Leonard Bernstein is one of the most important conductors in American history. As a conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian Bernstein maintained a lifelong involvement with Judaism, composing several works with religious themes including his Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”) and the Chichester Psalms, a choral work with Hebrew text. Come join Dr. Thomas Cimarusti, Professor of Music History at Florida Gulf Coast, as he explores Bernstein's music, his faith, and his hope for humanity. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to watch the recently released feature film Maestro as an introduction to the composer's life. Method of instruction: lecture presentation with excerpts played on the piano. A handout will be disseminated on the day of the lecture. Objective: to demonstrate how music can function to reinforce one's identity, religious convictions, and life philosophy.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Join Dr. Brian McConnell as he explores the story of Florida's Highwaymen, a group of 26 African-American artists that exhibited resourcefulness and creativity, forging a unique style of painting that offered them economic independence amidst the Jim Crow era. Starting in the 1950s and inspired by A.E. "Bean" Backus and Alfred Hair, these self-taught artists depicted Florida's landscapes in a vibrant manner, using a "fast painting" technique. Scenes of serene wilderness—beaches, marshes, sunny days, and storms -- were crafted from memory and experience into landscape abstractions that nevertheless created a very real image of an emerging Florida, America's last frontier. Using inexpensive materials, they stacked paintings in cars for efficient sales, showcasing ingenuity and adapting to expanding automobile access to the state in a manner very different from turn-of-the-century art colonies. Florida's Highwaymen turned to art as a means of livelihood, leaving a lasting legacy of artistic style and entrepreneurial spirit that remains active today.

Come and delve into four international films that dwell on the dark side of the street, where ambiguity and disillusionment dwell.

1. "Purple Noon" - France, 1960: The classic noir from the novels by Patricia Highsmith that spawned an international franchise. Tom Ripley is a talented mimic, moocher, forger, and all-around criminal improviser, but there's more to Tom Ripley than even he can guess.

2. "Monsieur Hire" - France, 1989: Monsieur Hire is a maladjusted, balding, middle-aged man living in France. He doesn't like to talk to people. A young woman is murdered, and a police detective suspects M. Hire just because his neighbors think he is strange.

3. "A Man Escaped" - France, 1956: A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.

4. "The Invisible Witness" - Italy, 2018: Adriano Doria is "the entrepreneur of the year" in Milan. He drives a BMW, wears a flamboyant Rolex, has an adorable wife and daughter, and a beautiful mistress. But now he is under house arrest, accused of murder.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Most visitors to some of the world’s greatest and largest museums experience only a whirlwind tour of an hour or two. But if time permits, an on-your-own tour can be a marvelous journey, especially if you plan for what you’d most like to see.  This series surveys some of the highlights of each of these incredible museums. Jonson will be zooming in with commentary and Q&A.

Lectures:

1. The Louvre, Paris, France: The Louvre, former palace of French kings, is probably the most famous and most visited museum in the world. Only 35,000 of its 8+ million works are on display from the Ancient Near East and Egypt through the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-classical eras.  Whether you are planning a visit or remembering a past one, this armchair tour will highlight some of the museum's most important works, including the "three girls of the Louvre": Winged Victory, Venus di Milo, and Mona Lisa.​
2. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia: The Hermitage Museum is renowned for its collections of Western art and includes important paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age through the 20th century. The museum is equally famed for the architecture and the fabulous decorations in its 1100 rooms, built by Empress Catherine the Great. This class will explore highlights of the art and architecture of this wonderful museum.
3. The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy: Arguably Italy’s foremost museum, the Uffizi Gallery’s 45+ halls of priceless Italian and European paintings include masterpieces by Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Titian, Bronzino and Caravaggio.  The Renaissance building, originally commissioned for offices of the Medici government, is a work of art in itself, with beautifully decorated hallways and galleries.
4. The Art Institute of Chicago, USA: The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest museums in the U.S. and also the second largest in terms of space.  Its encyclopedic permanent collection spans 5000 years of history and boasts nearly 300,000 works of art from Chinese bronzes to contemporary works, from textiles to installation art.  This lecture will look at just a few of the museum’s highlights, including its European collection and its spectacular Impressionist and Post-Impressionist galleries.  The museum is also home to some works that have become icons of American art:  American Gothic and Nighthawks … and the extraordinarily beautiful America stained glass windows by Marc Chagall.

Jonson will be zooming in with commentary and Q&A. Video Catch-up is available 2-3 business days after the presentation.  You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

 

Both Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda, and Adolf Hitler were film buffs and prized movies as a means to assist them in carrying out the nefarious goals of Nazi Germany. Historians of Nazi Germany have emphasized the important role films played in the history of Nazi Germany. Dr. Ed Shapiro will study World War II's history in this series through six German propaganda films. Before showing each film, Shapiro will discuss its historical context and significance. Each film will be shown in its entirety; then, it will be discussed with the audience.

Lectures:

1. "Olympia"
2. "Jud Suss"
3. "The Eternal Jew"
4. "My Life for Ireland"
5. "Uncle Kruger"
6. "Kolberg"

"He definitely knew his material and had a wealth of knowledge and experience." - OLLI Patron

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Do you love book groups but don’t always have the opportunity to read the book? Here’s a chance to enjoy the camaraderie, education, and fun of a book group every week without having to dedicate much time to reading the selected material. The Great American Short Story Club provides great literature by email and on paper that explores our most celebrated and interesting writers' experiences, imagination, and values—in short, manageable doses. Want to participate in the lively discussion? Terrific. Want to sit back and learn and enjoy? Be our guest. The lively conversation will delve deeply into the meaning of the week's story without sacrificing the simple pleasures of reading a good story. Handouts are provided for each story. Space is limited.

Lectures:

1. "At the Anarchists' Convention": John Sayles (1979)
2. "Blown Away": Anthony Dale Gagliano (2006)
3. "The Bris": Eileen Pollack (2007)
4. "The Lie": TC Boyle (2008)

Caren is a real asset to OLLI. - OLLI Patron

In the final hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. Fifteen hundred seventeen men, women, and children lost their lives. Based on real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic the Musical is ‘breathtaking’ (the Guardian) and ‘magnificent’ (the Telegraph), a stunning and stirring production focusing on the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her passengers who each boarded with stories and personal ambitions of their own. All innocently unaware of the fate awaiting them, the Third-Class immigrants dream of a better life in America, the Second Class imagine they too can join the lifestyles of the rich and famous, whilst the millionaire Barons of the First Class anticipate legacies lasting forever. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone -- the pair have collectively won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony Awards. The original Broadway production of Titanic the Musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. This stunning production, captured live on stage for cinema screenings, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London premiere, where it won sweeping critical acclaim. Runtime: 155 minutes including one 10-minute intermission.

Among the hundreds of stars who have graced the silver screen, only a few were truly first-rate actors. Conversely, few truly great actors ever became legendary movie stars. Paul Muni, Katharine Hepburn, William Powell, and James Cagney were among the very few who were both. They became "stars" from their very first films and maintained that status until their last films. In this film series, we will spend two weeks on each of these four cinematic legends, watching both their first and their last pictures. Paul Muni is the only actor to receive Academy Award nominations for both his first and last starring roles. Katharine Hepburn stole the spotlight from John Barrymore in her first film and dominated the screen in her last more than 60 years later. William Powell was just as dapper and distinguished as detective Philo Vance in 1929 as he was as "Doc" in 1955's Mr. Roberts. And James Cagney went from playing a bootlegger in his first film to the New York City Police Commissioner in his last. Dr. Stone will introduce each film, and then, following our viewing, we will engage in what should be a lively discussion on each of the six films starring our four flawless legends. 

Lectures:

1. "The Valiant" (1929)
2. "The Last Angry Man" (1959
3. "A Bill of Divorcement" (1932)
4. "Love Affair" (1994)
5. "The Canary Murder Case" (1929)
6. "Mr. Roberts" (1955)
7. "Sinner’s Holliday" (1930)
8. "Ragtime" (1986)

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

This Zoom conversation will address the latest developments in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and their implications across the region – and beyond. We will consider how the events of October 7 altered the area’s political landscape and have further complicated efforts to find a peaceful resolution of longstanding differences. We will also examine some possible scenarios for moving beyond perpetual war and how the United States and other outside actors might influence that process. "No one has had a greater, or more positive, influence on my career than Dr. Harry Chernotsky." Dr. Jeffrey Morton

Throughout history numerous women have demonstrated great artistic talent, and yet found themselves hampered by their gender in receiving recognition. Today women artists command high prices for their art and win major commissions in areas such as painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, fashion, and crafts. They have major exhibitions in museums and attract considerable attention for their innovative excellence. Women have been active contributors to all artistic movements of their times. This lecture series will be enriched with a multitude of images and archival films.

Lectures:

1. Women Sculptors: The paths they cleared -  Camille Claudel, Chana Orloff, Louise Nevelson, and others.

2. Women Painters:  "You paint like a man." - Elizabeth Vigee LeBrun, Georgia O'Keeffe, Remedios Varo, and others.

3. Women Photographers: Women seriously involved in photography since its inception - Dorothea Lange, Ruth Orkin, Dora Maar, Diane Arbus, and others.

4. Women's Work in Crafts: Glass making, pottery, woodcarving, and a multitude of other artistic endeavors -  Beatrice Wood, Toots Zinsky, Faith Reingold.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

We’ll describe the cosmopolitan musical textures that defined the best works of an unforgettable period when gifted young songwriters huddled in midtown Manhattan, creating enduring entries in the Great American Songbook. Stories, anecdotes, and audiovisuals will illustrate this golden era of the 50s and 60s that integrated audiences, eclectic multicultural sounds, and brought social consciousness to pop music.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Early in the last century advice columns were called "Agony Aunts" or "Agony Uncles". In our generation we had Dear Abby, Ann Landers, Miss Manners, Dear Prudence amongst many other "problem solvers". Did advice columns end with the advent of the internet and social media? - Heck No!! Now we have sites such as Ask Polly, Dear Prudence, Captain Awkward and of course the New York Times Ethicist. This four week interactive session will explore some of the most interesting, juiciest and most ethical (or unethical) conundrums to see if the so called advice givers and problem solvers actually got the answers right. So let's discuss and let's have some interactive summer fun. 

Lectures:

1. Agony Aunts and Uncles
2. Dear Abby
3. Captain Awkward
4. The Ethicist

In this session, the "F" in Film stands for funny. These four choices encompass various forms of comedy, each proving that humor transcends all borders.

Lectures:

1. "What’s in a Name" - France, 2012: Vincent is about to become a father. At a meeting with childhood friends, he announces the name for his future son. The scandalous name ignites a discussion that surfaces unpleasant matters from the past of the group.

2. "The Man Without a Past" - Finland, 2002: A man arrives in Helsinki only to be viciously attacked by thugs and pronounced dead by medics. He revives but with no memory of his past or his identity. He rebuilds his life from scratch, but the past inevitably catches up with him.

3. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" - Spain, 1988: In the film that brought Pedro Almodóvar international prominence, a television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.

4. Perfumes - France, 2018: A celebrity in the creation of world-famous perfumes knows it takes a combination of sensitivity and chemistry to create the perfect scent. But when she encounters a chauffeur in need of work and desperate to retain custody of his daughter, where it will lead could change the mix.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein's bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the Creature determines to track down his creator. Directed by Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle, featuring Jonny Lee Miller as the creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein. Run time: 120 minutes.

Jazz musicians love Broadway show tunes. The only Broadway composer favored more than Harold Arlen was George Gershwin. In fact, Arlen’s “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Get Happy” and “Out of this World” sound almost like they had been written as jazz tunes. This course will celebrate the best Arlen tunes and the most exciting jazz renditions of them. Videos and vocal versions will introduce the melodies, and classic jazz recordings will dig deeper into their rich harmonies.

Lectures:

1. Over the Rainbow, Come Rain or Come Shine, Stormy Weather, featuring renditions by Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Keith Jarrett, Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Duke Ellington

2. I’ve Got the World on a String, My Shining Hour, featuring renditions by John Coltrane, Benny Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Art Tatum, Nat Cole

3. Get Happy, Paper Moon, I’m Old Fashioned, featuring renditions by Judy Garland, J.J. Johnson, Clifford Brown, Art Tatum, John Coltrane

4.  Blues in the Night, Out of this World, Sleeping Bee, with renditions by Quincy Jones, Art Farmer, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Do you love book groups but don’t always have the opportunity to read the book? Here’s a chance to enjoy the camaraderie, education, and fun of a book group every week without having to dedicate much time to reading the selected material. The Great American Short Story Club provides great literature by email and on paper that explores our most celebrated and interesting writers' experiences, imagination, and values—in short, manageable doses. Want to participate in the lively discussion? Terrific. Want to sit back and learn and enjoy? Be our guest. The lively conversation will delve deeply into the meaning of the week's story without sacrificing the simple pleasures of reading a good story. Handouts are provided for each story. Space is limited.

Lectures:

1. "Jack and the Mad Dog": Tony Earley (2012)
2. "Cat Person": Kristen Roupenian (2017)
3. "The Boathouse": Tim Griffith (2017)
4. "Cafe Loup": Ben Lerner (2022)

Delray Beach started as Linton, a farming community settled by Michiganders eager to help turn South Florida into a winter garden at the turn of the last century. Their vision soon carried the town to renown as a producer of fruits, vegetables, and, most famously, gladiolas flowers. While agriculture has changed and become a smaller part of Delray Beach's economy, growers nevertheless continue to turn out crops west of town. This lecture will explore that long history of agriculture, placing it in the context of South Florida's history as a garden spot and the larger currents of agricultural production in the U.S. and abroad.

Calling all book lovers for a conversation about books we fondly remember. "Great" literature ("The Bible," "Don Quixote," "Hamlet") aside, what books changed your perspective, gave you unexpected insights, delivered an "aha" moment, or just spoke volumes? Join Dr. Margery Marcus to discuss those special books that touched YOU. Dr. Marcus will discuss her choices, which include the Romantic potboiler "Mistress of Mellyn" by Victoria Holt, "The Women's Room" by Marilyn French, Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany." Bring the names of your favorite titles to share with the audience and leave with a list of books to add to your bookshelf.

"Margery is always a delight to listen too, knowledgeable, well organized, and a very good speaker". - OLLI Patron

Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors are designers who have influenced the fashion world. They built businesses that extended their designs beyond clothing into other products. Most people know their names because they are such popular designers with logos that appear on many items people still buy. You will learn about each man’s early life and what aspects helped shape their later successes. Each designer had challenges at the start of their career and took a different path to fame and fortune. You will learn about the relationships that impacted their lives. Discover key events, struggles, successes, recognitions, philanthropy, and what is currently happening in their lives. Pictures and video clips bring these designing men to life.

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., professor and Bjorn Lamborn Endowed Chair in Astrophysics at Florida Atlantic University, paints a broad picture of astronomy, including the fundamental properties of light, how planets, stars and galaxies form, and how the universe itself was created to give you a new perspective on astronomy and the universe and what we know about it.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! "When We Were Apollo" is an Emmy-award winning documentary film highlighting the memories and experiences of nineteen individuals, from a workforce of over 400,000, who dedicated themselves to putting a human being on the moon before the end of the 1960s.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

This special one-time event is your guide to Election 2024. Watson will examine a variety of election issues, the Electoral College, the party conventions, debates, polling, and what both parties and nominees need to do to win the White House, House, and Senate races. Analysis will be offered, and predictions made. You do not want to miss this very special event!

Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after live lecture. You will have approximately two weeks to view the video.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of their most popular video documentaries! Daphne Nikolopoulos, author and editor-in-chief of Palm Beach Illustrated, delves into Homer's, "The Iliad," analyzing key characters and universal themes that make this epic poem a classic that continues to resonate today.

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

OLLI breaks into their Archives to bring you one of OLLI's most popular video documentaries! Russell D. Hamer, Ph.D., one of the world's leading experts on the visual development of human infants, asks and answers the question, "What does it mean to see?"

Pre-recorded Presentation - No instructor present. Video catch-up is available.

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein's bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the Creature determines to track down his creator. Directed by Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle, featuring Jonny Lee Miller as the creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein. Run time: 120 minutes.