The New Rochelle Public Library celebrates Women’s History Month with three unique tributes to exceptional women.
On Friday, March 21, from 9:30 am – 11:00 am, the League of Women Voters’ monthly Coffee and Conversation program will present a special program for Women’s History Month: “Leading Ladies of Westchester.” Beginning with the silent movie stars of the Thanhouser Films Company in New Rochelle (1909 – 1918) and D. W. Griffith’s studios in Mamaroneck (1919- 1924), Westchester has been home to some of America’s finest actresses in film, stage and television. In a digital slide presentation, New Rochelle city historian Barbara Davis highlights the lives and careers of many of these women, and the allure of our Westchester communities. Complimentary coffee and light breakfast fare will be served before the free program.
The amazing life of the “First Lady of the Yiddish Stage” will come alive when Dr. Diane Cypkin performs “A Musical Salute to Molly Picon, Star of the Yiddish Theatre” on Sunday, March 23 at 2:00 pm. Dr. Cypkin will relate the story of this popular singer, through narration (in English) and the numerous songs Molly Picon sang and often wrote during her many years as an entertainer. The concert includes angos, waltzes, and fox-trots that will have the audience humming for days. Multi-faceted, Dr. Cypkin is a Professor of Media, Communication, and Visual Arts at Pace University, an accomplished entertainer as well as a curator responsible for highly successful exhibits on Molly Picon at Lincoln Center and Yiddish Theatre at the Museum of the City of New York. She will be accompanied by Lena Panfilova, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, who has performed as a collaborative pianist with many musicians and has given many solo and chamber concerts in Russia, across Europe, and in the United States. This program will take place in the Ossie Davis Theater, and is made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library. Suggested donation: $2.00. Continued
As a wonderful exclamation point to the month, the sensational cabaret star, Joan Crowe, will perform a sweeping, energetic salute to women in a “Women of Note” concert on Sunday, March 30, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, in the Ossie Davis Theater. Directed by Lina Koutrakos, the show features Ms. Crowe on vocals, accompanied by the acclaimed Tedd Firth Trio. The program includes music ranging from Bessie Smith to Bonnie Raitt; from ‘Happy Birthday,’ by sisters Patty Smith Hill and Mildred Hill, to ‘America the Beautiful’ by Katherine Lee Bates and ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ by Julia Ward Howe. The program is made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library; a donation of $2.00 is suggested at the door.