Film, Music, & Theater   

Join us for four foreign films with subtitles from 1987 to 2006. The films will be from the following genres and countries: Pan's Labyrinth (Spain, 2006, fantasy), Babette's Feast (Denmark, 1987, comedy), Life Is Beautiful (Italy, 1997, drama), and Brotherhood of the Wolf (France, 2001, action). This is another set of amazing films that will give us a lot to talk about.

This course offers four very different movies about aliens visiting earth and their trials and attempts to return to their home worlds. Sign up for all of these films: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Starman (1984), Cocoon (1985), and K-Pax (2001). Each film with be shown with closed captioning to aid in comprehension of the dialogue, since some of you may not know how to speak in alien languages.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is about a young alien stranded on earth and his adventures until his spaceship can return to pick him up when he “phones home.” He is befriended by ten-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas) and his little sister (Drew Barrymore). For every friend he makes, he also makes enemies who want to kill and dissect him. Only his unearthly powers can save him, Elliott, and his friends.

Rich Santel will present None Shall Escape (1944), Dinner at Eight (1933), City Lights (1931), Detective Story (1951), Captains Courageous (1937), and No Man of Her Own (1950). All but None Shall Escape and No Man of Her Own have closed captioning (CC).

None Shall Escape is an American film that was the only Hollywood production during World War II to directly confront the Holocaust by depicting a postwar trial of a Nazi war criminal predating the real-life Nuremberg trials. This film does NOT have closed captioning.

One reviewer wrote, "In 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby is found dead in a park in Pennsylvania. The resulting documentary by a good friend is a masterful thriller, a true documentary of murder, mental illness, potent relationships, and injustice, a lightning bolt of reminiscence and outrage.” Another wrote, "When this haunting, shattering film made its premiere, it received the most sustained ovation of any film I saw this year." This documentary offers an unforgettable experience that no fictional film could ever match, a masterpiece of documentary filmmaking.

In Starman, Jeff Bridges plays an innocent alien who is shot down over Wisconsin. Using cloning, he takes the shape of Jenny’s (Karen Allen) recently deceased husband. He convinces her to drive him to Arizona to meet his mother ship in three days, or else he will die. Pursued by federal agents who want him (dead or alive), the pair learn the lesson of universal love.

Dinner at Eight is a classic MGM film directed by George Cukor, based on the Kaufman and Ferber stage play. It follows a group of New York socialites preparing for a lavish dinner party while navigating personal crises like bankruptcy, alcoholism, and infidelity, leading to a climactic, dramatic evening. It is known for its witty dialogue and pre-Code exploration of society's underbelly during the Great Depression.

Beautiful but pious sisters Martine and Philippa grow to spinsterhood under the wrathful eye of their strict father in a desolate coastal town. One day, Philippa's former suitor sends a Parisian refugee, Babette, as the family cook. Babette's lavish banquet tempts the townspeople to forgo their sparse lifestyle for fine foods and wines.

Cocoon is about aliens who have returned to earth to rescue their friends abandoned long ago in cocoons at the bottom of the ocean. While the cocoons are stored in a swimming pool, they give extra energy to a group of seniors (Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jack Gilford, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, and Wilford Brimley), causing hilarious results. Steve Guttenberg is the ship captain helping Brian Dennehy in the retrieval.

Based on the timeless, imaginative novel, Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote conjures the knight’s story with otherworldly tones and artistic narrative. Philadelphia Orchestra’s cellist Yumi Kendall “plays” the main character of the heroic Don Quixote’s fantastical adventures. Johann Strauss Jr. praises Spain’s treasured musical traditions in Spanish March. Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat features a comedy of errors with frenzied and euphoric tones.

Course fee includes $9 for concert voucher.

Based on the timeless, imaginative novel, Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote conjures the knight’s story with otherworldly tones and artistic narrative. Philadelphia Orchestra’s cellist Yumi Kendall “plays” the main character of the heroic Don Quixote’s fantastical adventures. Johann Strauss Jr. praises Spain’s treasured musical traditions in Spanish March. Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat features a comedy of errors with frenzied and euphoric tones.

City Lights is a silent film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, featuring his iconic Little Tramp character who falls in love with a blind flower girl and endeavors to raise money for her sight-restoring surgery. The film stands as a romantic classic and was a gamble for Chaplin, who resisted the emerging sound era by continuing with his beloved silent film format. The film's emotional ending, where the flower girl sees the Tramp for the first time, is celebrated as one of cinema's greatest romantic moments.

K-Pax is about a mysterious alien visitor to earth (Kevin Spacey) and the New York City psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) who tries to learn the truth about him. When the patient announces the date of his return to K-Pax, he stirs up all sorts of emotions on the floor of the psychiatric hospital where he is being kept.

Detective Story is an American film noir about a rigid, fanatical New York police detective, Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas), who uncovers a devastating secret about his wife's past that leads to tragedy. The story unfolds over a single day in a precinct squad room, exploring themes of duty, morality, and the shattering of principles when McLeod's personal life becomes entangled with his obsessive investigation into an abortionist.

A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter meets a pretty schoolteacher and wins her over with charm and humor. They marry and have a son. The father and son get sent to a concentration camp during WWII. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, the father convinces the son that it is merely a game.

Enjoy a show, Mystery at Senior Manor, by the Senior Touring Troupe of Theatre Arts for Everyone (TǍFĒ). They will talk a bit about theatre and a lot about the Senior Touring Troupe, its founder, and members.

Captains Courageous is an MGM drama film, directed by Victor Fleming, based on Rudyard Kipling's 1897 novel of the same name. It follows the story of Harvey Cheyenne, a spoiled, wealthy boy who falls overboard and is rescued by a Portuguese fisherman, Manuel Fidello, on a fishing schooner. Forced to work for his keep, Harvey learns valuable life lessons and undergoes significant character development under the tutelage of Manuel and the stern but kindly Captain Disko Troop, transforming from an arrogant brat into a more mature and considerate young man.

No Man of Her Own is a film noir and melodrama starring Barbara Stanwyck as a pregnant, jilted woman who, after surviving a train crash, assumes the identity of another woman, creating a new life with her victim's wealthy in-laws. The film explores themes of reinvention and redemption as she is eventually blackmailed by her ex-lover, confronting the lengths she will go to in order to protect her newfound life. This film does NOT have closed captioning.

In a rural province of France, a mysterious creature is laying waste to the countryside, savagely killing scores of women and children. The beast has eluded capture for years. King Louis sends a renowned scientist and his Iroquois blood brother to combine their methods to bring down the beast.

A Place in the Sun is a critically acclaimed American film, directed by George Stevens, that stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelly Winters in a tragic story of social climbing and ambition. The film follows George Eastman, who falls for wealthy socialite Angela Vickers but is bound by his commitment to his pregnant, working-class girlfriend, Alice Tripp. The movie explores themes of class struggle and the compromises of love and ambition.

Rich Santel will present A Place in the Sun (1951), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), The Narrow Margin (1952), High Sierra (1941), and Laura (1944). All but Goodbye, Mr. Chips and The Narrow Margin have closed captioning (CC).

Join us for four films from the 1980s. The movies will be from various genres: The Princess Bride (1987, comedy), The Lost Boys (1987, horror), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, action), and On Golden Pond (1981, drama). This variety pack has it all, laughs, tears, suspense, action, and a few vampires. As always, we will have a lot to talk about after the movies. All of these movies have closed captioning (CC).

A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her, battling the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a beloved British-American film that follows the life of Arthur Chipping, a shy, dedicated schoolteacher played by Robert Donat, as he transforms from a nervous newcomer into a revered English boarding school teacher. The movie portrays his profound impact on generations of students and his deep love for his wife, Katherine (Greer Garson), through a retrospective narration. This film does NOT have closed captioning.

Sorry, Wrong Number is the film adaptation of the famous 1943 radio play by Lucille Fletcher in which an invalid heiress, Leona Stevenson, accidentally hears a murder plot on the telephone. As she frantically tries to contact the police, she realizes the victim is herself. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks, detailing Leona's increasingly desperate attempts to identify the plotters and prevent the crime, ultimately revealing her husband's involvement.

Teenage brothers Michael and Sam move with their mother to a small town in California. While the younger brother meets a pair of kindred geeky-spirit friends, the older brother falls for Star, who is in thrall to the leader of a local gang of vampires. The older brother must be saved!

The Narrow Margin is a taut, low-budget film noir thriller directed by Richard Fleischer, following LAPD detective Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) as he escorts mobster widow Frankie Neall (Marie Windsor) on a transcontinental train journey from Chicago to Los Angeles to testify before a grand jury. Hitmen hired by the mafia attempt to silence her, leading to a suspenseful cat-and-mouse game. The situation is complicated by a case of mistaken identity where another passenger, Ann Sinclair, is mistakenly targeted. The film is acclaimed for its tense atmosphere, tight pacing, innovative camera angles, and a well-executed plot twist. This film does NOT have closed captioning.

The Girl Groups of the rock 'n' roll era represent one of the most fascinating components of the modern music era. The Girl Groups developed from pioneers in vaudeville and the swing and boogie woogie era of music from the 1920s and 1930s. This course is part presentation and part American Bandstand and will include videos of some of the groups who were instrumental in the Girl Groups sound and their influence on today's artists. Sing along, get up and dance, or clap to the music if you like!

The Girl Groups of the rock 'n' roll era represent one of the most fascinating components of the modern music era. The Girl Groups developed from pioneers in vaudeville and the swing and boogie woogie era of music from the 1920s and 1930s. This course is part presentation and part American Bandstand and will include videos of some of the groups who were instrumental in the Girl Groups sound and their influence on today's artists. Sing along, get up and dance, or clap to the music if you like!

High Sierra is a crime film starring Humphrey Bogart as an aging gangster released from prison to lead a hotel heist in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The film is considered a predecessor to film noir, known for Bogart's nuanced performance, the use of the mountainous setting, and its critical role in establishing Bogart as a leading man.

The epic tale of an intrepid archaeologist trying to beat a band of Nazis to a unique religious relic, which is central to their plan for world domination.

In Glenn's upbringing, the world was changing and art was changing with it. Glenn will dissect some of the musicals in the '60s and '70s that took major leaps from classic musical theatre into tougher subject matter. We learn that, in breaking the normative barriers of Broadway, we were given some of the best show-stopping numbers of our time.

Glenn Rosenblum is a busy celebrity talent broker, lecturer, vocalist, actor, and musical mensch. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in theatre from the School of Theatre, Film, and Television at UCLA and has attended the School of Dramatic Arts at USC and the New College at Hofstra University. BroadwayWorld.com called him the “New Prince of Los Angeles Cabaret” in his new one-man cabaret show, The Musical Man. He has been seen regionally on stage in musicals including Cabaret (Emcee), Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), Man of La Mancha (Barber), and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). He also played himself in Annabelle Gurwitch’s hit comedy Fired!, recorded for National Public Radio at Los Angeles Theatre Works. His off-Broadway credits include Lucky Lucy and the Fortune Man starring Blythe Danner, Little Mighty with Sam Harris, and Rise of David Levinksy featuring Larry Kert. Glenn’s television work includes an Old Navy commercial with Kristin Chenoweth, as well as episodic turns on the series Bones and Miami Vice. His passion and obsession of Broadway’s musical theatre has led him globe-trotting with Crystal Cruises as a guest lecturer. 

Laura is a classic American film noir by Otto Preminger and stars Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, and Clifton Webb. The story follows a hardboiled detective investigating the apparent murder of the beautiful socialite Laura Hunt. The film is celebrated for its masterful storytelling, strong performances, witty dialogue, memorable title song, and atmospheric black-and-white cinematography.

Join us to enjoy the 1974 film adaptation of a classic tale, The Great Gatsby. The talent of the late Robert Redford is easily appreciated in this story about a Midwesterner who becomes fascinated with his nouveau riche neighbor, who obsesses over his lost love. For more perspective on the book behind the movie, register for "The Great Gatsby: A Deeper Look," also being offered this semester.

The York Symphony Orchestra and York Symphony Chorus conclude the season with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Inspired by medieval poems and codex, Carmina Burana combines bold percussion with recurring vocals and vivacious harmonies. Strauss’ Wine, Women, and Song captures a Viennese Waltz structure with sassy arrangements and fanfare.

Course fee includes $9 for concert voucher.

The York Symphony Orchestra and York Symphony Chorus conclude the season with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Inspired by medieval poems and codex, Carmina Burana combines bold percussion with recurring vocals and vivacious harmonies. Strauss’ Wine, Women, and Song captures a Viennese Waltz structure with sassy arrangements and fanfare.

Cantankerous retiree Norman and his conciliatory wife, Ethel, spend summers at their New England vacation home on the shores of Golden Pond. There is family drama as their daughter arrives with a new fiancé and his son.