What Makes Sondheim Great, w/Gail Leondar-Wright
The recently deceased composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is commonly thought to be one of the most important musical theater artists of the past fifty years, and the single most influential force in bringing the Broadway musical into the modern era. We’ll dig into a few of Sondheim’s shows to discover what makes Sondheim great and why his musicals endure.
Six Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; Jan 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb 5, 12
For the Love of the Movies: An Exploration into Time Periods of Cinema History, w/Monika Raesch
The course dedicates each week to a different classic film (or director), studies its (or the director’s) importance at that moment in time and how it (or the director) influenced film history in future decades.
Four Fridays, 1:00–2:30 p.m.; Jan 10, 17, 24, 31
Three Exotic Trips, w/Bill Gette
Bill Gette will take you to three remarkable places that he has visited: Iceland, Bhutan, and Belize.
Three Mondays, 4:00–5:15 p.m.; Jan 27 (Iceland), Feb 10 (Bhutan), Mar 10 (Belize)
Baroque Music: Brilliant and Beautiful, w/Laura Zoll
Immerse yourself in the instruments, sounds, and techniques of this distinctive and fascinating soundscape while reveling in the richness of absolutely gorgeous music.
Five Tuesdays, 10:00–11:30 a.m.; Jan 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25
J.M.W. Turner’s Slave Ship: From the Origins of His Sea Paintings to the Woman Who Brought It to Boston, w/ Nancy Scott.
In 1840, his 50th year as Royal Academician, Turner displayed his painting Slave Ship to a puzzled London public. We’ll learn about the painting’s history and reception and how it came to the Boston MFA through Alice Sturgis Hooper, who bought it at auction in 1876.
Four Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. –12:30 p.m.; Feb 6, 13, 20, 27
The Three Brontë Sisters: Romantic Realists, w/Gillian Gill
This six-week course centers on five novels by Charlotte Brontë Nicholls (1816–1855), Emily Brontë (1818–1848), and Anne Brontë (1820–1849), three writers who had a revolutionary influence on English fiction and have become feminist icons.
Six Fridays, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; Feb 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar 7, 14
Registration begins December 18 for residents and December 24 for non-residents at 781-698-4840 or online at LexRecMa.com $25 per course for residents, $50 for non-residents. Find detailed course and instructor information on our website at https://friendsofthecoa.org.