Flushing Town Hall is scheduled to begin its summer program of in-person and virtual music events later this month Photo Courtesy of Capt Jay Ruffins (CC BY-SA 4.0)
July 7, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
It’s showtime!
Flushing Town Hall is scheduled to begin its summer program of in-person and virtual music events next week.
The town hall, a historic arts center and theater located at 137-35 Northern Blvd., will kick off its summer program on July 14 and it will run through Aug. 20.
The summer program will feature a number of live in-person events performed by notable musicians and artists as well as an outdoor art exhibition. There will also be virtual music events held in honor of Louis Armstrong taking place throughout the six-week period.
“New Yorkers are hungry for the return of live music and events, and we are delighted to bring outstanding artists to our venue who will deliver tons of great energy,” said Ellen Kodadek, executive and artistic director at Flushing Town Hall.
Flushing Town Hall closed in March 2020 due to concerns surrounding the spread of the coronavirus and hosted its first live concert in over a year on June 18.
Organizers say the summer program marks a significant milestone in their efforts to fully reopen, as they seek to return programing to pre-pandemic levels.
The summer program launches on July 14 with a free virtual jazz session celebrating the legacy of Louis Armstrong.
The program’s first in-person event, Proud Mary, takes place on July 30 and features powerful vocalist Emilie Surtees and her band in what is being touted as a highly uplifting concert. There are a limited number of tickets available and are priced at $12 each for non-members.
A music event at Flushing Town Hall in January 2020 (Facebook)
Other in-person events include An Evening with Taiwanese Piano Stars Chin-Yun Hu and Taiwanese new talent pianists on Aug. 14 as well as Beautiful Vibration – Colors of African Music with Gino Sitson on Aug. 20.
Sitson, who is from Cameroon, is known for innovatively combining jazz, gospel, blues, traditional African rhythms and melodies. A limited number of tickets for Sitson’s gig are also being made available and are priced at $12 each for non-members.
The summer program’s art exhibition begins on Aug. 18 and runs through Sept. 3. It is being presented by a group of Queens-based artists known as the Southeast Queens Artist Alliance and will contain artwork which reflects on life during the pandemic.
The artwork will be hung on the fence outside Flushing Town Hall, along Northern Boulevard.
Tickets for the summer program can be purchased by clicking here.
The full lineup is as follows:
- July 14, 7:00 p.m. – Virtual Jazz Jam: A Jazz Tribute to the American Melting Pot (Free)
- July 30, 7:00 p.m. – “Proud Mary” – Rock & Roll Ladies with The Emilie Surtees Experience Band (Tickets required)
- Aug. 11, 7:00 p.m. – Virtual Jazz Jam: Celebrating Louis Armstrong’s and other August birthdays (Free)
- Aug. 14, 7:00 p.m. – An Evening with Taiwanese Piano Stars – Chin-Yun Hu and Taiwanese new talent pianists (Free with RSVP)
- Aug. 18, 3:30 p.m. – Out Front 24/7 Exhibition (Free – runs through Sept. 3)
- Aug. 20, 7:00 p.m. – “Beautiful Vibration” – Colors of African Music with Gino Sitson (Tickets required)
