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UPI reports: A pack of service dogs in training were treated to a performance of a Canadian theater’s live musical as part of their preparation for service. A photo of the dozen eager canines sitting in the theater seats went viral when Ontario’s Stratford Festival shared it on Twitter, and the head trainer for K-9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs …

Playbill reports: Emmy Award nominee Jackie Hoffman, currently playing Yente the matchmaker in the Yiddish-language Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Joel Grey, stopped by the Playbill studio to work on her self-tape reel. Here, she gives us her best audition for characters from Wicked, Company, Chicago, and more. Watch the video to see her take on famous Broadway roles. …

Buzzfeed News reports: Netflix on Monday released the trailer for Ryan Murphy’s The Politician — the first series for the streaming service from the well-known TV producer, who last year signed a five-year $300 million contract with the company. The show is an anthology series, similar to Murphy’s American Horror Story and American Crime Story, meaning each season will focus …

NPR reports: Several Broadway shows usually close right after the Tony Awards, if their box office takes are soft and they haven’t won any Tonys. That happened with three shows this year. But this year, there are more. And what’s unusual is that instead of hanging on until Labor Day to cash in on tourist dollars, five musicals are closing …

UPI reports: Authorities in Missouri are investigating after residents reported finding creepy dolls posed in odd locations around a county. Residents of Jefferson County said the dolls have been discovered posed in strange locations that sometimes lead them to initially be confused for children. “When we found this one, it was laying in front of our building. We picked it …

Deadline reports: Quibi has given a green light to Dishmantled, described as “a high-octane cooking competition that will literally blow your socks off,” with Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 30 Rock) set to host. The series hails from Chopped creator/executive producer Linda Lea and Good Egg Entertainment, and Propagate-owned Electus. Hosted by Burgess, each episode starts with the cannon-blasting of …

NBC News reports: Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York — “3 Days of Peace and Music” as the poster said. It’s being celebrated with any number of commemorative commodities repackaging versions of the sights and sounds of Woodstock, including a PBS documentary, a 38-CD box set and …

UPI reports: A New York man who caught a flight from Colorado to Utah chronicled his experience on video when he turned out to be the only passenger on the plane.  Vincent Peone said his flight last week from Aspen to Salt Lake City was rescheduled, and when he arrived he discovered he was the only passenger on the plane. …

Billboard Magazine reports: Songs are noticeably succinct in 2019, with, for instance, 19-week Billboard Hot 100 leader “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X the shortest No. 1 hit by song length since 1965. Still, the record for the lengthiest Hot 100 hit by run time is rewritten this week, as Tool’s “Fear Inoculum” debuts at No. 93 on the …

Playbill reports: Diana, the new Joe DiPietro-David Bryan musical about the late Princess of Wales, will arrive on Broadway this spring. Performances will begin at the Longacre Theatre March 2, 2020, with opening night set for March 31. The bio musical made its world premiere earlier this year in La Jolla Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre, concluding its run April 14 …

The Associated Press reports: A Southern California seaside community is in an uproar after a home was given a new paint job featuring two huge emoji on a bright pink background. Manhattan Beach residents railed against the makeover during a City Council meeting Tuesday night, citing problems with spectators. The new paint job appeared after neighbors reported the home was …

UPI reports: Budget carrier Frontier Airlines is promoting its Green Week initiative by offering free flights to people with the last name “Green” or “Greene.” Frontier, which is marking Green Week from Tuesday to Aug. 20 to highlight its efforts to become the most eco-friendly airline in the United States, said people with the surnames Green and Greene are being …

UPI reports: A group of scientists announced they have created vodka from ingredients found inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone and verified that it is safe to drink. Atomik vodka was created by University of Portsmouth scientists from grain and water from inside the exclusion zone as part of a three-year research project into the radioactivity of crops grown inside the …

Buzzfeed News reports: Pop star Ariana Grande experienced a major full-circle moment Tuesday night. After an incredible year that has already seen her win her first Grammy, accomplish a feat last set by the Beatles, and release one of 2019’s bestselling albums, Grande’s dreams came true as she performed with the legendary Barbra Streisand. The two performed “No More Tears …

UPI reports: Police in Colorado are warning residents and visitors to lock the doors of their unattended vehicles after a bear broke into a car and shredded the interior. The Snowmass Village Police Department said in a Facebook post that the bear was able to open an unlocked car door that closed behind the animal when it climbed inside. “Lock …

Billboard Magazine reports: “Old Town Road” is unstoppable. Lil Nas X’s smash hit continues to dominate the Billboard Hot 100, as it notched an 18th week atop the chart on Monday (Aug. 5). The 20-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, but he does take time to enjoy the moment and soak in the accolades with his clever social …

ABC News reports: A Brazilian gang leader dressed up in a rubber mask and wig in a failed attempt to escape prison by fooling guards into thinking he was his own teenage daughter during a visit from her. Clauvino da Silva tried to leave the prison in Rio de Janeiro dressed in his daughter’s clothes, but reportedly looked so nervous …

The Huffington Post reports: The Republican National Committee unveiled its official logo for next year’s presidential convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, and the unusual design has some people saying “ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.” Some people thought the logo looked like an elephant in front of an octopus. Others saw a mind flayer from the hit Netflix …

UPI reports: Meat purveyor Oscar Meyer is branching out into the dessert game with its latest product — ice cream sandwiches with bits of real hot dog. Oscar Meyer announced ahead of Friday’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day that it partnered with a New York ice cream company to create the Ice Dog Sandwich, an ice cream sandwich inspired by …

Playbill reports: Pop singer Jessie J took to Instagram August 1 to share a bit of her musical theatre origins. The “Bang Bang” Grammy nominee posted a video of her singing “On My Own” from Les Misérables, without rehearsing first, saying “I just sat down and pressed play and record and sang this for the first in over 20 years.” …