Entertainment

CNN reports: Years after Kathy Griffin shaved her head in solidarity with her sister who was undergoing chemotherapy, the comedian and actress has announced she has lung cancer. “I’ve got to tell you guys something. I have cancer,” Griffin began a note posted Monday on her verified Instagram account. “I’m about to go into surgery to have half of my …

The New York Times reports: In a city whose cultural soul had been shuttered for more than a year with boarded up windows and empty streets, it was Springsteen who called it back to life on Saturday night, his gruff and guttural rasp the first to echo across a Broadway stage to a paying audience in 471 days. Of course, …

The Associated Press reports: “Hadestown,” the brooding musical about the underworld, has set its Broadway reopening date on Sept. 2, jumping ahead of such megahits as “Hamilton” and “Wicked” to position itself as the first show to welcome audiences on Broadway since the pandemic. Producers announced Monday that tickets will go on sale June 11 for the eight-time Tony Award …

CNET reports: The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is about to conclude, with the multinational competition returning after a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosting this year is Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which was slated to host Eurovision 2020 before its cancellation. The first semifinal was broadcast on Tuesday, followed by the second semifinal Thursday. The highest-scoring entries from the …

The Washington Post reports: Kate McKinnon spoofed the week in American news on “Saturday Night Live,” kicking the show off by playing Anthony S. Fauci explaining the CDCs new mask guidelines. She returned as Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) during the “Weekend Update” segment.  “We got some very good news this week,” McKinnon-as-Fauci stated, “and I’m not just talking about J-Lo …

Axios reports: Elon Musk marked his “Saturday Night Live” hosting debut by making a series of self-deprecating jokes and addressing controversy he’s attracted over the years over his behavior and Twitter posts. “To anyone I’ve offended, I just want to say, I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship,” the SpaceX owner and Tesla …

The New York Times reports: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo says that most pandemic capacity restrictions will ease in two weeks. But Broadway, a beacon for tourists and an engine for the economy, is not quite ready to turn on the stage lights. But there are signs of life: Mr. Cuomo said Wednesday that Broadway shows would start selling tickets Thursday …

The Hill reports: Marvel is introducing a new “LGBTQ+ hero” into the “Captain America” world, a character the comic book publisher says “stands for the oppressed and the forgotten.” The debut of Aaron Fischer, known as the Captain America of the Railways, is timed to coincide with Pride Month in June, Marvel Comics said in a Monday news release. The …

Variety reports: “Mank,” an ode to Hollywood’s golden age that was produced and released by Netflix, one of the companies reshaping the movie business, led the nominations for the 93th Academy Awards. The behind-the-scenes drama about the making of “Citizen Kane” scored 10 nominations on Monday, including nods for best picture, as well as for its stars Gary Oldman and …

Broadway.com reports: Exactly a year ago, Broadway shut down due to the growing COVID-19 crisis. Performers Darius Barnes, Ryan Breslin, Holly Ann Butler, Stephen Carrasco, Katie Lombardo, Robin Masella, Tomás Matos, Skyler Volpe and Aléna Watters created a stunning video to mark the day. Those who watch are encouraged to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS or The Actors Fund and to …

NBC News reports: Netflix has never made a big deal about password-sharing, but a new test suggests the company may be reconsidering. Netflix is trying out a new policy with some customers, prompting certain people to sign up for a separate account if they aren’t watching with the subscriber. The message reads: “If you don’t live with the owner of …

Variety reports: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 16 nominees for its 2021 class of inductees, offering some satisfaction at last for fans who have long lobbied to see the Go-Go’s and Iron Maiden get on the ballot, while Foo Fighters and Jay-Z made it into contention in their very first year of eligibility. Jay-Z and Foo …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Marcus D’Amico, the actor best known for originating the role Michael “Mouse” Tolliver in the 1993 limited TV series Tales of the City, died Dec. 16 of pneumonia at his home in Oxfordshire, England. He was 55. Patrick Baca, his former manager, said the cause was bronchial pneumonia. Although best known to U.S. audiences for starring in …

USA Today reports: Ellen DeGeneres has tested positive for the novel coronavirus but is “feeling fine right now,” she announced Thursday. The television host, 62, said in a tweet that “anyone who has been in close contact with me has been notified, and I am following all proper CDC guidelines.” DeGeneres’ diagnosis comes as the United States faces soaring coronavirus …

The New York Daily News reports: The actor formerly known as Ellen Page announced he is transgender and now goes by Elliot Page. “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they, and my name is Elliot,” the “Juno” star shared in a tweet Tuesday. “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. …

The Hill reports: Former President Obama says it was a major “screw up” of his administration that he failed to honor Dolly Parton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “That’s a mistake. I’m shocked,” Obama said Monday on CBS’ “The Late Show” after host Stephen Colbert asked how it was possible the “9 to 5” singer hadn’t received the country’s …

NPR reports: David Prowse, the British weightlifting champion and man behind the Darth Vader mask, has died. He was 85. The actor’s management company shared the news of his passing early Sunday morning on social media “with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world.” Prowse wore the Darth Vader costume in the original …

The Atlantic reports: The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps, one of the first queer marching bands in the United States, was founded in 1979 in New York City, a decade after the Stonewall uprising. This year, the Big Apple Corps reached what Marita Begley, the group’s director, called “the mountaintop”: Today it became the first openly LGBTQ group to …

The New York Post reports: The 94th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not have been canceled by the coronavirus, but there are some radical alterations to help adhere to social-distancing mandates for 2020. The biggest change: The bash will be tailored exclusively to television audiences. Despite the new format, organizers promise an equally grand spectacle. “Thanksgiving looks a lot …

Entertainment Tonight reports: Beyoncé is the 2021 GRAMMY Awards most nominated artist with nine nominations. Even more impressively, the singer pulled out front this year without even releasing an album. Instead, Queen Bey is being recognized in major categories — including Song of the Year and Record of the Year — for her Black Lives Matter anthem, “Black Parade” and …