In addition to his huge repertoire of music performed daily, John Boda also has incorporated a list of very interesting and in demand multimedia programs! He has found that most senior adults also enjoy being stimulated intellectually and are very interested in captivating topics!
These programs run a minimum of 50 minutes and maximum of 60 minutes in length and he can use his own sound system if one is not available. All that is required is a table and screen, but if none is available, he also has a screen, but it must be requested! John Boda uses his own Power Point Projector running from his laptop filled with pictures of each topic!
John Boda has been an avid reader and has interests in these and other topics largely of historical interest and has been a lifelong history buff. He is well suited to present these having done extensive research on each one, and also having 14 years on air experience as a radio broadcaster voice. He also spent many years as a research historian teacher and assistant Pastor at a church. His new book on The Great Chicago Fire was released October 2nd, 2017!
Please note that some of these are lecture speaking only and some are a combination of speaking along with many songs performed live on vocal and guitar!
Please note that some of these are lecture speaking only and some are a combination of speaking along with many songs performed live on vocal and guitar. If the title is highlighted in RED, it has live music performed, if it is BLUE, it is captivating history only.
BRAND NEW ADDITION FOR 2024:
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. - I HAVE A DREAM
A tribute to the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a summary of his life and work. There are songs included over clips of his marches and life such as "Go Down Moses", "We Shall Overcome" "Battle Hymn of the Republic" "Precious Lord Take My Hand" and the classic Dion song, "Abraham, Martin & John". John Boda has researched and studied his life and career and also brings the details of what occurred in Memphis in 1968 which tragically ended his life. But despite the sad conclusion, the program ends in hope and a positive note hoping his dream will be realized in the future. Dr. Martin Luther King was born Jan 15, 1929.
SAM COOKE: YOU SEND ME – A musical tribute to the great Sam Cooke who many critics credit with creating “Soul Music”. Sam Cooke grew up in Chicago in his father’s church singing Gospel and then performing in many Gospel groups before crossing over into secular soul in 1957 with his smash first hit, “You Send Me”. Sam wrote most of his songs, produced and arranged them, and had an incredible future in store but was cut short in a terrible shooting incident in 1964 and died in his prime at age 33. But he left a beautiful legacy of songs that will be performed by John Boda with many pictures some sing along lyrics on screen. Other songs performed are “Wonderful World”, “Cupid”, “Bring it on Home”, “Twisting the Night Away”, “Another Saturday Night” and the grand finale tribute is the Civil Rights anthem – “A Change is Gonna Come. Sam Cooke was born Jan 22, 1931.
MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE – This is very similar to “Star Spangled Songs” but with a theme of reverence and tribute to all the many American miliary men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It includes several songs such as “God Bless the USA”, “God Bless America”, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and also a live short reading of THE GETTYSBURG ADDRES. It concludes with “Taps” (The Lyric version and lyrics on screen)
INCREDIBLE ICONIC IMAGES – This presentation looks at select iconic images and John Boda covers the brief background of each one with stunning views on screen. If any of the images has songs linked to them, he performs the song with appropriate clips of pictures or silent film trailers during the song. It is evenly arranged with some only background and history and others with songs. Some of the iconic images covered are “Mona Lisa: (with title song) “American Gothic”, “Marines at Iwo Jima” (with God Bless the USA) “Hindenburg Disaster”, “Whistler’s Mother”, “Marilyn Monroe Skirt Scene” (with song “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend) Rita Hayworth, JFK, Lincoln and more for an unusual, captivating presentation.
1. Academy Award Winning Songs (Vol 1) - This presentation covers the big Oscar Winning songs from films starting with the first year they began the award for “Best Song” in 1934 with “The Continental”. Each year is summarized with pictures and trivia on the best film, actor, actress and more but the focus is on the awarded song, and then it will be performed by John Boda, often with a film clip behind on screen during the performance! This is the first volume of three and covers the years 1934 – 1944 with songs such as “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Over the Rainbow”, “When You Wish Upon a Star”, “The Last Time I Saw Paris”, “Swinging on a Star” and more.
2. Academy Award Winning Songs Volume II – This presentation is the second of a three-part series and covers the years 1946 – 1955. Each of those years will be covered with a brief summary of the big winners for “Best Actor/Actress/Movie” with pictures and trivia. The focus will be on the winning song and the audience will get the choice of nominees and try to guess before it is revealed! Once it is revealed, John Boda performs the song with either the lyrics, or a film trailer the song was introduced in will be seen. Some of the great songs covered are: “Mona Lisa”, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, “Buttons and Bows”, “Three Coins in the Fountain” “High Noon” and more!
3. Academy Award Winning Songs Volume III – This is the final one in the three-part series and covers the years 1956 – 1965. Each of those years will be covered with a brief summary of the big winners for “Best Actor/Actress/Movie” with pictures and trivia. The focus will be on the winning song and the audience will get the choice of nominees and try to guess before it is revealed! Once it is revealed, John Boda performs the song with either the lyrics, or a film trailer the song was introduced in will be seen. Some of the great songs covered are: “All the Way” , “GiGi”, “High Hopes”, “Never on Sunday”, “Moon River”, “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and more!
4. Amelia Earhart: Skylark – She was a super celebrity aviator for nearly ten years 1928 – 1937 and broke many records in the early years of aviation! She also was one of the first women to break out of traditional roles and prove they could compete and succeed as well, if not better than men. This presentation will summarize her life and career and is filled with pictures, history and several appropriate songs including “Come Fly with Me”, “Fly me to the Moon”, “Beyond the Sea”, “Skylark” and a special touching moment by John Boda of a re-written new lyric tribute of The Beatle’s “Blackbird” Her disappearance in July of 1937 will be covered along with the three main theories as to what occurred. The audience will be invited to believe any of them as it still is an ongoing mystery! She was born July 24, 1897
5. Andrea Doria: Collision at Sea – When the floating art palace and elegant Italian ship – Andrea Doria – collided with the Swedish ship Stockholm on July 25, 1956, it was the most unusual and bizarre accident! In a huge ocean, with two ships using state of the art radar and very experienced captains, the odds were at least a million to one it would never happen- but it did. The good news was it was also called “The Greatest Sea Rescue in History” as loss of life was low, and most were rescued while the majestic Andrea Doria slowly capsized and sunk into the ocean. John Boda covers the story with pictures, incredible tales of survival, charts of the collision, brief clips, and includes several songs to help tell it such as: “New York, New York”, “Arrivederci Roma” “Beyond the Sea” and more.
6. Andy Williams: Moon River – This presentation covers the life and music of another great singer who was popular during the time of Perry Como – Andy Williams! He started with his brothers and then emerged as a super star solo singer hosting the Grammy Awards for 13 years, and his own T.V. show for nearly a dozen years. His hit songs performed will be “Can’t Get Used to Losing You”, “Dear Heart”, “Days of Wine & Roses”, Charade”, “Music to Watch Girls By” and of course his theme song “Moon River”! Andy Williams was born December 3, and this includes one Christmas song as he recorded eight holiday albums.
7. Assassination of Abraham Lincoln – Very few people know the details of this tragic event also on April 15th in the year 1865. The twelve-day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirator alone is full of many twists and turn and they very nearly got away! Also included is insight about the others who were arrested and tried, including the first woman ever hanged for her involvement. Pictures of all presented including the actual hanging. The complete story of what happened is presented and summarized based on all the known facts. John Boda produced a very moving video about this posted on YouTube.
8. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand – John Boda has programs which cover two other terrible assassinations, President Lincoln (1865), and President Kennedy (1963). He has discovered strange and amazing links between them also such as these are each 49 years apart, they are each linked with a war, and all three involve fatalistic men who lost their lives even after warnings! This one will focus on exactly what happened on June 28th, 1914 which was the key trigger starting WWI when Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot dead while visiting Bosnia. Most people are aware of this event, but few know the details of what occurred and the incredible luck of the assassin who did the deed. How this event led to a world war will be covered also including many seldom seen pictures and maps to give everyone a clear understanding of this amazing event. This is always great near June 28th or one month later July 28th when the war actually started.
9. Assassination of JFK - John Boda is an avid reader and a long-time researcher in this event, even before the famous movie “J.F.K.”. He was also personally involved in a Chicago symposium upon the film’s release and met Oliver Stone and interviewed Ed Asner about his role in the movie. John Boda has recently visited the site in Dallas and worked with the top research people through the years. The case is not closed by any means! The conspiracy facts are presented with pictures and stories and the audience can decide what to think and ask any questions about it. This lecture will show many of the suspects involved and various theories. It remains one of the greatest unsolved murder mysteries ever! President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963
10. Assassination of RFK: A Question of Conspiracy – Senator Robert F. Kennedy was murdered on June 5, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles California. While the official conclusion was a lone gunman named Sirhan B. Sirhan, the clear evidence showed a far different reality that was covered up. The coroner was absolutely positive RFK was killed from a bullet entering just behind his right ear, from behind, at nearly point blank of 1 to 2 inches away. However, ALL the witnesses clearly said that Sirhan was never closer than three to seven feet IN FRONT of RFK! There are many other discrepancies and mysteries including a strange woman in a polka dot dress who was seen with Sirhan and ran out right after in glee saying, “we killed him!” Anyone who looks at the evidence will come away with a new revelation of a travesty of justice. RFK’s own son (RFK Jr.) has been convinced it was a cover up and Sirhan is innocent, as well as many others including Paul Shrade who was hit and wounded in the head but survived. John Boda presents all the evidence with clear pictures, diagrams, and summary to leave the conclusions with the audience.
11. The Beatles! - This presentation emerged by many requests to cover a few more from the rock era. Even though John Boda was 5 years old when The Beatles arrived in America, he was very much a fan at that age, along with millions of others! This will look at the group and show how they started, and then focus on each member with a special song performed in their honor also. Brief video clips, historic pictures and key big hit songs performed such as "Please, Please Me", "Yesterday", "All You Need is Love", "In My Life", "Here Comes the Sun", "Let it Be" and more. John Boda is especially qualified to cover the Fab Four as he has been the lead guitarist for an all-Beatle Christmas theater show performing every year since 1997 and continues every December in Naperville.
12. The Big Band Era! – Generally, it is linked with swing and considered to be approximately ten years from 1935 – 1945, when the big bands ruled popular and dance music such as “Benny Goodman”, “Glenn Miller”, “Tommy Dorsey”, “Artie Shaw” and more! This presentation will include pictures and brief summaries of each, and songs performed include “Elmer’s Tune”, “The Waltz You Saved for Me” “Careless” “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and more! Plus, a focus on Chicago’s great ballrooms will be presented throughout this presentation.
13. Bing Crosby: The King of Crooners! – Bing was the first superstar crooner of the 20th century and the first big influence on all the others to follow including Frank Sinatra! Even though Sinatra would surpass him later, Bing Crosby would remain as the ultimate crooner of that era and has left a huge legacy of songs and film that are still popular today. His life and music will be covered on screen and select songs will be performed by Bing such as “Pennies from Heaven”, “Don’t Fence me In”, “Blue Hawaii”, “When the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day” and several more. Many rare pictures and trivia will be presented into the life of one of the greatest singers ever. Bing was born May 2nd (1903)
14. Bing Crosby Christmas: This presentation is similar to the one above (King of Crooners) but it has a focus on more of his Christmas songs and specials. It is geared around the holiday as Bing was always linked with Christmas as well. Some of the same songs are performed but others are added such as: “White Christmas” “Winter Wonderland”, “Little Drummer Boy” and more.
15. Bobby Darin: Beyond the Sea! – This is another one in the series of great vocalists and performers of last century, and Bobby Darin was one of the top ones! He packed a lot of living and work in film and records in his short life living only to the age of 37. He knew at a young age that his life would be short due to a bad heart condition and consequently planned a career to shoot to the stars as quick as possible. Bobby was one of the few who could easily cover different styles of songs and move back and forth between rock, pop, standards without being labeled to anyone of them. This presentation will look at his life and music filled with pictures, trivia and songs such as “Splish Splash”, “Beyond the Sea” “Mack the Knife” and others that made popular. Also included will be a look into his sweetheart romance and marriage to star Sandra Dee. Bobby Darin shares the same birthday as John Boda – May 14th
16. Bob Hope: Thanks for the Memories! – Bob Hope is probably the best pick for “Entertainer of the Century” as his life spanned nearly the entire century born May 29 1903, and lived until just past his 100th birthday in 2003! This presentation will look at one of the greatest comedians of all time who created the stand-up routine that many followed into such as Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld and more. Bob Hope was also a movie star, dancer and singer who introduced some big hit songs! Several of these songs will be performed within the show by John Boda including, “It’s DeLovely”, “Two Sleepy People”, “Buttons and Bows”, “Road to Morocco:, “I Can’t Get Started” and of course, the grand finale ending will be a great tribute montage clip with the Oscar winning song, “Thanks for the Memory”!
17. Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away! – Buddy Holly was born September 7, 1936 and died in a terrible plane crash on February 3, 1959 at age twenty-two. Yet in his short life, he managed to influence many of the soon coming music legends and change the course of music history forever! He was the proto-type for the classic three- and four-piece rock bands that emerged in the 1960’s. Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon of the Beatles were huge fans and said so many times, as well as The Rolling Stones and more. This presentation will not dwell on his terrible death but cover it at the conclusion which was immortalized by Don McClean in “American Pie” (The Day the Music Died) along with up and coming stars The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. This is a tribute to his life and career with songs performed by John Boda such as “That’ll be the Day”, “Rave On”, “Heartbeat”, “Peggy Sue”, “True Love Ways” and more.
18. Burt Bacharach: What the World Needs Now is Love! - Burt Bacharach is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, pianist, and singe and now 90 years old. A six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner. He wrote over 70 top 40 hit songs! Everyone knows his big hit songs today and they have been covered by hundreds of artists, but many were first introduced by Dionne Warwick and performed such as “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”, “Walk on By”, “What the World Needs Now” and others also will be performed such as “Magic Moments”, “The Look of Love” and a few Grammy winners “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” , “Arthur’s Theme” and more! Burt Bacharach was born May 12th 1928 and is an American legend.
19. Busby Berkeley: Film Director Extraordinaire! - Busby Berkeley was credited as saving Hollywood from disaster after silent films transitioned into "talkies" in the 1930's and films became predictable, boring and financial risks. Some of the most incredible and creative films were directed by Busby during the 1930's - 40's filled with kaleidoscope patterned dances and sets! His life and career will be seen along with clips of his fantastic dances he directed featuring songs such as "Whoopie", "42 Street", "We're in the Money", "Lullaby of Broadway" and many more! His birthday is Nov 29th
20. The Century of Progress Chicago World’s Fair 1933-34 - This was the 2nd world’s fair in Chicago and one that even some seniors today still recall from childhood! It was another huge undertaking of work and transformation on the near south side and very different in many ways to the previous one 40 years before. That was the “White City” and this was the “Rainbow City” filled with color and scientific progress highlighting the achievement of the great city of Chicago starting as a small village in 1833 to a world class major city! This lecture is filled with pictures, stories, and more; included is a short video of the fair sensation – Sally Rand – and her fan- bubble dance! (This lecture could also include a mix of songs from that year and decade if desired)
21. Chicago: City of a Century, the First 100 Years: – This presentation is a captivating look into the beautiful city of Chicago, and how it began, including the struggles, the people, and great accomplishments! John Boda is a native of the city and also an author of a Chicago history book on The Great Fire. He has divided the 19th Century into “The Fort, The Fire and The Fair” and will cover all the way up to the second World’s Fair, The Century of Progress 1933-34. It is filled with great pictures, stories, and can include a few local songs also
22. Christmas Tree Ship: The Rouse Simmons - This is an incredible story of a schooner selling Christmas Trees to Chicago and arrives every year in November with the jovial Captain Santa! But in November of 1912 it sank in a terrible storm and lost all on board including a full load of trees. It remained a mystery until recent years when the wreck was found in Lake Michigan and answers became evident of what really happened. One of the greatest heart-warming true stories of Lake Michigan shipwrecks and a close link with Chicago. It sank November 23rd 1912 but it is really a Christmas story and great anytime in the holiday season and includes some Holiday favorite songs!
23. Christmas Truce of WWI – During the winter of December 1914 along the Western Front of Belgium and France, soldiers were locked facing each other in deep trenches with little progress made on either side and horrible loss of lives occurring daily. On Christmas Eve 1914 each side heard Christmas carols being sung and saw little trees erected from the trenches, and before long, both British and German soldiers were meeting, singing together, sharing food and drinks, playing football and more! They got sick of the war and fighting and made peace, but it was short lived and had to return to the trenches to shoot each other after a few days. Although this story sounds made up it is completely true with many pictures to prove it and tales told! John Boda also includes the top select songs that they sang together such as “Silent Night”, “Auld Lang Syne”, “Keep the Home Fires Burning”, Oh Christmas Tree: and more. This presentation revolves around Christmas but includes some patriotic songs and is great for anytime in December!
24. Classic Crooners (Gentleman Edition) This program is similar to The Songwriter Showcase series in that it features the life & music of great artists. But here it is a look at the life and music of nearly a dozen classic male vocalists including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, Al Jolson and more! Each singer will be highlighted on screen with pictures, info, and key signature songs performed such as “That’s Amore”, “Prisoner of Love” “I’ll Never Smile Again” and more, along with a summary of each singer and career. (The other in the series focuses on LADIES)
25. Classic Crooners (Ladies Edition) – This presentation is just like the one listed earlier for gentleman, but this time it is focused on the great ladies of song such as Rosemary Clooney, Pattie Page, Doris Day, Lena Horne, and more! Brief history and pictures on screen along with interesting trivia will be included along with select songs performed such as “Tennessee Waltz”, “Stormy Weather” “Who’s Sorry Now”, “Hey There” and several more! A great presentation of memories both visual and in song of classic female singers of the golden age of music.
26. Classic Hollywood Musicals - This presentation is part two of "Hollywood Musicals" but different focusing on just the song & dance classics such as "42nd Street", "Guys & Dolls", "Easter Parade", "West Side Story", "The Music Man" and more! Each segment will summarize that film with pictures, plot, actors and a dance clip on screen. John Boda will perform the songs to the dancers and invites sing-a-longs on all these popular songs also! Even though there are many hundreds of Hollywood musicals, these were handpicked to be the classic ones of their time which have endured to even today
27. Cocktails with Cole Porter – This is an all-music presentation with very little background or history, only brief tidbits on many of the songs. Cole Porter was an eclectic songwriter of both lyrics and music and wrote many incredible songs with many of them big hits over the 1930’s – 1950’s. He also loved to drink and entertain guests! John Boda simply performs a large assortment of his great songs over a series of video clips of him and scenes from that era, mostly of the 1930’s. If an actual event is created around this theme, John Boda also can provide suggested cocktail recipes for the group even named after various Cole Porter songs.(The recipe drinks are posted here at the web site)
28. Cole Porter You’re the Top! – This presentation is similar to the one of both Irving Berlin and Stephen Foster in that it is a combination of pictures, information and many of Porter’s great songs are performed live by John Boda! Cole Porter was also similar to both Berlin and Foster in that he wrote most of his songs without collaboration writing both the music and lyrics and putting out many great songs that were featured in Broadway Shows and Films such as, “Night & Day”, Begin the Beguine”, I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “True Love”, “Don’t Fence Me In”, “It’s Delovely” and many more! Porter’s birthday was June 9th
29. The Columbian Exposition World’s Fair Chicago 1893 - This is considered the ultimate granddaddy of all world’s fairs and a huge influence and point of major transition from the old world into the modern era! It opened in May 1893 in Jackson Park and ran through October. Incredible pictures of a city within a city called “The White City” built within two years and included the first huge rotating wheel built by George Ferris (Ferris Wheel). The award-winning best seller “The Devil in the White City” is all about this fair and America’s first serial killer who lured victims to his castle around it in Englewood. It will be a major film coming out soon and prepare people for the coming blockbuster movie! John Boda has researched this fair for many years and has great detailed pictures and reveals what this fair was really like!
30. Crop Circles - If you believe that these are all made as a hoax by a few clever people, you will be in for a huge surprise! Bizarre and amazing facts about their design and strange appearing within minutes will be covered, mostly in Southern England, but all over the world, and it continues with no final explanation yet found! Many beautiful aerial photographs of very intricate designs are shown with possible theories as to their appearance. These pictures are stunning, and people are always amazed as most have only heard of “circles” made by hoaxers rather than highly complex mathematical designs and pictograms! It continues every summer and remains a great mystery!
31. Custer: The Man, the Myth, the Legend – Next to Abraham Lincoln, there are more books written about Custer than any other man in America’s 19th Century! He was colorful and controversial and still has a huge following of both camps: those who love him and those who hate him! John Boda has long been interested in Custer first from Custer’s connection with Wild Bill Hickok, but in recent years he has become obsessed with reading nearly everything about this amazing man! Most people are only aware of Custer’s terrible death at Little Big Horn, but John Boda goes through his fantastic glory days as a Civil War hero also without neglecting his end-of-life battle. Incredible pictures are included as Custer was THE KING OF MEDIA in his day! He was born December 5, 1839, and his famous last stand battle was on June 28th.
32. Dean Martin: The King of Cool! – This title “The King of Cool” was given to Dean Martin by Elvis Presley! This presentation will look at his life and career on screen including many select big hit songs of Dino’s performed as well! Songs such as “That’s Amore” “Sway” “Standing on the Corner” “Ain’t that a Kick in the Head” “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime” and more! Looking at his long career in film and also in the
Rat pack. Dino was born June 7th
33. Dorothy Fields: On the Sunny Side of the Street! - This presentation is part of the Great Songwriters of the Golden Age series and features one of the few very successful women songwriters among a world of men. Dorothy was primarily a lyricist but wrote the most beloved lyrics to big hit songs like "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", "I'm in the Mood for Love", "Don't Blame Me", "Pick Yourself Up" as well as her one Academy Award winner with Jerome Kern - "The Way You Look Tonight"! All these songs (and more) will be performed in this show along with short video clips and many pictures in an informative look at this great songwriter. Her birthday is July 15th.
34. The Eastland Disaster – This ship sank before it even left the Chicago River on July 24, 1915 and killed 844 people! It is one of the worst disasters in American history and hardly anyone knows about it! It has been called “America’s Forgotten Tragedy” John Boda has researched this event in detail with many interesting facts, stories, pictures and even brief film footage recently discovered. He also has a very personal connection: John Boda’s grandmother and two great aunts were all on board but managed to escape and live long lives. He produced several videos on this event posted on YouTube and continues involvement in the annual memorial. Even though it was a horrible disaster, John Boda always highlights the positive aspects in survivors, heroic first responders and amazing little-known stories of that tragic day.
35. The Endurance Adventure- This ship and captain, Sir Ernest Shackleton, set out to explore the South Pole at the start of WWI in 1914 but got stuck in the ice and the captain and crew were “lost” and given up for dead for two years! But the fearless leadership of the captain led the way to help his men survive on penguins and seals and he managed to almost crawl his way back to launch point, and then gather a rescue ship for his men, and all were rescued without one loss! This event was very well documented by the captain and others on the voyage. But he also had a photographer on board who took incredible pictures all through this journey! These photographs and the complete story is told. It is considered the greatest adventure story of all time and has a very happy ending. NOTE: THIS NOW INCLUDES ALL THE DETAILS OF THE INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY OF THE ENDURANCE IN 2022
36. Elvis: An American Idol! – Elvis Presley is called “The King of Rock and Roll”, but he also did so many other styles and was an international movie star! His appeal is huge over a wide spectrum of ages and seems to increase as the years pass. This presentation covers his life and music with songs performed all through his career including some from his many films such as “Love Me Tender”, “Blue Hawaii” “Jailhouse Rock” and more! It is filled with great pictures of Elvis from childhood, young rocker to the King of Rock n Roll. Elvis was born on January 8th
37. Frankie Laine: That Lucky Old Sun! – He was one of the biggest singers in the world from 1946 – 1960 recording dozens of million gold records, film soundtracks and TV shows! This presentation is in the great vocalist series and covers his life, career and songs performed by John Boda such as “That’s My Desire”, “Mule Train”, “Jezebel”, “Cry of the Wild Goose”, “Rawhide”, “Rose, Rose I Love You” and of course “That Lucky Old Sun” among others! Frankie Laine lived a long life and gained many awards including being certified “A National Treasure” by the U.S. Congress. Each song will be performed over a video clip or sing along lyrics with songs most will remember from this classic singer who hit it big just before the rock era. His birthday is March 30th
38. Frank Loesser: The Guy of Guys & Dolls - Although the name Frank Loesser is not well known, he remains one of the great songwriters of the golden age of musicals! This presentation looks at his life, career and songs he wrote that everyone will know and love such as, " On a Slow Boat to China", "Once in Love with Amy", "Baby it's Cold Outside", "Standing on the Corner" and of course his all-time classic "Guys & Dolls" along with "Luck be a Lady" and more! He was born June 29th
39. Frank Sinatra: Chairman of the Board! - Sinatra was considered the greatest entertainer of the twentieth century! He was the favorite singer of millions! This presentation will include many pictures of his life, stories, and many signature songs of his will be performed such as; “I’ll Never Smile Again” “The Tender Trap” “Chicago” “New York, New York” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” ”My Way” and more! This can be presented any time, but it is always great near his birthday December 12th. John Boda has long claimed Sinatra as his all-time favorite singer and has researched many little-known facts on his life and music. Sinatra died on John Boda’s birthday on May 14 (1998) and was his saddest birthday ever!
40. Fred Astaire: Top Hat, White Tie & Tails! – Another in the series of music-talk combos and this features the incredible legendary singer-dancer extraordinaire Fred Astaire! John Boda has long been a fan of his and presents his life story with pictures including video clips of his dancing while he (John Boda) performs the songs of each dance on screen! Many clips include Ginger Rogers and timeless classics like “Cheek to Cheek”, “The Carioca”, “Night & Day”, “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and many more! Fred Astaire was born May 10th
41. Fred & Ginger: Cheek to Cheek! – This is a different presentation than the one simply all about Fred Astaire! This will focus ALL on the 10 films that were made by the dynamic duo of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers! It starts with background on each and then covers every film in order with a summary and pictures. Each film summary includes the biggest and most famous dance-song which will be performed by John Boda while Fred & Ginger dance on screen! Songs/dances covered are “Cheek to Cheek”, “The Carioca”, “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee”, “Change Partners” and more!
42. Gene Kelly: Song & Dance Man! – This is another in the series of “The Life & Music of” and covers the amazing life of Gene Kelly condensed into one hour with select songs performed along with select dances from vintage clips! Although he had no official partner like Fred Astaire, the closest he came was with Judy Garland, and some of their songs and dances together will also be featured such as “Ballin’ the Jack”, “Meet Me in St. Louis”, “Love is Here to Stay” and of course several of Kelly classics like “Singing in the Rain” and more! Also, several amazing dance clips of his dancing are shown as John Boda performs the songs! Gene Kelly was born August 3rd
43. George Gershwin: Love is Here to Stay! – This is another in the series of Great Songwriters and covers the incredible life and music of George Gershwin! Even though he died very young (age 38) he left an amazing group of songs, many of them performed in between brief stories and pictures such as: “Embraceable You” “I Got Rhythm” “Lady be Good” Summertime” “Love is Here to Stay” and many more. His brother, Ira, is included in the discussion as he wrote the lyrics also. His birthday was September 26th
44. The Great Chicago Fire 1871 - This occurred on October 8th, 1871 and is great to cover around that time and is very captivating! Most people only know the old legend about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and nothing more, yet there is so much more on this landmark event including stories of people involved and another popular credible theory is revealed on the actual cause. Many pictures are shown on Power Point along with maps and clear explanation of what happened. Also covered is the possible links to Peshtigo Wisconsin and Michigan which both has the same type of firestorm on the exact same days and time! The rebuilding phase is covered as well and is of great interest especially those from the Windy City! John Boda is a co-author to a new book on the subject now available from Arcadia Publishing!
45. Great Songs of Stage and Screen! – This is another mostly all-music presentation featuring the biggest and best songs of both Broadway Stage and Hollywood Screen. It was designed for a senior community who requested one with mostly music and less background or history. A backdrop video is shown on every song either with lyrics, or the trailer of the film for each song performed.
46. Harold Arlen: The Wizard of Song! – Another in the songwriter series programs, and although not as well known by name, he was one of the greats along with the rest with songs like, “Paper Moon” “Stormy Weather”, “That Old Black Magic”, “Blues in the Night”, Come Rain or Come Shine” and more! The reason this is titled “The Wizard of Song”, is because he also was the writer of all the music for “The Wizard of Oz”! Of course, “Over the Rainbow” is included along with a reprise at the end with a rainbow picture tribute to him and audience sing-along. Harold Arlen was born February 15th
47. Harry Warren Mr. Hollywood Musical! – He had the most songs and biggest hits of Hollywood films all through the top years of films and music of the 20th Century, yet hardly anyone knows his name or who he was!? Harry Warren will finally get his tribute as John Boda presents a look into his life and songs with many on screen pictures and summary of each one and film. He was known as “Mr. Hollywood Musical” and had the most hit songs of anyone at that time! Some of the songs performed will be: “Lullaby of Broadway: “September in the Rain”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “That’s Amore’”, “The More I See You”, “An Affair to Remember” and more! Harry Warren was born Christmas Eve Dec 24th
48. Haunted Chicago - The city of Chicago is considered one of the most haunted cities in the world! In this presentation John Boda tells the ghost stories of some of the select favorites included with pictures of buildings and people involved. Many of these ghost encounters also are directly intertwined with other lecture talks such as “Eastland” “Chicago Fire” “1893 World’s Fair” and “Iroquois Theatre Fire” and even if people are skeptics, they remain great mysteries! Also included are some select legends from the nearby suburbs. This always is a great talk anytime near Halloween! The audience is left with the option to believe it or not! (Note: There are two editions of this, with the other the same but includes songs performed like “Monster Mash” “Addams Family” and more)
49. Hindenburg Disaster: The Dead Zeppelin - On May 6th 1937 in Lakehurst New Jersey the massive Zeppelin LZ 129, named "The Hindenburg" exploded in disaster ending the age of rigid airships. Of the 97 people on board, amazingly only 35 were killed with one also on the ground. But it was one of the first disasters caught both on camera and film. This presentation will look briefly at the rigid airship history and events leading up to the disaster, and also probe into the continuing mystery of what caused it! A WLS Radio reporter - Herb Morrison - was there and recorded the chilling minute by minute account. John Boda will recreate that broadcast (He was a former radio professional)
50. Hoagy Carmichael: Stardust Melody! - In the same format as the other songwriting series, John Boda presents an hour of the life of Hoagy Carmichael. He was considered in the same class as Gershwin, Berlin and Cole Porter and wrote many timeless classics such as “Stardust”, “Skylark”, “Up a Lazy River”, Ole Buttermilk Sky”, “Lazybones” and more! His life is shown in pictures and brief stories as well as these songs and others performed with brief tales on how he wrote them. Hoagy was born November 22nd
51. Hollywood Musicals! – This is a presentation which highlights selected Hollywood Shows with pictures, stories, clips, and includes selected songs performed from each one also! Once again combining visual and audio to bring back wonderful memories for many seniors who enjoyed these shows through the years! Some of the shows covered are: “The Sound of Music” “My Fair Lady” “The King and I” “South Pacific” “West Side Story” “Oklahoma” and more!
52. Italian Crooners! – While there have been so many great Italian crooners in the Golden Age of Music, John Boda has selected six classic favorites: Dean Martin / Frank Sinatra / Perry Como / Frankie Laine / Vic Damone / Tony Bennett! He covers a brief background and history of each one with pictures and trivia, and then performs one or two key popular songs from each over a video clip or lyric scroll on screen. This always goes great in any Italian theme program, or just before an Italian meal for lunch or dinner.
53. It’s a Wonderful Life! This classic 1946 film will be covered on screen in trivia, pictures, history and several songs will be performed that were featured in the movie and relate to the story also! How the film started, how it was made, and what made it endure as a much-loved classic to this day will be covered with a brief look into each actor’s life and career also! It is filled with great pictures and classic scenes to stir memories for everyone who has seen it. It also includes specific songs to help tell the story, like a musical. Since it is a Christmas theme film, this presentation is great for November or December
54. The Iroquois Theatre Fire 1903 - This occurred on December 30th of that year and in downtown Chicago. It remains the worst fire of its kind in the U.S. ever! Very similar to Titanic nine years later and with links to The Eastland Disaster 12 years later, this brand-new theatre was billed as “absolutely fireproof” but became a terrible death trap for over 600 people. Although it seems depressing of a subject matter, it is part of Chicago history and in all tragedies, there are bright spots, heroes, and good things which emerge and those are brought out also. The back alley of this theatre remains one of the biggest “haunted alleys” in Chicago and the country! John Boda has filmed the alley and area and continues research on this subject to present a fascinating look at Chicago history
55. Irving Berlin: Puttin’ on the Ritz! – This presentation is a combination of both pictures, info and music of Irving Berlin songs performed live in between, including “Puttin’ on the Ritz” which he wrote, along with many others like “Cheek to Cheek” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “Always”, “Blue Skies”, “Easter Parade”, “God Bless America” and more! Berlin was the most prolific and important songwriter of the 20th century writing 1500 songs in his long life of 101 years! Each song performed is prefaced with a brief detail on how and where it was written, and Berlin’s life is traced in between in a most enjoyable program. Irving Berlin’s birthday was May 11th.
56. Jerome Kern: The Song is You! – Jerome Kern is considered the Father of American Musicals and was the inspiration of George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and others! Once again, this is part of a Great American Songwriter series which features brief stories, pictures on screen and includes many of Kern’s great songs such as: “All the Things You Are” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” “Make Believe” “Pick Yourself Up” “The Way You Look Tonight” “Ole Man River” “The Song is You” and more. His birthday was January 27th.
57. Jimmy Van Heusen: Swinging on a Star! – Everyone knows his songs, but hardly anyone knows the man who wrote them or even his name! This presentation will cover this great songwriter who became the main composer of songs for two of the greatest singers of the Twentieth Century: Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. His life story will be summarized as the great musician he was, along as a WWII war hero and celebrity of that period. Many of his classic songs will be performed such as, “High Hopes’, “All the Way”, “Love & Marriage”, and more including his award winning “Swinging on a Star”. Jimmy Van Heusen was born January 26th
58. Johnny Mercer: Too Marvelous for Words – This songwriter was mostly a lyricist, but he also wrote the music for many big hits everyone knows! He was considered the number one lyric composer during the years of WWII and into the 1950’s and even surprised many with his partnership with Henry Mancini in the 1960’s with “Moon River” and “Days of Wine and Roses”! Many songs will be performed along with the summary of his exciting life filled with pictures along the way. Songs such as “Laura”, “Dream”, “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” and many more including the title “Too Marvelous for Words’ Johnny Mercer was born November 18th
59. Judy Garland: Over the Rainbow - This presentation looks at the amazing life and career of one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century! Starting when she was two years old singing with her sisters to headlining at Carnegie Hall, filled with pictures, trivia, clips and songs performed by John Boda such as "Meet Me in St. Louis", "On the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe", "The Trolley Song" "Over the Rainbow" and more! Judy was born June 10th if this is to be linked with summer or June and always great. Even though she suffered a sad tragic life, and died young, John Boda ALWAYS concludes on a POSTIVE note and celebrates the life, career and memories of entertainers like this.
60. Legendary Vocal Groups – Songs, trivia and history of select classic vocal groups before the Doo-Wop Rock era and into early rock n roll will be covered on screen such as “The Andrew Sisters”, “The Mills Brothers”, “The Ink Spots” “The Platters into The Beach Boys and more. Select big hits from each one will also be performed by John Boda such as “Twilight Time”, “Paper Doll”, “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “Kokomo” and more. During the song performances, John Boda uses his famous harmonizer effect which allows him to sound like 2-3 singers in a vocal group
61. Leiber & Stoller: A New Class of Songwriters - Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote songs together for over sixty years starting in 1951, creating enduring classics in a variety of genres including Rhythm & Blues, Pop, Jazz, Cabaret, and most notably—Rock & Roll, writing over 70 top hits! Artists who made their songs popular read like a who’s who: The Beatles, Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Ben E, King, The Drifters and many more! This presentation will look at their lives and select great songs they wrote will be performed such as “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock” “Stand by Me”, “Ruby Baby”, “Spanish Harlem”, and more! Jerry Leiber was born April 25 1933,and Mike Stoller was born March 13th 1933 and great to honor either one for a spring show with more 50’s and 60’s great songs and history of a more modern sound.
62. Lincoln: Life & Times – This presentation is different from “Lincoln’s Assassination” and covers his life as child, adult, lawyer, politician and President. Pictures, drawings and brief history on this amazing man is presented along with four songs also:“My Old Kentucky Home”, “We Are Coming Father Abraham” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Abraham, Martin & John”(His assassination is briefly covered here to conclude the program) Included are special tributes prepared over the songs such as close up Lincoln Portrait Gallery and more. Good anytime but always great near his birthday February 12 and/or President’s Day in February.
63. Louis Armstrong: The King of Jazz – His nickname was “Satchmo” and he was America’s ambassador of jazz to the entire world during much of the 20th century! Most music historians consider him to be the “King of Jazz” and the one who made it popular, although there were others of his contemporaries who originated it first. It has been said that jazz was born in New Orleans, and grew up in Chicago, and that is because that follows the life Of Satchmo who was born in New Orleans August 4th (1901) and then migrated north to Chicago to become a legend developing jazz in the early 1920’s. This presentation will look at his amazing life and music from childhood to adult life where he kept performing and recording until the end. Select songs will be performed such as “Basin Street Blues”, St. Louis Blues”, “Mack the Knife”, “Hello Dolly”, “What a Wonderful World” and more.
64. The Lusitania – John Boda presents an hour of fascinating history looking into one of the world’s most famous ships and most mysterious disasters. It was a luxurious British passenger liner that was sunk by a German submarine on May 7th 1915 killing 1,198 people and created worldwide outrage as it was not a war ship! But others claim it carried secret cargo and the sinking was justified. Also, the sub only fired one torpedo but there were TWO explosions which remains a big mystery to this day! The controversy helped open the door for the United States involvement into WWI two years later. The story with facts and pictures clarifies the event and it is as interesting as Titanic’s sinking only a few years before, yet this is far less known because of the ongoing war at the time.
65. Marilyn Monroe: Candle in the Wind – This presentation will look into the life, career and death of one of the most beautiful stars of the Century – Marilyn Monroe! Fantastic pictures and career highlights will be featured along with songs she had hits with such as “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”, “Heatwave”, There’s No Business-Like Show Business” and the grand finale will be the touching tribute written by Elton John – Candle in the Wind over a montage of pictures. John Boda will also clearly cover the facts around her strange death and allow the audience to decide if they believe the official report or not. As in all these presentations, John Boda always concludes on a POSITIVE note with memories of the good and happiness that is left by these beloved entertainers of the past. Marilyn was born on June 1st
66. My Fair Lady- This was one of the all-time best Hollywood Musicals and rated in the top ten by the American Film Institute. John Boda covers the background history, trivia, with many pictures and brief stories of both the stage play and film. The 1964 film is focused in spotlight and John Boda performs several select songs over classic clips on screen. Songs performed include, “Wouldn’t it be Loverly”, “With a Little Bit of Luck”, “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “Get Me to the Church”, “On the Street Where You Live” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to her Face” and “The Rain in Spain”
67. Nat King Cole: Unforgettable – Nat King Cole was not only one of the greatest singers of last century, but also a top-notch jazz pianist, entertainer, T.V. Show host, and film star! He was raised by a minster father in Chicago and as a boy knew Louis Armstrong who lived nearby also. This presentation will cover his life story, career, and select big hits will be performed by John Boda such as “Sweet Loraine”, “Route 66”, “Nature Boy”, “Mona Lisa”, “L.O.V.E.”, “Ramblin’ Rose”, and more, including the grand finale: Unforgettable”
with on screen lyrics for all to sing along. Nat was born on St. Patrick’s Day March 17th
68. Perry Como: Catch a Falling Star - This presentation will look at the life & music of one of the most popular singers of the post-WWII years – Perry Como. He emerged at the perfect time to croon during the end of the golden age of music and film just before the rock era. Then he became a pioneer into the early years of television and hosted a popular T.V. show for many years and became a superstar singer to both the older and younger generation of his time. His life story will be summarized with pictures, trivia, and of course his big song hits will be performed by John Boda such as “Catch a Falling Star”, “Round and Round”, “Hot Diggity”, “Wanted”, “Papa Loves Mambo”, “It’s Impossible” and more. Perry Como was born May 18
69. Rita Hayworth: Lovely Rita – She was the top pin-up girl during WWII and one of the most glamorous film stars of the golden age of films. John Boda looks at her life, career, films and performs several of her songs that she introduced in films such as, “My Gal Sal”, “Long Ago and Far Away”, I’m Old fashioned”, “Dearly Beloved”, “Put the Blame on Mame” and more During the songs performed, clips are shown of her dancing with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and solo. Her birthday was October 17, 1918
70. Riverview: The Greatest Amusement Park – This presentation covers the world’s greatest amusement park which created smiles and fun from 1904 – 1967 and was located in Chicago! EVERYONE from the Chicago area who is at least 50 years old remember this and most have visited it many times! John Boda enjoyed one memorable day there as a child before it closed and has firsthand memories along with many pictures, stories and even a short video clip of the park and rides for an encore! Most of the rides and attractions are covered in pictures and details. This is another favorite and always brings memories of good times from many years ago (It can include popular era songs during the film clip at the end if requested)
71. The Roaring Twenties – This is a presentation created by request and turned into one good idea! Since we are in the “Roaring Twenties” once again, John Boda looks at the culture and era of the one a century ago. Fads, famous people and events will be discussed and shown in pictures and brief clips. John Boda also performs several of the biggest songs from the 1920’s which are still well known today such as “As Time Goes By”, “Makin’ Whoopie”, “Tea for Two”, “Stardust” and more
72. Rodgers & Hart: Witty & Grand – They were the first great songwriting team for Broadway writing 28 musicals and over 800 songs! This presentation will look at both Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart and nearly a dozen of their great songs will be performed such as “Blue Moon”, “Thou Swell”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, “Where or When” and more. Richard Rodgers was born June 28th and Larry Hart was born on May 2nd
73. Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Kings of Broadway – After Larry Hart died in 1943, Richard Rodgers teamed up with his 2nd partner Oscar Hammerstein and continued with another long success of great songs from musicals such as Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Carousel and others! This presentation will look into both lives of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and once again many of their great songs will be performed such as “” Oh What a Beautiful Morning” “If I Loved You” “It Might as Well be Spring” “Hello Young Lovers and more Richard Rodgers was born June 28th and Oscar Hammerstein was born July 12th
74. Route 66: Get Your Kicks - This presentation will cover America’s favorite cross-country road! Although it only exists now in memory and memorial markers, John Boda will cover the history of it, starting near Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, and go through each state ending at Santa Monica California! Many great pictures will be shown of each location, including at least one song performed in tribute in each state to the various states and cities the road ran through on its more than 2000-mile journey. Of course, the great ending song will be “Route 66” with a visual montage on screen of all locations.
75. Sammy Davis Jr: Mr. Wonderful – Sammy Davis Jr. was an incredible singer, dancer, actor, impressionist, and relentless entertainer! He started performing at the age of three with his father and didn’t stop until just before cancer took his life at age 64 in 1990. In between he left an enormous legacy of records and films that are still popular today. This presentation will look at his life from a boy to a world legend and include his times with the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra. Select songs will be performed from Sammy Davis such as “Hey There”, “What Kind of Fool am I”“I Got Plenty of Nothin’ “The Candy Man” and more. He was born Dec 8th
76. Sing-along Showcase – This is a fun presentation which combines the best of sing-along video clips in some of the previous programs for a big audience sing-along of about a dozen classic favorite songs! Each song will also include brief tidbits on history and background just before it is performed, and lyrics shown on screen. Some of the songs included are, “As Time Goes By”, Moon River”, “Swinging on a Star”, “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane”, “Heart and Soul”, “Over the Rainbow”, “High Hopes” and more
77.. Singing Cowboys - This presentation will look at the many singing cowboys of the silver screen from the golden age of music and Hollywood. Each cowboy will be seen in pictures and summary of life and career, along with a key song performed. While there will be about a dozen, the big three covered will be Tex Ritter, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Songs performed will be "High Noon", "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Rawhide", "Back in the Saddle", "El Paso", "Happy Trails" and more. This is for those who prefer a more country & western sound with great memories of old-time songs and entertainers!
78. Songs of the Civil War- Although the Civil War (1861 – 1865) was a terrible period with over 600,000 casualties, it produced many enduring songs with the soldiers on both sides. John Boda presents some of the best of these songs both performed live and with details on their origin and background in context of the war. These are amazing melodies and lyrics which are an accurate window into this period of history. Most of these songs will be known by the audience although a few will be lost gems presented again as they were sung and played during this conflict. Songs such as “Goober Peas”, “Cumberland Gap”, “Tenting on the Old Campground”, Dixie” “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and more. It can be done anytime of the year, but the month of April is great as the war began and ended in that month.
79. The Sound of Music - This presentation will look at one of the most popular musicals of all time that won 5 Academy Awards in 1965! It will cover the origins and beginning with pictures and trivia into the Broadway show of 1960, but mostly focusing on the classic film version of 1965 with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Several songs will be performed by John Boda, and some with sing-along lyrics on screen over the clips such as "Maria", 16 Going on 17", "My Favorite Things", Climb Every Mountain", "The Sound of Music" "Edelweiss" and more.
80. Star Spangled Songs - This presentation will cover many of the great American patriotic songs and the story behind them! John Boda traces America’s wars and the songs that emerged from each conflict starting with The Revolutionary War, into The Civil War, WW1, WWII, The Korean War, Vietnam, and even The Gulf War of recent years. Each song will be performed as well with invitation for sing-along after the brief history, which will be shown with pictures on screen! Songs and history covered will be “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “America the Beautiful”, “God Bless America” “God Bless the U.S.A with more including the National Anthem – The Star-Spangled Banner. Also, a tribute is performed for all U.S. Veterans with an Armed Forces medley. This program is great for any patriotic event such as the 4th of July, Veteran’s Day, or anytime a patriotic theme is requested,
81. Stars of the Silver Screen - This presentation will look at biggest, most glamorous and famous film stars of the golden age of cinema! Beautiful color glamour photographs will be shown on screen and the audience will be asked to guess who each one is before the in-depth summary. It will bring back many memories of movies and happy childhood for most. When a famous film star is covered who is linked with a popular song in a film, that song will also be performed to further link the star, film and happy time! Some of the stars are Humphrey Bogart, Heddy Lamar, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Lana Turner and more.
82. Stephen Foster: Beautiful Dreamer - He was the first great original American songwriter, and although he died in 1864 at the age of 37, wrote over 200 songs many of which are classic American folk standards that everyone knows today, even young children. He died broke and destitute yet if he lived only a few decades later he would have been a millionaire. This lecture will show the few pictures available of Foster along with his home and stories about his life and songs. John Boda also performs over a dozen Foster songs in a nice mix, many which are well known including “Oh Susana” “Old Folks at Home” “Beautiful Dreamer” and more January 13th is “National Stephen Foster Day”.
83. Strange & Unusual Tales of The Civil War – The American Civil War remains one of the most popular topics in thousands of books and movies each year! Rather than present a typical history talk on it, John Boda has assembled many of the most interesting, strange and bizarre true accounts of this four-year conflict 1861 – 1865. This presentation will include actual pictures of places and people involved on Power Point big screen and each with an amazing true tale. Accounts presented include “John Brown’s Body” “Bull Run – A Picnic that got out of hand” “McLean – The man who couldn’t run away from the war” “John Wilkes Booth Conspiracy” and more! It is always good in April when the Civil War began and ended.
84. Thru the Decades – This presentation was designed to stir memories for many of today’s seniors! John Boda goes through each decade starting with the fabulous roaring twenties and all the way up to the 1990’s. Famous people, actors, singers, events, movies, TV shows, and important historical events are highlighted each decade with audience participation asking to match names with faces and more. This was designed by request for a senior facility and since has proven popular at many others especially in units with memory care, but it can also be very fun and entertaining for sharp independent seniors also. This also includes a brief medley of live songs performed from each decade also.
85.. Titanic – The Ship, the People, and the Stories. John Boda has been an avid Titanic buff since long before the blockbuster movie came out! His connection is the Eastland which is considered “The Legacy of Titanic” for reasons revealed. It includes many tidbits and trivia on the ship, the people and what happened on that fatal voyage. The incredible ship will be seen on screen, before and after now deep under the ocean. Brief insight of people on board will be covered including a few seldom hear characters! The event date April 14-15
86. Tony Bennett: The Last Crooner – Tony just recently passed away, but left an incredible legacy. He not only broke the age barrier with the younger generation, but he shattered it, Although eleven years younger, Tony Bennett’s favorite singer was Frank Sinatra, then later when he rose to popularity, Sinatra would exclaim “Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business”! This presentation will feature great pictures and trivia on his life and music and include select songs he made popular such as “Stranger in Paradise”, “Rags to Riches”, “I Wanna Be Around” and of course his biggest smash hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”! As a bonus ending this program also includes a look at his amazing and beautiful art work in a picture gallery over a classic song to conclude this presentation. Tony Bennett was born August 3rd
87. Top Ten Hollywood Film Musicals - AFI – The American Film Institute (AFI) has rated the top ten Hollywood film musicals of all time and this presentation goes through that list! Starting with a countdown of number ten backwards to the big number one top pick. Each film will be highlighted with pictures, summary, trivia and John Boda will perform one select big song from each over the trailer seen on screen. These are the greatest Hollywood film musicals from the “Golden Age of Hollywood” Some of the films covered are, “Meet Me in St. Louis”, “Mary Poppins”, “An American in Paris”. “My Fair Lady: and more! Some of the songs performed are “The Trolley Song”, “Loverly”, “I Got Rhythm”, Chim, Chim, Char-ee” and more.
88. T.V. Theme Songs – This presentation is a trip down memory lane with a look at classic old television shows from the late 1950’s through into the 1980’s. Most are fun comedies such as “Andy Griffith Show”, “The Addams Family”, “Beverly Hillbillies”, “Mr. Ed”, “Cheers”, “All in the Family”, “Rawhide” and more. Each one will be in the spotlight with a summary and rundown with pictures, and each will also include their theme song performed by John Boda along with the intro/out or various clips on screen. The grand finale end will leave everyone happy with a look at “The Roy Rogers Show” and “Happy Trails”
89. Vic Damone: The Brooklyn Baritone – The life and music of this Italian crooner will be shown on screen with many select hit songs performed. Vic Damone was considered the heir apparent to Frank Sinatra, and Sinatra himself said “Vic Damone has the best pipes in the business”! Most of the information comes directly from Damone himself in his autobiography of this popular crooner especially during the 1950’s during his highlight years of hit songs and movies. Some of the songs performed are “You’re Breaking My Heart” “In the Still of the Night” “An Affair to Remember” “Stranger in Paradise” and more. He was born June 12th
. 90. Valentine’s Day Love Songs – This is a Valentine’s Day presentation filled with great love songs such as, “Some Enchanted Evening”, “Love is a Many Splendored Thing”, “I’m in the Mood for Love”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Love Me Tender” and more! Each song is performed over a brief video clip of the film linked to the song. Along with the songs, John Boda includes brief trivia on Valentine’s Day all through this program.
91. Victory in WWII (with Songs that Won the War) – It was the greatest world conflict ever fought with the entire world hanging in the balance fighting the evil axis of Fascism, Nazism, and Imperialism. This presentation gives an overview of the war from the beginning to the end, with pictures, maps and charts, and gives honor and recognition to the incredible bravery and service of the Allied troops, especially American, who defeated the enemy and saved the world. In addition to the story of the war, John Boda performs several top hit songs that some say “helped win the war”, such as “White Cliffs of Dover”, “We’ll Meet Again”, “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammo” and more. The grand finale ending is a special tribute to our American Veterans with the song performed of each division along with a slide tribute, Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard. (John Boda’s father was a Sergeant in WWII and served for three years in heavy battle) NOTE: In 2020 it will be the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII and this was designed to be a tribute for VE Day, VJ Day or Veteran’s Day
92. Volunteer and Change the World – This was a special presentation designed by request for a call to volunteer and show the amazing impact volunteerism has had on the world both past and present. It includes a few songs to highlight the topic which will be featured on screen with lyrics for a sing along. Songs include “Lean on me’, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” “What the World Need Now in Love”, and “I Believe in You” (April is National Volunteer Month)
93. Wild Bill Hickok: Lawman, Hero and Gunslinger This man led an amazing action-packed life! Lawman, Civil War Scout, Indian Fighter, and always the defender of right and law in the Wild West. James Butler Hickok was a childhood hero to John Boda and he has collected every known photograph and presents it with facts and stories about his life and death. Many historians consider Hickok legends to be based in fact and label him as the greatest marksman in pistols who ever lived. A video produced on Hickok by John Boda is very popular on YouTube. John Boda is part of “Wild Bill Hickok Day” every year in Troy Grove IL (His birthplace) Wild Bill was born May 27th.1837
94. The Wizard of Oz: We’re off to see the Wizard – the classic and timeless film starring Judy Garland is featured in pictures, stories, and songs performed. Each star will be briefly covered in trivia and history including the Munchkins with brief film clips also. Nearly every song from the film will be performed; including a rare outtake song and clip that was cut called “The Jitterbug”. Other songs performed will be key signature songs of each actor making this an entertaining and informative hour for Oz fans.
95. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – This is another in the shipwreck series and a very captivating look into a mysterious legendary disaster of the Great Lakes. It sank November 10th 1975 with no distress call and many other lingering mysteries killing the captain and crew of 28. This presentation will investigate the details and story with pictures and the crew and ship and what happened. Many more answers have recently come to light after the wreck was discovered and explored under Lake Superior. Also, as a bonus at the end, John Boda performs and sings the classic song by Gordon Lightfoot as a final tribute, along with other songs throughout.
96. The Ziegfeld Follies – Florenz Ziegfeld managed and produced these incredible music revues from 1907 – 1931 in New York City. They introduced thousands of the most beautiful women of that era including many comedians who went on to stardom such as W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, and Will Rogers. This presentation will look at the entire Follies briefly each year and will feature some of the songs introduced also performed live such as “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody”, “Secondhand Rose”, “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”, and more. Many glamorous and beautiful Ziegfeld girls are shown in rare pictures along with the immense outrageous sets which got bigger and wilder each year.
NOTE: If any of these presentations are requested more than once, please know that they are all in the process of being updated and revised so the second or third showing may be different with new or revised songs, videos and information.