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Fresh off the heels of her third one-hour Netflix special, Upper Classy, actress and comedian Cristela Alonzo will embark on her multi-city Midlife Mixtape Tour beginning next January.
The North American tour showcase kicks off Thursday, Jan. 15 at Quezada’s Comedy Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, with additional stops in Chicago; San Diego; Houston; Scottsdale, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; and San Antonio, Texas before wrapping up in Las Vegas at the Westgate Resort on May 2.
Tickets will go on sale starting Friday at 10 a.m. local time. More information can be found at CristelaAlonzo.com
The tour will also land at the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas, on April 9 and 10. Tickets for the festival, which are already on sale, can be found here.
A first-generation Mexican-American, Alonzo grew up in poverty in San Juan, Texas, learned English from watching TV, and in 2014 adapted her story into the ABC comedy Cristela, becoming the first Latina to create, produce and star in her own network sitcom.
Her latest Netflix special Upper Classy, which debuted in late September, recently landed in the streamer’s top 10 most-viewed programs, following her acclaimed hours Middle Classy and Lower Classy.
In October, Billboard contributor Joe Levy wrote of Upper Classy, “To say that Alonzo is in the tradition of observational comics who mine their life experience for comedy is to underestimate both her mastery of that tradition, as well as its impact on her.”
Alonzo also voices Cruz Ramirez in Pixar’s Cars 3 and appears in the Hulu series This Fool. In 2019, she published Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up.
Cristela Alonzo: Upper Classy. Cristela Alonzo at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Texas.
Lauren Smith/Netflix
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Gary Owen — the Navy veteran, stand-up comedian and actor — will graduate from sold-out club dates to theaters on his 37-date No Hard Feelings North American Tour in 2026.
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Current plans will see Owen open his in Reading, Penn. on Jan. 16 and conclude in Portland, Ore. on May 15, with stops in Boston, Nashville, Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Phoenix and Honolulu along the way. Produced by Icon Concerts, artist and venue pre-sale tickets for the theater tour will go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. local time, with the general pre-sale taking place on Nov. 21 at 9 a.m. local time. More information can be found at Owen’s website.
The Cincinnati native — whose comedy encompasses, family, culture and everyday life — began doing stand-up in the mid-1990s while stationed in San Diego, Calif. After winning the title of “Funniest Serviceman in America,” he broke through on BET’s Comic View program and became the only white person to host the show. He also starred in his own BET series, The Gary Owen Show, co-hosted TruTV’s sketch series Upload with Shaquille O’Neal, and was cast in the recurring role of Zach the Barber on TBS’ Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.
Owen has appeared in a number of movies as well, including Back on the Strip, alongside Tiffany Haddish; the comedy horror film Meet the Blacks with Mike Epps; Ride Along with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube; and Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy.
He continues to write, produce and perform his own comedy specials, including Black Famous, Breakin’ Out the Park, True Story, and Broken Family on YouTube, as well as Gary Owen…No “S” on Mint Comedy.
Check out a full list of dates of Owen’s upcoming No Hard Feelings Tour below:
Gary Owen, “No Hard Feelings Tour”
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Trending on Billboard After going big and weird this year, “Weird Al” Yankovic is going even Bigger & Weirder again next year. In a cinematic Instagram video (watch below), the parody song superstar announced the dates for the next chapter of his ongoing tour on Monday morning (Nov. 17), which is slated to kick off […]
Trending on Billboard Saturday Night Live is breaking in a pair of first-timers this weekend, with musical guest Olivia Dean and host Glen Powell both making their debuts. And cast members Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernandez aren’t making things easy for them. “Well, well, well,” Yang says, glaring. “If it isn’t a couple of first-timers,” […]
Trending on Billboard “Weird Al” Yankovic, actor and SNL alum Will Forte, and Ted Lasso stars Cristo Fernández and Brendan Hunt helped Jason Sudeikis raise $1.1 million at the ninth annual THUNDERGONG! charity concert by performing two monster Billboard Hot 100 hits. And we’ve got videos. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Sudeikis and […]
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If you have questions about the unique spelling of sombr‘s stage name, this week’s Saturday Night Live promos are for you.
The pop singer/songwriter is joined by host Nikki Glaser and cast member Chloe Fineman in the new promos, in which Fineman says, “sombr — it’s such a cool name.” “It is!” Glaser agrees. “It’s like if i called myself ‘Glasr.’”
“What?” sombr replies. “You know, because it’s usually spelled S-O-M-B-E-R — you took the E out,” Glaser explains.
“It is? I’ve been spelling it wrong this whole time and NOBODY TOLD ME?” the pop star explodes, even letting out a primal scream off camera.
This has Glaser giving him a brand-new name: “More like ‘angr.’”
Elsewhere in the promos, Fineman asks, “I’ve always wanted to know: Where does the name sombr come from?” The artist born Shane Michael Boose then says, “Well, my initials are S.M.B.”
“Ohhh!” Glaser says, adding, “My initials are N.R.G. — like energy.” When she turns to Fineman to ask, “What are yours?,” the comedian simply responds, “Cherf” — her creative interpretation of C.R.F., for Chloe Rose Fineman.
Both Glaser and sombr are making their Saturday Night Live debuts this weekend – Glaser as host and sombr as musical guest.
sombr is having a breakout year, with his debut album, I Barely Know Her, arriving in August. The project spun off his first trio of Billboard Hot 100 appearances: the top 20 hits “Back to Friends” (No. 12) and “Undressed” (No. 16), as well as the No. 41-peaking “12 to 12.”
Glaser is set to return as the host of the Golden Globes when the awards show is presented on Jan. 11.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and streams on Peacock. (See all the options to watch SNL here.)
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If anyone needs further proof that Adam Sandler‘s body of work transcends youth culture, AARP announced today that the actor, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member will receive its Movies for Grownups Career Achievement award at its annual ceremony on Jan. 10, 2026.
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Sandler, who won the organization’s Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor in 2020 for his gripping performance in Uncut Gems, is generating awards buzz for his performance in Jay Kelly as movie star Kelly’s (George Clooney) devoted manager Ron Sukenick. He has already been nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Performance award at the 2025 Gotham Independent Film Awards, which take place Dec. 1.
The film, which opens in theaters on Nov. 14, screened at the Venice and New York Film Festivals, among others, and is receiving largely glowing reviews.
“We couldn’t be prouder to present this year’s Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award to Adam Sandler, a Hollywood legend whose remarkable career has set a new standard for comedic storytelling, captivating audiences across generations,” said Myechia Minter-Jordan, CEO of AARP in a statement. “Adam’s enduring success, his ability to reinvent himself, inspire laughter, and move us through dramatic performances is a testament to the power of creativity at every age.”
The Movies for Grownups Awards, which originated in 2001, honors the most compelling film and television of the previous year that was created for the 50-plus audience. The ceremony will take place in Beverly Hills, Calif. and broadcast by Great Performances on PBS in February. Alan Cumming will host.
The AARP honor will join a long list of accolades for Sandler. He received the 2023 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, has also earned three Grammy nominations, seven Primetime Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for Uncut Gems (2019), and his performance in Hustle (2022) earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination.
His long-anticipated Happy Gilmore 2 — which co-starred Bad Bunny and featured a cameo by Eminem — also became Netflix’s most-watched U.S. film debut ever and the top opening for any Sandler movie on the service, with 46.7 million views in its first three days and 2.9 billion viewing minutes in its first week, according to Nielsen.
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If Ashley Padilla has anything to say about it, Brandi Carlile will host this weekend’s Saturday Night Live instead of Miles Teller.
In just-released promos for this weekend’s episode, Padilla brings up her brand-new haircut — and she explodes on Teller for not noticing. “I got a haircut, and you haven’t said anything about it!” Padilla yells at the Top Gun: Maverick actor. “Yeah, sorry, I think I didn’t notice, Ashley, because we’ve never met before,” Teller responds.
But guess who did notice? Eleven-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile. “I noticed. The second I saw you, I knew you had that new-haircut glow,” Carlile says. “Thank you, Brandi Carlile! You’re the host now,” Padilla says matter-of-factly, to which Carlile celebrates with a “Yesssss.”
“She’s joking, right?” Teller asks. But Dismukes assures the actor she’s dead serious. “I hope you can sing,” she threatens, and Teller gives a shrug: “I can sing.” (We know that at least Keith Urban agrees: Back in 2016, the country star invited Teller onstage to duet on The Temptations’ “My Girl” during an Albuquerque, New Mexico, concert.)
Watch all the new promos below:
Saturday’s episode will mark Carlile’s fourth time as a musical guest on SNL — and her second time this year. She joined Elton John on the stage back in April to perform songs from their joint album Who Believes in Angels? This time around, she’s promoting her just-released solo album Returning to Myself.
This will be Teller’s second hosting gig after he made his debut in 2022. He’s hitting the show ahead of the premiere of his sci-fi rom-com Eternity, co-starring Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner, which arrives Nov. 26 in theaters.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and streams on Peacock. (See all the options to watch SNL here.)
For proof that comedy can be as globally popular as music, Indian stand-up comic superstar Zakir Khan will make his debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Aug. 17 with a set performed exclusively in Hindi.
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Khan, 37, who has more than 8.2 million YouTube subscribers and, according to his reps, has sold more than 200,000 tickets globally over the last three years, will play the storied venue as part of an international tour promoted by Outback Presents that will also take him to Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Lauderhill, Fla., and Phoenix, as well as such Canadian cities Montreal and Toronto.
“Madison Square Garden was never part of the plan — it always felt like a place for movie scenes and big stars, not for boys from towns like mine. But sometimes, life takes you further than your dreams ever did,” says Khan, who hails from Indore in central India. “This show isn’t about making it big — it’s just a reminder that if you stay true to your journey, even a quiet voice can find its place on the loudest stage. The opportunity to represent India at a global stage like this and bring comedy from our point of view to this side of the world, the burden is fulfilling but also a humongous one, a dream I cannot wait to live.”
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After dropping out of college in Indore, Khan initially pursued a career as a radio DJ but found his calling in comedy. In 2012, he won Comedy Central India’s “India’s Best Stand-Up” contest and has gone on to headline some of the world’s biggest stages. In 2023, he became the first Asian comic to play the Royal Albert Hall solo. His podcast Umeed is one of of the highest streamed in India, and English-speakers can also check out his comedy on five Amazon Prime Video specials, including Haq Se Single and this year’s Delulu Express.
The announcement of his MSG appearance describes Khan’s comedy as capturing “the emotions, struggles, and dreams of Indian households and the youth chasing success in modern India.” He has said that he used humor as a shield against the bullying he experienced as a child and his anecdotal style is often punctuated with catchphrases, such as “Sakht Launda,” which translates to “tough guy.”
Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does stand-up comedy superstar Michelle Wolf. In the wake of the White House Correspondents’ Association’s March decision to hold its annual dinner without a traditional speech by a comedian, Wolf is set to release a 15-minute clip in which she dishes on her unflinching and controversial 2018 set at the event and even throws in a few more jokes.
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The clip, titled Dinner Time, will premiere at 8 pm Eastern / 5 pm Pacific time tonight on Punchup.live, a digital platform for live comedy where Wolf’s weekly podcast Thought Box resides. Although the podcast requires a $5 monthly subscription, Dinner Time will be free.
“There might not be a comedian at the Correspondents’ Dinner this year, but the good news is: I have some leftovers!” Wolf says. “I’ve been holding onto this set since 2022, and with everything going on, now felt like the right moment to share it exclusively on Punchup, a platform where comedians can release their own uncensored material without the constraints of any network or streamer.”
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Wolf’s routine sparked a media firestorm after she roasted a number of the political powers who were in the room — including then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is currently the governor of Arkansas, adviser to President Trump Kellyanne Conway and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie – President Trump (who skipped the event) and such talking heads as Fox News’ Sean Hannity and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
Zeroing in on Conway, Wolf, addressing the media, said, “You guys gotta stop putting Kellyanne on your shows. All she does is lie.” She then added, “It’s like that old saying: If a tree falls in the woods, how do we get Kellyanne under that tree? I’m not suggesting she get hurt, just stuck.”
She also pulled no punches with Sanders, who sat just two seats away from the podium where Wolf delivered her jokes. “I think she’s very resourceful,” the comic said of the press secretary before referencing her make-up style. ” Like, she burns facts, and then she uses the ash to create a perfect smoky eye.”
The barbs stuck with Sanders, who recounted the incident in her 2020 memoir, Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House. “I debated walking out or perhaps even throwing my wineglass at her,” she wrote. “But ultimately I stayed in my seat and held my head high.”
Clips of the media furor that resulted can be seen in the trailer for Dinner Time, and in the actual clip, Wolf remains unrepentant — a point of pride for ride-or-die stand-up comics. She explains to the receptive crowd that she is a non-partisan comic. “I hate Republicans. I hate Democrats. I hate the media. It’s all bad,” she says. “It’s all a big circle jerk.”
She also says that she hadn’t planned to talk about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner ever again, until Sanders wrote about it in her book. “And I was like, if you’re gonna talk about it…”
Wolf then proceeds to tell more jokes about Sanders, Conway and President Trump.
Check out the official trailer for Wolf’s Dinner Time below:
