MONDAY: Disney's Jews
The songwriters behind "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," "Colors of the Wind," and more
Did you know that the majority of Disney’s beloved musical repertoire was written by Jews? From Cinderella in 1950 through Teen Beach Movie 2 in 2015 and beyond, Disney’s movies, TV shows, and theme park attractions have consistently relied on Jewish composers and lyricists for such hits as:
• “Bippity Boppity Boo” (Cinderella);
• “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (Mary Poppins);
• “It’s a Small World” (theme park attraction);
• “Under the Sea” (The Little Mermaid);
• “Be Our Guest” (Beauty and the Beast);
• “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story);
• “Stick to the Status Quo” (High School Musical);
• “That’s How You Know” (Enchanted); and
• “A Happy Beginning” (Once Upon a Time).
On Monday, October 19 at Noon EDT Jewish Culture 101 will present “Disney’s Jews,” a look at the songwriters whose music has formed the soundtrack of young and young-at-heart Americans for more than seven decades. Register: bitly.com/BenkofDisney
That’s followed by “Rodgers & Hammerstein 101” on Monday, October 26 at Noon EDT (also FREE) and a FREE “Singer-Songwriter'“ series every Monday at Noon Eastern in November:
• Bob Dylan 101 November 2
• Simon & Garfunkel 101 November 9
• Peter, Paul, & Mary 101 November 16
• Carole King 101 November 23
• Billy Joel 101 November 30
On Thursday, November 5 at Noon EST, David will be teaching “Mel Brooks: a Second Look” which is a continuation of Mel Brooks 101, but with completely new clips and topics to discuss. Both veterans and newbies are welcome. Tuition: $1. Register: bitly.com/BenkofBrooks
Do you know any young or aspiring theater professionals 18-25 who might like a ten-week seminar on the history of Broadway, with a $1,000 stipend upon completion of the course requirements? If so, tell them about me and send them to bitly.com/BroadwaySeminar
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here: bitly.com/BenkofChannel. You’ll find dozens of American Jewish culture videos, including this six-minute video about newly minted Nobel Laureate poet Louise Glück, which grew out of last week’s class on Jewish women poets; and this five-minute video about Jewish Voice Actors drawing on the previous week’s content.
And I’m booking Zoom talks for individual organizations, and eventually in-person classes. Here’s a demonstration of my in-person teaching and this one-minute intro shows how Jewish Culture 101 works.