Olio e Più has opened its newest Italian restaurant location in New York City, a striking two-story corner restaurant in the East Village that stands out in one Manhattan’s most dynamic dining neighborhoods.
Tribeca Festival rocks (and rolls, raps and plays all the music of the world in perfect harmony.
The Great White Way is going to love to sink their teeth into this. Broadway’s biggest night will be followed by a grand soiree filled with the most delectable servings and culinary delights found at Rockefeller Center.
Someone once described theater to me as escapism in its purest artistic form a place where audiences can shed inhibitions and fully immerse themselves in the show. So, we must ask the question: How does the mastermind behind New York City’s hottest new theatrical experience push this idea even further, past the point of no return? The answer isn’t as clear as it might seem.
In fact, it may require us to look beyond the mask.
Tucked inside what appears to be just another historic building in New York City is Randy Weiner’s newest creation, Masquerade, a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway juggernaut The Phantom of the Opera. But Masquerade does more than bend the rules of theater, it breaks them, dissolving the traditional boundaries between audience and performer. Here, spectators are not merely observers; they are placed directly inside the story, immersed in Christine Daaé’s haunting encounter with the Opera Ghost.
For Weiner, the seeds of this immersive vision were planted early. Born in New York City and raised by a devoted theater enthusiast, he spent his childhood steeped in performance. His father often took him to see two shows a day, embedding in him a deep connection to the Broadway world. By the time he reached college, Weiner was already experimenting with form turning his dorm room into an unconventional performance space.
And does he succeed in that goal? Well, as the doors swung open and the hands of a woman we would soon recognize as our Christine Daaé (Riley Noland) guided us into a party once reserved for the stage, a sense of freedom lifted us. I glanced over at my friend, saw him smiling, and in that moment, I knew we would carry this moment with us for the rest of the night. From being sacrificed at a hellish carnival to an improvised dance class taught by Madame Giry herself, we were invited deeper into the mind of Weiner, falling more in love, like Daaé and Raoul. We were left wanting to live permanently in this world.
“You are used to actors interacting with each other, not them interacting with you. The way people would describe my experience is like it happened to them. And they would describe it like a vacation in another city like I did this and I did that, as opposed to they did that on the stage.”
Masquerade is not just a retelling, but a transformation of a classic tale. One that challenges audiences to step inside the story itself, blurring the line between spectator and participant. In Masquerade, the mask is no longer a barrier. It is an invitation.
Swagger, Stories, and Controlled Chaos: Inside Tulsa King Season 3
Garrett Hedlund, Bella Heathcote, Dana Delany, Kevin Pollak, Jay Will, Annabella Sciorra, and Martin Starr break down the tone, the chemistry, and the chaos behind one of TV’s most entertaining crime dramas.
by Jai Singh Nanda
Some crime shows want to feel dangerous.
Others want to feel important.
Tulsa King doesn’t really worry about either of those things. It just wants to be good television.
And that confidence is exactly why it works.
From the moment the show dropped Sylvester Stallone into Tulsa as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, it found a rhythm that felt different from most modern crime dramas. It had the structure of a mob story, sure, but it also had humor, looseness, and a kind of personality that most shows in this space tend to sand down.
By the time season three rolls around, that identity is fully locked in.
The world is bigger now. The cast is deeper. The stakes are higher. But the tone, that balance between danger and fun, remains the engine that drives everything.
After speaking with multiple members of the cast, including Garrett Hedlund, Bella Heathcote, Dana Delany, Kevin Pollak, Jay Will, Annabella Sciorra, and Martin Starr, one thing became clear.
Everyone understands exactly what kind of show this is.
And more importantly, how to play it.
The Trick Is Not Taking It Too Seriously
One of the first things that came up in my conversation with Garrett Hedlund and Bella Heathcote was tone.
When I asked what Tulsa King demands from them as performers that other projects haven’t, Garrett’s answer cut right to the point. This isn’t a show that benefits from being played too heavily. If you lean too far into seriousness, it starts to feel off. The better approach is to relax into it, trust the rhythm, and let the character exist without forcing the weight of it.
That idea explains a lot about why the show feels so watchable.
It’s not that the stakes aren’t real. It’s that the show doesn’t suffocate under them.
Bella added another layer, talking about how her character carries emotional weight while still maintaining a sharp, flirtatious energy. Instead of collapsing into grief, she gets to hold both sides at once. That balance, being able to carry something difficult without losing the character’s edge, is something the show allows across the board.
And that’s a big part of what separates Tulsa King from other crime series. It doesn’t trap its characters in one emotional lane.
The Stallone Effect
At a certain point, every conversation circled back to the same person.
Sylvester Stallone.
It wasn’t even intentional. It just kept happening.
Bella shared a moment that was both funny and relatable. She spent the entire season trying to work up the nerve to ask for a photo with him, finally doing it through his daughter. When it finally happened and he threw up the classic Rocky pose, she said she completely melted.
Garrett’s story went in a totally different direction. He talked about spending time with Stallone discussing philosophy, Stoicism, and literature. The way he described those moments, you could tell that’s what stuck with him the most. Not the spectacle, but the quieter conversations.
And then talking to Dana Delany and Kevin Pollak, the stories kept evolving.
Dana described how Stallone still approaches scenes like a director, constantly checking playback, adjusting, refining. Kevin remembered his first day watching a scene back with him, where Stallone joked about spinning off their characters together. It was the kind of moment that immediately puts you at ease while also reminding you who you’re working with.
By the time I got to the third group, Jay Will, Annabella Sciorra, and Martin Starr, the stories became less specific but the point remained the same. Stallone changes the energy of the set.
He’s not just the lead.
He’s the center of gravity.
A Show That Knows Its Strengths
There’s a moment in my last interview where I asked what makes Tulsa King different from all the other crime stories out there.
One of them immediately said, “We have Sylvester Stallone.”
It got a laugh, but it wasn’t really a joke.
Because that’s a huge part of it.
There’s a certain kind of presence that very few actors still bring to the screen. Stallone has it. The show leans into it. And everything around him is built to support that energy.
But it’s not just about him.
The supporting cast understands how to exist around that presence without getting swallowed by it. They play off it. They react to it. They let it elevate the scene instead of trying to compete with it.
That kind of balance doesn’t happen by accident.
Expansion Without Losing Identity
Season three also feels bigger.
New characters, new dynamics, new tensions. The world is expanding in a way that feels natural rather than forced. You can feel the show stretching outward, introducing new players while still keeping its core intact.
Dana pointed out how excited she was for audiences to see Kevin Pollak come into the mix. Jay Will talked about the influx of new talent and how it adds new energy to the story.
That expansion matters.
A lot of shows struggle once they grow past their original setup. They either overcomplicate things or lose what made them work in the first place. Tulsa King manages to avoid both.
It adds without overcrowding.
The Comedy Is the Secret Weapon
If there’s one thing that really defines Tulsa King, it’s this:
It’s funny.
Not in a way that undercuts the stakes, but in a way that makes everything more engaging.
When I threw out some more offbeat questions, like whether they’d let Dwight into their house or what they’d do after getting out of prison, the answers were all over the place. Some said they’d let him in. Some said absolutely not. Some joked about making him coffee. Others were ready to call the cops immediately.
That range of responses actually says a lot about the character.
Dwight isn’t just dangerous.
He’s unpredictable.
And that unpredictability creates a kind of tension that doesn’t rely on constant violence. You don’t know how things are going to go, and that’s what keeps it interesting.
Why It Works
By the end of these conversations, the takeaway was pretty clear.
Everyone involved in Tulsa King understands the tone.
They know it’s not supposed to be played like a traditional crime drama. They know it needs that looseness, that swagger, that ability to move between humor and tension without getting stuck in either.
And most importantly, they seem like they’re having a good time.
That matters more than people think.
Because when a show feels like it’s enjoying itself, the audience does too.
Final Thoughts
Tulsa King isn’t trying to reinvent television.
It’s not trying to be the most serious show on air.
It’s just trying to be entertaining.
And at this point, it’s gotten really good at that.
Season three builds on everything that worked before, expands the world in smart ways, and continues to lean into the one thing that makes it stand out.
It knows exactly what it is.
And it doesn’t overthink it.
There’s no better way to celebrate the end of a bitter, snowy winter than with some sweet treats.
In School Spirits, death has never meant the end of the story. But in season three, it finally starts to feel like the rules, whatever they once were, are breaking.
Created by Nate and Megan Trinrud, the Paramount+ drama returns with its most ambitious chapter yet, plunging Maddie Nears and her friends into a deeper, darker mystery as the veil between worlds grows dangerously thin. What began as a grounded supernatural whodunit has evolved into something more unsettling: a story about unfinished business, emotional fractures, and the terrifying consequences of knowing too much.
After clawing her way back to life, Maddie is no longer simply searching for answers. She is burdened by them. Visions haunt her, secrets fester at Split River High, and the cost of protecting both the living and the dead grows heavier with every revelation. Season three does not just raise the stakes. It interrogates them.
The Knockturnal’s Jai Singh Nanda sat down with multiple members of the School Spirits ensemble to unpack how the series expands its mythology while keeping its emotional core intact, speaking with Nick Pugliese and Sarah Yarkin, Jennifer Tilly and Josh Zuckerman, Spencer MacPherson, Kiara Pichardo, and Rainbow Wedell, and Miles Elliot and Ci Hang Ma about the shifting dynamics, darker tone, and surprising humanity behind the show’s most intense season yet.
A Darker Turn and Deeper Teamwork
For Sarah Yarkin, who plays the sharp-tongued Rhonda, season three marks a noticeable shift, not just in tone, but in how her character relates to the group.
With the mystery intensifying and the stakes affecting everyone, Rhonda is forced into unfamiliar territory: collaboration. Yarkin described a season where sillier moments give way to something more focused and more urgent, as Rhonda learns, uncomfortably, to be a team player. The darkness is not just external. It demands emotional growth.
Her co-star Nick Pugliese, who plays Charley, echoed that evolution from a different angle. While Charley has always wrestled with insecurity, season three magnifies those feelings by placing him in a relationship amid chaos. The result is a tonal balancing act the show embraces. Life-or-death stakes collide with deeply personal conversations about identity, love, and vulnerability. It is a contrast that feels true to the DNA of School Spirits: spooky, yes, but always human.
Stepping Into the Storm
Season three also introduces new energy into Split River High, most notably with Jennifer Tilly joining the cast as Dr. Hunter-Price. A deliciously unhinged addition, the character is narcissistic, power-hungry, and increasingly terrifying, and Tilly relished the challenge.
She spoke openly about the intimidation of stepping into an already tight-knit ensemble, but also about the thrill of playing someone with so few redeeming qualities. For Tilly, the appeal lay in digging for humanity where it barely exists and embracing a character who slowly transmogrifies into something truly horrific by season’s end.
For Josh Zuckerman, who returns as the enigmatic Mr. Martin, season three represents an earned unraveling. What once presented as confidence and authority begins to fracture as secrets surface, leaving Mr. Martin exposed, desperate, and emotionally adrift. Zuckerman credited the show’s creators and writers for being deeply communicative about the larger themes at play, emphasizing that School Spirits is never just about plot. It is about meaning.
Friendship Under Pressure
If season three interrogates the nature of truth, it also tests the strength of friendship. In conversations with Spencer MacPherson (Xavier), Kiara Pichardo (Nicole), and Rainbow Wedell (Claire), one theme emerged again and again. Pressure does not weaken these bonds. It reveals them.
MacPherson noted that the friendships at the center of the show are stronger than ever because they have to be. Wedell described the group as trauma-bonded, united by secrets they cannot share with anyone else. And for Pichardo, Nicole’s journey this season is about learning confidence under fire, guided by relationships that challenge her comfort zone.
Together, the trio painted a picture of an ensemble that thrives on trust, both on screen and off. That sense of safety, they agreed, is what allows the show to go to darker places without losing its heart.
Expanding the Afterlife
As the world of School Spirits widens, so too does its emotional and thematic reach. Miles Elliot and Ci Hang Ma, whose characters further expand the mythology of the afterlife, spoke about discovering new layers of meaning as season three reveals long-buried truths about Split River High.
For Ma’s Quinn, waking up in death paradoxically offers freedom, a second chance at belonging that life never quite provided. But that freedom comes with consequences, as the warnings left behind in season two begin to materialize. Elliot emphasized that this season does not just answer questions. It forces every character to rethink their place in a world that may be far more dangerous than they realized.
Grounding those revelations, both actors stressed, required constant communication with directors, writers, and each other to ensure the supernatural never eclipsed the emotional reality. Ghosts may haunt the halls, but it is the characters’ fear, hope, and longing that keep the story anchored.
A Haunting Evolution
By the end of these conversations, one thing became clear. School Spirits season three is not interested in easy answers. It is a season about consequences, of curiosity, of silence, of love stretched beyond its limits.
As the mystery deepens and the boundaries between worlds continue to blur, the series doubles down on what has always set it apart: an ensemble willing to go emotionally all in, even when the ground beneath them is not solid.
And if season three proves anything, it is that in School Spirits, the most frightening thing is not death. It is what happens when the truth refuses to stay buried.
Spending time with this cast, that passion extends far beyond the screen. There is a genuine sense that these are actors who not only care deeply about the work, but about the audience experiencing it. In a story built on connection between worlds, it feels fitting that the people behind it are just as invested in the connection with the fans watching along.
Netflix Premieres Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in New York, Welcoming Cast, Creators, and a Constellation of Guests
Uptown Manhattan, New York, March 13, 2026, On a humidly brisk Manhattan evening that seemed to borrow its ambiance from another era, Netflix hosted the U.S premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man at the DGA Theater on Thursday night. The long-anticipated cinematic universe is finally wrapping the acclaimed crime saga in New York City.
Film stars Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, and Barry Keoghan joined writer and producer Steven Knight. In addition to the film’s director, Tom Harper, producer Guy Heeley, and composer Antony Genn united together for a red carpet celebration and a series of interviews ahead of the screening.
Following the premiere, guests traveled uptown to a reception at The Plaza Hotel, where the evening’s design evoked and emulated The Garrison, the Shelby family’s infamous Birmingham pub in Peaky Blinders. Dim lighting, vintage décor, and time period music transported attendees back to the industrial streets of 20th-century England. A tribute fit for the series built over six seasons and now marking its final destination on the big screen.
Among the notable attendees were actors and artists, including Adrien Brody, Ed Sheeran, and Steve Buscemi. Athletes also joined the celebration, including Harrison Phillips of the New York Jets, Olympic ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and members of the New Jersey Devils — Zack MacEwen, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dawson Mercer, Paul Cotter, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier.
About Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Set in Birmingham, England, in 1940, amid the turmoil of the Second World War, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man finds Tommy Shelby forced out of self-imposed exile and back into the conflict that once defined him. With the fate of both his family and his country in peril, Tommy must confront his most destructive reckoning yet, to face his legacy or let it burn to the ground.
Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy returns as the iconic Tommy Shelby in the epic feature film directed by Tom Harper and written by Steven Knight.
The cast also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, and Jay Lycurgo, alongside Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan and Primetime Emmy Award winner Stephen Graham.
The film explores the fragile balance between power and responsibility, examining the cost of ambition and the weight of family legacy. Tommy is forced to confront both his past and the empire he built, questioning whether the Shelby name is meant to endure or disappear in flames.
At its core, the film is a meditation on loyalty and resilience, better yet, how families become the backbone of survival in moments of crisis. Through the lens of the Shelby dynasty, the story captures the role morale plays in wartime Britain, where courage is not only found on the battlefield but also in the stubborn refusal to surrender hope.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now playing in select theaters and is available to stream on Netflix on March 20th. By order of the Peaky Blinders, you’ve officially been summoned to watch.
From American High, Pizza Movie released on Apr. 3rd, streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
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