ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY,
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE BOWERY PRESENTS,
WELCOMES COMEDY LEGEND TOM PAPA
AND HIS GRATEFUL BREAD TOUR,
NOVEMBER 8, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (October 2, 2025) – Ensemble Arts Philly, in association with The Bowery Presents, welcomes celebrated comedian and Netflix star, Tom Papa, with his Grateful Bread Tour at Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on November 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. Tom Papa has built a remarkable career over three decades as a comedian, actor, writer, and radio host, celebrated for his observational humor and relatable storytelling. From touring with Jerry Seinfeld to hosting multiple Sirius XM shows and releasing acclaimed Netflix specials, Papa has become a beloved figure in comedy by blending wit with heartfelt reflections on everyday life.
Papa has six highly rated stand-up specials, including his most recent Netflix special, Home Free, that premiered in October 2024. In it, he holds nothing back, as his kids are finally out of the house, and it's just him, his wife, and their animals returning to their glory days. He has seen a lot over the years, from close calls with pachinko balls to late-night 7-Eleven runs, and he's sharing his many thoughts as he parties into the next stage of life. Papa's other specials include What A Day!, You're Doing Great!, Human Mule, Freaked Out, and Tom Papa: Live in New York City, two of which were directed by Rob Zombie.
“Tom Papa is a master of relatable storytelling and observational humor, making friends and earning respect from fellow comedians and audiences,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. “He joins a robust lineup of fall comedians, including Whitney Cummings, Kevin Bridges, Hasan Minjah and Ronny Chieng, Leanne Morgan, Gary Gulman, and Jimmy Carr.”
Papa has starred in many fan-favorite films, including Paper Spiders where he starred opposite Lili Taylor; The Informant! opposite Matt Damon; Analyze That opposite Robert DeNiro; and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto opposite Paul Giamatti. He can also be seen alongside Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in the HBO film Behind the Candelabra, which was directed by Steven Soderbergh and won 11 Emmys.
Papa is the host of the weekly podcast Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, which features Papa and his guests eating, drinking, and celebrating the true meaning of breaking bread with insightful, revealing, and always funny conversations. He also hosts the popular daily Netflix radio show What A Joke with Papa and Fortune and the monthly show Come to Papa Live.
In 2023, Papa released his highly anticipated third book, We're All in This Together...So Make Some Room. The book compiles comedic essays that aim to unite us through our stupidity. His second book, You're Doing Great!: And Other Reasons to Stay Alive, the follow up to Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas, made ‘Summer Must Read’ lists from Parade magazine to The New York Post. Papa is also a contributing writer for The New Yorker.
Other featured upcoming performances include TwoSet Violin (October 7, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Nate Smith (October 11, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Cosmic Perspective (October 20, 2025, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center); Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny (November 6, 2025, Miller Theater); The Moth Mainstage (November 7, 2025, Miller Theater); Asi Wind: More Than Magic (November 8, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); An Evening with Samara Joy (November 11, 2025, Miller Theater); Guenther Steiner: Unfiltered LIVE (November 13, 2025, Miller Theater); Gary Gulman: Grandiloquent (November 14–15, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Whitney Cummings: Big Baby (November 22, 2025, Miller Theater); The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (November 29, 2025, Miller Theater); PHILADANCO! Then & Now (December 5–7, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); A Soulful Christmas (December 9, 2025, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center); Blippi: Join the Band Tour (December 10, 2025, Miller Theater); and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones: Jingle all the Way (December 12, 2025, Miller Theater).
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or in person at the Academy of Music Box Office (240 S. Broad Street) daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
Tom Papa: Grateful Bread Tour
Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center
Saturday, November 8, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
# # #
ABOUT ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY
For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
# # #
For photography, please visit www.ensembleartsphilly.smugmug.com
Click here for a PDF version of this press release.