What's Happening at the Library in January?

Here's a look at what to expect at the Sachem Public Library in January:

Sounds for All Seasons: Friday, January 6, 7 p.m.: Acclaimed young tenor Robert Cinnante and pianist Michael Dougherty will present an evening of musical theater classics along with your favorite operatic arias. From Sondheim to Verdi, and Mozart to Bernstein, there's something for everyone. You won't want to miss the return engagement of these hometown favorites. 

Groucho, A Life in Revue: Sunday, January 8, 2 p.m.: This award-winning Off-Broadway hit, written by Groucho's son Arthur, chronicles the unparalleled rags-to-riches story of America's funniest entertainer, featuring favorite scenes from Marx Brothers movies and hilarious moments from You Bet Your Life. The revue-done in monologue, dialogue, and song and dance-also provides an intimate portrait of the entertainer's inner life, including conflicts with his brothers and his struggles with fame and fortune.

Behind the Scenes with The Precisions: Monday, January 9, 7 p.m.: They have entertained audiences coast-to-coast with their rich, smooth harmonies and foot-stomping rhythms. Now hear Bob, Frankie, Joe, Robbie, and Al share the story of their rise from the streets of Brooklyn to Doo Wop stardom.

Meet the Filmmaker: Peter Miller: Sacco and Vanzetti, Tuesday, January 10, 6:30 p.m.: Sacco and Vanzetti is the gripping story of two Italian radical immigrants found guilty of murder and executed in Boston after a notoriously unfair trial. The case sparked worldwide protests throughout the 1920s. Over eighty years later it still speaks to urgent concerns about civil liberties, immigrants' rights, and the death penalty. Peter Miller's critically-acclaimed documentary includes interviews with Howard Zinn, Arlo Guthrie, Studs Terkel, and features the voices of Tony Shalhoub and John Turturro reading the powerful prison letters of Sacco and Vanzetti. 

Good Health through Proper Nutrition, Wednesday, January 11, 7 p.m.: Learn how to facilitate change through healthy eating. Certified Nutritionist Anne Marie Lisa will teach you how the foods you eat affect your health, why diets don't work, and how changing your lifestyle can improve your overall well-being. 

Celebrate Chinese New Year! History of Chinese Dance, Thursday, January 19, 7 p.m.: In this lecture and slide presentation, you will find out how Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York City, is reviving 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Learn about the history of Chinese classical dance from the Tang Dynasty to the present day, and discover how the medium of dance can express classics of Chinese literature and tales of ancient and modern heroism.

Accepting Life's Changes: Saturday, January 21, 10 a.m.: Explore your feelings and develop closure. Whether you have lost a loved one, been forced out of a job, experienced a failed relationship, are facing an empty nest, or managing aging parents, learn to put on the NEW you in this monthly sharing of experiences with Richard Murdocco, PhD, Stony Brook University Medical Center.

Old Bethpage Village Brass Band: Sunday, January 22, 2 p.m.: This 11-piece Olde Time Brass Band, featured in Ken Burn's documentary series The Civil War, will bring to life the music of the Civil War era in commemoration of the war's 150th anniversary. Enjoy a historical recreation of the stirring sights and sounds of a 19th-century brass band, featuring a variety of quicksteps, marches, waltzes, and concert pieces, and learn about the history of the music and the times from band leader Dr. Kirby Jolly.

Dead Relatives Club: Genealogy 101, Monday, January 23, 7 p.m.: Learn the basics of genealogy. Find out where to start, how to stay organized, and how to access the available resources. Exchange ideas with other researchers as you learn to climb your family tree. 

Decipher the Hidden Messages on Food Labels, Tuesday, January 24, 7 p.m.: Organic, natural, high fiber, whole grain...what do these terms really mean? Family Health and Wellness specialist Alysa Ferguson from Cornell Cooperative Extension will provide you with the critical skills you need to interpret the messages on food labels and in advertisements.

Frank Sinatra Tribute: Sunday, January 29, 2 p.m.: Enjoy an afternoon with vocalist Joe Volturo, who will perform the songs made famous by Ol' Blue Eyes himself, the greatest entertainer of the 20th century. 

Meet the Professor: Luigi Fontanella, Monday, January 30, 7 p.m.: Luigi Fontanella, born in Salerno, Italy, earned a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University. He is currently Professor of Italian at Stony Brook University, President of the Italian Poetry Society of America, and editor of Gradiva, an international journal of Italian and Italian-American poetry. Dr. Fontanella, one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Italian poetry, will talk about his book Land of Time, a bilingual anthology of selected poems. He will read and discuss his poetry in the context of Italian literature today. 

Poetry: Verse in Person: Tribute to Jeanette Klimszewski, Tuesday, January 31, 7 p.m.: Each month a guest poet presents a reading after which the audience is encouraged to share original works at an open mic. Jeanette Klimszewski, one of the original hosts of this series, passed away in July. She was a student of Taproot, a writing program for seniors, and a member of the American League of Pen Women. Her poems, which appeared in poetry columns and small press publications, bear witness to her wisdom and concern for nature and the human condition. This month local poets will share their memories of Ms. Klimszewski and read from her book, Promise. Special thanks to Mankh, member of the Performance Poets Association, for hosting this series. 

January Films at Sachem Public Library 

Snowflower and the Secret Fan: January 5, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Set in 19th century China, this story follows the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women. 

Hanna: January 12, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: After being raised by her father to become an assassin, a teenage girl is sent on a mission and must evade intelligence agents who possess dangerous knowledge about her past. 

The Help: January 19, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: A white college graduate returns home to Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and begins her writing career by interviewing the African-American servants in her neighborhood and sharing their stories with the public. 

Super 8: January 26, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: In the summer of 1979, a group of young friends in a small Ohio town witnesses a catastrophic train crash while making a movie, and soon suspects that it was no accident.

Reel Rebels: Beginners: Tuesday, January 3, 6:00 p.m.: Beginners is a touching and life affirming film that explores modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth. Intriguing, informative, sometimes controversial, but always thought provoking, this monthly series combines the best in film and discussion.

Foreign Film: The Syrian Bride: Saturday, January 14, 2 p.m.: A young Druze woman must come to terms with the fact that once she marries a Syrian TV star, she will never be allowed back into her childhood village across the border.

Roads to Memphis: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.: Tuesday, January 17, 1:30 p.m: Learn about the seething, turbulent forces in American society that led James Earl Ray and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to their violent and tragic collision in Memphis in April of 1968. This film explores the wildly disparate, yet fatefully entwined stories of both men to create a complex, engaging, and thought-provoking portrait of America in a time of crisis. 

Italian Movie Night: Swept Away: Friday, January 27, 6:30 p.m.: Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mediterranean, Swept Away is Lina Wertmuller's most famous and controversial film about sex, love, and politics.