow of colors. Fred Garbo and Daielma Santos inhabit this enchanting world with tremendous aplomb and skill.
Tickets: $12 - $18, Colden Auditorium

Tickets Are Available:

• By Phone: 718.793.8080
• Online: www.KupferbergCenter.org
• Groups: Call Box Office Manager, Stephanie McWoods at 718.793.8080 for groups of 10 or more.
• Subscriptions: Subscriptions to the 2011-12 Classical Concert Series are $128 for all four performances in the series.
• Discount Tickets: Discount tickets are available for students, seniors and Queens College staff and faculty.

Kupferberg Center for the Arts is located on the Queens College campus between exits 23 & 24 on the eastbound service road for the Long Island Expressway in Flushing. Free Parking and Wheelchair Accessible

About Kupferberg Center for the Arts:
Kupferberg Center for the Arts is the leading non-academic arts institution at Queens College whose 77-acre campus features a beautiful grassy quad with stunning views of Manhattan surrounded by both historic Spanish-style and modern buildings with state-of-the art technology.

The arts are a central part of academic programs at Queens College, where all undergraduates are required to take at least one course in the visual or performing arts. Queens College, through the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, is a driving force in the culturally rich community of Queens.

The Kupferberg Center for the Arts houses three performance spaces including the acoustically perfect LeFrak Concert Hall, the Colden Auditorium and the Goldstein Theater. Also housed on the Queens College Campus is the Godwin-Ternback Museum, home to the most comprehensive art collection in Queens, and the Queens College Art Center, which is a separate gallery for contemporary installations. The world-renowned Louis Armstrong House Museum, located in Corona, is also part of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. Once the private home of Louis and Lucille Armstrong, the Louis Armstrong House Museum is a National Historic and New York City Landmark celebrating the life and work of Louis Armstrong. The museum and its archives house the largest publicly held archival collection in the world devoted to a jazz musician.

The Kupferberg Center for the Arts is funded by Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Council for Cultural Affairs - Taiwan, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Music for Youth Fund of UJA Federation, the Max and Selma Kupferberg Family Foundation, New York Community Bank, The Kupferberg Foundation, The Natalie Bailey & Herbert J. Kirshner Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Turkish Airlines and Taipei Cultural Center of TEDCO in New York. Additional funding is provided, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. Public funds are also provided by the Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall and New York City Council Members Elizabeth Crowley, Julissa Ferreras, Jim Gennaro, Daniel Halloran and Peter Koo.