In Afro Wigs and Boas, Boro Pols Take to the Stage

Legislators from throughout the borough came together for an evening of song, dance and comedy to raise money for two Queens College programs benefiting Queens’ underserved populations, including homeless children and domestic violence victims. Anna Gustafson/The Forum Newsgroup

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder in a sparkly gold jacket – and a rainbow Afro wig, in honor of the now famous hairstyle of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s son, Dante? Check.

Borough President-elect Melinda Katz sporting a cowboy hat? Yes indeed.

Former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer donning an orange boa? Roger that.

Legislators from throughout Queens landed many a laugh in the “Legislative Acts” satirical revue at Queens College Saturday night that included everything from politicians poking fun at de Blasio – and each other, Assemblyman Michael DenDekker stopping and frisking colleagues, Comptroller John Liu zipping around the stage on a skateboard, and former Borough President Claire Shulman and former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. dressing up as Wonder Woman and Superman.

Queens College’s LeFrak Concert Hall was packed for the sold-out event, which raised money for two of the college’s initiatives that assist underserved populations: Big Buddy, which pairs homeless, at-risk children with college student mentors; and Women and Work, which prepares victims of domestic or family violence, single mothers, immigrants, and downsized workers to secure sustainable employment.

Directed by Queens College’s Kevin Free and produced by Jeffrey Rosenstock, the show’s actors and actresses performed parodies of Broadway songs, classic movies, and well-known television series – all of which were painted with a Queens flair.

Katz, for example, belted out a Queensified version of “On My Own” from Les Miserables after a scene in which she asks for advice from outgoing Borough President Helen Marshall and the first female borough president in Queens, Claire Shulman.

“All I see is Queens and me, forever and forever,” Katz sang as the audience erupted into laughter.

A gold suit jacket-wearing Goldfeder, Pheffer and Pheffer’s husband, Glenn Riddell, meanwhile, elicited much knee-slapping when they acted out a spoof of the James Bond “Goldfinger” movie; Liu asked “whoever thought Bill [de Blasio] would win ‘til Primary Day” while singing a version of the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride;” and Council members Leroy Comrie and Karen Koslowitz lamented a time when there once were no Council term limits in a rendition of “Those Were the Days.” Peals of laughter could be heard when Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, after squeezing U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks’ bicep and asking if had been working out, urged the congressman not to “take selfies” at the gym – a reference to the now infamous cell phone photos from former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner.

And while the audience spent much of the evening guffawing, there did seem to be consensus among audience members following the show: Legislators, you probably want to hang onto your day jobs.

By Anna Gustafson