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 SATURDAY 

 MAY 17th-18 

 8pm 

UPCOMING   SHOWS

All shows are 21+

There is a 2 drink minimum

No smoking inside. Please bring a valid form of ID

Sat, Oct 14

Louisiana Grandstand

William Lee Martin's "Comedy Stampede Tour"

The Texas Original comedian William Lee Martin brings his Comedy Stampede Tour to the Louisiana Grandstand in Shreveport on October 14th!

Time & Location

Oct 14, 2023, 7:30 PM

Louisiana Grandstand, 802 Margaret Pl, Shreveport, LA 71101, USA

About the event

William Lee Martin is a prolific stand-up comedian. He works clean and clever. He’s sharp without relying on vulgarity. Sporting a cowboy hat, creased blue jeans, a shiny belt buckle, and a confident strut, he is a presence. He commands the stage, telling stories like a goofy friend who just wants to make you laugh after a long day.  He resonates with people because he looks, talks, and acts like a huge demographic of this country without having an agenda, being negative, or complaining about things. Martin incorporates his audience into shows, playfully staring them down for their reaction—whether the joke flies over their heads or hits close to home.  His work sees him playing to sell out audiences at clubs and theaters around the country. He has produced 3 comedy one-hour specials including “Let the Laughter Roll” which aired on CMT, and his both of his current hits, “Standing in the Middle” and “The Nutcracker: a Christmas Special based on his Vasectomy” can be streamed on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.  Although he has been touring since 1996, during the pandemic, he exploded on social media.

This is a small venue with very limited seating.   TICKETS DAY OF SHOW INCLUDE ALL TAXES, FEES AND ROUNDED UP TO NEAREST DOLLAR.  PLEASE PURCHASE IN ADVANCE.  CALL 1-800-316-8559 (choose option 1) for phone purchases - PurplePass charges a service fee on top for all phone orders.

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2 upcoming concerts

• Saturday 31 August 2024

Jagged Edge, Lyfe Jennings, KeKe Wyatt, Pleasure P, and Kut Klose

Shreveport Convention Center , Shreveport, LA, US

• Friday 13 September 2024

Rodney Carrington

Margaritaville Resort Casino , Bossier City, LA, US

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Plan Your Trip to Shreveport-Bossier

Get the latest information.

Here are all the concerts and shows coming to Shreveport and Bossier City in 2022 and 2023

The year is almost over, but there are plenty of fun shows with big stars coming to Shreveport and Bossier City and several already announced for 2023 that you won't want to miss out on.

Whether you're wanting to rock out at the Brookshire Grocery Arena or catch a comedy show at The Strand, there's something for everyone coming to Shreveport-Bossier soon.

More: Shreveport theatre company honors legend Richard Folmer with new show

Brookshire Grocery Arena

• The self-proclaimed "baddest show on dirt" is coming back to Bossier City with talent from Jeter Jones and Sir Charles Jones.
• The annual concert is returning to Bossier City with headliners We the Kingdom, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo, Anne Wilson, Disciple, Austin French and more hosted by Newsong. No ticket required for this event, just a $15 cover at the door.
• Journey is bringing their "Freedom Tour" to Bossier City with special guest Toto.
• The Texas-based country music singer is coming to Bossier City with special guests Catie Offerman and Corey Kent.
• Grab your Mickey ears and get ready to celebrate with more than 50 of your favorite Disney characters. Hosted by Mickey and Minnie, go on an adventure through 14 of the greatest Disney stories ever told.
• The standup comedian is bringing his "Tops Off World Tour" for a night of laughs at the Brookshire Arena.
• The contemporary Christian band will be bringing part two of their "What Are We Waiting For Tour" to Bossier City as part of their Official Album Release Concert Experience.
• The country star is bringing along Dustin Lynch and LOCASH on this "Drunk or Dreaming Tour" to promote his new album "Different Man" that released on Friday, September 9.

For more information including how to purchase tickets, visit the Brookshire Grocery Arena website .

The Strand Theatre

• Inspired by the beloved animated film, this Tony Award winning musical is filled will romance, adventure and new songs the whole family will enjoy.
• The powerful story of redemption based off the original book by Charles Dickens has a new twist on the old classic and is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season in Shreveport.
• The New Orleans Ballet Theatre is presenting their production of the classic Christmas tale "The Nutcracker" at the Strand just in time for the holidays.
• The Lincoln Center Theater Production of this classic musical will enchant audience members of all ages here in Shreveport.
• These four incredibly talented musicians and actors were hand-picked by the late George Harrison of the Beatles sister Louise Harrison making this the only Beatles Tribute Band with a direct link to the original.
• This trio is the most successful music group and the third-highest selling artist in the history of America's Got Talent after their appearance in 2009 and they're bringing their talent to Shreveport.
• You won't want to miss out on the world's number one touring ABBA tribute show that's been performing since 1999 when they make a stop at The Strand.
• One of today's fastest-rising stand-up comedians with more than one billion video views and over five million fans on social media. Now you can see him in real life when his "Emotional Support Tour" rolls into Shreveport.
• For 25 years Chicago has been dazzling audiences with its tale of universal fame, fortune and all that jazz with one show-stopping number after another.
• Come out to listen to well-known favorites by the legendary Steven Curtis Chapman and experience brand new music when his "Still Tour" comes to Shreveport.
• Known as "the most famous people you never heard of," these are the Nashville songwriters that have written hit after hit for stars like Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, Tim McGraw and more.
• Calling all Pink Floyd fans: come out to listen to the entirety of the iconic album "Dark Side of the Moon" plus a full set of Pink Floyd's greatest hits.

For more information including how to purchase tickets, visit the Strand Theatre website .

Shreveport Municipal Auditorium

• Bring your kids out to experience "Peppa Pig's Big Adventure" and the Peppa Pig's Adventure Photo Experience.
• Celebrate the holidays early listening to seasonal favorites originally by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.
• Come experience an incredible performance of the Christmas classic "The Nutcracker" to get into the holiday mood.
• Come out for a night of laughs at the 85 South Show Live's "Ghetto Legends 2: Unfinished Business" Comedy Tour to Shreveport.
• The stand-up comedian is bringing his "Night of Comedy" to Shreveport for an evening of laughs.
• Inspired by the #1 most watched entertainment brand on YouTube, this live event is a Broadway-style musical production. JJ and his family are putting on a show where JJ is writing his own song and needs a little help and, in the end, JJ learns that by using his imagination, he can create, solve problems and go on adventures.
• Come out for a night where you can enjoy a magical, musical journey filled with holiday spirit in the Cirque Musica's "Holiday Wonderland" show.
• Come experience The Prophecy Show: The Music of Trans Siberian Orchestra live in Shreveport.
• Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze is bringing the laughs with his "The Be Funny Tour" that will be coming to Shreveport in 2023.

For more information including how to purchase tickets, visit the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium website .

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra

• Experience phenomenal Cuban pianist / composer Aldo López-Gavilán in a program celebrating music of the Americas conducted by Michael Butterman.
• The star of the hit TV series "Smash" and Broadway productions of Wicked, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and 9 to 5 Megan Hilty will celebrate the holidays with the SSO with celebrity guest artist and concert sponsor the Alta and John Franks Foundation.
• Rock the RiverView with Windborne's Music of Led Zeppelin and the SSO amplified by a full band and featuring screaming vocals.
• Conducted by Michael Butterman, experience the buoyant energy and virtuosity of Mozart's Symphony No. 35 along with two virtuoso soloists along with an original composition by double bassist Xavier Foley.
• Renowned violinist William Hagen returns to Shreveport to perform Bruch's achingly beautiful Scottish Fantasy followed by one of the most beloved symphonies with Dvořák 's Symphony No. 8.
• Celebrate the life and work of Nat King Cole brought to life by vocalist Caesar with lush new orchestra arrangements and a jazz combo.
• The 2022 - 2023 season comes to a dramatic and rousing close with Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Wideman Gold Medalist Crystal Jiang.

For more information including how to purchase tickets, visit the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra website .

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on  Facebook  as Meredith G. White, on  Instagram  and  Twitter  as @meredithgwhite, and email her at [email protected]. 

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• Shreveport, LA

Shreveport, LA Concerts 2024

• Shreveport Venues

Fri Jun 21, 2024

Venue: Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium

Time: 7:30 PM

Featuring: Buddy Guy

Sat Jul 13, 2024

Avail Hollywood

Time: 8:00 PM

Featuring: Avail Hollywood

Sat Aug 31, 2024

The R&B Party: Jagged Edge, Lyfe Jennings, & Keke Wyatt

Venue: Shreveport Convention Center

Time: 7:00 PM

Featuring: The R&B Party | Keke Wyatt | Jagged Edge | Lyfe

Charley Crockett

Featuring: Charley Crockett

William Lee Martin

Venue: Louisiana Grandstand

Featuring: William Lee Martin

Sun Oct 13, 2024

Experience Hendrix: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde & Eric Johnson

Featuring: Experience Hendrix | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | Zakk Wylde | Eric Johnson

Sat Oct 19, 2024

Kansas - The Band

Featuring: Kansas

Thu Oct 24, 2024

Flatland Cavalry

Featuring: Flatland Cavalry

Shreveport Concert and Event Information

• The Upcoming Concerts will be some of the most anticipated Shreveport concerts in a long time.
• Schedule for the concerts in Shreveport is updated daily.
• The Strand Theatre - LA and Sam's Town Casino - Shreveport both have lots of concert action scheduled.
• Shreveport continues to be one of the hottest places for concert tours in North America.
• Tickets for all Shreveport concerts are sold with a 100% money back guarantee.

Shreveport currently has a busy list of concert tours entering the city in the near future. Many of music's top artists are about to have concerts in Shreveport. Make sure to catch some of the concert fever that Shreveport has to offer at some of the most prolific venues around. Just see the dates provided for all the upcoming Shreveport concerts. Our Shreveport concert schedule is updated constantly in case their are any revisions.

Concerts near Shreveport

Concerts in bossier city, la.

Venue: Margaritaville Resort Casino

Featuring: Elle King

Fri Sep 13, 2024

Rodney Carrington

Featuring: Rodney Carrington

Sat Sep 14, 2024

Cody Johnson

Venue: Brookshire Grocery Arena

Featuring: Cody Johnson

Sun Oct 20, 2024

Jelly Roll, Warren Zeiders & Alexandra Kay

Featuring: Jellyroll | Warren Zeiders | Alexandra Kay

Fri Oct 25, 2024

Featuring: MercyMe

Sat Oct 26, 2024

Featuring: Daughtry

Sat Nov 16, 2024

Creed, 3 Doors Down & Mammoth WVH

Featuring: Mammoth WVH | 3 Doors Down | Creed | Finger Eleven

Fri Feb 21, 2025

Katt Williams

Featuring: Various Artists

Fri Apr 4, 2025

Martin Lawrence

Featuring: Martin Lawrence

Concerts in Benton, LA

Tim Hawkins

Venue: Cypress Baptist Church

Featuring: Tim Hawkins

Concerts in Longview, TX

Thu sep 12, 2024.

Venue: S.E. Belcher Jr. Performance Center

Time: 6:00 PM

Featuring: Unite 2023

Wed Sep 18, 2024

Matthew West

Featuring: Matthew West

Thu Oct 17, 2024

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

Featuring: Lyle Lovett

Sun Oct 27, 2024

Chonda Pierce

Featuring: Chonda Pierce

Sat Nov 9, 2024

Featuring: Sara Evans

Sat Jan 18, 2025

We The Kingdom

Featuring: We The Kingdom

Sat Mar 1, 2025

The Barricade Boys

Featuring: The Barricade Boys

Big Daddy Weave

Featuring: Big Daddy Weave

Sat May 3, 2025

Celtic Woman

Featuring: Celtic Woman

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Shreveport Comedy Festival Tickets

Shreveport comedy festival tour tickets.

Grab your Shreveport Comedy Festival tickets today to see this master of comedy perform live. Stand-up comedy has been around since the early 20th century but became popular in the 1990s. There are a variety of stand-up comedy genres and styles which include observational comedy, surreal humor, political satire and improvised comedy among others. A traditional set is made up of jokes and bits. Typically, the quality of the material is the most important element.

Comedians will tour the US and sometimes even have a residency in Las Vegas with a show multiple days per week. Comedy tour revenues have increased significantly over the last several years with comedians like Jerry Seinfeld , Kevin Hart and Jeff Dunham. These top comedians earn $20-50 million per year depending on how much they are touring. Secure your chance to be there in person at a theatre near you. Grab your Shreveport Comedy Festival tickets now to see this comedian's next live show.

How much are Shreveport Comedy Festival tickets?

Tickets to a Shreveport Comedy Festival show can range in price for each venue and the location of your seats. Shreveport Comedy Festival live tickets typically start around the $50 range but depending on the performance and venue can exceed $500 per ticket. Secure seats that fit your budget today with TicketSmarter.

When do Shreveport Comedy Festival tickets go on sale?

Shreveport Comedy Festival tour tickets go on sale around three to six months before a tour is announced. Fans can purchase comedy show tickets after cities, venues, dates and times are announced. Use the event calendar above to be the first to secure seats when a new date is released.

Shreveport Comedy Festival Tour Dates & Show Schedule

Shreveport Comedy Festival continues to be one of the busiest comedians in the entertainment industry. Shreveport Comedy Festival tour dates across most of the United States and some Canadian venues on the tour schedule every year. You may be able to catch a performance at hit theaters like the Terry Fator Theatre at the Mirage in Las Vegas or the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Columbus. Make you are there every year for the New York Comedy Festival . Don’t miss your chance to see a great stand-up comedy show in your city. Use the event calendar above today to see what is available near you.

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LAFF MOBB'S COMEDY FOR THE CULTURE TOUR

Sat Sep 03 2022 at 08:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium | Shreveport, LA

• Laff Mobb which is specially known for Arts & Theatre, Comedy.
• Bubba Dub which is specially known for Arts & Theatre, Comedy.
• Gerald Huston which is specially known for Arts & Theatre, Comedy.
• Jeff Shelley which is specially known for Arts & Theatre, Comedy.
• Mojo Brookzz which is specially known for Arts & Theatre, Comedy.

Where is it happening?

USD 29.00 to USD 44.00

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107 biggest comedy tours 2024: get tickets for jerry seinfeld, bill burr, more.

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Comedy fans, 2024 is going to be your year.

Over the past few months, many of the biggest names in the game —  Jerry Seinfeld , Bill Burr , Kevin Hart , Sebastian Maniscalco and Ali Wong — have announced major nationwide tours that will send them far and wide all over North America.

They’re not the only acts hitting the road, though.

Our team found 107 (!) major stand-ups, podcasters, improvisers, duo acts, “Saturday Night Live” cast members , authors, crowd work comics and storytellers likely headed to a venue in your neck of the woods in the very near future.

Plus, in May, over 300 (yes, you read that right) comedians are descending upon Los Angeles for the second Netflix is a Joke Festival .

Want to see who’s out and about these next few months?

You’re in the right place, chuckleheads.

Below, you’ll find the 107 biggest comedians on tour separated by sub-genres like household name headliners, ‘SNL’ cast members, ‘Daily Show’ alumni, up-and-comers and many more for your scrolling pleasure.

So sit back, relax and get ready to LOL, LMAO, ROFL and plain ol’ laugh.

Household Name Headliners

Jerry seinfeld.

Runs Jan. 5 through Sept. 7 . Known for  Seinfeld ,  Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee  and  Bee Movie .

Kevin Hart’s ‘Reality Check Tour’

Runs Jan. 6 through June 23. Known for  Jumanji :  Welcome to the Jungle ,  The Upside  and  Get Hard .

John Mulaney’s ‘John Mulaney In Concert’

Runs Jan. 11 through May 4. Known for Big Mouth , The Sack Lunch Bunch , Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers .

Bill Burr’s ‘Bill Burr Live Tour’

Runs Feb. 16 through July 21. Known for Old Dads , F is for Family and The Mandalorian .

Chelsea Handler’s ‘Little Big B—- Tour’

Runs Jan. 19 through May 26. Known for Chelsea Lately , Chelsea Does and Hello Privilege, It’s Me Chelsea .

Jeff Foxworthy

Runs Jan. 20 through June 14. Known for The Blue Collar Comedy Tour , The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Huge Co-Headliners

Tina fey and amy poehler’s ‘restless leg tour’.

Runs Jan. 12 through Feb. 18. Known for Saturday Night Live , Mean Girls and Baby Mama .

Steve Martin and Martin Short’s ‘The Dukes of Funnytown Tour’

Runs May 3 through June 15. Known for Only Murders in the Building , Three Amigos and Father of the Bride .

Seth Meyers and John Oliver

Runs Jan. 12 through June 16. Known for Late Night With Seth Meyers , Last Week Tonight and Strike Force Five .

Gabriel Iglesias’ ‘Don’t Worry Be Fluffy Tour’

Runs Feb. 14 through Aug. 4. Known for Mr. Iglesias , Magic Mike XXL and Space Jam: A New Legacy .

Jim Gaffigan’s ‘Barely Alive Tour’

Runs Jan. 9 through May 2 . Known for The Jim Gaffigan Show , Super Troopers 2 and Chappaquiddick .

Katt Williams’ ’23 and Me Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through May 11. Known for Friday After Next , Scary Movie V and Norbit .

Nate Bargatze’s ‘Be Funny Tour’

Runs Jan. 11 through Aug. 9. Known for hosting Saturday Night Live , Netflix’s   The Standups and the “Nateland” podcast .

Sebastian Maniscalco’s ‘It Ain’t Right Tour’

Runs Jan. 13 through Dec. 15. Known for About My Father , The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Bookie .

Bert Kreischer’s ‘Tops Off The World Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through July 14. Known for The Machine , The Cabin , 2 Bears 1 Cave podcast .

Tom Segura’s ‘Come Together Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through June 15. Known for 2 Bears 1 Cave podcast , Mostly Stories and Ball Hog .

Jo Koy’s ‘World Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through May 3. Known for hosting the 2024 Golden Globes , Easter Sunday and Chelsea Lately .

Brett Goldstein’s ‘Second Best Night Of Your Life Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through May 18. Known for Ted Lasso , Shrinking and Films To Be Buried With .

Ilana Glazer’s ‘Ilana Glazer Live Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through May 2. Known for Broad City , The After Party and Rough Night .

George Lopez

Runs Jan. 13 through July 20. Known for The George Lopez Show , Lopez vs. Lopez and Blue Beetle .

Runs Feb. 17 through May 4. Known for Beef , Always Be My Maybe and Tuca and Bertie .

Kevin James ‘ ‘The Irregardless Tour’

Runs Feb. 3 through June 29. Known for King of Queens , Hitch and Paul Blart: Mall Cop .

Runs Jan. 5 through July 21. Known for The Original Kings of Comedy , The Hughleys and Dancing With The Stars .

John Cleese’s ‘An Evening with the late John Cleese Tour’

Runs April 1-8. Known for Monty Python , Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda .

Pete Holmes

Runs Jan. 5 through May 4. Known for Crashing , The Pete Holmes Show and You Made It Weird .

Ramy Youssef

Runs Jan. 19 through Feb. 18. Known for Ramy , Poor Things and Mr. Robot .

Joe Gatto’s ‘Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy Tour’

Runs Jan. 11 through March 24. Known for Impractical Jokers , The Misery Index and Two Cool Moms .

Cristela Alonzo

Runs Jan. 20 through June 23. Known for Cristela , Cars 3 and Middle Classy .

Talk show hosts

Runs Jan. 12 through May 31. Known for The Tonight Show , Jay Leno’s Garage and The Jay Leno Show .

Bill Maher’s ‘The WTF? Tour’

Runs Jan. 27 through Nov. 2. Known for Real Time with Bill Maher , Politically Incorrect and Religulous .

Adam Carolla

Runs Jan. 5 through July 13. Known for The Man Show , Ralph Breaks The Internet and Drawn Together .

Craig Ferguson’s ‘ The Fancy Rascal  Tour’

Runs Known for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson , How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Winnie the Pooh.

Nikki Glaser’s ‘The Good Girl Tour’

Runs Jan. 19 through Sept. 28. Known for F Boy Island , Not Safe with Nikki Glaser and Nikki & Sarah Live .

“Saturday Night Live” cast

Pete davidson.

Runs Jan. 5-8. Known for Bupkis , King of Staten Island and The Suicide Squad .

Runs Feb. 16 through June 22. Known for Tom and Jerry , A Punchable Face and Coming 2 America .

Tracy Morgan

Runs Feb. 2 through May 11. Known for 30 Rock , The Last O.G. and The Tracy Morgan Show .

David Spade ‘s ‘Catch Me Inside Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through Sept. 28 . Known for Tommy Boy , Just Shoot Me and Joe Dirt.

Darrell Hammond

Runs Jan. 16-20 . Known for Scary Movie 3 , Damages and Cracked Up: The Darrell Hammond Story .

Rob Schneider’s ‘I Have Issues Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through March 17. Known for Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo , The Hot Chick and The Waterboy .

Runs Jan. 25 through May 3. Known for Popstar: Never Stop Stopping , Kenan and Bust Down .

Kevin Nealon

Runs Jan. 19 through April 27 . Known for Weeds , Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer .

Jay Pharoah

Runs Jan. 5 through May 4. Known for Family Guy , The Blackening and White Famous .

Marcello Hernandez

Runs Jan. 12 through March 16. Known for Late Night with Seth Meyers , The Improviser and Nudes in the News .

Michael Longfellow

Runs Jan. 5 through May 12. Known for Bring the Funny , Good Burger 2 and How To Be Broke .

“Daily Show” alumni

Trevor noah’s ‘off the record tour’.

Runs Jan. 11 through May 11 . Known for hosting the Grammys , Born A Crime and Black Panther .

Lewis Black’s ‘Goodbye  Yeller Brick Road , The Final Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through May 4. Known for Inside Out , Spongebob Squarepants and Accepted .

Hasan Minhaj’s ‘Off With His Head Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through June 1. Known for Patriot Act , The Morning Show and The White House Correspondents Dinner .

Ronny Chieng’s ‘The Love To Hate It Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through July 13. Known for Crazy Rich Asians , M3GAN and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings .

Demetri Martin’s ‘The Joke Machine Tour’

Runs Jan. 26 through May 12. Known for Important Things with Demetri Martin , Woodstock and Dean .

Roy Wood Jr.

Runs Jan. 10 through May 4 . Known for Sullivan & Son , Confess, Fletch and Flatbush Misdemeanors . *Featuring Jordan Klepper on select dates .

Hard-hitting veteran headliners

Andrew dice clay.

Runs Jan. 19 through April 6. Known for The Adventures of Ford Fairlane , Blue Jasmine and A Star Is Born .

Brian Regan

Runs Jan. 10 through June 21 . Known for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Loudermilk and three Netflix specials .

Wanda Sykes’ ‘Please & Thank You Tour’

Runs Feb. 24 through June 15. Known for The Other Two , History of the World Pt. II and Pootie Tang .

Marlon Wayans’ ‘Microphone Fiend Tour’

Runs Jan. 5 through March 8 . Known for Scary Movie , White Chicks and Requiem For A Dream .

Anthony Jeselnik’s ‘Bones And All Tour’

Runs Jan. 11 through May 10 . Known for The Jeselnik Offensive , Comedy Central Roasts and Last Comic Standing .

Dave Attell

Runs Jan. 12 through April 7 . Known for  Insomniac ,  Trainwreck and  Arrested Development .

Leanne Morgan’s ‘Just Getting Started Tour’

Runs Jan. 6 through June 29 . Known for Sun Moon , I’m Every Woman and the Sweaty and Pissed podcast .

Russell Peters’ ‘Act Your Age World Tour’

Runs Jan. 4 through June 15 . Known for Hip-Hop Evolution , Russell Peters vs. The World and Last Comic Standing .

Eddie Griffin’s ‘Live and Unleashed Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through April 20 . Known for Undercover Brother , John Q and Norbit .

Runs Jan. 11 through April 20 . Known for The Blue Collar Comedy Tour , Horrible Bosses and Sex and the City 2 .

‘We Them Ones Comedy Tour’

Runs Feb. 2 through May 12 . Featuring Mike Epps , DeRay Davis , DC Young Fly , Chico Bean , Karlous Miller , Lil Duval and Mojo Brookzz .

Tom Papa’s ‘On Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through April 6. Known for The Marriage Ref , The Informant! and Bee Movie .

Maz Jobrani’s ‘Mr. International Comedy Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through Feb. 10 . Known for Friday After Next , Better Off Ted and 13 Going On 30 .

Luenell’s ‘ The Fresh Out of Favors Comedy Tour ‘

Runs Jan. 1 through May 16 . Known for Borat , That’s My Boy and The Rock .

Alt-comedy icons

Marc maron’s ‘all in tour’.

Runs Jan. 9 through June 22 . Known for WTF , Maron and To Leslie .

Eddie Izzard in “Hamlet”

Runs Feb. 2-10 . Known for Ocean’s Thirteen , Across The Universe and Mystery Men .

Paula Poundstone

Runs Jan. 19 through Oct. 19 . Known for A Prairie Home Companion , Wait Wait.. Don’t Tell Me and The Paula Poundstone Show .

Patton Oswalt’s ‘Who’s Ready To Laugh Tour’

Runs Jan. 14 through Feb. 24 . Known for King of Queens , Ratatouille and Young Adult .

Margaret Cho’s ‘Live & Livid Tour’

Runs Feb. 6 through April 11 . Known for All-American Girl , 30 Rock and Fire Island .

Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Please Stop The Ride Tour’

Runs Jan. 19 through June 29 . Known for Orange Is The New Black , Sleepwalk With Me and Don’t Think Twice .

Maria Bamford

Runs Feb. 7 through March 27 . Known for Lady Dynamite , Bojack Horseman and Adventure Time .

Gary Gulman’s ‘ Born On 3rd Base Tour ‘

Runs Jan. 20 through May 5 . Known for Last Comic Standing , Life & Beth and Joker .

Janeane Garofalo

Runs Jan. 5-27 . Known for Mystery Men , Wet Hot American Summer and The Larry Sanders Show .

Todd Barry’s ‘Half Joking Tour’

Runs Jan. 10 through Feb. 24 . Known for The Wrestler , Bob’s Burgers and Louie .

Andrew Schulz’s ‘The Life Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through May 4 . Known for You People , White Men Can’t Jump and Sneaky Pete .

Jimmy Carr’s ‘Terribly Funny Tour’

Runs March 16 through June 29 . Known for Roast Battle , Drunk History and The Fix .

Shane Gillis

Runs Jan. 12 through May 11 . Known for Bupkis , Matt and Shane’s Secret Show and Gilly and Keeves .

Theo Von’s ‘Return Of The Rat Tour’

Runs Feb. 1-9 . Known for ‘This Past Weekend’ podcast , Road Rules and TigerBelly .

Runs Jan. 18 through March 30 . Known for writing for Saturday Night Live , Bust Down and Pause with Sam Jay .

Sam Morril’s ‘The Class Act Tour’

Runs Jan. 4 through March 8 . Known for America’s Got Talent , The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Joker .

Mark Normand’s ‘Ya Don’t Say Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through May 3 . Known for Horace and Pete , Inside Amy Schumer and Soups To Nuts Netflix special .

Jim Jefferies’ ‘Give ’em What They Want Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through Aug. 31 . Known for Legit , Reno 911: It’s A Wonderful Heist and Killing Hasslehoff .

Stavros Halkias’ ‘The Fat Rascal Tour’

Runs Jan. 27 through Feb. 3 . Known for Pause with Sam Jay , Cum Town and Salesmen .

Nimesh Patel’s ‘Fast & Loose Tour’

Runs Jan. 11 through June 2 . Known for writing for Saturday Night Live , Verified Stand-Up and writing for The Oscars .

Big Jay Oakerson

Runs Jan. 5 through Sept. 21 . Known for Legion of Skanks , Hustlers and The Cabin with Bert Kreischer .

The future of stand-up comedy

Matt rife’s ‘problemattic tour’.

Runs Jan. 31 through Sept. 7 . Known for Wild ‘N Out , Bring The Funny , Netflix special Natural Selection .

Taylor Tomlinson’s ‘The Have It All Tour’

Runs March 22 through May 9 . Known for hosting @Midnight , Last Comic Standing and Netflix special Quarter-Life Crisis .

Brad Williams

Runs Jan. 6 through Aug. 31 . Known for Mascots , Deadbeat , The Degenerates

Atsuko Okatsuka’s ‘Full Grown Tour’

Runs Jan. 10 through Feb. 16 . Known for Spider Man: Across The Spider Verse , History of the World: Part II and Room 104 .

Runs Jan. 11 through Aug. 10 . Known for Fourth of July , Netflix’s The Standups and Tuesdays with Stories .

Beth Stelling

Runs Jan. 25 through May 3 . Known for Rutherford Falls , Red Oaks and Netflix special If You Didn’t Want Me Then .

Fortune Feimster’s ‘Live Laugh Love Comedy Tour’

Runs Jan. 5 through May 18 . Known for  Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar ,   The Mindy Project and   RuPaul’s Drag Race .

Matteo Lane’s ‘The Al Dente Tour’

Runs Jan. 20 through April 17 . Known for  Guy Code , Ladylike and Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup .

Kountry Wayne’s ‘The King Of Hearts Comedy Tour’

Runs March 15 through May 25 . Known for Wild ‘N Out , Holiday Heartbreak and Variety’s 2021 Comics to Watch .

Pete Lee’s ‘That Guy From That Thing Tour’

Runs Jan. 4 through April 13 . Known for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Last Comic Standing and Best Week Ever .

Gianmarco Soresi’s ‘The Leaning In Tour’

Runs Jan. 4 through Oct. 5 . Known for The Late Late Show With James Corden , Here Today and Hustlers .

Daniel Sloss’ ‘HUBRiS Tour’

Runs April 11 through May 18 . Known for Drunk History UK , M.U.F.F. and HBO special X .

Runs Feb. 2 through March 31 . Known for Funny In Real Life , Family Man and A Black Lady Sketch Show .

Unique comedy shows

David sedaris.

Runs April 2 through May 16 . Known for C.O.G. , Holidays On Ice and Naked .

Impractical Jokers’ ‘Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour’

Runs Jan. 12 through June 23 . Featuring Sal Vulcano , Brian “Q” Quinn and James “Murr” Murray .

Jeff Dunham’s ‘Still Not Cancelled Tour’

Runs Jan. 10 through Dec. 8 . Known for  The Jeff Dunham Show , 11 comedy specials and  The Nut Job .

Talking Sopranos’ ‘In Conversation with The Sopranos’

Runs Feb. 25 through April 7 . Featuring Michael Imperioli , Steve Schirripa and Vincent Pastore .

Whose Line Is It Anyway’s ‘Whose Live Anyway Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through Oct. 25 . Featuring Ryan Stiles , Greg Proops , Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray .

Ben Schwartz’s ‘Ben Schwartz and Friends Tour’

Runs Jan. 19 through June 15 . Known for Sonic The Hedgehog , Parks and Recreation and The Afterparty .

Hannah Berner’s ‘I’m On Tour’

Runs Jan. 18 through May 10 . Known for Giggly Squad , Berner Phone and Summer House .

Randy Rainbow’s ‘For President Tour’

Runs Jan. 19 through May 5 . Known for Emmy nominated short form comedy , song parodies and RuPaul’s Drag Race .

Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood’s ‘Colin & Brad Live Tour’

Runs Jan. 4 through Aug. 18 . Known for Whose Line Is It Anyway , Almost Heroes and Kids In The Hall .

You’re still here after the check spot?

As a tip of the hat to you, check out our comprehensive feature on the 2024 Netflix is a Joke Festival .

Looking for a concert too? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 here to find the one that’s right for you.

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All the comedians to see on tour this summer

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Nate Bargatze

Maria bamford, kathy griffin, sebastian maniscalco, colin mochrie and brad sherwood, ben schwartz, iliza shlesinger, jerry seinfeld.

Grumpy New Yorker Jerry Seinfeld and the former stars of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" are just three of the comics heading to a city near you in the coming months. These nine stand-up tours are sure to get you through the sweaty summer months with glee.

Are you a fan of Eric Andre's absurdist TV series "The Eric Andre Show"? If you also enjoy his trademark wild hair and frenetic (slightly annoying) enthusiasm, you will no doubt want to catch Andre on tour. "When Eric Andre takes the stage, you know you're in for a night of outrageous, boundary-pushing comedy," said a review in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay . " The Eric Andre Show Live " tour dates are ongoing through July 19. 

The Atlantic once called Nate Bargatze "the nicest man in stand-up," praising his "slow, inoffensive, even soothing" brand of dry wit. If you are on the hunt for a potentially more family-friendly show, this may be a good bet. " Be Funny" tour tour dates are ongoing now through Oct. 18.

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You may not be familiar with Maria Bamford directly, but you will probably recognize her iconic voice from "Bob's Burgers," "BoJack Horseman" and "Adventure Time." She's also written a New York Times-bestselling memoir called "Sure, I'll Join Your Cult" (great title). Stephen Colbert once called her his "favorite comedian on earth," and Judd Apatow said she is "the funniest woman in the world," according to Bamford's website . Her tour dates run from June 13 through Dec. 14. 

This fiery red-headed comic fell off a lot of people's radars after she posted a picture of herself holding the fake severed head of then-president Donald Trump. Griffin received a lot of backlash, lost endorsements and was even added to the No Fly List . Her first tour in six years, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the PTSD-List," addresses this tumultuous time in her career, but also delves into her personal life, as Griffin talks about being diagnosed with complex PTSD and lung cancer. While Griffin is not touring extensively as of now, she does have a few tour dates in August. 

Maniscalco's comedy is not for everyone, but he encapsulates the experience of some Italian American families with apparent aplomb . The comic is now gearing up for his biggest tour yet, and in the tour announcement he promised to "roast today's absurdities — non-existent manners, wallet-wincing prices and the social media circus.… Join me in laughing at the wrongs in this shameless world!" The " It Ain't Right" tour dates run from July 11 through Dec. 15.

If you once snorted milk out of your nose as a kid while watching the whimsical improv show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" on ABC (remember cable?), you're in luck: Two of the show's key players, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, are currently on tour together. The " Colin & Brad Live" tour dates run June 13 through Aug. 18.

This New York City native might be most commonly recognized for playing Jean-Ralphio on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" or for voicing Sonic the Hedgehog. But in addition to his roles in various film and TV projects, Ben Schwartz is also a stand-up. "Improv comedy is hard. Even some great performers and comedians can't master it. Schwartz isn't just good at improv; he's able to craft a must-see experience around the art," said Paste Magazine of his previous tour, "Ben Schwartz and Friends," in 2022. The " Rejected Jokes" tour dates run from June 14 through Oct. 26.

Her name may be difficult to pronounce (and also spell), but Iliza Shlesinger is a self-aware millennial whisperer who has found her audience courtesy of acerbic wit and bawdy jokes about the harrowing experience of being a woman in the modern age. "It's about shedding light on and laughing about all the things that are designed to make us feel bad, but really shouldn't," she said to D Magazine last year. Tour dates run from July 27 through Dec. 6.

Former "Seinfeld" frontman Jerry Seinfeld has found himself in the news recently for railing against the woke — a position some of his former co-stars apparently do not share — but he still remains one of the world's most successful and beloved comedians. His current tour dates run from June 14 through Dec. 21. 

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Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. 

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Glen Powell Is Absolutely Willing to Play the Hollywood Game

In a town littered with would-be superstars, he’s trying to beat the odds by giving studios what they crave. It’s no coincidence he’s everywhere.

By Brooks Barnes

Reporting from Los Angeles

The cookies weren’t selling.

It was a blustery day in suburban Austin, Texas, in 1996, and Lauren and Leslie Powell had a sales quota to meet for their Girl Scout troop. But it was that cookie time of year: Thin Mints and Caramel deLites were seemingly up for grabs everywhere.

Glen, their 8-year-old brother, suggested a marketing gambit. “He had us make signs that advertised ‘free gift with every purchase,’ and we put them up around the neighborhood,” Leslie recalled.

Glen was the gift.

“He would hide in some honeysuckle bushes and pop out after a purchase to perform Elvis songs,” she said, laughing. “That’s my big brother. Ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog.”

I confess: Until I heard stories like that one — and spent time with the hound dog himself — I didn’t have high hopes for this profile. Glen Powell? I figured he was a dumb jock who coasted into a movie career on his all-American good looks. Boring.

Yes, fine, Powell has been having a bona fide Hollywood moment. He stood nude on a cliff top with Sydney Sweeney in “ Anyone but You ” at Christmas. He is currently starring on Netflix in “ Hit Man ,” a comedy-drama-thriller-romance. And in July, Powell will be outrunning big-budget tornadoes in “Twisters.”

But a superstar in the making?

I met Powell, 35, for breakfast in April at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif. He showed up in a tight blue polo accessorized with a chain necklace and chest hair. (Perhaps he was in character, I snarked to myself, as Good-Looking Frat Guy, a bit part he played in “Stuck in Love,” a 2012 romance.) An omelet was ordered. Tabasco sauce was summoned and squirted.

He scratched his armpit.

Over the next two and a half hours, however, a captivating person emerged. He dismantled my cynical assumptions one by one — starting with the notion that he had coasted into a movie career. In fact, he struggled for years to gain a foothold in Hollywood. His first agency dropped him. “Lucky to be cast as a dead body in a crime show,” Powell was told after the split.

It also became clear why studios finally started to see Powell as a ticket-selling successor to Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith and other aging (or problematic) action stars: Powell has a sharp mind for business, and, at least for now, box office dollars motivate him more than awards. He has also acquired a bit more ruggedness with age, making him a more credible leading man.

“To be a lasting success in Hollywood, you have to make people money,” he said. “You have to go, ‘Who is the audience for this? Are you giving people a reason to buy tickets?’ And if you don’t have a very clear answer, move on, no matter how much you may love the script or want to work with the director.”

He crossed his arms and leaned across the table.

“I find the gamification of the business fun,” he continued. “How do we make a movie that is rewatched and rewatched over decades?” He cited a half-dozen examples, including “Field of Dreams,” “Training Day” and “Tootsie,” and added, “When a movie is really watchable — engaging enough to captivate generations of people — that’s true cultural power.”

I stammered and tried to process the “Tootsie” shout-out.

Powell charged forward. “Small, intimate movies are also on my bingo board of things I want to do,” he said. “But rewatchable is an important word. This is where I think actors who want to be serious get it wrong. Flogging yourself and showing how tortured and serious you can be — people often don’t rewatch, which takes all the power out of it.”

You have to understand: Actors almost never talk this way. They usually insist their career plans involve “just letting things happen,” perhaps sensing that having box office ambitions could expose them as uncool. Or set themselves up for failure.

Publicity can be another touchy matter. It’s part of the job; studios pay stars to act in films — and to promote them. But a lot of stars, including Emma Watson, Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix, Lupita Nyong’o , Jonah Hill and Bradley Cooper, do not like to serve themselves up endlessly for interviews. It’s an anxiety-provoking drag: Can’t we just let our work speak for itself?

Powell is the opposite.

“I always find it lame when actors are like, I just want to act in the movie. I don’t want to promote the movie,” he said. “If you want this career, part of your job — a big part — is doing everything you can to help sell your movies. Doing publicity matters. You’ve got to give people a reason to care.”

Just like selling cookies.

“STOP TRYING TO MAKE Glen Powell happen,” read one cardboard sign .

“It’s never gonna happen,” read another.

Powell’s parents, Cyndy and Glen Powell Sr., were holding the makeshift placards above their heads at a promotional event for “Hit Man” in May. The gag was partly a comment on their son’s success. The movie, directed by Richard Linklater, gave Powell his first title role: sink or swim, all on him. His parents were also poking fun at the voluminous media attention that Jr. had lately received.

The stunt generated an inferno of “Hit Man” publicity, in part because Powell fanned the flames. “The Hitman … Killed by his own parents 😂😂😂😂😂,” he said on Instagram , where he has 1.6 million followers.

It was a savvy piece of self-deprecation — coming at a moment when, frankly, he does seem a bit overexposed. In cahoots with Sweeney, his “Anyone but You” co-star, Powell aggressively worked the publicity circuit in December and January to support that film, resulting in a promotional campaign that bordered on performance art . “Anyone but You” had a terrible opening ($6 million over three days) but went on to collect an astounding $220 million.

“I know it’s a lot,” he told me, speaking of his workload, “but I’m kind of going full-tilt right now for a reason. There is a moment in Hollywood when you have political capital, and you have to spend it before you lose it.”

Powell has signed up for a dizzying number of projects (while passing on others — reluctantly, he said — including new chapters in the “Jurassic Park” and “Bourne Identity” franchises). His movie docket includes “Huntington,” an A24 dramatic thriller about the conniving heir to a multibillion-dollar fortune, and “ Monsanto ,” a legal drama directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”) and produced by Adam McKay (“The Big Short”). Powell is also set to star in a remake of “The Running Man,” a minor Arnold Schwarzenegger hit from 1987, and perhaps in a retooled “ Heaven Can Wait ,” Warren Beatty’s 1978 body-swapping comedy.

His television jobs include a “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” series for Amazon — with him in the Robert Redford role — and “Chad Powers,” a comedic Hulu series about a college football player.

Powell, of course, is also ready to get re-greased at a moment’s notice for “Top Gun 3,” after playing the cocky pilot Hangman in “Top Gun: Maverick” to wide acclaim. (A sequel to the sequel is in development at Paramount Pictures.)

That adds up to easily in excess of $500 million worth of projects on studio assembly lines, based on a back-of-the-envelope tally of estimated production and marketing costs.

And there are more films percolating: J.J. Abrams hasn’t directed a movie since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019, but he has a secret project in the works and Powell is in talks to play the lead. “I think Glen has just begun to scratch the surface of what he is capable of onscreen,” Abrams recently told The Hollywood Reporter , adding, “He’s not just an actor, but a legitimate writer and producer as well.”

Powell helped produce “Hit Man.” The “dumb jock” (mea culpa!) also co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater.

They loosely based the script on a 2001 Texas Monthly article about a mild-mannered man who worked undercover for the Houston police as a pretend assassin. Over a decade, more than 60 people unsuspectingly hired him; he wore a wire to gather evidence to use against them in court.

In the movie, Powell’s faux hit man adopts a dozen personas using wigs and accents. While in disguise, he ends up falling for a client (Adria Arjona) with secrets of her own; it all leads to a sizzling romance.

The result is part screwball comedy and part “Body Heat,” with some “Borat” flavoring. Reviews have been through the roof, prompting early awards chatter.

“Glen is one of the most curious people I have ever met, which is part of what makes him a terrific collaborator,” Arjona said. “The script he wrote with Rick was so smart and so unlike anything I had read. He can produce. He acts incredibly. He has like eight or 12 abs. Glen has it all.”

He’s also, apparently, a helluva good time. Arjona first met Powell over a late lunch in Los Angeles in 2022. They were both doing Dry January. “It was to see if we were going to get along,” she said. “Cut to four tequilas later, five hours later. He genuinely has become a close friend.”

POWELL’S RISE IN HOLLYWOOD started in 2015 with “Scream Queens,” a comedy-horror television series. The show, a Ryan Murphy production, lasted only two seasons, but Powell’s performance as an oversexed college student turned heads.

“I remember saying to him at the end, ‘You are going to be a big, big movie star,’” Jamie Lee Curtis recalled.

She played a college dean, and their first scene together was formidable. “He was basically nude in a bed,” she said. “I’m in a negligee and a kimono. We’re meeting for the first time two minutes before. It could have been awful.”

She continued, “But he was, of course, because he’s Glen, the sweetest guy ever. He does physical comedy really well — he’s funny — but he also has depth. He is maybe not unattractive. I feel the same way about Glen as I do about Jake Gyllenhaal.”

Perhaps because Powell is from Texas (and has a slight twang to prove it), he is often likened to Matthew McConaughey. “Red meat for red states,” as one studio marketing executive described Powell to me, almost licking her lips. That quality has been in short supply among young male stars, a lineup that includes the twee (Timothée Chalamet, Tom Holland), the arty (Daniel Kaluuya, Barry Keoghan) and the dreamy (Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler ).

Machismo is a Hollywood cliché for a reason: It works. There is something about locker room swagger that certain audiences find irresistible. Powell dials up that part of his personality as needed. “My job is not to debunk the fantasy, but rather to become the fantasy,” as his character says in “Hit Man.”

Powell loves the Texas Longhorns , bro, and has been known to put back 40 ribs at the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. His euphemism for sex is “ smokin’ the brisket ,” or so he told Men’s Health in November. He apparently has a dimple on his tush . “Real crowd-pleaser that dimple,” he said.

Less is made of the fact that he is single. “Dating me right now would be a nightmare,” he said. “I basically have no free time.” He has a photo of his parents as his iPhone lock screen and texts with his sisters almost every day. He carries around a little dog like Paris Hilton circa 2010.

“I have many sides, Brooks,” he teased over breakfast, launching into a rather excellent impersonation of a cigarette-wielding Cruella de Vil. (Rule one of showbiz: Play to your audience.)

In his next film, “Twisters,” he goes full-on Cracker Barrel as a former bull rider who dodges airborne farm equipment while recklessly driving straight into tornadoes. He then shoots fireworks into the funnel clouds for beer-drankin’ pals to record on video and post online.

“When you love something,” Powell’s tornado chaser says in a suddenly serious moment, “you spend your whole life trying to understand it.”

I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN that Powell was a child actor. He started performing with a Texas musical theater company when he was in fifth grade, learning to tap dance — there is video evidence, according to his sister Leslie — and appearing in “The Music Man” and “42nd Street.”

He played sports, lacrosse and football in particular. But mostly he was fascinated with movies. His second-grade project was on Steven Spielberg’s use of practical effects in “Jurassic Park.” In 2003, when he was 14, he got his first movie role as “long-fingered boy” in “Spy Kids 3: Game Over.” Two years later, he played a paperboy in “The Wendell Baker Story,” a part that required him to get hit by a car, which he practiced with his mother in a church parking lot.

In 2006, Cyndy drove him five hours to Shreveport, La., to audition for Denzel Washington, who was directing and starring in “The Great Debaters.” Powell got the part — and a powerful agent: Ed Limato, who represented Washington. A year later, Limato called Powell in his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin.

“Ed said, ‘If you’re going to spin the wheel on an acting career, now is the time to do it,’” Powell said.

So he dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles in 2008. “Ed always told me, over and over, that the definition of a movie star is somebody who guys want to grab a beer with — fun, not threatening — and who women want to date and bring home to meet their parents,” Powell said. Limato, who helped turn Mel Gibson, Richard Gere and Kevin Costner into big stars, also gave Powell another crucial career tip: Don’t take on a role in a big franchise too soon, however tempting the paycheck; stars are built in smaller movies of varied genres.

Limato died two years later , leaving Powell without an advocate.

It was a rough time for the young Texan, who supported himself through coaching community sports and small acting jobs (a Dockers commercial, an episode of “The Lying Game,” a cable series). The William Morris Endeavor talent agency had dropped him, and he began to question whether superstardom was even achievable anymore. Hollywood, undercut by video games and YouTube, has long wondered the same thing itself.

Michael B. Jordan might say yes. But Garrett Hedlund , Taylor Kitsch, Taylor Lautner, Ansel Elgort, Ryan Phillippe, Zac Efron, Alex Pettyfer , Eric Bana, Ben Barnes , Armie Hammer, Alden Ehrenreich , Charlie Hunnam, Miles Teller and Jai Courtney might beg to differ.

Powell regained his footing, first with “Scream Queens” and then with small but notable roles in “Hidden Figures” and Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some!!”

“Glen is methodical in his thinking,” Linklater said. “He’s actually pretty cerebral.”

Not long after Powell moved to Los Angeles, Limato introduced him to Lynda Obst, a fellow Texan and a producer of hits like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “Contact” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” She hired Powell as an intern, a job that involved reading scripts (two or three a day, when he wasn’t popping out for auditions) and giving feedback. It was how he learned how Hollywood runs.

“He was adorable — charm off the charts,” Obst recalled. “But that is not what impressed me, and it’s not why he is succeeding.”

“Actors can turn on charm but they can’t turn on intelligence,” she said. “Glen is smart and learned about developing scripts and the structure of movies. It made him independent and wily.”

Powell is clearly making a mark. But making the leap to Tom Cruise-level stardom — or even, say, Channing Tatum-level fame — is still far from assured.

Then again, he does like to prove people wrong.

Brooks Barnes covers all things Hollywood. He joined The New York Times in 2007 and previously worked at The Wall Street Journal. More about Brooks Barnes

Creating and Becoming ‘Hit Man’

Richard linklater’s netflix rom-com thriller about a mild-mannered professor who falls in love with playing a faux hit man stars glen powell and adria arjona..

Review:  The film is a “romantic, sexy, hilarious, satisfying and a genuine star-clinching turn for Glen Powell,” our critic writes . “That’s why it’s a shame most people will see it at home.”

Glen Powell:  In Hollywood, a town littered with would-be superstars, the “Hit Man” lead is trying to beat the odds by giving studios what they crave .

Adria Arjona:  The actress, who plays a desperate housewife who tries to hire a contract killer, said that her ideas were finally valued in the film’s writers’ room .

Richard Linklater:  The director talked to David Marchese about how his new film explores one of his favorite themes — the ability to create your own identity .

Anatomy of a Scene:  During the movie’s screenings at film festivals, one scene had audiences erupting with applause. We asked Linklater to narrate the pivotal sequence .

The True Story:  The romantic shenanigans are the stuff of Hollywood, but the movie’s fake contract killer is based on a real man .