Award-winning Israeli spy thriller “Tehran” is set to welcome celebrated British actor Hugh Laurie for its third season, premiering December 9 on Apple TV+ and Israel’s Kan public broadcaster. Laurie, known for his roles in “House” and...

In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, burying the nearby Roman city of Pompeii in scalding stone and ash. The catastrophe famously entombed, and preserved, the city’s villas, workshops, and a gladiator barracks known as the Caserma dei...

What’s so Jewish about “Wicked”? Composer Stephen Schwartz once reflected in an interview, “I think a lot of musical theater themes speak to Jewish audiences because in many instances musicals are about outsiders, striving to discover how they...

The New Jewish Theatre will close out its 2024 season with “First Date,” a romantic musical comedy that hopes to take audiences on a rollercoaster of laughter, heart and unexpected surprises. Before heading to the Wool...

Mel Brooks, who mocked Adolf Hitler in his 1967 black comedy “The Producers,” has always made the case for satire as a weapon against tyranny. “You have to bring him down with ridicule,” he told “60 Minutes” in 2001. “It’s been one...

For most of Jewish culinary history, anyone seeking to make matzah balls faced one major choice: sinkers or floaters? In the 20th century, with the advent of home-cooking conveniences, another decision joined the one about density: from scratch or...

Last week I visited my older son, Davis, at college. We had lunch, went shopping and enjoyed four glorious hours of mom and son time. He brought along one of his new buddies for lunch, the adorable and sweet Tommy.  During their bro talk I heard a word...

The St. Louis International Film Festival will host the premiere of “Before You,” a short film capturing the experience of abortion, a deeply personal yet increasingly politicized topic. The screening will take place on Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m., at the...

Always a show filled with emotion, the Musial Awards will bring plenty of laughs this year, thanks to a special appearance by Billy Crystal. The iconic Jewish comedian, actor and filmmaker—famous for his roles in “When Harry Met Sally” and “City...

The same day Jewish filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg spoke with me via Zoom, he appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” where his rapid-fire delivery and neurotic jumpiness were on full display. The guy looked like a walking panic attack even though he was...

Fall colors are finally here and so is the 33rd annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), presented by Cinema St. Louis, which runs from Thursday, Nov. 7, through Nov. 17.  “Our theme this year [is] ‘The Great Escape,’ ”...