Courses and Workshops

What makes for a great Broadway musical diva? To answer this question, we'll look at the lives and work of some of our most celebrated leading ladies of the stage musical. We'll explore the range and depth of their acting, singing, and, when it fits – dancing talents — as well as the special magic that has launched each of them into stardom. We’ll also delve into their personal lives — their triumphs, tragedies, regrets and joys. The course will showcase rare film footage of these extraordinary women performing, and, occasionally, giving revealing interviews.

This updated series not only covers the legends of yesteryear, such as Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Elaine Stritch, Barbara Cook, Chita Rivera, but more recent stars, too, including Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone (who, at the age of 73 won her 3rd Tony Award), Kristin Chenoweth, Marin Mazzie, Sutton Foster and six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald. Plus, there will be a couple of surprises presented in the last class meeting.

Faculty Bio

Bonnie Weiss, MA, is a seasoned theatre educator and writer who has taught courses on musical theatre history and appreciation for many years, including for such venues as Road Scholar, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Stagebridge. Bonnie has written feature stories for The Sondheim Review and Stage Directions Magazine. She is the recipient of two grants from the Yip Harburg Foundation and is mentioned in the biography Stephen Sondheim: A Life by Meryle Secrest.

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
• Classes will also be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Thursday April 4, and ends on Thursday, May 9
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (1–3 PM)
• Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
• All course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through May 31

Member Praise for Bonnie Weiss

Bonnie’ s enthusiasm for her topic is always engaging and interesting. Just a delight!

Absolutely wonderful! Great knowledge and presentation of the course material. One of my very favorite OLLI instructors!