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Entertainment news and reviews

  • A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records

    A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records

    NEW YORK — One of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell‘s most vocal accusers urged judges on Wednesday to grant the Justice Department’s request to unseal records from their federal sex trafficking cases, saying “only transparency is likely to lead to justice.”

    Annie Farmer weighed in through her lawyer, Sigrid S. McCawley, after the judges asked for input from victims before ruling on whether the records should be made public under a new law requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his longtime confidante, who sexually abused young women and girls for decades.

    Farmer and other victims fought for the passage of the law, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Signed last month by President Donald Trump, it compels the Justice Department, FBI and federal prosecutors to release by Dec. 19 the vast troves of material they’ve amassed during investigations into Epstein.

    The Justice Department last week asked Manhattan federal Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer to lift secrecy orders on grand jury transcripts and other material from Epstein’s 2019 sex-trafficking case and a wide range of records from Maxwell’s 2021 case, including search warrants, financial records, and notes from interviews with victims.

    “Nothing in these proceedings should stand in the way of their victory or provide a backdoor avenue to continue to cover up history’s most notorious sex-trafficking operation,” McCawley wrote in a letter to the judges.

    The attorney was critical of the government for failing to prosecute anyone else in Epstein and Maxwell’s orbit. She asked the judges to ensure that any orders they issue do not preclude the Justice Department from releasing other Epstein-related materials.

    Farmer “is wary of the possibility that any denial of the motions may be used by others as a pretext or excuse for continuing to withhold crucial information concerning Epstein’s crimes,” McCawley wrote.

    Epstein, a millionaire money manager known for socializing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires, and the academic elite, killed himself in jail a month after his 2019 arrest.

    Maxwell was convicted in 2021 by a federal jury of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of Epstein’s underage victims and participating in some of the abuse. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

    In a court filing Wednesday, Maxwell’s lawyer again said that she is preparing a habeas petition in a bid to overturn her conviction. The lawyer, David Markus, first mentioned the habeas petition in court papers in August as she fought the Justice Department’s initial bid to have her case records unsealed. The Supreme Court in October declined to hear Maxwell’s appeal.

    Markus said in Wednesday’s filing that while Maxwell now “does not take a position” in the wake of the transparency act’s passage, doing so “would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial” if her habeas petition succeeds.

    The records, Markus said, “contain untested and unproven allegations.”

    Engelmayer, who’s weighing whether to release records from Maxwell’s case, gave her and victims until Wednesday to respond to the Justice Department’s unsealing request. The government must respond to their filings by Dec. 10. The judge said he will rule “promptly thereafter.”

    Berman, who presided over the Epstein case, ordered victims and Epstein’s estate to respond by Wednesday and gave the government until Dec. 8 to reply to those submissions. Berman said he would make his “best efforts to resolve this motion promptly.”

    Lawyers for Epstein’s estate said in a letter to Berman on Wednesday that the estate takes no position on the Justice Department’s unsealing request. The lawyers noted that the government had committed to making appropriate redactions of personal identifying information for victims.

    Last week, a lawyer for some victims complained that the House Oversight Committee had failed to redact, or black out, some of their names from tens of thousands pages of Epstein-related documents it has released in recent months.

    Transparency “CANNOT come at the expense of the privacy, safety, and protection of sexual abuse and sex trafficking victims, especially these survivors who have already suffered repeatedly,” lawyer Brad Edwards wrote.

  • Doctor who sold ketamine to ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry gets 2 1/2 years in prison

    Doctor who sold ketamine to ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry gets 2 1/2 years in prison

    LOS ANGELES — A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the Friends star’s overdose death was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday.

    Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence plus two years of probation to 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.

    The judge emphasized that Plasencia didn’t provide the ketamine that killed Perry, but told him, “You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction.”

    “You exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction for your own profit,” she said.

    Plasencia was led from the courtroom in handcuffs as his mother cried loudly in the audience. He might have arranged a date to surrender, but his lawyers said he was prepared to do it today.

    Perry’s mother and two half sisters gave tearful victim impact statements before the sentencing.

    “The world mourns my brother,” Madeleine Morrison said. “He was everyone’s favorite friend.”

    “My brother’s death turned my world upside down,” Morrison said, crying. “It punched a crater in my life. His absence is everywhere.”

    Plasencia was the first to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death at age 54 in 2023.

    The doctor admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a “moron” who could be exploited for money, according to court filings.

    Prosecutors had asked for three years in prison, while the defense sought just a day in prison plus probation.

    Perry’s mother talked about the things he overcame in life and the strength he showed.

    “I used to think he couldn’t die,” Suzanne Perry said as her husband, Dateline journalist Keith Morrison, stood at the podium with her.

    “You called him a ‘moron,’” she said. “There is nothing moronic about that man. He was even a successful drug addict.”

    She spoke eloquently and apologized for rambling before getting tearful at the end, saying, “this was a bad thing you did!” as she cried.

    Plasencia also spoke before the sentencing, breaking into tears as he imagined the day he would have to tell his now 2-year-old son “about the time I didn’t protect another mother’s son. It hurts me so much. I can’t believe I’m here.”

    He apologized directly to Perry’s family. “I should have protected him,” he said.

    Perry had been taking the surgical anesthetic ketamine legally as a treatment for depression. But when his regular doctor wouldn’t provide it in the amounts he wanted, he turned to Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling to Perry and knowing he was a struggling addict.

    Plasencia’s lawyers tried to give a sympathetic portrait of him as a man who rose out of poverty to become a doctor beloved by his patients, some of whom provided testimonials about him for the court.

    The attorneys called his selling to Perry “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life.”

    Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Prosecutors agreed to drop five different counts. The agreement came with no sentencing guarantees, and legally Garnett can give him up to 40 years.

    The other four defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months.

    Perry died at age 54 in 2023 after struggling with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit.

  • Yo, Adrian, 2026 will be a very ‘Rocky’ year for Philadelphia. In a good way.

    Yo, Adrian, 2026 will be a very ‘Rocky’ year for Philadelphia. In a good way.

    2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Rocky film. To coincide, the Philadelphia Art Museum announced on Wednesday there will be an exhibition exploring how the Rocky statue, at the foot of the museum, brings people together..

    “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” will open in April in the museum’s Dorrance Galleries.

    The exhibition, curated by Monument Lab cofounder Paul Farber, will showcase over 150 works from more than 50 artists including Reading native Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Andy Warhol, Carrie Mae Weems, and Hank Willis Thomas, the artist behind the All Power to All People sculpture that stood on Thomas Paine Plaza in 2017. They will be joined by artists from Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice Program.

    “Rising Up” will examine the changing role of monuments in creating spaces of recreation across time, with the Rocky statue by sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg at the heart of the exhibition.

    Signage at the east entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, now called the Philadelphia Art Museum, or PhAM. The rebranding is part of changes in both style and substance as the museum aims to be more accessible to regular folks and revive attendance, which is still far below pre-pandemic levels.

    Farber hopes the display will broaden conversations about identity, power, memory, and community, themes central to public art and Philadelphia’s cultural history.

    “We have a statue that 4 million people visit a year. That’s extraordinary. It’s a statue of the most famous Philadelphian that never lived, in a city full of boxers who were legendary champs. How do we reconcile both of those thoughts? Well, we have to dive into it and understand it,” Farber said.

    The Rocky statue and Philadelphia Art Museum steps are visited by about 4 million people every year, the Philadelphia Visitor Center reported last year. The Art Museum averages about 800,000 yearly visitors, per the museum.

    Researched for over five years and in development for two, “Rising Up” will include sculptures, paintings, video performances, film, photographs, prints, drawings, participatory experiences, new commissions, and other works.

    “This show is a testament to the vitality and passion of Philadelphia’s arts, culture, and sports communities,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement. “It is more than timely as we approach our monumental Semiquincentennial year.”

    A publication, edited by Farber to accompany the exhibit, will include essays by Philadelphia artist Alex Da Corte, former Inquirer film critic Carrie Rickey, and newly-enshrined Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer Malcolm Jenkins, among others.

    “Rising Up” will be on view through Aug. 2, 2026.

    The Art Museum announcement comes at a not-so-celebratory moment for fans of RockyFest, the celebration instituted last year by the Philadelphia Visitor Center.

    Sylvester Stallone poses with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney in front of the “Rocky” statue at the Philadelphia Art Museum for a “Creed II” photo op, on Friday, April 6, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

    A year after the festival’s first run, organizers have canceled 2025’s festival and will pivot to a yearlong celebration in 2026, rather than offering a week of bus tours and fan experiences.

    “Throughout 2026, we will highlight a series of major milestones and activations commemorating this iconic moment in Philadelphia and film history,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, president & CEO of the Visitor Center, said in a statement.

    Lovell said next year’s “Rocky 50″ will include events currently in development, some of which will accompany the May release of Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming memoir, The Steps.

    A full 2026 calendar of events will be released at a later date, Lovell said.

  • Sabrina Carpenter slams Trump administration for using her music in ‘disgusting’ ICE video

    Sabrina Carpenter slams Trump administration for using her music in ‘disgusting’ ICE video

    Sabrina Carpenter’s not mincing words when it comes to the Trump administration using one of her songs in a video promoting ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

    On Tuesday, the pop princess condemned the White House for posting a video featuring ICE arresting protesters and undocumented immigrants to one of her songs. The video, which was published on the White House’s X account one day earlier, was captioned “Have you ever tried this one?“ alongside the hearteye emoji and was paired with Carpenter’s track ”Juno.”

    It’s a nod to a scene in Carpenter’s just-wrapped “Short n’ Sweet” tour, where she would playfully “arrest” someone in the crowd “for being so hot,” giving them a souvenir pair of fuzzy pink cuffs before performing “Juno.”

    Carpenter, a Bucks County native, replied to the post, “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.” Her response has been viewed more than 2 million times.

    It’s the latest in a series of similar incidents, where artists ranging from Beyoncé to the Rolling Stones have objected to the White House using their music in videos promoting the Trump administration’s agenda without their consent.

    Last month, Olivia Rodrigo had a similar exchange in the comments of a White House Instagram video demanding that undocumented immigrants self-deport over the singer’s track “All-American Bitch.” Rodrigo, who is Filipino American, commented at the time, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”

    The White House also used a song by Carpenter’s friend and musical collaborator, Berks County’s Taylor Swift, last month. Fans of Swift’s called out the use of “The Fate of Ophelia” in a video celebrating President Donald Trump, despite the president’s repeated slights toward the pop star. Swift herself did not comment on the video, but she has previously criticized Trump for posting AI photos of her on his social platforms.

    Carpenter, 26, worked with HeadCount on her “Short n’ Sweet” tour, registering 35,814 voters — more than any other artist the nonpartisan voter registration group worked with in 2024. She’s been vocal about her support for LGBTQ+ rights and has publicly donated to the National Immigration Law Center.

    When Trump won last year, she took a moment during her concert to say “I’m sorry about our country and to the women here, I love you so, so, so much.”

    “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists and pedophiles from our country,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the New York Times. “Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”

  • Philadelphia athletes, social media influencers, and ‘Shark Tank’ winners among those on the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list

    Philadelphia athletes, social media influencers, and ‘Shark Tank’ winners among those on the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list

    The 15th class of Forbes 30 Under 30 has some major Philadelphia connections, from Shark Tank winners to social media influencers, and Super Bowl champions.

    A total of 18 people with ties to the Philadelphia area were recognized on the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in categories such as sports, social media, education, aerospace, and venture capital, among others.

    Awardees who attended Philadelphia universities or based their businesses in the city appeared in all 20 categories.

    Among the 600 honorees chosen for this year’s class, the local representatives include Philadelphia Eagles Saquon Barkley, 28, and Jalen Hurts, 27. Along with carrying the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX win earlier this year, Hurts and Barkley have landed major brand partnerships and endorsement deals, which have elevated their profiles beyond the gridiron.

    Social media influencer Brandon Edelman (aka Bran Flakezz), 29, popular for his humorous TikTok videos about Philly culture and insights into influencer marketing, has also landed on the coveted list.

    University of Pennsylvania alums Alexandre Imbot, 27, and Eli Moraru, 25, who founded Philadelphia’s the Community Grocer, are on the list. With partnerships with M&T Bank and FMC Corp, the leaders of the food-justice nonprofit have provided nutritious food to more than 10,000 Philadelphians, including recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

    Another honoree is fellow Penn alum Kausi Raman, 28, cofounder of ChompSaw, a kid-safe power tool for cardboard cutting. Raman’s company has produced nearly 76,000 ChompSaws since 2022. In 2024, Raman joined cofounder Max Liechty on Shark Tank, where they secured $250,000 in a deal with Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban.

    Another Philly-area honoree is John Huddleston, 27, the cofounder of Albacore Inc. The defense and space manufacturing company develops underwater vehicles to deter maritime invasions. Albacore has raised $6.5 million from backers including Z-Fellows, Outlander VC, Liquid 2, and Brave Capital.

    Other Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees with Philadelphia ties

    David Waltcher, 29, Penn alum and principal at New York-based venture capital firm FirstMark.

    Salaar Kohair, 29, Penn grad and cofounder of L.A.-based gaming studio CAGE Studios.

    Yejin Yeoum, 29, a Penn alum and principal at New York-based alternative investment manager BC Partners.

    Tristan Fogt, 28, cofounder of Cincinnati-based Sensory Robotics and a Penn alum.

    Jason Kaufmann, 26, Penn grad and cofounder of San Francisco-based Maritime Fusion.

    Farah Otero-Amad, 29, Penn grad who’s a video producer and host at the Wall Street Journal.

    Crystal Yang, 18, Penn student and founder of Audemy, a nonprofit assisting blind video gamers.

    Katherine Sizov, 29, Penn alum and founder of the life science company Strella, which designs technology to reduce food waste and improve quality.

    Cindy Ji Won Lim, 29, Penn grad and director of brand marketing at Dallas’ Match Group. She’s also the cofounder of Korean American streetwear company Sundae School.

    Andre Hamra, 28, Penn grad and founder of the recruiting platform Refer.

    Kara Rosenblum, 28, Penn grad and co-owner of Bar Next Door in West Hollywood.

    Maggie Tang, 25, Penn graduate and founder of Magic Technologies, an AI company specializing in hospitality services.

    For the full list of honorees, visit forbes.com.

    The article has been updated with the correct name for Kara Rosenblum’s organization.

  • Philly drag queen Mandy Mango to compete in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

    Philly drag queen Mandy Mango to compete in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

    Philadelphia, start your engines — there’s another hometown star competing in the upcoming season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Meet Mandy Mango, a first generation Filipino American who calls herself “the sweetest fruit in Philadelphia.”

    Mango is one of 14 contestants announced this week who will compete in Season 18 of the legendary show that has catapulted the careers of some of the best drag performers in the country, from Trixie Mattel to Bianca Del Rio, to Bob the Drag Queen.

    In the show, the queens face dance, makeup, sewing, acting, and lip sync challenges as they vie for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a cash prize of $200,000.

    Mango introduced herself in the show’s “Meet the Queens” Instagram post praising Philly’s drag scene, which she described as “very diverse, very eclectic.”

    “We have our teeny boppers, we have our mama whoppers, we have some flippity floppers, and some daddy toppers,” she said.

    She added that her biggest drag inspiration is her mother, who was a pageant queen in the Philippines in the 1980s.

    Philly drag queen Mandy Mango will compete on Season 18 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ premiering on Jan. 2 on MTV.

    “Growing up [Filipino American] has always been strange, trying to figure out if I’m Filipino enough, American enough, or not enough of either, on top of being queer,” said Mango. “Drag has really guided my journey understanding my identity.”

    Drag fans will likely recognize Mango’s performances on Philly stages in recent years, from the time she competed in Snatcherella, or organized a No Arena Drag Show in 2024 to protest the Sixers’ arena in Chinatown, which she called a “special place for me and my art,” according to Philadelphia Gay News.

    Mandy Mango is the drag persona of Sigfried Aragona, an HIV care and community health nurse at Penn Presbyterian Infectious Diseases who advocates for LGBTQ+ healthcare. He lives in Philadelphia with his three cats, Wasabi, Sriracha, and Soy.

    Aragona first performed in drag as a student at West Chester University to Chelley’s “Took the Night.” He later went on to work at AIDS Resource Alliance, a nonprofit that provides health services across Northcentral Pennsylvania.

    In a 2020 TEDx talk in Williamsport, Pa., Aragona passionately explained how he blends drag performance with his healthcare work and community activism.

    “With Mandy Mango, I feel powerful. I feel fulfilled. And I believe that my space in this world is finally valuable,” said Aragona. “Mandy’s drag journey seeks to blend nursing intellect and drag art to empower people similarly.”

    Mango is only the second drag queen to represent Philly in Drag Race’s 16-year history, following Season 16 star Sapphira Cristál. The opera singer was a fan favorite who aced challenges all season long and ultimately placed second. Cristál earned the title of Miss Congeniality and brought home $35,000 in prize winnings.

    Other contestants who have ties to the Philadelphia region are Aquaria, the winner of Season 10, who grew up in West Chester, and Season 3 competitor Mimi Imfurst, who was raised in Massachusetts and Maine, but now calls Philadelphia home. Both of them represented New York on the show.

    Season 18 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ premieres at 8 p.m. on Jan. 2 on MTV.

  • The Wanamaker Christmas concert took a defeat and turned it into a party, in the most Philly way possible

    The Wanamaker Christmas concert took a defeat and turned it into a party, in the most Philly way possible

    The Christmas tree was indeed magical and the music, in turns, brilliant and warmly enveloping. Even the Wanamaker Eagle got into the act, crowned for the occasion with a lit Christmas wreath hung around its neck.

    A certain misty, nostalgic conjuring of Christmas past has reached its apotheosis in the Wanamaker Grand Court, and now the bittersweet countdown begins. Tuesday night’s “Home for the Holidays” concert is done, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret checks in next week, the Light Show and Dickens Village attractions run through Christmas Eve, and then the space closes for perhaps a couple of years while the building undergoes renovations.

    The Wanamaker Eagle donned a lighted wreath for Tuesday night’s concert.

    The one-night-only concert in the former Center City Macy’s did exactly what it should have. In the best gritty Philadelphia tradition, it took a defeat — the departure of a major retailer and the imperilment of the beating heart of Christmas in the city — and turned it into a party.

    Opera Philadelphia was the creative director behind the event, which swung from sincere and spiritual (chorus members running their fingers around the wet rims of glasses to produce an ethereal shimmer) to the head-scratching (a couple of dancers in dinosaur suits moving to an excerpt from Philip Glass’s 1000 Airplanes on the Roof).

    Anthony Roth Costanzo (right), countertenor, and Leah Hawkins (left), soprano, perform during “Home for the Holidays” on Tuesday at the Macy’s Center City.

    The forces — orchestra, chorus, dancers, superb soprano Leah Hawkins, and clarion-countertenor (and Opera Philadelphia chief) Anthony Roth Costanzo led by conductor Geoffrey McDonald — delivered a variety-hour-plus celebration a la “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” if in miniature.

    But the best vibe of the evening came from above via the hands and foot-peddling feet of organist Peter Richard Conte. He showed how a musician, instrument, and their space can seem made for each other, and why the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ is not one instrument, but many. The highly inventive organist called upon fat French horns and muted trumpets in his own arrangement of Victor Herbert’s “March of the Toys.”

    Pure joy.

    The Opera Philadelphia chorus performs in “Home for the Holidays” at the Wanamaker Building’s Grand Court on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.

    Christmas in this space triggers memories unique to each one of us, but it was a nice stroke by 10th Floor Productions to animate the marbled expanses around the courtyard’s arches with projected images of marching bears and soldiers for anyone who remembers the store as the source for holiday toys.

    Frederick R. Haas, philanthropist and organist, waves to the crowd during “Home for the Holidays” in the Wanamaker Grand Court.

    That the organ is still being played in this sliver of a post-Macy’s era is largely due to a $1 million donation from philanthropist Frederick R. Haas for the Pipe Up! series (as well as many previous gifts to the organ).

    Rarely have a donor and his cause been more personally intertwined. Haas is himself a trained organist who could sometimes be heard playing in the space in its department store days. On Tuesday, he played his medley A Christmas Improvisation, tapping into a supply of enormous, overtone-rich bells in “Silent Night” and beautiful, unusual harmonizations in “Carol of the Bells.”

    Conductor Geoffrey McDonald leading the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra in the Wanamaker Grand Court.

    If the evening had a theme beyond Christmas, it was nostalgia.

    Sub rosa, though, this and every event in the Pipe Up! series in the past few months has been about the future — about making the case for the Wanamaker Grand Court as a space that should survive as a public right of way no matter its next life.

    TF Cornerstone, the building owner, has been generous and respectful of preserving public access so far. As the developer renovates and cuts deals with prospective tenants, access and the future of the organ as a daily presence hang in the balance.

    The Opera Philadelphia orchestra, chorus, and vocal soloists in the Wanamaker Grand Court Tuesday night.

    One piece on Tuesday night was a reminder of the special dynamic at risk.

    When Opera Philadelphia flash-mobbed Macy’s with the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah in 2010, it packed a punch because of the surprise of it. Music was suddenly in the best place of all: somewhere you’d never expect it. That’s also the secret superpower of the organ.

    It was great to hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” here again. But heard now, it seems like a challenge issued, illustrating what the space once was and might one day be again.

    “Home for the Holidays” will be broadcast Dec. 23, 8 p.m. on WHYY TV12, WHYY radio (90.9 FM), and via whyy.org.

    The Pipe Up! series continues with the Bearded Ladies Cabaret’s “It’s Giving Cabaret” in the Greek Hall at the Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market Sts., Dec. 10-14. operaphila.org.

    The Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village run through Christmas Eve. visitphilly.com.

  • Want a Christmas tree without the holiday crowd? Here’s how to get one delivered.

    Want a Christmas tree without the holiday crowd? Here’s how to get one delivered.

    If you need a Christmas tree to brighten your living room with the smell of freshly-cut pines and a medley of lit ornaments without the typical holiday crowd, you’re in luck.

    These decadent evergreens can arrive without you ever setting foot outside of your house, thanks to an array of local delivery services.

    Place an order, and the following business will transport a tree straight to your doorstep. Many will even set it up for you, or you can opt for a contactless delivery. There are even some offering recycling services once the holiday season comes to an end.

    Here’s where to order a tree for delivery in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs.

    Ross Varanyak helps prepare Christmas trees for customers at Yeager’s Farm in Phoenixville, Pa. on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.

    Philadelphia

    The Christmas Tree Stand

    Choose between a Living Emerald green (3 to 4 inches tall) and Fraser or Douglas firs (3 to 16 feet tall) at the Christmas Tree Stand. Both the Fishtown and West Chester locations offer tree delivery services seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

    Next-day delivery is available in the city and in select suburbs throughout the region. Visit the website to select the tree type, size, and delivery option. The tree will be transported straight to your doorstep. Upgrade to the premium package to have your tree set up with a stand. Once the holidays pass, you can also schedule a pickup and recycling service in January. Wreaths and garlands are also available for purchase.

    💵 $75 and up, 📞 267-225-7931, 🌐 thechristmastreestand.com

    Walt’s Christmas Trees

    Stop by Walt’s Christmas Trees in Northeast Philly for a variety of Fraser, West Coast Douglas, and Pennsylvania Douglas firs. The 47-year-old family business is kicking off its inaugural Christmas delivery season with the help of a third-party service. Visitors can stop by the main location or one of the other five hubs and choose a tree ranging between 5 and 14 feet tall. Once selected, the tree will be delivered for a $40 fee within a 10-mile radius. Delivery will be available until Christmas Eve.

    💵 $60 and up,📍 8956 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. 19136 📞 215-913-5762, 🌐 waltschristmastrees.org

    Rob Felker, 34, of South Philadelphia, slams a christmas tree to unveil the size and branches for customers on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. Felker is Rocky Yo-Mo’s nephew. “I love Christmas,” Felker said. “I love going up to Pittsburgh and bringing the trees down here so people can have trees in their house.”

    Rocky Yo-Mo’s Christmas Trees

    Looking for a Christmas tree without sacrificing convenience? Rocky Yo–Mo’s will deliver the tree to your front door for free. Check out the selection (Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday) at the South Philly lot. Decide between a Fraser, concolor, or Douglas fir, and schedule your at-home delivery. Payments are made in cash.

    💵 $90 and up,📍1000 S. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 🌐 instagram.com/rockyomos

    Cousin Eddie’s Tree Delivery

    Founded in 2020 with the late Trevor Budny and his brother, Anthony Price, Cousin Eddie’s Tree Delivery is back to dispatch fresh-cut, 6-to-7-foot-tall Douglas firs across the Philadelphia area. Check out their Instagram account @cousin_eddies to view available trees and claim one via direct message.

    The trees are claimed on a first-come, first-served basis and are offered until the supply runs out. All trees and sizes come at a flat rate, which includes contactless delivery. Cousin Eddie’s also offers a tree stand and post-holiday removal for an additional charge,

    💵 Starting at $100, 📷 @cousin_eddies

    People shop for Christmas trees at Yeager’s Farm in Phoenixville, Pa. on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.

    Suburbs

    Yeager’s Farm & Market

    The Yeager family has been farming in northern Chester County for 200 years. Pick your tree at this Phoenixville farm, and they’ll deliver it to you. Cut your own Douglas, Fraser, Canaan, concolor, or Nordmann fir for $15 per foot. Fresh-cut 6-to-10-foot-tall Douglas and Fraser firs are available for $50 to $299. Trees will be delivered and set up on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

    💵 Cut your own: $15 per foot; fresh cut: $100 to $350,📍1015 Pike Springs Road, Phoenixville, Pa. 19460, 📞 610-935-8244, 🌐 yeagersfarm.com

    Colavita Christmas Tree Farm

    More than two dozen varieties of trees fill this Yardley farm, offering delivery across Lower Bucks County and other nearby areas. A stand and set up are available for an additional charge.

    Call the farm to arrange delivery within your area, or swing by any day of the week (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to cut or choose your own tree, which range from 4 to 12 feet tall. The farm makes fresh wreaths daily, too.

    💵 $80 to $600,📍1761 Dolington Road, Yardley, Pa. 19067, 📞 215-493-3563, 🌐 colavitachristmastreefarm.com

    McArdle’s Holiday Farm

    For its 62nd season, this Buckingham farm offers a wide variety of 3-to 17-foot trees. Call to set up delivery in the Doylestown area, or show up at the farm to pick up a precut Fraser, Douglas, and concolor fir. All trees come with a free holiday mug, while supplies last. Farm hours are Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    💵 $49 to $599,📍 4316 Mechanicsville Road, Doylestown, Pa. 18902, 📞 215-794-7655, 🌐 facebook.com/mcardlesholidayfarm

    Wiggins Christmas Tree Farm

    This family-owned business delivers trees throughout the region, with fees starting at $50 for areas near West Chester. Any delivery beyond 30 minutes starts at $75. Call ahead for exact pricing to your home, or visit one of the Wiggins’ three farms.

    The West Chester location offers Douglas firs ranging from 7 to 8 feet tall, and the Cochranville location has trees from 2 to 10 feet tall. The precut lot at 1301 Westchester Pike in West Chester offers trees between 5 to 11 feet tall for $59 to $229. Purchase with cash, Monday to Friday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

    💵 $59 to $229,📍2176 Gap Newport Pike, Cochranville, Pa. 19330, or 1257 Westtown Thornton Road, West Chester, Pa. 19382, 📞 610-344-7822, 🌐 wigginschristmastrees.com

    Tom Barrett, 43, of Queen Village, carries a new Christmas tree from Rocky Yo-Mo’s Christmas Trees with his kids Chloe Barrett, 9, and Callum Barrett, 6, to their home on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.
  • Spotify Wrapped season’s here once again. Here’s where to find your 2025 results.

    Spotify Wrapped season’s here once again. Here’s where to find your 2025 results.

    It’s OK if you don’t want to admit how many times you listened to “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters — Spotify will tell us, anyway.

    Spotify Wrapped — the music platform’s annual, aesthetically pleasing deep dive into users’ listening habits — is back again with the feature dropping Wednesday morning.

    The 11-year-old feature is both beloved and feared by users for its unflinchingly honest view into users’ favorite music over the last year-ish. So much so, last year, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey admitted that he manipulated his Wrapped results to be Bruce Springsteen-forward.

    Features include users’ most-listened-to songs, artists, and albums, as well as the duration of time spent listening to music. There are also some bragging rights involved — in the past, users within an artist’s top 1% of listeners could access a special video message and sometimes purchase exclusive merch.

    Across social media, users share parodies of their Spotify summary, saying things like “You spent 25,684 minutes this year complaining about Nick Sirianni.” Know Your Meme says the meme format dates back to about 2017.

    Wrapped is considered one of Spotify’s signature calling cards and a major driver for user engagement and customer retention. This year, it dropped at the same time some users are boycotting Spotify entirely citing ads heard on the platform and its CEO’s investments.

    Here’s more on that and Wrapped 2025:

    When did Spotify Wrapped results drop?

    Spotify Wrapped was released on Wednesday morning.

    Historically, the feature usually drops the week after Thanksgiving, around the first week of December.

    How do I see and share my Spotify Wrapped results?

    Once Spotify Wrapped is live, here’s how you can see your results. Use the service’s mobile or web browser versions. It is not available on the desktop app.

    Here are the steps:

    • Open Spotify on your phone. A prompt to see your 2025 Wrapped should be visible from the homepage of the app. If it isn’t, or you’re using a web browser, visit www.spotify.com/us/wrapped.
    • Find the “Wrapped” section in the top navigation bar, a featured playlist, or by typing “Wrapped” in Spotify’s search bar.
    • This year’s Wrapped results include a “report” and assign listeners to a club based on their listening habits, like the Serotonin Club or the Grit Club. It also has a visual component that shows artists racing for the top of your streams month by month. With bold black and white designs and colorful fonts, it walks you through your listening journey, featuring your total minutes spent listening to music, top songs, artists, genres, and podcasts. One new feature includes users’ “listening age” based on how trendy their picks are among generations.
    • Each slide of the Wrapped Story has a “share” button at the bottom. Click that button to save each individual slide to your camera roll or post on social media. At the end of your Wrapped Story, there will be a second opportunity to save your Top Artists summary.

    What’s the time frame for Spotify Wrapped data?

    It’s fuzzy. While Spotify spokespeople previously said data was analyzed between January and October, the streaming platform said in 2023 that Wrapped was still counting past Halloween.

    The announcement sparked light controversy among audiophiles — the last week of October was once treated like the ultimate good-music-curating season to ensure impressive results.

    Spotify users would also treat November and December like open season, free to blast holiday music on repeat without fear of it reflecting on their “cultural report card.”

    But with an indefinite cutoff date, users remain left in the dark when it comes to how their listening habits will be reflected when Wrapped drops. Last year, the company again promised that data collection would happen past Halloween, but hasn’t disclosed a firm deadline.

    We don’t know exactly when listening data stopped being collected this year. But we can guess it was sometime in mid- to late November.

    Can I modify my results? What does ‘excluding from my taste profile’ really mean?

    Where’s the fun in that?

    There’s no way to modify your Wrapped results (unless you’re the aforementioned U.S. rep and opt to photoshop them). You get what you get, guilty pleasure songs and all — unless you plan ahead.

    Spotify has a feature you can opt out of, including some elements from your listening data.

    While using Spotify, users can click the ellipses next to a playlist and select “exclude from your taste profile.” For example, you can exclude your nightly “10 hours of ocean waves” playlist or your kid’s Disney playlist to keep those tracks from influencing your weekly Discover playlists and annual Wrapped data, Spotify says.

    The caveat here is this only works for playlists, not individual songs, artists, or albums. A loophole could be curating a playlist of every sleep song, white noise track, guilty pleasure bop, or kids’ music that isn’t yours and excluding that entire playlist from your taste profile. But you’d have to do this ahead of time.

    You can’t make edits to your Wrapped results after the fact.

    What can I do with my Spotify Wrapped data?

    You can post it on social media to brag about your incredible taste, obviously.

    Beyond that, there are several third-party sites you can link your Spotify account to that will analyze your Wrapped data and roast you even more.

    How Bad is Your Spotify is an AI bot that will judge your music taste. And be warned, it’s kind of harsh. Some results include: “Your spotify was tay-tay-fangirl-cling-clang-pots-and-pans-music-ponytail-pop bad,” “Your spotify was bon-iver’s-impact-escape-room cabincore bad,” and “Your spotify was folklore-evermore-dumbledore-witch-pop-escape-room-has-a-1975-lyric-tattoo bad.” You get the idea.

    Receiptify reports your top songs in the form of a shareable shopping receipt graphic, while Instafest conceptualizes a music festival lineup based on your top artists.

    What’s up with the Spotify boycott?

    In recent months, Spotify’s received backlash over reports that its CEO, Daniel Ek, invested $693.6 million in the European defense technology start-up Helsing. The tech has been criticized for its role in driving the military-industrial complex and ethical concerns over surveillance technology.

    Around the same time, reports came out that Spotify — and other streaming services — were running ICE recruitment ads. A spokesperson for the company said the ads were part of a wider ad campaign by the U.S. government running across multiple platforms.

    Rolling Stone reported that the Spotify users hearing the ads were using the streaming platform’s free ad-supported tier and that other streaming platforms running the same ad campaign included Amazon Music, Hulu, Max, YouTube, and Pandora as early as April. Apple Music did not run the ads, but it’s a paid-only service with no free ad-supported tier.

    At the end of the day, some users are stepping away from Spotify — and it’s simple to do and take your playlists with you. But, experts caution, no mainstream music platform is morally perfect.

    Is there a version of Spotify Wrapped for Apple or Amazon Music?

    Yes and no. For the first time last year, Amazon Music launched 2024 Delivered, its clapback to the Spotify Wrapped experience. The feature gives a graphic breakdown of users’ listening habits. Amazon Music users can access it by opening the Amazon Music app and tapping a banner that says “2025 Delivered” in their Library.

    Apple Music has a feature called Replay, which is available all year and allows users to see a detailed view of their listening habits. Similar to Wrapped, Replay has a “year-end experience.” The Replay year-end experience debuted in 2023. Critics said at the time that Apple’s version lacked in the shareable experiences and themes that Spotify does so well.

    YouTube Music also offers a “year in review” recap with breakdowns of users’ top songs, albums, artists, and total listening time over the year.

    But none of them feel quite like Wrapped, which is praised for its extra pizazz.

  • ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’: An Allan Sherman tribute is coming to Philly’s Jewish history museum

    ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’: An Allan Sherman tribute is coming to Philly’s Jewish history museum

    Sixty-two years ago, Allan Sherman was all the rage.

    Sherman, the singer and comedian who specialized in wry song parodies rife with references to Jewish culture, released three albums that all topped the Billboard charts in 1963.

    The popularity of “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp),” a song about a spoiled child writing home from summer camp, set to music from Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera La Gioconda, made his My Son, the Nut the fastest-selling album ever up to that point in time.

    And judging from the lineup that will perform at “Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute,” the tribute concert being staged at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday, affection for Sherman, who died in 1973 at age 48, remains strong with musicians across a wide range of genres.

    The A-list lineup includes performance artist Laurie Anderson, centenarian Sun Ra Arkestra leader and free jazz sax player Marshall Allen, NRBQ pianist Terry Adams, English songwriter and novelist (and Philly resident) Wesley Stace, Dead Milkmen vocalist Rodney Anonymous, Hooters singer-guitarist Eric Bazilian, and Low Cut Connie bandleader Adam Weiner.

    Bringing these eclectic talents together in tribute to the musical humorist who’s been called “Weird Al Yankovic’s Founding ‘Faddah’” is Bucks County native Jonathan Stein, who coproduced the show with his partner Jess Gonchor.

    (In 2014, Yankovic’s Mandatory Fun became the first comedy album to top the Billboard pop chart since My Son, the Nut in 1963.)

    A handful of VIP-level tickets remain for the otherwise sold-out 8 p.m. “Glory, Glory.” By popular demand, a 3 p.m. dress rehearsal show has been added, for which tickets are available.

    Stein says Philadelphia is “a weird hotbed” of Sherman popularity, partly because Kathy O’Connell, host of Kids Corner on WXPN-FM (88.5), has been playing his music since the show’s inception in 1988.

    For over a decade, Stein has been working on an in-and-out-of-development project aiming to bringing a biopic of the pudgy, unlikely pop star who chronicled Jewish life in songs like “Sarah Jackman“ (set to the tune of “Frere Jacques”) and “Harvey and Sheila” (based on “Hava Nagila”).

    Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen performs at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. He’ll be among the performers at “Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute,” the tribute concert being staged at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday.

    Stein is also a fan of Hal Willner, the Philadelphia-born producer who specialized in bringing musicians of diverse backgrounds together to sing sea chanteys, or honor William S. Burroughs, or recast music from Walt Disney films.

    The poster for “Glory, Glory” announces the concert is presented “in conjunction with the spirit of Hal Willner,” who died in the spring of 2020 in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-piece house band at the show will be led by pianist and bandleader Steve Weisberg, a longtime Willner associate.

    Willner, the longtime Saturday Night Live sketch music coordinator, was the son of a Polish Holocaust survivor who co-owned Hymie’s Deli in Merion Station. In 2014, Willner put on a Sherman tribute in New York that featured many “Glory, Glory” guests, plus luminaries like the composer Philip Glass.

    Philadelphia-born record producer Hal Willner, who died in 2020. He is the inspiration behind “Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute,” the tribute concert being staged at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday. The photo was taken by Willner’s late friend Lou Reed.

    The diversity of the “Glory, Glory” bill reflects Willner’s try-anything aesthetic. It includes Robert Smigel, the comic behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog; actress Chloe Webb, who played Sid Vicious’ Philadelphia-born girlfriend Nancy Spungen in Sid & Nancy; and “banshee mandolin” player John Kruth.

    “Hal had this Rolodex, and people just wanted to do his shows,” says Stein. “When we started talking about doing this, and Hal’s name was invoked, people started coming on board left and right, because they know what kind of show it’s going to be, and they want to be a part of it.”

    When Dan Samuels, the Weitzman’s director of public programs, first got Stein’s pitch to bring the Sherman show to the museum he thought, “This is crazy!” but in the best possible way, he says, while on a Zoom call with Stein this week.

    Generations of fans “came up on Allan Sherman, or their parents had the records in the house, or their grandparents had the records in the house, or maybe because they just know [”Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh”],” says Samuels, who also grew up in Bucks County. “They’re going to be surprised when they realize the version of the songs are not going to sound like they did on the records. They might be really surprised when they hear Marshall Allen.”

    Stein built the lineup for the Sherman show with the help of Stace, the songwriter who has also been known as John Wesley Harding who brings disparate musicians and other creative types together in his own “Cabinet of Wonders” performance series.

    Philadelphia singer and novelist Wesley Stace is among the performers at “Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute,” the tribute to the late song parodist and comedian Allan Sherman at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

    Stace counted himself in, and connected Stein with the Hooters’ Bazilian and Low Cut Connie’s Weiner. “They both e-mailed me back and said: ‘I’m in,’” Stein says. “And those three right there are the beginnings of a great hometown show.”

    Almost all of the artists on Stein’s wish list came back with a yes, including pianist Adams, who worked with Willner on many projects, and Anderson, who also teamed with Willner and is the widow of Willner’s close friend Lou Reed.

    Just this week, however, he did get “a very kind rejection letter from the Phillie Phanatic. He expressed his regrets and “apologized that he’s already booked,” Stein says.

    Another Philly icon that Stein did get is the Dead Milkmen’s Anonymous. He’ll sing a song called “I’m a Punk.”

    Sherman didn’t write it. Dr. Seuss did.

    “Allan voiced The Cat in the Hat for CBS in 1971,” Stein says. “It’s just a really clever, pre-punk punk song, with the guy declaring that he’s just a punk,” which rhymes with “a crutunkulous shnunk!”

    “When I asked him,” Stein says, “he said ‘Oh my God, I’m so honored to do it. My Mom and I would sing Allan Sherman songs together all the time.”

    The poster for Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute, is being staged at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday,

    Stace’s history with Sherman goes back to his mid-‘70s schoolboy days in England. At a friend’s house, a pile of Velvet Underground, David Bowie, T-Rex and Roxy Music records gave him “my first proper education in music,” he says. And there was also one Allan Sherman album, My Son, the Celebrity, the second hit LP from 1963.

    “That’s the one with the liner notes that says ‘the family are croquet players, with mallets toward none,’” says Stace, with a laugh. “I know that album inside out.”

    At the Sherman tribute, Stace will perform “Won’t You Please Come Home, Disraeli” sung in the character of Queen Victoria to the tune of “Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey,” and “Me,” in which Sherman described his physique as “a carcass” dressed in “the best from Neiman Marcus.”

    “They’re both very funny songs,” Stace says. “I hope to do them justice.”

    “Glory, Glory Allan Sherman: A Celebrity Music and Comedy Salute,” Dec. 4, 8 p.m., Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 South Independence Mall East. There is also a 3 p.m. dress rehearsal. theweitzman.org