BalletX and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society opened the world premiere of Amy Hall Garner’s highly colorful, theatrical Petrushka Thursday night at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater.
Petrushka takes the second half of a program that opens with ensemble 132 alone in the first act, playing Bartok, Wiancko, and Mozart. So when Peter Weil (as Pete, who becomes Petrushka) wanders on stage and settles in for a nap, it is amusing already.
It’s as if a Kimmel visitor walked through the wrong door.
Now the musicians, playing the Stravinsky score — rescored for, and played by, a piano quintet, are backstage while a surreal fever dream of a scene erupts. Pete is woken up by a chorus of dancers who steal his blanket and wrap him into the traveling show that is approaching.
It’s like we went to a classical concert and a circus broke out.
BalletX dancers Peter Weil as Petrushka and Lanie Jackson as Belle in Amy Hall Garner’s “Petrushka.”
Last summer, BalletX offered a preview of Petrushka, for which choreographer-in-residence Garner teamed up with theater director Nancy Meckler and set and costume designer Emma Kingsbury. Then, it was intriguing but hard to parse.
Garner’s story is still hard to parse without reading the program notes, but it’s a wild adventure.
BalletX dancers Ashley Simpson, Itzkan Barbosa, Minori Sakita, and Lanie Jackson (back) in Amy Hall Garner’s “Petrushka.”
This is the first time BalletX has remade an older story, artistic director Christine Cox said on stage before the show.
Garner’s traveling show is an amusing cast of circus characters who are sometimes puppets, other times human. A hilarious strongman (Mathias Joubert) and a magician/impresario (Jonathan Montepara) share the role as the bad guys. Montepara controls everyone with his wand. Both Pete and the magician are in love with Belle, the ballerina (Lanie Jackson).
Jackson convinces Pete to change into a costume, thus becoming Petrushka and distracting the audience.
There are also acrobats and dancers who perform with ribbons, clubs, and hoops.
BalletX dancers are used to a variety of types of dance and roles. The company specializes in new work, so they are all flexible and able to perform in many ways. More surprising was how good they are as actors. In particular, Weil and Jackson didn’t only impress with their dancing but their strong storytelling and range of emotions.
BalletX dancers Mathis Joubert lifts Jerard Palazo in Amy Hall Garner’s “Petrushka.”
Joubert was the strongest supporting character as the egotistical strongman, breaking the fourth wall to use it as a mirror, flexing his muscles and kissing himself.
The large number of bodies on stage made for a lively scene, but it also overwhelmed the Perelman stage at times. Ensemble 132, which owned the first half, almost faded into the background in the second.
It would be interesting to see this sometime at the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, BalletX’s second home.
Hundreds of fans gathered at Stateside Live! ahead of the Flyers’ home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night to celebrate the franchise’s first Phish Night.
Whether they were dressed in Flyers gear, wearing Phish merchandise, or custom Trey Anastasio Flyers T-shirts, they danced to the sounds of Philly’s Phish tribute band, Rift, as they performed their 90-minute pregame set to get fans excited for what was in store for the rest of night.
Phish Night was a highly anticipated event for 45-year-old Doylestown native Brett Erpel and his brother Aaron. After the official announcement, Brett received a text message from his 47-year-old brother that read “Let’s go to this.”
The brothers have been fans of the band since 1995 after watching them perform for the first time at the Mann Music Center. Brett’s fandom has stretched over three decades.
For diehard fans like Brett and Aaron, Thursday night was the perfect combination of three things they love the most: Philadelphia, the Flyers, and Phish.
“I’m a huge Phish fan,” said 23-year-old Andrew Singer, a Philadelphia native. “The Flyers are an integral part of our city, especially during the winter time. I love Phish, the city of Philadelphia, and the Flyers. I just wanted to come out and support that.”
The Flyers and the band have had long connection. Phish’s first-ever performance at the Spectrum took place on Dec. 15, 1995, which saw their guitarist and singer Anastasio perform in a No. 10 John LeClair Flyers jersey. And before that performance the band visited the team in their training center.
Flyers fans listen to Philly Phish tribute band Rift, at Stateside Live! on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Since then, Phish had historic performances at The Spectrum which became immortalized on the album The Spectrum ’97.
“Tonight is sort of like the culmination of this long dating process,” said Ike Richman, who owns a communications company and is long-time friends with Phish. “Tonight’s their wedding day. The Flyers and Phish are finally getting married because we’ve had this parallel for so many years. The Flyers fans know about Phish and the Phish fans know about the Flyers. But, tonight they get to all come together in this beautiful night that features their music and celebrations.”
Anastasio has been a lifelong fan of the Flyers. Some have even made the connection that Anastasio and Flyers mascot Gritty look very similar, leading to some fans dressing up as the NHL mascot for a DIY Gritty costume contest, including Frank McGannon.
“I’m 50-years-old and dressed like this,” McGannon said. “I was invited to the concert being that it was Phish Night tonight. … And I was nominated to dress up for the Gritty contest. I guess I have that spirit, and here I am.”
McGannon made his way to the Xfinity Mobile Arena after the concert to get his one-of-a-kind, co-branded Phish and Flyers T-shirt, which features the band’s logo decorated in Gritty’s orange fur with the bubbles replaced by popcorn. The line for the shirt stretched across 11 sections, starting at the Sales and Service table, located across from Section 112, and ending at Section 101.
Flyers fan Greg McGannon listens to Phish tribute band Rift at Stateside Live! in a DIY Gritty costume.
“The shirt is great,” McGanon said. “I’m not going to lie, it’s the only reason I’m here.”
Along with the exclusive merchandise, fans could grab special menu items only available on Thursday night — including a Fishman doughnut from Federal Donuts & Chicken, a Split Open and Melt cheesesteak, a Poor Heart burger, a Ruby Waves vodka cocktail, and a Scent of a Mule vodka mule with a hint of mint.
The Fishman donut: A spiced cake donut with vanilla cream glaze and a red raspberry glaze ring pic.twitter.com/Bo2x8XJE88
Throughout the Flyers-Maple Leafs game, there were singalong moments from some of the band’s greatest hits, and Phish trivia questions which resulted in a fan winning a signed vinyl record from the band.
“It’s like a dream come true to see this happen,” said Richman, who presented the Flyers with the idea over the summer. “I’m grateful, again, that the Flyers are doing this and Phish is doing this. But, this is really for the fans and we want the fans to have a real good time. And as they say, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and let’s get this show on the road.”
A portion of the tickets sold from the event will benefit The WaterWheel Foundation, which supports causes in the Phish community.
For a moment, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts sounded a bit like Jason Kelce, without the foul mouth and not wearing a Mummers outfit.
During an NBC event Wednesday in New York City to hype its upcoming broadcasts of the 2026 Super Bowl and Milano Cortina Olympics, Sunday Night Football announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth discussed the teams they might see in Santa Clara next month.
Collinsworth said he was “hedging” a bit but sticking by his prediction the Seattle Seahawks will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The announcers also mentioned the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers as intriguing possibilities, along with Drake Maye and the bounce-back New England Patriots.
After the panel, Roberts, a Philly native, took the stage and directed some criticism at his company’s top NFL talent over one notable omission.
“Cris and Mike, what the heck? You don’t even mention the Eagles once in the Super Bowl conversation?” Roberts joked. “I’m just a Philly guy, what can I say?”
While we still have the entire NFL playoffs to get through, Comcast-owned NBC is preparing for a busy February that will include broadcasting the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, and the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
While Tirico is an Olympics veteran and has long been praised as one of TV’s best sports announcers, he will be calling his first Super Bowl for NBC. It’s a fitting achievement for the Queens native who was baptized the morning the Packers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in Super Bowl I.
“This has been a part of my life from truly the beginning of my life,” Tirico said. “To call the game, only a dozen people have done it, it’s the pinnacle of our business.”
Collinsworth: Eagles fans haven’t changed
Philadelphia Eagles fans cheer after the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in Landover, Md.
Collinsworth said NFL fans across the country share one common thread — they all think he hates their team.
That anger lingered into the Birds’ Super Bowl parade, where fans booed Collinsworth during replay of the broadcast airing on TVs along Broad Street.
The animosity is one reason Collinsworth actually looks forward to calling Eagles games, pointing out the passion of Philly fans.
But have Eagles fans become nicer to him since winning two Super Bowls?
“Oh, heck no,” Collinsworth said. “It’s a passionate place, man. I’ll just say that.”
This will be Collinsworth’s sixth Super Bowl in the booth, and his first alongside Tirico. Collinworth’s first Super Bowl was in 2005 for Fox alongside Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, and he’s called four since returning to NBC in 2006 — all alongside former partner and current Amazon play-by-play voice Al Michaels.
“I’m the one dumb enough to replace John Madden twice,” Collinsworth said.
Despite picking the Seahawks to win the NFC, Collinsworth said the conference appears wide open and he could easily see the Eagles making another run to the Super Bowl. But only if they start looking like last year’s squad, where both the offensive and defensive lines were dominant.
“When I see that Philly team again, then I’ll know they’ve got a real shot,” Collinsworth said.
Why Eagles-49ers isn’t airing on NBC
Tom Brady, seen here with Birds’ owner Jeffrey Lurie, will call Sunday’s Eagles-49ers wild-card game on Fox.
NBC and every other network was angling to carry the two stand-out games of wild-card weekend — the Eagles’ matchup against the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Chicago Bears, just the third time the historic teams have met in the playoffs.
NBC got neither. Instead, they got Patriots vs. Justin Hebert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
49ers-Eagles landed on Fox in the Sunday 4:25 p.m. slot, a no-brainer considering last year’s Eagles-Packers game in that spot drew 35.9 million viewers, the most-watched game in the wild-card round. But instead of giving NBC Packers-Bears for the Sunday evening game, they tossed it to Amazon to stream on Prime Video Saturday night.
The move has largely been viewed by sports media pundits as a gift to Amazon as the NFL seeks to renegotiate its TV deals before they’re able to opt out in 2029. But it will also be the tech giant’s final NFL game in a season where they averaged 15.3 million viewers game, increasing the likelihood we’ll see a streamer land a Super Bowl during the next decade.
In addition to the Super Bowl, NBC will also broadcast one of the four divisional-round playoff games. If the Eagles win Sunday, they’ll hit the road to face Bears or host the Rams or Carolina Panthers at the Linc.
Tirico has been bullish on the Eagles, despite the Birds’ well-documented offensive struggles. During last Sunday’s broadcast, Tirico pointed out Jalen Hurts, last year’s Super Bowl MVP, is quietly lurking out there as Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, and other quarterbacks dominate the conversation.
“There’s something about this Eagles’ team that I think even people in Philadelphia want to be a little skeptical of,” Tirico said. “But this team might be just as good as last year, and I can see them getting on a roll, 1,000%.”
And the possibility of an Eagles-Rams divisional playoff game landing on NBC?
“That would be awesome,” Tirico said.
Full wild-card TV schedule
window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}});
Other NBC notes
Beginning with their Chargers-Patriots wild-card game Sunday night, NBC will introduce a new graphics presentation that will include players’ hometowns, something they’re pulling in from their Olympics coverage. “We want to tell stories. We want to make you feel something about the human being inside that uniform,” Collinsworth said.
Sunday Night Basketball will debut on NBC Feb. 1, with Tirico joining the broadcast following the Olympics. So far, the Sixers aren’t slated to appear on Sunday Night Basketball, but that could change as the season moves forward.
Sunday Night Baseball, which is ending its 36-season run with ESPN, will begin on NBC at the end of May, following the Western Conference finals. Tirico has no immediate plans to call baseball games, but said “at some point I would like to.”
Donna Kelce made her reality television debut on Peacock’s The Traitors, with Thursday’s premiere including the first three episodes of the fourth season.
“People think I’m this sweet little old lady,” Kelce said to start the first episode. “They’re not going to know what’s coming.”
If you’ve never seen the show, which features reality stars, actors, comedians, and other celebrities, here’s our write-up of the rules and background. And here’s a recap of each episode from Week 1 …
On the way to Alan Cumming’s famous Scottish castle, Survivor’s Rob Cesternino asked Kelce what her two sons, Travis and Jason, thought of her being on the show.
“They’re so excited,” Kelce said. “They’re huge fans. Jason is the one that got me involved. We just literally, one weekend, during playoffs, we binged it. It was great.”
Immediately, her fellow contestants were worried about the potential for “murdering” — or eliminating — Kelce, “America’s mom.”
“No one’s going to murder her. The Swifties will kill you,” The Real Housewives of New York City’s Dorinda Medley said.
The show’s first twist was to name a secret Traitor, a position that comes with a certain set of extra powers. In the first episode, Cumming asked each contestant to come up and take a look inside a box with their name on it. One box had a card in it, and the person who got that box was the secret Traitor, identified in plain sight, kept secret from the other Traitors. The secret Traitor then wrote a shortlist of people from which the other three Traitors could choose a murder victim. That secret Traitor was Kelce — but you don’t find that out until the third episode.
Episode 2
During the first challenge, the contestants had to collect coffins to add money to the prize pot and determine who earned a shield, or immunity, and who was eligible for murder.
Contestants on one of the boats debated whether to put a coffin in Kelce’s casket and put her up for murder. Most of the Faithfuls, or non-Traitors, didn’t want to, but Traitor Candiace Dillard Bassett urged the group to do so. “I think it would shake this castle if we murdered Donna,” Dillard Bassett said.
“I know I’m going to see you tomorrow, because nobody would do that,” Big Brother’s Tiffany Mitchell said.
However, Kelce was not on the secret Traitor’s shortlist and was not murder-eligible — because she wrote the list. One person who was on it? Traitor Rob Rausch, who immediately put his sights on finding out who the secret Traitor was.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Kelce quickly drew suspicion from others across the castle due to her behavior.
“Only someone who feels safe doesn’t feel like they need to make connections,” Mitchell said.
Donna Kelce made her reality TV debut Thursday night on Peacock’s “The Traitors.”
This is a bit unfair. Most of the contestants have some previous knowledge of one another or even active friendships from previous shows. Kelce is not a reality star and only knew Ron Funches, who she said worked with Travis on a show before. Of course she was quiet!
“Looking around the breakfast table, I have so many suspicions, but also I am fangirling right now. It is so amazing to be in a situation with all these celebrities. I’m so happy to be here. Any extra day in the castle is bonus,” Kelce said.
Ultimately, the first murder victim was Big Brother‘s Ian Terry — he didn’t even make it to the first breakfast.
After the challenge, Kelce roused up more suspicion from Monét X Change after she didn’t have a person to name as a potential Traitor. She suspected The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s Porsha Williams with Funches earlier. Kelce said she wanted to keep her strategy close to the chest, but on a show like this with so many big personalities, that just draws suspicion.
At the first Roundtable, where contestants vote to eliminate another player, Survivor’s Natalie Anderson tossed Kelce’ name out first, and Donna defended herself by saying she’s alone so of course she’s more quiet. Ron laid out the case for Williams, but Dillard Bassett, who knew her from Housewives, defended her, and threw the heat back on Kelce, saying she’d make a great Traitor. Kelce replied that Dillard Bassett would also make a great Traitor, because she’s put together and articulate.
Actor Michael Rapaport got so worked up about a shield issue from earlier, that he used “we” when referring to the previous night’s murder. His use of “we” immediately turned the conversation to him being a potential Traitor. Most of the table seemed pretty confident he was not actually a Traitor, but they found him so annoying and distracting — Anderson called him a “bad Faithful” — that they considered voting for him anyway, which would absolutely have been the right call in this situation for the viewers at home, who would no longer have to listen to him speak.
Episode 3
Kelce narrowly survived the first Roundtable, with Williams receiving the most votes and being eliminated. But Williams confirmed that she was a Faithful in the truth circle, so Kelce was not out of the woods.
She clearly learned from her mistakes, because she said in a confessional she needed to put herself out there more, and made an effort to talk to everyone afterward and at breakfast and share her ideas.
It was too little too late though, because immediately after the next murder in the morning before the challenge — this time it was Cesternino — the contestants went back to the Roundtable. And with minimal new evidence to draw from, Kelce was the obvious candidate. Kelce tried to pin the evidence back on Rapaport, who everyone already didn’t like, by saying that “92% of the time” the Traitors try to go for shields, to provide a convenient excuse for why they haven’t been murdered.
Michael Rapaport is one of the contestants on “The Traitors.”
But ultimately, Kelce was doomed from the end of the last Roundtable, received the most votes, and was sent home midway through the third episode.
“I know that I’m the sacrificial lamb, and I know that I had a blast meeting every single one of you,” Kelce said in the circle of truth. “On that note, I think I’m going to go, but you got yourself a Traitor!”
Honestly, she was set up to fail. The secret Traitor was an interesting idea to mix up the game, but the other Traitors were annoyed by the concept of a secret Traitor who had control over their decisions, and Rausch actively wanted to identify and eliminate that person. Dillard Bassett and Rausch were both very vocal at the Roundtable against Kelce, but if they’d all four been Traitors together from the start, there likely would have been more teamwork.
I hope by now you’ve shaken off the holiday rust and are back to your normal routine. Me? Well, I’m still recovering from the overabundance of Christmas-themed cakes and the Champagne slushies on New Year’s Eve. But I’m slowly getting back to form for what will be a special year for all of us in the region. (Even folks at the New York Times think so).
The new year is going to be a transformative one for the city. Y’know, the World Cup and the nation’s 250th celebration and all — and it’s already kicking off with some exciting events.
This week, there’s a reveal of a new waterfront art installation, the opening of a Tony Award-winning musical, and some David Bowie-loving festivities happening throughout the week.
Read below to find an event (or three) that catches your eye.
First lady Abigail Adams, portrayed by Johanna Dunphy, introduces city officials and historical and cultural leaders to start a news conference at the National Constitution Center, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, announcing 52 Weeks of Firsts. In honor of the Semiquincentennial. The Philadelphia Historic District will celebrate 52 weeks of Philly firsts in 2026. Each week throughout the year, the citywide celebration will honor everything from the first African American Methodist Episcopal Church, first Flower Show, first American flag, first zoo, first Children’s Hospital, first penitentiary, first Thanksgiving parade and first Slinky.
Of course, we Philadelphians already know our city is a great tourist attraction. But with everything planned in 2026, even more folks are taking notice.
The New York Times named Philadelphia the number one travel destination in the world this year. Along with the Semiquincentennial, Philly will be home to the MLB All-Star Game, top-end World Cup matches, a pumped Fourth of July concert, and other notable happenings.
The Times editors and reporters noted that other original colonies, like Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey, will also have stacked Semiquincentennial calendars. But Philly stands above the rest.
Read the rest of my colleague Mike Newall’s story here.
The best things to do this week
🦅 Eagles Night at the Rink!: Kick off The Birds’ postseason with a celebratory prep rally, featuring a drum line performance and appearances from Eagles cheerleaders at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest on Friday.
🕺 Some Prince and more Bowie, please: The entire week is filled with Bowie-themed parties and musical jams, but the curators at Underground Arts are adding some Prince to the mix. The venue is hosting a Bowie and Prince dance party with DJ George Purkins on Friday.
🩺 “When the Day Comes” at Theatre Exile: What happens when a documentary filmmaker collaborates with a physician diagnosed with cancer to make a film? Find out in this limited-run production written and directed by Philadelphia native, Mikel Java. Jan. 10,11.
🎭 “Suffs” at the Academy of Music: Suffs, the Tony award-winning musical about the brave and resilient women who fought for the right to vote, is running at the Academy of Music through Jan. 18.
🌳 A Longwood Christmas continues: Just when you thought the Christmas magic was over, Longwood Gardens is extending the joy of the whimsical holiday at its magnificent conservatory. All ages are welcome to see the glimmering fountains and towering wildlife.
📅 My calendar picks this week: Fire & Frost Fun at Peddler’s Village, Le Cirque de Monsieur at Fabrika, Dr. Sketchy’s Tribute to Nosferatu at Arch Enemy Arts.
David Bowie performs with backup singer Carlos Alomar at Veterans Stadium during his Glass Spider tour July, 30, 1987.
G. Loie Grossmann / Philadelphia Daily News
In celebration of the magnetic star, who was born on Jan. 8, 1947, and died 10 years ago on Jan. 10, 48 Record Bar kicked off a Bowie-themed week with its third annual free Philly Loves Bowie Week listening party.
But the Bowie-loving didn’t stop there, Starman. On Thursday, Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar hosts Bowie Quizzo, with DJ Robert Drake spinning and John Stanley of John’s Dollar Bin fame serving drinks.
Then, Sara Sherr’s Sing Your Life Karaoke goes all Bowie at MilkBoy. Two more Bowie-themed dance parties are happening at the Trestle Inn and Underground Arts, before the closing celebration returns to Union Transfer on Saturday.
The party will feature 30 Bowie songs performed by 14 vocalists, including Richard Bush, Johnny Showcase, and Olivia Rubini.
Winter fun this week and beyond
🍿 “A Wrinkle in Time”: Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi classic, A Wrinkle in Time, comes to life at Old City’s Arden Theatre. The musical journey through time and space runs through Jan. 25.
❄️ Winter at Dilworth Park: The winter fun continues at Dilworth Park, with the reopening of the ice rink, winter garden, and holiday market. Stop by for some hot cocoa and a whimsical evening beneath the glimmering lights through March 14.
🎨 A new installation at Cherry Street Pier: Photographic artist Jackie Neale reveals her bold reimagining of Cherry Street Pier at the waterfront on Friday. Titled Wide Awake In Blue, the museum-scale installation incorporates stories of immigration, human rights, and collective identity through striking portraits, textiles, and sound. It runs through March 1.
🎸 Friday: Alabama-born, Texas-based country singer Dale Watson kicks off the weekend with a performance at the Sellersville Theater on Friday, and another at Elkton Music Hall in Elkton, Md. on Saturday.
🎤 Saturday: Philly rapper Reef the Lost Cauze and DJ Sat One will be featured, along with pioneering graffiti artist Cornbread, at a street art and hip-hop event at Vizion Gallery in Kensington on Saturday.
🎤 Sunday: Johnny Brenda’s will host a one-night-only concert in support of former World Cafe Live workers still reeling from the venue’s mismanagement. The show will featurePhilly acts Carsie Blanton, Ray Dreznor, Izzy True, and Sad13.
The year is just getting started, but all signs are pointing to another strong year of events. And I’m the one lucky enough to compile them all for you. Stay tuned.
Actor Kate Winslet sounds like she’s ready for a second season of the 2021 hit series Mare of Easttown.
The Emmy-winning show about a depressed-but-determined detective investigating a string of murders in a fictional Delaware County town was produced as a seven-part limited series. But, following its massive success, many Philadelphia fans have long hoped for another season.
After years of back-and-forth conversations between Winslet, Berwyn-based creator Brad Ingelsby, director Craig Zobel, and HBO executives about whether and when to move forward with a new season, it seems a green light may have been lit.
Discussions in late 2024 were reportedly productive enough that Winslet believes they could film in 2027, the actor told Deadline.
“They were proper conversations around a time frame when it could be possible. And so I think we probably will do it, and that’s the first time I’ve felt that,” Winslet told said in the recent interview that revolved mostly around her directorial debut, Goodbye June, a holiday movie that landed on Netflix last month.
Shooting Mare “wouldn’t actually be this year, I reckon it would end up being 2027 to film it. There’s a strong likelihood it would film sometime in 2027,” she said.
In June 2024, HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi told Variety that initial talks for a second season felt “too soon” after the show wrapped, but now there’s a possibility for a story set years after the events of Season 1.
“While there’s nothing in the works, we are having early discussions about whether it might be time to start thinking of building something. We might be willing to figure out with Mare, years later, picking her up — not on the heels of where she ended, but there have been years for the character that have passed. Who is she now?” said Orsi.
The momentum to bring back Mare comes fresh off the heels of Ingelsby’s latest Delco-set crime series, Task, starring Mark Ruffalo (who’s up for a Golden Globe Award for best performance in a TV drama). Both shows filmed extensively in and around Philadelphia and greater Pennsylvania.
Brad Ingelsby in his office in Berwyn, Pa.. on July 17, 2025.
When Ingelsby spoke to The Inquirer in 2024, the writer also said he was open to a new season of Mare.
“I’m always open to Mare. The door is never closed. I think it’s a matter of when does Kate want to do it? Is there a window [in her schedule]?” Ingelsby said last summer.
“But I definitely think there are more stories to tell … I just think she’s a fascinating character. Kate’s an amazing actress, and we certainly kicked the tires over the years, and we stay in touch. Ultimately, if we could figure out the time and the story, Kate would, I think, be open to doing it too.”
Nothing is official just yet, but so far, all signs point to yes: We will hopefully get to see Winslet pick up the Delco accent (and vape) again in the future.
As the fog lifted on Jan. 1, 1901, four Fancy Dress Clubsand 16 Comic Clubs gathered at the corner of Broad and Reed Streets for the first ever Mummers Parade.
“Kings, emperors, knights and jesters, clothed in purple royal or tinkling tensel [sic], wended their way up the broad thoroughfare …” reads a front-page story from the Jan. 2, 1901, Philadelphia Inquirer. “In the throng of merry makers, no tribe no nation, scarcely an individual was neglected.”
That inaugural Mummers Parade was America’s first folk parade. It also marks the first time an American city hosted a New Year’s Day procession.
It will be remembered Saturday at the Firstival in the Mummers Museum. Firstivals are the Philadelphia Historic District’s weekly day parties celebrating historic events that happened in Philadelphia before anywhere else in America, and often the world. They are part of a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
Artist Anh Ly’s No. 1 highlights the Mummers Parade’s vibrant costumes, instruments and playful traditions.
That first Mummers Parade began 125 years ago at 9 a.m. on a chilly overcast morning, said Mark A. Montanaro, the Mummers Museum’s curator. It took participants just two hours to march up Broad Street and around City Hall to Girard Avenue.
Three hundred dollars — $11,575 in today’s money — was awarded to the parade’s two first-place winners: the Elkton Association, part of the Fancy Dressed Club; and the White Cap Association, belonging to the Comic Club.
Revelers partied all day and into the night.
The boisterousness remains to this day. So much so that the Philadelphia Historic District did not want to start the Firstival celebrations with the parade, even though that was the initial plan. Why? Because they assumed the Mummers would still be recovering from their parade.
The word mummer is derived from Momus, the Greek god of satire and mockery. Mommer is the Old French word for mime.
Philadelphia’s 17th century English and Swedish immigrants dressed in elaborate regalia during the days between Christmas and New Year’s, knocked on their neighbors’ doors, and demanded treats of sweets and nuts. Over the decades, the door-to-door tradition turned into rambunctious neighborhood parties as Dutch, Irish, and Italian immigrants joined in on the fun.
In November of 1900, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin reporter and theatrical promoter H. Bart McHugh and City Councilman John H. Baizley asked Mayor Samuel Ashbridge if the city would consolidate the block parties into one big parade.
Plans were finalized by mid-December.
The Mummers Parade remains one of Philadelphia’s most enduring traditions. It’s only been canceled three times: during the 1919 Spanish Flu, 1934 during the Great Depression, and 2021 during COVID. (This year, the String Band Division called off its competition due to strong winds.)
The Jokers perform during the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the 2026 Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
Parade routes have changed; today it starts at City Hall and ends at Washington Avenue. At times its been fraught with racial controversy, as some members have appeared in blackface as recently as 2020.
That’s all in the past, Montanaro stressed.
“The Mummers are striving for inclusivity,” Montanaro said. “We are a little bit of Mardi Gras, a little bit of Carnival, and a whole lot of Philly.”
This week’s Firstival is Saturday, Jan. 9, 11 a.m. — 1 p.m., at the Mummers Museum, located at 1100 S. 2nd Street. The Inquirer will highlight a “first” from Philadelphia Historic District’s 52 Weeks of Firsts program every week.
The fourth season of The Traitors officially premieres Thursday night on Peacock, and it will feature a few Philly-adjacent stars, including Donna Kelce.
Whether you’re a reality TV aficionado or just hearing about the show for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about the show before you tune in …
What is ‘The Traitors?’
If you’ve never seen The Traitors, it’s basically a big-budget version of the party game “Mafia.” It’s also similar to The Mole, which, like The Traitors, is a spinoff of a Dutch-language show. It’s wildly popular globally, with over two dozen countries having their own version, and nearly a dozen more international spinoffs on the way.
In the American version, host Alan Cumming whisks the cast away to his castle in Scotland, and selects a handful of players to serve as “Traitors,” who then have to “kill” — or eliminate — the other contestants, known as “Faithfuls.” At the end of every episode, there’s a roundtable, where contestants interrogate and confront one another to pick one player to banish, with the goal of eliminating all of the traitors. In the middle, contestants compete in challenges to grow the cash prize pot, which can get up to $250,000. The Faithfuls win if they can eliminate all the Traitors and make it to the end, but if any Traitors make it to the finale, they keep the prize money for themselves.
Past contestants include former Bachelor stars like Gabby Windey and Peter Weber, iconic Survivor contestants like Boston Rob and Parvati Shallow, and members of the Real Housewives franchise like Phaedra Parks and Dolores Catania. Zac Efron’s brother, Dylan, won Season 3 of The Traitors despite no past reality TV experience, so Donna wouldn’t be the first nepo-Traitors winner. There’s also usually a random old British guy.
Host Alan Cumming won an Emmy for outstanding reality competition program for “The Traitors.”
Who is in the Season 4 cast?
For Philadelphians, Kelce might be the biggest name, but Olympic figure skaters with local ties (Johnny Weir, Coatesville, and Tara Lipinski, Sewell, N.J.) will also factor into this season, ahead of the Winter Olympics in February.
“That was so much fun, just being able to do that, especially at my age, it was just a blast,” Kelce told the Kansas City Star. “The [Scottish] Highlands are absolutely gorgeous. The people were so kind. And it just was kind of like a dream to be able to do something like that and to interact with individuals on such a high level.
“And it was a little bit daunting when it comes to some of the missions, but it was fun. It really was. It was a good time.”
Here’s the full cast list:
Donna Kelce
Johnny Weir
Tara Lipinski
Lisa Rinna, Real Housewives
Dorinda Medley, Real Housewives (and Traitors Season 3)
Rob Cesternino, Survivor
Natalie Anderson, Survivor
Tiffany Mitchell, Big Brother
Ian Terry, Big Brother
Yam Yam Arocho, Survivor
Monet X Change, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Colton Underwood, The Bachelor
Mark Ballas, Dancing with the Stars
Porsha Williams, Real Housewives
Candiace Bassett, Real Housewives
Maura Higgins, Love Island
Eric Nam, singer
Ron Funches, comedian
Rob Rausch, Love Island
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Stephen Colletti, actor
Michael Rapaport, actor
Caroline Stanbury, Real Housewives
Can Donna Kelce win ‘The Traitors?’
“Missions” plural? Could Mama Kelce be sticking around for a while?
Shortly after she was revealed to be a part of the cast, the three Kelce boys — Jason, Travis, and their father, Ed — discussed the matriarch’s chances on the show … but only after the brothers explained to dad what the show was all about. However, once they explained the game, Ed’s response was to snore.
“I haven’t got a [expletive] clue,” he said when asked about Donna’s chances. “I don’t know, I’m not a reality TV show type of person.”
Before their mother joined The Traitors cast, the Kelce brothers revealed they were fans of the show, but neither thought they would do well, especially if picked to be a traitor.
The first three episodes of the show will premiere on Peacock Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (although last season, they usually ended up dropping early, at around 8:30 p.m.). New episodes will premiere each subsequent Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. There will be 12 episodes total, including the reunion show, which is hosted by Andy Cohen.
Here’s a look at the full schedule:
Jan. 8: Episodes 1-3
Jan. 15: Episodes 4-5
Jan. 22: Episode 6
Jan. 29: Episode 7
Feb. 5: Episode 8
Feb. 12: Episode 9
Feb. 19: Episode 10
Feb. 26: Episode 11 (the finale) & Reunion
If you can’t wait, a pair of clips showing the contestants’ arrival at Cumming’s castle were recently unveiled.
LOS ANGELES — The high-profile private attorney for Nick Reiner resigned from his case Wednesday for reasons he said he could not reveal, and he later told reporters that under California law his client is definitely not guilty of murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
“Circumstances beyond our control and more importantly circumstances beyond Nick’s control have dictated that, sadly, it’s made it impossible to continue our representation,” lawyer Alan Jackson said as he stood with his team outside a Los Angeles courthouse.
But, Jackson added, after weeks of investigation, “what we’ve learned, and you can take this to the bank, is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that.”
Jackson would not specify what he meant and took no questions at the brief news conference, but it was the first direct statement from a Nick Reiner representative about his guilt or innocence in the 3 1/2 weeks since the killings.
He spoke after a hearing where Reiner was supposed to be arraigned and enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder. Instead, after meeting with the Judge Theresa McGonigle in chambers, Jackson, at his own request, was replaced by a public defender and the plea hearing was postponed to Feb. 23.
Jackson does not say why he has to quit case
Jackson said that for legal and ethical reasons, he could not reveal why he had to resign. He first appeared in court representing Nick Reiner at a hearing a few days after the beloved actor-director and his wife of 36 years were found dead with stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Jackson did not say how he was hired — or who hired him. Generally, defendants use public defenders when they can’t pay for a private attorney.
Jackson has become one of the most prominent defense attorneys in the nation in recent years after his defense of clients including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts.
Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene took over as Reiner’s attorney during the hearing.
“The Public Defender’s Office recognizes what an unimaginable tragedy this is for the Reiner family and the Los Angeles community,” LA County Public Defender Ricardo D. Garcia said in a rare public statement on a case from the office. “Our hearts go out to the Reiner family as they navigate this difficult time. We ask for your patience and compassion as the case moves through the legal process.”
A Reiner family spokesperson said in a statement after Wednesday’s hearing that “They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
Nick Reiner appears in jail clothes, without suicide prevention smock
During Wednesday’s hearing, Reiner stood behind glass in a custody area of the courtroom wearing brown jail garb and with his hair shaved. Two deputies stood behind him. Jackson and his team stood in front of him on the other side of the glass. At one point, Reiner stood on his tiptoes to peer over the lawyers’ heads to look at the audience. He spoke only to agree to the delayed arraignment.
McGonigle approved the use of cameras inside the courtroom but said photos and video could not be taken of the defendant. Reiner did not wear the suicide prevention smock he had on at his initial court appearance on Dec. 17.
Reiner, 32, the third of Rob Reiner’s four children, has been held without bail since his arrest hours after his parents were found dead on Dec. 14.
Jackson says he ‘dropped everything’ to represent Reiner
Jackson, a former LA County prosecutor, had given no indication of the plans for his defense.
He said that just hours after Nick Reiner’s arrest, he and his team were in New York when they got a call about representing him. He did not say who called him.
“We dropped everything,” Jackson said. “For the last three weeks, we have devoted literally every waking hour to protecting Nick and his interests. We’ve investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front.”
He said they remain “deeply, deeply committed” to him and said, “We’re not just convinced; we know that the legal process will reveal the true facts.”
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were killed early on the morning of Dec. 14, and they were found in the late afternoon, authorities said. The LA County Medical Examiner said in initial findings that they died from “multiple sharp force injuries.” A court order has prevented the release of more details. Police have said nothing about possible motives.
Prosecutors have said they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner.
Rob Reiner was a prolific director whose work included some of the most memorable and endlessly watchable movies of the 1980s and ’90s. His credits included “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “A Few Good Men,” and “When Harry Met Sally …,” during whose production he met Michele Singer, a photographer, and married her soon after.
A decade ago, Nick Reiner publicly discussed his struggles with addiction and mental health after making a movie with his father, “Being Charlie,” that was very loosely based on their lives.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.
“Paramount’s offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed,” Warner Bros. Discovery Chair Samuel Di Piazza Jr. said in a statement. In contrast, he added, the company’s agreement with Netflix “will offer superior value at greater levels of certainty.”
Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s hostile bid is still on the table. Warner shareholders currently have until Jan. 21 to “tender” their shares.
Late last month, Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer. Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching Netflix’s breakup fee.
In its Wednesday letter to shareholders, Warner expressed concerns about a potential deal with Paramount. Warner said it essentially considers the offer a leveraged buyout, which includes a lot of debt, and also pointed to operating restrictions that it said were imposed by Paramount’s offer and could “hamper WBD’s ability to perform” throughout a transaction.
The battle for Warner and the value of each offer grows complicated because Netflix and Paramount want different things. Netflix’s proposed acquisition includes only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including its legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max. But Paramount wants the entire company — which, beyond studio and streaming, includes networks like CNN and Discovery.
If Netflix is successful, Warner’s news and cable operations would be spun off into their own company, under a previously-announced separation.
A merger with either company could take over a year to close — and will attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny along the way. Due to its size and potential impact, it will almost certainly trigger a review by the U.S. Justice Department, which could sue to block the transaction or request changes. Other countries and regulators overseas may also challenge the merger. And politics are expected to come into play under President Donald Trump, who has made unprecedented suggestions about his personal involvement on whether a deal will go through.
Trade groups across the entertainment industry have continued to sound the alarm about both deals.
In a statement addressed to a Congressional antitrust subcommittee on Wednesday, Cinema United — which represents more than 60,000 movie screens worldwide — reiterated it was “deeply concerned” that Netflix’s acquisition could harm both moviegoers and people who work in theaters, pointing to the streaming giant’s past reliance on its online platform. The group said its concerns were “no less serious” for Paramount’s bid — warning of consequences of further consolidation overall, which it said could result in job losses and less diversity in filmmaking.
