Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents the legendary comedian Jackie Mason on Saturday, October 23 at 8pm and Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 3pm at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are $45 and are available at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.
Don't miss your chance to see comic legend Jackie Mason in action! Indisputably one of the greatest comedians of all time, Jackie Mason returns to Queens Theatre in the Park, where audiences can't get enough of his outrageous, lay-em-in-the-aisles stand-up act. As always at QTP, Jackie Mason will be trying out new, no-holds-barred material - so get ready to be whipped with a Borscht Belt!
Now more popular than ever, Jackie Mason combines pungent political satire, insightful observations on the foibles of modern life and impeccable timing to create material that leaves audiences laughing until they cry and critics raving show after show. Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Jackie Mason was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan surrounded by rabbis. His father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great, great-grandfather were all rabbis, as are his three brothers. No surprise that at age 25, Jackie Mason was ordained a rabbi. Three years later, he quit his job in a synagogue to become a comedian because, as he says, "Somebody in the family had to make a living." From humble comic beginnings in New York, the Borscht Belt, and Comedy Clubs around the country, Jackie Mason rose to be one the hottest comics in America in the early 1960's. He reached the apex of American entertainment culture when he became a regular performer on the nation's preeminent television variety program, "The Ed Sullivan Show," only to fall into Sullivan's disfavor over the interpretation of a now legendary hand gesture during a live performance in 1962, an incident which cast a shadow over Mason's career for more than a decade. Mr. Mason first emerged from that shadow in Los Angeles, where his one-man show, "The World According to Me" originated in 1984 to wide acclaim. Yet the great triumph was his return to New York and his extraordinary success as a one-man show on the Great White Way. "The World According to Me" began its unprecedented two and a half year run on Broadway began in December 1986 winning triumphant reviews and reestablishing Mason as one of the nation's premier comics. The show earned Jackie Mason a Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy nomination, and it toured successfully in America and Europe for two years. Mason returned to Broadway in 1990 with "Jackie Mason: Brand New"; in 1994 with "Jackie Mason: Politically Incorrect"; in 1996 with "Love Thy Neighbor"; in 1999 with "Much Ado about Everything"; in 2002 with "Prune Danish"; in 2005 with "Freshly Squeezed"; and in 2008 with "The Ultimate Jew." He garnered consistent commercial success and collected an impressive array of nominations and awards including an Emmy and an Ace award for the HBO special, "Jackie Mason on Broadway" and his latest show "No Holds Barred" is still touring the world. With eight Royal Command Performances for Queen Elizabeth II, Jackie has had the honor more than any other American entertainer, and is the only American to host the show. Jackie Mason calls New York home, but he lives on the road entertaining his many loyal long-time fans and the legions of new fans he earns each year.
Queens Theatre in the Park is a tax exempt, not for profit organization, funded in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Speaker Christine Quinn and the Council of the City of New York, and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. Queens Theatre's programs and events are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional public funding is provided by members of the New York City Council and members of the New York State Assembly and Senate.
QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.
QTP is soon to complete a $23 million physical transformation of the Theatre with funding provided by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and The Council of the City of New York. This major capitalinvestment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements will transform Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the Borough and beyond.
Bank of America is the proud lead corporate partner for the new cabaret at Queens Theatre in the Park.
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