Mara Reinstein
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Film critic & moderator. Clips: NYT, Parade, The Ringer, AD, THR, Vulture, WSJ, Emmy, Broadway.com, RD. Stumped the Booey on @SternShow. Detroit + Mizzou Tigers
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Articles by Mara Reinstein
Jeff Kready Takes on 20 Roles and One Wild True Story in Broadway’s Operation Mincemeat
Jeff Kready in “Operation Mincemeat” (Photo: Matthew Murphy) Back in 1997, a Kansas high schooler—and proud theater geek—named Jeff Kready was visiting New York City for the very first time and caught three smash shows on Broadway: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Then a funny thing happened. “I felt like my brain exploded,” he says. “There’s a lot of great community theater in Kansas but, to me, there was nothing like a Broadway show.
24 at 25: Howard Gordon on Making Jack Bauer's Day (Exclusive)
At its annual upfront presentation in May 2001, Fox introduced just two new dramas: The family soap Pasadena and a terrorism-themed thriller from creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow called 24. Unfolding in real time over a 24-hour period, 24 followed Los Angeles counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) as he raced to stop an assassination attempt on Democratic presidential candidate David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert). Sounds intriguing, no?
Before he was a country star, Travis Tritt was an HVAC repairman playing Atlanta’s bar circuit
In the early 1980s, Travis Tritt was a blue-collar HVAC repairman pulling long hours in a wholesaler house in Marietta. One night, after punching out, he rolled into a bar to grab a beer and saw a man onstage playing acoustic guitar, just an amp and a drum machine by his side. “I sat there for three hours just listening to this guy,” Tritt recalls.
Kandi Burruss knows the secret to staying on top: never stop working
“I’m good!” is Kandi Burruss’s pleasant response when asked how she’s doing; an understatement, given her hectic world. On a recent Saturday afternoon, she takes a quick break from her phone interview to give a shopping budget to her two youngest kids, ages 10 and 6. She’s just finished recording an episode of The Burruss Banter, her weekly podcast with her eldest daughter, 24-year-old Riley; two nights from now, she’ll be in New York to perform her one-woman touring show, “I Do. I Did.
Jasmin Savoy Brown on Surviving Yellowjackets and Finding Hope in Broadway's Hadestown
Jasmin Savoy Brown grew up with a love of musical theater, attended New York City’s prestigious CAP21 Conservatory and studied at the Northwest Institute of Voice in Oregon. “I just hoped that someday I’d have the right opportunity to be on Broadway,” she says. So when the actress—a veteran of three Scream movies and the headstrong Taissa on the Showtime hit Yellowjackets—was asked to submit an audition tape for Hadestown a few years ago, she promptly replied… No, thank you.
8 Secrets of the Gilmore Girls Sets You Need to Know Ahead Of Your Annual Rewatch
We hate to break it to you, but Stars Hollow, Connecticut, is not a real place. Yet the endearing small town depicted in Gilmore Girls was so flush with quaint details—falling leaves, quirky gatherings, and sweet little nooks such as Taylor’s Olde Fashioned Soda Shoppe, Weston’s Bakery, and Stars Hollow Books—that it’s easy to imagine Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel) gabbing over coffee at the retro-style Luke’s Diner at this very moment.
Gina Torres Celebrates Her Cuban Roots in Broadway’s Buena Vista Social Club
Like many starry-eyed native New Yorkers, Gina Torres grew up longing to see her name on a Broadway marquee. But her debut show, Face Value, lasted all of eight preview performances in 1993. Her next one, 1994’s The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, closed in less than a month. “Things didn’t pan out the way I hoped they would,” she says.
Rosalind Eleazar on ‘Misty Green’ and the Ups and Downs of the Industry
Photo Source: Emilio Madrid Every actor gives some part of themselves to a character. In Rosalind Eleazar’s case, that meant tapping into her own professional highs and lows to play a once-successful actor struggling to revive her career in Chris Rock’s Hollywood drama “Misty Green.” “I could definitely relate to the ups and downs of our industry,” she says. “You can have massive hiatuses of no work and then get the job of your life. Then you may not do anything for seven months.
Smallville at 25: Tom Welling & Michael Rosenbaum on the Making of Their Hit Superman Show (Exclusive)
Michael Rosenbaum & Tom Welling Q&A/Smallville Clark Kent doesn’t fly in Smallville, but time certainly does. Which is why, 25 years after the premiere of The WB’s hit teen drama, it’s a little surreal to see Clark and Lex Luthor — aka actors Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum — sitting next to each other on a Zoom chat, swapping memories of what they achieved together an entire generation ago. “Tom and I have honestly become closer after the show,” Rosenbaum says.
13 Spine-Tingling Facts About Your Favourite Scary Movies
Grab the popcorn and settle in for some frightfully fun movie trivia. The Exorcist. Poltergeist. The Shining. Just thinking about these films is probably enough to give you goosebumps, and for good reason. The best horror movies stay with you long after the credits roll, leaving you jumpy when you’re home alone or something goes bump in the night. But whether you love scaring yourself silly all year round or only at Halloween, it’s worth remembering that these are just movies.
From Heated Rivalry to Euphoria, Celebrity Endorsements Have Become Big Business
The Met Gala red carpet arrival scene has long been considered fashion’s Super Bowl. And on the first Monday last May, sartorial-minded A-listers like Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Colman Domingo and Margot Robbie all scored in fabulous fits. Yet it was a rookie sensation — Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie (above) — who won over fans and style experts.
My South: Actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. on Savannah, Georgia
Illustration by Colleen O'Hara Savannah is a warm touchstone for me. My first time there was 25 years ago when I did this ramshackle musical revue. I have a distinct memory of my grandparents—who lived close by in Columbia, South Carolina—picking me up at the airport under that lovely skylight and taking me out to dinner. Then about seven years ago, my dear friend moved his family from Los Angeles to teach acting at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Dressing the Part: Crafting Costumes for Three New Fall Series
A heartbroken single mother in a small town becomes violently unhinged in the early 1970s. A couple who escaped the crack epidemic of the 1980s try to make their dreams come true amid the rising West Coast rap scene. A tech billionaire and his estranged movie-star wife engage in a bitter divorce played out in the contemporary and elite world of London law. Those premises are wildly different, to be sure.
The Making of West Wing's Pivotal 9/11 Episode (Exclusive)
In the months following 9/11, most TV shows — from ER to NYPD Blue — avoided narratives surrounding the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Characters just continued to exist in their own fictional worlds, thereby giving viewers a welcome escape from an unfathomable reality. But The West Wing wasn’t like most shows.
Dexter at 20: How Pilot Reshoots Helped Create a Franchise (Exclusive)
There are many solid theories about why Dexterremains so popular. Executive producer and showrunner Clyde Phillips has the most sinister one. “I’ll bet that everybody has lied there in bed and fantasized about doing something bad to a person who deserves it,” Phillips says. “But we don’t do it because we’re not psychopaths. So they get to act it all out vicariously by watching a very appealing actor do the job for them.” It helps that Dexter Morgan has been exceptionally good at it since day one.
Aimie Atkinson and Natalie Paris on Bringing Their SIX Sisterhood From the West End to Broadway
Who needs a standing ovation when you can stop traffic? As Aimie Atkinson and Natalie Paris tell it, they knew their brand-new show SIX: The Musical had the makings of a bona fide hit back in 2019 when the cast performed a few songs at the West End Live event in London. “It was overwhelmingly crazy,” says Paris. Adds Atkinson, “We couldn’t get back to the theater to do our show because we were mobbed.
Barrett Foa on the Method to the Oh, Mary! Madness and Playing Opposite Bowen Yang and Meg Stalter
Sure, there are days when Barrett Foa longs for his easy, breezy L.A. life of hopping into his car to drive to Whole Foods and wearing his flip-flops in February. Whatever. As a native New Yorker, the veteran stage (Avenue Q) and TV (NCIS: Los Angeles) actor knows there’s no place like home—especially when home means returning to Broadway for the first time since The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2007. “I missed it so much,” he says.
Law & Order's Carey Lowell on Why She Left (and Came Back) to the Show (Exclusive)
Law & Order isn’t a time-travel series, but it might as well be. Think about it: Thanks to those ubiquitous 24/7 reruns, it seems totally plausible that Carey Lowell’s Assistant District Attorney character Jamie Ross is still building a case against a slimy NYC criminal. The reality? A full 30 years have passed since she made her debut in the courtroom (and 28 years since she left). “The reruns keep me young — and make it seem like I still have a career!” she jokes.
Meet the Long-Lost Fourth Member of Snap, Crackle and Pop
Mara Reinstein Tue, September 15, 2026 at 9:31 AM EDT 7 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add Yahoo on Google Snap, Crackle, and Pop were the original Rice Krispies elves, with Pow being introduced as a fourth elf in 1954, but quickly disappearing after just two commercials. Pow's character was meant to represent the nutritional "power" of whole grain rice in the cereal, but his silent presence did not resonate with consumers, leading to his retirement.
Lissa deGuzman Brings Fresh Energy to Chicago’s Legendary Line of Velma Kellys
Right before Lissa deGuzman exits through the stage door of the Ambassador Theatre, she passes a wall that lists every actor who’s played a principal role in the Broadway cast of Chicago since the legendary musical opened in 1975. Her eye always catches the names under the Velma Kelly column. “It is such an extensive, amazing and iconic list of these incredible women,” says the actress. “I used to be obsessed with Chita Rivera and Bebe Neuwirth!” Most exciting of all, that list just grew by one.
Rest in Peace, Dolly Parton! 10 Reasons the “Queen of Country” Was an Absolute Treasure
Boasting one of the most distinctive voices in music and a personality to match, Dolly Parton was by all measures one of the greats. She had 11 Grammys (plus a lifetime achievement award) and 26 songs that topped the Billboard country charts, and she sold more than 100 million records since her first album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in 1967.
People Watching: Anna Pigeon's Tracy Spiridakos
Six. Long. Months. That’s how much time had elapsed since Tracy Spiridakos left her plum gig on NBC’s Chicago P.D. All she could do was wait and try not to second-guess herself. “Oh yeah, I was 100% terrified!” she says. “My poor manager had to listen to me constantly. But sometimes you have to take a chance and see what’s out there.” Then she received a pilot script for the crime drama Anna Pigeon, and in an instant she’d found what she wanted.
Lessons From the Making of ‘Love Story’
Before FX’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” was a seven-time Emmy-nominated cultural supernova, it was a risk. After all, the celebrated (and much-scrutinized) couple remain the ultimate symbols of style, beauty, privilege, and tragedy nearly three decades after their deaths. Depicting their aura required a deep understanding of the humans behind the glossy images.
Love Story star Noah Fearnley shares the southern destinations that keep calling him back
Noah Fearnley plays Carolyn Bessette’s boyfriend Michael Bergin on FX’s series Love Story. Noah Fearnley, who just wrapped a shoot in Atlanta, played Carolyn Bessette’s boyfriend Michael Bergin in the hit FX anthology series Love Story. Here, he shares the Southern cities he enjoys visiting. What’s your favorite travel destination in the South? Tampa! I got hurt playing college football at Endicott College, and my dreams were crushed into a million pieces.
How to Stay Sharp During a Long Series Hiatus—According to an Acting Coach
Photo Source: Emily Sandifer There was a time when the TV season ran like clockwork. Every year, popular shows like “Friends,” “ER,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “The Office” premiered in the fall, aired up to 24 episodes and then closed their seasons just before Memorial Day. Today, many beloved series—from HBO’s “Euphoria” to Netflix’s “Bridgerton” and “Wednesday” to Apple TV’s “Severance”—can take years to return.
Dove è stato girato L’Odissea? Dietro le quinte del kolossal realizzato in sei Paesi
Dove è stato girato L’Odissea? Dalle spiagge di Favignana all’Islanda, le location del kolossal Per chi non avesse letto a scuola il poema di Omero, L’Odissea, si tratta del racconto del lungo viaggio di ritorno di Ulisse a Itaca dopo la guerra di Troia, un’avventura costellata di mostri, divinità, creature mitologiche e terre misteriose.
Les 6 lieux du monde où L’Odyssée a été filmée, de l'Islande au Maroc
Pour ceux qui n’ont pas lu L’Odyssée d’Homère à l’école, il s’agit du périple d’un héros peuplé de magie, de monstres, de dieux et de sorcières. Mais lorsque le réalisateur Christopher Nolan et sa chef décoratrice Ruth De Jong, nominée aux Oscars pour Oppenheimer, se sont attelés à cette adaptation portée par un casting de stars (actuellement à l’affiche), tous deux étaient bien décidés à donner à ces mondes fantastiques une réalité aussi tangible que possible.
¿Dónde se rodó ‘La Odisea’?: estos son los seis países que sirvieron de escenario para la película
¿Dónde se rodó ‘La Odisea’? Todos los escenarios reales que dan vida a la película del momento Para quienes no leyeran el poema de Homero en el colegio, La Odisea narra el viaje de vuelta a casa de Odiseo (también llamado Ulises) tras la guerra de Troya; aderezado con magia, monstruos, dioses y hechiceras.
Lights, Camera, Action! These Are the 77 Best Movie Directors of All Time
77 Best Directors of All Time - Parade
La Odisea : Dónde se rodó la película de Christopher Nolan
Para quienes no leyeron el poema de Homero, La Odisea, en el colegio, se trata del viaje de un héroe lleno de magia, monstruos, dioses y hechiceras. Pero cuando el guionista y director Christopher Nolan y su diseñadora de producción nominada al Oscar, Ruth De Jong, se propusieron hacer su adaptación cinematográfica repleta de estrellas (ahora en los cines), ambos estaban decididos a conseguir que los reinos fantásticos tuvieran un aspecto y una sensación lo más realistas posible.
Where Was The Odyssey Filmed? How the Blockbuster Came to Life Across Six Countries Original
For those who didn’t read Homer’s poem The Odyssey in school, it’s a hero’s journey filled with magic, monsters, gods, and sorceresses. But when writer-director Christopher Nolan and his Oscar-nominated Oppenheimer production designer Ruth De Jong set out to make their star-studded big-screen adaptation (now in theaters), the two were determined to make the fantastical realms look and feel as physically realized as possible.
EXCLUSIVE! Author Marissa Stapley Talks About the Brand-New Lucky TV Series—And Why You Can’t Help but Root for Her Heroine Original
Marissa Stapley didn’t exactly get her spark for Lucky under fortunate circumstances. In 2019, the author was crafting a novel but felt too unmotivated and unfocused to stick with it. “The characters were so complex and sad—I knew it wasn’t working,” she says. Then her mom, Valerie, who was terminally ill at the time, gave her the encouragement she needed. “She always wanted me to push ahead with my career, even when I was caring for her,” she recalls.
EXCLUSIVE! Author Marissa Stapley Talks About the Brand-New Lucky TV Series—And Why You Can’t Help but Root for Her Heroine
Now When Daneka Etchells was 12, her period arrived - and she immediately knew something wasn't right. Unlike many of her friends, hers were extremely heavy and she experienced excruciating pain. When she visited the doctor, she was prescribed the pill, but even that didn't make a difference. After …
EXCLUSIVE! Author Harlan Coben Reveals Why We’re Obsessed with Netflix’s I Will Find You —And the Secret to the Perfect Plot Twist
Somewhere in Harlan Coben’s New Jersey home, you can find all 36 of his mega-popular thriller novels. They’re just not located where you think. “I usually have them piled haphazardly in my office,” he says. “I don’t think I would probably like myself if I displayed them, so they’re on the floor.” But while speaking to Reader’s Digest, he makes eye contact with one, in particular: a new paperback edition of his 2023 bestseller I Will Find You, featuring Sam Worthington on the cover.
EXCLUSIVE! Author Harlan Coben Reveals Why We’re Obsessed with Netflix’s I Will Find You—And the Secret to the Perfect Plot Twist
Somewhere in Harlan Coben's New Jersey home, you can find all 36 of his mega-popular thriller novels. They're just not located where you think. "I usually have them piled haphazardly in my office," he says. "I don't think I would probably like myself if I displayed them, so they're on the floor." But while speaking to Reader's Digest, he makes eye contact with one, in particular: a new paperback edition of his 2023 bestseller I Will Find You, featuring Sam Worthington on the cover.
Remember That Summer You Were Obsessed With 90210?
It seems impossible to believe now, but summer TV used to be sadder than a rained-out picnic. Reruns. B-list sports games. More reruns. Endless news and music videos. Did we mention the reruns? Then, on July 11, 1991, a group of well-to-do high schoolers decided to hit the Beverly Hills Beach Club over their break. Soon, the bleak programming landscape suddenly became a whole lot brighter. To be sure, Beverly Hills, 90210 wasn’t the first TV series to air original summertime episodes.
EXCLUSIVE! Author Elin Hilderbrand Dishes on the Buzzy Adaptation of The Five Star Weekend and This Summer’s Best Beach Reads Original
When Elin Hilderbrand sat down to write her first novel in 1998, she wasn’t trying to become the queen of the summer beach read. “I was going to be a great American literary novelist,” she explains, noting that she was getting her MFA at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the time. But looking for inspiration, she drew on the beautiful and tranquil place that she had called home for the past few years: Nantucket. That decision ended up shaping her entire career.
EXCLUSIVE! Author Elin Hilderbrand Dishes on the Buzzy Adaptation of The Five Star Weekend and This Summer’s Best Beach Reads
They’re all good, but some deserve a prime spot in your beach bag more than others. To me, summer truly doesn’t begin until I’m sitting with my toes …
Harry Connick Jr. In Atlanta This Weekend
Even though Harry Connick Jr. has been performing since age 5, he’s still excited every time he takes the stage. “I love getting dressed and coming out and seeing all the people there,” he says. “It’s still mind-blowing that they want to hear me.” Ahead of his July 11 concert stop at Chastain Park, the three-time Grammy winner talked to Atlanta. What can fans expect this time out? I honestly haven’t planned it yet. The fun thing about going on the road is that the show is different every night.
78th Emmy Nominations: New Shows, Bold Stories and First-Time Nominees
Beloved performers and hit shows — along with exciting new series and up-and-coming talent — were recognized during the announcement of the 78th Emmy Awards. On July 8, Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) joined Television Academy chair Cris Abrego from the Wolf Theatre in the Academy’s Saban Media Center. Nominees in nine key categories were announced at the live ceremony.
78th Emmy Nominations Recognize Beloved TV Icons, Fresh Faces
Beloved performers and hit shows — along with exciting new series and up-and-coming talent — were recognized during the announcement of the 78th Emmy Awards. On July 8, Emmy winners Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) joined Television Academy chair Cris Abrego from the Wolf Theatre in the Academy’s Saban Media Center. Nominees in nine key categories were announced at the live ceremony.
Psych at 20: James Roday Rodriguez on Which Friends Star Almost Got His Role
James Roday Rodriguez recently hung out with a bunch of "Psychos" in San Francisco, and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it. “We like to come together and host weekends for them,” he says of the self-described rabid fans of his delightful comedy detective series.
Mel Brooks Is Turning 100! Here Are His 10 Best Movies, Ranked
Mel Brooks turns 100 on June 28, and, frankly, it’s about time. The co-creator of the iconic comedy routine “The 2000 Year Old Man” (in which he pretended to be the oldest living human) can brag that he’s reached 5% of that very lifespan.
How Jon Cryer Went From Surprise Speller to Running The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Earlier this year, Jon Cryer was asked to come on stage and be a surprise guest speller for a performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He’s still smarting about what happened next. “I’m a decent speller and made it to the second round,” he says. “But then the word they gave me to knock me out had a hyphen in it. Frankly, I think it was cheating.
Kathy Griffin Wants to Read Barbra Streisand’s Memoir on Broadway—and She’s Making It a Dealbreaker
Sure, Kathy Griffin is a Grammy and Emmy-winning stand-up comedian and personality. But perhaps her most impressive skill is her ability to rattle off hilarious random anecdotes involving an array of bold-faced names—from Warren Beatty to Sean Penn to Kim Kardashian—during a phone interview while simultaneously walking her dogs. “This is what I do!” she says.
The Sisterhood of The Five Star Weekend
A girls' trip is supposed to be gossipy good times ... right? In theory? So let Elin Hilderbrand explain what happened after a fellow author reached out and requested they meet for a drink back in September 2020. Inside the desolate restaurant at The Nantucket Hotel & Resort, “I was like, ‘What are you even doing in town?’” Hilderbrand recalls.
Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer on Friendship, Fame and Competing for the Same Tony Award
They’re ‘SNL’ legends—and now they’re both Tony-nominated Broadway stars. Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer take us inside their 27-year friendship. Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer on the Parade.com digital cover. Emilio Madrid How totally fitting that Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch were on the phone with each other just moments before Zooming in for their exclusive Parade cover story. And like any two close pals, they talked about everything … and nothing.
Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer Discuss Their SNL Group Chat and Tony Nominations
How totally fitting that Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch were on the phone with each other just moments before Zooming in for their exclusive Parade cover story. And like any two close pals, they talked about everything ... and nothing. "Oh, we were just downloading and girlfriend chatting," Gasteyer says nonchalantly.
Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer Discuss Their SNL Group Chat and Tony Nominations
How totally fitting that Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch were on the phone with each other just moments before Zooming in for their exclusive Parade cover story. And like any two close pals, they talked about everything ... and nothing. “Oh, we were just downloading and girlfriend chatting,” Gasteyer says nonchalantly.
Everwood Series Finale at 20: Gregory Smith Reveals the Ending Audiences Didn't See
If the WB lineup from the early '00s were a yearbook, then Everwoodwould have been voted least likely to succeed. Its vulnerable and awkward teen characters didn’t talk like they were 30. Nobody dropped snappy pop-culture references. Yet the heartwarming Colorado-set drama series was beloved. And when producers confirmed that the fourth season finale — which aired June 5, 2006 — would indeed be Everwood’s farewell, fans felt like a dear friend was leaving. The cast did, too.
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