If you aren't familiar with Andreas and Christian Ehrlich, a.k.a. the Ehrlich Brothers, just know that their magic show is probably unlike any you've seen before. The German duo is known for…
After a year away, the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival returned to Montreal with a star-studded line-up of the biggest names in laughter. On July 24, Variety presented their annual 10 Comics…
Last year, the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival looked like a thing of the past " after being founded in 1982, the venerated Montreal fest was bankrupt and cancelled. But like a well-told jok…
Every year, Variety editors and industry insiders select a list of emerging comedy creators making waves. This year, the honorees will be celebrated at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montre…
David Blaine has made a habit of blowing people's minds. The magician and mentalist is known for such feats of endurance as burying himself alive for seven days and holding his breath for mo…
If you're one of the many who caught "Wicked" in a theater, you've probably attended a sing-along screening " albeit unintentionally. As a theater kid, I understand both sides; it's hard not…
Leonardo DiCaprio turned 50 in November and celebrated with a bash at L.A. hotspot San Vicente Bungalows. But he wasn't the person whose party people were talking about. That would be "Thelm…
In January 1999, the Critics Choice Awards presented "Saving Private Ryan" with its top prize of best picture. The film's director, Steven Spielberg, took the stage and proclaimed of the org…
As befitting its name, the American Cinematheque keeps the art form of film running in theaters. The non-profit, founded in 1984, showcases 1,500 films a year, programming year-round at thre…
Unless you're a hardcore Disney fan, you probably don't remember the short-lived attraction "The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter." A theatrical experience that ran briefly in the 1990s in…
 "Sunday in the Park With George," "Nine," "Red": Stories about artists and the process of making art have long fascinated theater audiences. This season's Tony nominations add new tales …
In April 2023, Snehal Desai took on the mantle of Artistic Director for Center Theatre Group (CTG), one of the world's largest and most prestigious theater companies. Though he became active…
It's the first week of April, and Netflix vice president of stand-up and comedy formats Robbie Praw is severely under the weather. He's just a month out from the launch of the second Netflix…
Since 2000, Variety has been naming its annual 10 Comics to Watch " and watching them go on to impressive careers. We decided to invite a few notable alumni who happen to be performing at th…
Comedy constantly shifts and changes, and tenets that might have applied years ago are also on the move. Variety spoke to some comics about everything from social media to cancel culture to …
How do you play someone as notorious as Vladimir Putin? It would be easy to telegraph his cruelty, to turn him into a mustache-twirling villain. Or to give over entirely to caricature, w…
Solo shows can be a blessing and a curse; they can be some of the most amazing theater you've ever seen… or an overindulgent trainwreck. Comedian Kate Berlant has somehow managed to captur…
Jenny Hagel is "obsessed" with giving people advice " whether people ask or not. "I'm sure it's everybody's least favorite thing about me, but I can't stop," she admits. "It's like a facial …
Comedian Hannah Berner, who was named one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch" for 2023, is set to record her first comedy special for Netflix. The hour-long special will be taped in Philadelph…
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since the original "Mean Girls" movie tried to make fetch happen. Tina Fey's adaptation of Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book "Queen Bees and Wannabe" becam…
"Ferrari" director Michael Mann sees similarities between Enzo Ferrari and Adam Driver, the actor playing him in their new film. Hitting theaters Christmas Day, "Ferrari" focuses on a pivota…
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley's Acting Up newsletter " to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page…
A few years ago, Alexis Scheer wrote a play and, by her own admission, figured "it was a little too crazy and weird and nobody would do it." So she had her own theater company, Off the Grid,…
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley's Acting Up newsletter " to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page…
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley's Acting Up newsletter " to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page…