Svoboda | Graniru | BBC Russia | Golosameriki | Facebook

MARK KENNEDY

Entertainment writer, editor and critic

On Broadway, two stars of ‘Aladdin’ trace their roles all the way to middle school

Some years ago, when Sonya Balsara and Adi Roy were in middle school, they got cast in the kiddie version of the musical “Aladdin.”

New York’s Public Theater to celebrate reopening of Central Park stage with all-star cast

Lupita Nyong’o, Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sandra Oh will help reopen the newly revitalized Delacorte Theater in Central Park in a free production of “Twelfth Night.”

Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho to step into ‘Cabaret’ on Broadway this fall

Get ready to say willkommen to the next stars to enter the Kit Kat Club on Broadway — Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho.

Dan Aykroyd revisits the Blues Brothers’ remarkable legacy in new Audible Original

The shades are on, the skinny tie is knotted and the fedora is perched just so — Dan Aykroyd is ready to look back.

Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76

Fitness guru Richard Simmons has died. Publicist Tom Estey tells The Associated Press that Simmons died Friday at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, a day after his 76th birthday.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, America’s diminutive and pioneering sex therapist, dies at 96

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the diminutive sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, has died.

Movie Review: ‘Sing Sing’ cheers the power of art inside a maximum security prison

“Sing Sing” follows the well-trodden path of a motley group of amateur actors as they come together to rehearse and put on a play in front of their peers.

Massive makos, Queen Bosses and a baby angel shark on Discovery ‘Shark Week,’ where women shine

Imagine stepping into a life-sized whale carcass decoy and steering it into deep water. You’re looking — yes, looking — for a group of hungry sharks to spark a feeding frenzy.

Movie Review: Eddie Murphy returns to Beverly Hills, which is good enough for everyone

Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we’re all feeling, “God, I missed you, Axel.”

Movie Review: Kevin Costner sets the table with overstuffed first take on epic ‘Horizon’

There’s a scene deep into Kevin Costner’s new Western when he and a woman are fleeing bad guys on horseback.

The mastermind behind ‘CSI’ turns the franchise to a new direction with unscripted CBS series

There have been five “CSI” shows with actors playing forensics experts. Now it’s time for the real experts to bask in the spotlight.

Musical ‘From Here’ explores life before and after the Pulse nightclub massacre

Playwright Donald Rupe didn’t intend to write a musical about the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida. What he wanted to write about was his friends.

Cruise ship with Broadway stars to steam off to Mexico in spring 2025

A cruise ship starring some of Broadway’s biggest names, including Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti and Emmy-winner Wayne Brady, will sail from Miami to Mexico next spring.

That cool Tony Awards moment when Jay-Z joined Alicia Keys? Turns out it wasn’t live

Jay-Z’s electrifying reunion with Alicia Keys on what appeared to be a live duet of “Empire State of Mind” at the Tony Awards was actually pre-taped, a show official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press.

See the winners of the Tony Awards, where women made strides

“The Outsiders” became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday as the gritty adaptation of the classic American young adult novel won the Tony Award for best new musical.

Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Ron Simons dies at 63

Ron Simons, an actor who turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival, has died.

Tony Award host Ariana DeBose says viewers should expect a ‘full Broadway experience’

Ariana DeBose promises the Tony Awards on Sunday will move “like a Broadway show.” That means viewers will see transitions between scenes, with cast members coming on stage to help move items and sets changing in front of the audience.

At the Tony Awards, a veteran host with plenty of stars and songs on tap

The Tony Awards are Sunday with a familiar host and a new venue, Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in Manhattan.

‘Hotel Cocaine’ on MGM+ gives viewers disco, drama and plenty of blow in Miami in the late ‘70s

The lapels are wide, “Disco Inferno” is blasting and lines and lines of nose candy are on offer in the new intriguing Miami-based series “Hotel Cocaine.”

Movie Review: Andrew McCarthy hunts the ‘Brat Pack’ blowback in the documentary ‘Brats’

Back in 1985, rising star Andrew McCarthy was lumped into an amorphous group of young actors who were changing Hollywood. They were called the “Brat Pack.”

Meet Will Butler, the singer-songwriter who makes Broadway’s ‘Stereophonic’ rock

The assignment was daunting: Write a song for an onstage moment of transcendence. Make it kind of funny and exciting and for a five-piece band.

How to make great outdoor dishes, from a chef who lived in a camper

If crafting a meal outdoors is in your plans this summer, check out Lee Kalpakis’ new cookbook. She lived for just under two years in a 22-foot camper in upstate New York, refining the 75 recipes in the book, “Out There.”

Dolly Parton plans for a musical on her life using her songs to land on Broadway in 2026

Broadway has had great success with “Hello, Dolly.” Now get ready for “Hello, I’m Dolly.” Dolly Parton is writing new songs to go along with some of her past hits and co-writing a stage story inspired by her life for a musical that she hopes to land on Broadway in 2026.

Maria Friedman, a longtime friend of Stephen Sondheim, teaches ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ to sing

On opening night of the Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” one person in the audience strangely wasn’t nervous — the director.

Janis Paige, star of Hollywood and Broadway, dies at 101

Janis Paige, a popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies who danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 90s, has died.

Idris Elba helps uncover the WWII soldiers of color who never got their due

More than 8 million people of color served with the Allies but little is known of their sacrifices. That fuels National Geographic docuseries “Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color,” which focuses on how some fared at D-Day, Dunkirk, Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge.

Movie Review: Muppets creator Jim Henson gets a documentary as exciting as he was

The origins of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are part of the engrossing and enlightening documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man.”

The special Tony Award for educators goes to Baltimore community artist CJay Philip

The special Tony Award that honors educators is going to a Baltimore-based actor, educator, choreographer and Broadway veteran who has created arts opportunities for everyone from kindergartners to senior citizens.

Jessica Stone, who knits Broadway and circus in thrilling ‘Water for Elephants,’ enjoys a Tony nod

You don’t initially see a full elephant at the Broadway musical “Water for Elephants.” It’s more like a tease. First come a pair of enormous ears. Then a trunk.

Richard M. Sherman, who fueled Disney charm in ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘It’s a Small World,’ dies at 95

Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95.