Event—Public Programming

Nightlife on Rush Street

—"A Night at Mister Kelly's" Program

Learn about the many worlds of nightlife in mid-twentieth-century Chicago!

View of video of this event. 

Join speakers Sylvia Ewing, Rob Onorato, and Perri Small for an exploration of clubs, cabarets, and the hottest hotspots outside the entertainment mainstream during the 1950s through the 1970s in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood and beyond.

This event is part of programming connected with our free exhibition, A Night at Mister Kelly’s, running March 21 through July 20, 2024. Programming for the exhibition is generously supported by the D&R Legacy Fund.


Speakers

Sylvia Ewing, an award-winning journalist and broadcast veteran, now works as a teacher, strategist, producer, and non-profit executive, committed to offering her life skills to help others find self-awareness and success.

Rob Onorato, independent researcher and writer, studies American cities and their gay/queer layers, performance and theater, myriad tendrils in popular music, thirteen centuries of poetry, botany and horticulture, and more.

Perri Small, veteran Chicago journalist and host of the Midday Madness show on WVON, where she shares raw and unfiltered perspectives.

Cost and Registration

This program is free and open to all. Advance registration required.

Registration opens April 1.

In-Person Program Registration

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Past Public Programs

Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.

Watch