Click on any entry in Barry Bradford’s Speaking Schedule for full details.
Cultural History
Broadway Comes To Chicago – 2022
North Shore Senior Center 161 Northfield Road, NorthfieldBroadway In Chicago, the Marriott Lincolnshire, Drury Lane theater, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theater (among others) have exciting programs this year for theater lovers. This fast and fascinating multimedia presentation will highlight all of the major shows coming to Chicago … Continue reading
Broadway Comes To Chicago – 2022 (Part 2)
North Shore Senior Center 161 Northfield Road, NorthfieldBroadway In Chicago, the Marriott Lincolnshire, Drury Lane theater, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theater (among others) have exciting programs this year for theater lovers. This fast and fascinating multimedia presentation will highlight all of the major shows coming to Chicago … Continue reading
Gregory Peck
Private VenueIf your mental picture of Gregory Peck is that of a straight-shooting, honest, compassionate, masculine but sensitive man who would always have your back and always stand up for the underdog, you'd be very close to the truth! While far … Continue reading
Broadway 2022
North Shore Senior Center 161 Northfield Road, NorthfieldThe situation on Broadway has been very fluid with some long-running shows closing, new shows opening, and popular shows going on hiatus during outbreaks of COVID. However, Broadway audiences are being treated to some of the best plays and … Continue reading
Walt Disney – Animating America
Private VenueIt is no overstatement to say that Walt Disney is one of the most influential Americans of all time. His name alone has become synonymous with forms of entertainment and recreation known throughout the world. To call something "Disneyesque" or … Continue reading
Mel Brooks
Private VenueMel Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in some of the funniest movies of all time. He even wrote the music for them! As a TV writer, working for the great Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks contributed to perhaps the funniest TV … Continue reading
TV By The Decades: Television in the 1960s
Private VenueTV in the 1960s The 1960s were definitely one of TV's oddest decades! The 1960s began with Westerns dominating the ratings! The old West soap opera Bonanza became the most popular show on the air. One after another competing show … Continue reading
The Mafia And The Building Of Las Vegas
Private VenueFabulous Las Vegas has gone through several fascinating eras! It was a desert town that grew when the railroads came through. Las Vegas accommodated the railroad workers, a wide-open culture of brothels, saloons, and gambling developed in the dusty desert … Continue reading
Steve Martin
Lake Forest Library 360 E. Deerpath Road, Lake Forest, IL, United StatesA common cliché in show business is to refer to someone as "one of a kind." Often that is hyperbole. But in the case of Steve Martin, it is literally true! There is no one who has a skill set … Continue reading
Rita Hayworth – American Royalty
Private VenueRita Hayworth - American Royalty The pin-up photo of Rita Hayworth hung above the bunks of World War II American soldiers, airmen and sailors, and airmen all over the world. She was called "The Love Goddess," and Fred Astaire declared … Continue reading