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    Broadway’s ‘Gypsy’ Revival, Starring Audra McDonald, Will Close

    The show is the sixth musical to announce a closing date since last month’s Tony Awards, reflecting financial challenges facing producers.A boundary-breaking Broadway revival of “Gypsy” starring Audra McDonald will end its run on Aug. 17, much earlier than its producers had hoped.The run was originally open-ended, meaning that no closing date had been set, and tickets were on sale through Oct. 5. But on Wednesday night, the production announced the new closing date; at the time of its final performance, it will have played 28 preview and 269 regular performances at the Majestic Theater.The show is the sixth musical to announce a closing date since last month’s Tony Awards (following “Boop!” “Cabaret,” “Dead Outlaw,” “Real Women Have Curves” and “Smash”), reflecting Broadway’s difficult financial dynamics (nonmusical plays have been faring much better). “Gypsy” was nominated for five Tony Awards, including as best musical revival and for McDonald’s performance, but won none.The revival, directed by George C. Wolfe, was highly anticipated because McDonald, with six Tony Awards, is Broadway’s most-honored contemporary performer, and she is the first Black actress to play on Broadway the lead role of Rose, the ur-stage mother whose daughter becomes a stripper. The musical, with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was inspired by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee; it first opened in 1959 and is generally considered one of Broadway’s best golden age musicals.When the revival opened in December, it received overwhelmingly positive reviews. In The New York Times, chief theater critic Jesse Green named the show a critic’s pick and wrote of McDonald, “Doing a psychological striptease, showing more of the character’s rage than her predecessors, she is stupendously affecting.”At the box office, the show seemed to be selling well for much of its run, grossing well over $1 million most weeks in its early months, and peaking at $1.9 million during a week in mid-January.But the show is costly to run, thanks to a large orchestra and sizable cast that includes children, who can be costly to employ because they require supervisors who need to be hired by the production.“Gypsy” also lost a substantial amount of potential revenue over the normally lucrative Christmas holidays when illnesses forced the cancellation of seven performances. Its weekly grosses have been heading in a troubling direction — last week the show sold only 61 percent of its seats and grossed $816,086.And musicals have been fetching much lower ticket prices than starry plays. For example, during the week that ended June 1, when all three shows were running, the average ticket price at an “Othello” revival starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal was $425, and at “Good Night, and Good Luck,” starring George Clooney, it was $339. The average ticket price for “Gypsy” was $114. More

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    Everyone’s Obsessed With True Crime. Even Prisoners Like Me.

    As the genre has boomed on cable, the incarcerated have found themselves watching more and more of it.In the early aughts, when I was waiting on Rikers Island to be tried for murder, I had to watch what everyone else in the communal day room was watching on TV: shouts of “Jer-ry! Jer-ry!” and announcements that “You are not the father.”After I was convicted, in 2004, and sentenced to 28 years to life in prison, TV would occupy even more of my time. Prisons do get cable: Normally, the population pays via things like fund-raisers and the profits from visiting-room vending machines. At Clinton Dannemora, a maximum-security prison near the Canadian border, I bought a 13-inch television from the commissary, and it felt like a privilege to watch what I wanted, alone in my cell. In Attica, where I transferred in 2007, we had the Oxygen channel, on which everyone would watch reality shows like “Bad Girls Club.” I enjoyed all the gossiping and scheming on “Big Brother” and “Survivor,” and when I put an ad on a dating website for prisoners I listed “The Bachelor” as my favorite show. The women who wrote to me related. I eventually married one.Her name was Danielly, and she watched a lot of true crime. It made her so paranoid that she hung a bell inside her front door to alert her to intruders. Once, while she was visiting me, I noticed her peering behind us — she had recognized another prisoner from an episode of “20/20.” This happens to me now too: I’ll be in the mess hall or the yard and recognize someone from a true-crime show. He’ll be scooping oatmeal or exercising, and I’ll remember the re-enactment of his crime, the bludgeoning or the burying.In 2016, I transferred to Sing Sing. By then, Oxygen had shifted from reality shows to true crime; the channel’s logo was even redesigned to resemble police tape. It would soon be airing a seemingly nonstop run of shows like “Buried in the Backyard.” For a few years I was transferred to a smaller prison in the Catskills, where we didn’t have in-cell TVs — but when it closed and I landed back in Sing Sing, I found that true crime had come to dominate what felt like every station. NBC American Crimes ran reruns of “Dateline,” “American Greed” and “Lockup,” which I once heard described as “prison porn.” (It’s strange to walk down the tier, look through the bars of someone’s cell and see a TV turned to “Lockup” — an inside look at prison for someone who is already inside a prison.) Merit TV had “Crime Stories With Nancy Grace.” As I write this, Court TV is running a marathon of “Interview With a Killer.”More than half of Americans now watch true crime, according to one YouGov poll. (The F.B.I. reports that between 1993 and 2022, meanwhile, the rate of violent crime in the United States fell 49 percent.) We watch those shows in here, too. As true crime exploded in popularity, the demand for fresh content had producers searching for stories to tell, exhuming murder cases from years and even decades ago. This is how Danielly eventually found herself watching a true-crime show about me, a drug dealer in prison for killing a rival.Some watch with the prison hierarchy in mind.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Williamstown Theater Festival Was in Crisis. Here’s How It’s Changing.

    Williamstown Theater Festival, long one of the nation’s most highly regarded summer theaters, has been fighting for its life recently, struggling to regain its footing after complaints about its workplace practices, leadership turnover and the economic challenges that have vexed other performing arts organizations.This summer, the Western Massachusetts nonprofit’s latest leadership team has opted for a radically new and risky reboot: Instead of a summer-long season with two shows at a time, the company is leaning into the “festival” part of its name, offering eight shows simultaneously, but only for three long weekends, starting July 17 and ending Aug. 3.The shows — which include dance, opera and music as well as theater — are being curated by Jeremy O. Harris, the audacious playwright best known for “Slave Play,” and several of the productions are based on stories written by, or inspired by, Tennessee Williams. Most unexpected: an ice dance show inspired by a Williams novel.Why does Williamstown matter?This summer’s festival includes two plays by Tennessee Williams, “Not About Nightingales” and “Camino Real.”Tony Cenicola/The New York TimesThe Williamstown Theater Festival had been a destination not only for culture-loving visitors who flock to the Berkshires every summer, but also for theater performers, writers and directors seeking to hone their craft and develop new work. It was also an important training ground for many aspiring theater industry workers. Numerous shows moved from Williamstown to New York, including, during the last full prepandemic season, three that transferred to Broadway: the plays “Grand Horizons” and “The Sound Inside” as well as a revival of another Tennessee Williams play, “The Rose Tattoo.”Why has the festival been struggling?At the start of the pandemic, following the death of George Floyd, the calls for a social justice reckoning that rocked many corners of society also shook theater. Staff and alumni of the festival objected to the nonprofit’s history of relying on young workers who were often unpaid or underpaid; there were also complaints about how the company responded to safety concerns. The turmoil, chronicled by The Los Angeles Times, led to the departure of the festival’s artistic director, Mandy Greenfield, and a review of the festival’s practices. Ultimately, the festival decided all staff would be paid; that decision was followed by a sharp reduction in programming.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Jimmy Fallon Fans the Flames of Burning MAGA Hats

    People torched the hats in videos, apparently upset about the Jeffrey Epstein case. “People in China were like, ‘Oh, come on, we worked so hard making them,’” Fallon said.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Burning UpPresident Trump is still getting flak, from longtime supporters and others, for not releasing more information about the Jeffrey Epstein case. Some social media users expressed their feelings by posting videos of burning MAGA hats.“As of now, Trump is keeping the information totally classified, a.k.a. in the bathroom at Mar-a-Lago,” Jimmy Fallon said of the so-called Epstein files.“Yeah, the excuses are getting worse and worse. Today, Trump was, like, ‘A dog ate the Epstein files, then people in Ohio ate the dog.’” — JIMMY FALLON“Yeah, they’re burning the MAGA hats. People in China were like, ‘Oh, come on, we worked so hard making them.’” — JIMMY FALLONThe Punchiest Punchlines (With Friends Like These Edition)“In fact, Epstein’s infamous little black book included 14 different numbers for Trump and his representatives. I mean, he had 14 separate ways to contact Donald Trump. I mean, when I drop my kid off at camp, I give two emergency contact numbers and one of them is fake because I don’t need that hassle.” — JORDAN KLEPPER“Do you know how creepy with women you have to be for Donald Trump to pick up on it? I mean, that’s a real your-drunk-friend-taking-the-car-keys-from-you moment.” — JORDAN KLEPPERThe Bits Worth WatchingThe “Too Much” star Megan Stalter started “a big rumor” on Tuesday’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”What We’re Excited About on Wednesday NightThe country superstar Jelly Roll will guest-host “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”Also, Check This OutAdam Scott, left, and Britt Lower in “Severance,” on Apple TV+. Both were nominated for Emmys.Apple TV+The dystopian Apple TV+ workplace drama “Severance” scored the most Emmy nominations this year. More

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    ‘American Idol’ Music Supervisor and Her Husband Are Found Slain

    The music supervisor was found shot to death in a home in Los Angeles with her husband, Thomas Deluca, the police said. A 22-year-old was arrested in connection with the case.A longtime music supervisor for “American Idol” and her husband were discovered dead inside a Los Angeles home on Monday afternoon, the police said.The supervisor, Robin Kaye, 70, and her husband, Thomas Deluca, 70, were found dead of apparent gunshot wounds, Jennifer Forkish, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, told The New York Times late Tuesday afternoon. A suspect was in custody on Tuesday, Ms. Forkish said.In a statement provided to The Times earlier in the day, a spokesperson for “American Idol” confirmed a TMZ report saying that the program’s longtime music supervisor and her husband had died.“We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing,” the statement said. “Robin has been a cornerstone of the ‘Idol’ family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”The police responded to a home in the Encino neighborhood around 2:30 p.m. on Monday after being asked to perform a welfare check there, Officer Rosario Cervantes, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, said. Fire Department paramedics pronounced the victims dead at the scene.Homicide investigators have identified the suspect as Raymond Boodarian, 22, also of Encino, Ms. Forkish said. She added that the police have yet to determine a motive.The authorities took Mr. Boodarian into custody without incident, she said. Investigators are attempting to determine whether Mr. Boodarian had any connection to Mr. Deluca and Ms. Kaye, and if he had been involved in any past calls for police assistance to the residence.Ms. Kaye worked on more than 200 episodes of “American Idol,” according to her IMDB page. Her work was recognized over the years by the Guild of Music Supervisors, which gave her its award for best music supervision in reality television in 2014.Kirsten Noyes More

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    Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ Earns 13 Emmy Nominations, Including Nod for Owen Cooper

    The show, about a teenager suspected of killing a schoolmate, won three Gotham Television Awards last month and was a hot topic in the weeks after it was released.“Adolescence,” the hit Netflix series turned water-cooler talker about Jamie Miller, a teenage boy who is accused of killing a girl from his school, received 13 Emmy nominations on Tuesday, including one for best limited series or anthology.Stephen Graham, who played the teen’s father, Eddie, received a nod for best lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, and Owen Cooper, who played the troubled teen, Jamie, was nominated in the outstanding supporting actor category alongside Ashley Walters, who played a detective. Cooper’s nomination makes him the youngest ever nominee in that category, according to Deadline.Erin Doherty, who played a psychologist in the series, was nominated for outstanding supporting actress alongside Christine Tremarco, who played Jamie’s mother, Manda. Philip Barantini received a directing nomination, and Graham and Jack Thorne, who created and wrote the series, picked up a nod for outstanding writing.The show was released in mid-March and resonated with audiences. It quickly became the most watched show on Netflix in dozens of countries, according to the streamer.“Adolescence” and its themes inspired so much chatter that it reignited discussions in Britain on whether the government should restrict children’s access to smartphones. (A major question in the series concerns the extent to which Jamie may have been radicalized by misogynistic ideas online.) Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that he had watched it with his two children and that action had to be taken to address the “fatal consequences” of young men and boys viewing harmful content on the internet.In June, “Adolescence” won three trophies at the second annual Gotham Television Awards, including one for breakthrough limited series. Graham won for best lead performance in a limited series and Cooper shared a win with Jenny Slate of “Dying for Sex” for best supporting performance.Graham and Cooper’s onscreen bond was a highlight for critics, and there was much discussion around the series’s third episode, in which Doherty’s psychologist interviews Jamie. Cooper told The New York Times in April that he had initially been uncomfortable with the script.“Before every take, I just thought, ‘I’m never, ever going to be able to do this again, so I’m just going to put my all into it,’” he said.In the same interview, Graham said that there were no plans for a sequel. “It’s a stand-alone thing,” he said. “I’m not saying there will be, but if there’s a possibility of a Series 2, we would follow something completely different.”The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Sept. 14 in Los Angeles. CBS will broadcast the ceremony. More

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    Emmy Nomination Snubs and Surprises: ‘Squid Game,’ ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and More

    Some big names (Alfonso Cuarón, Elisabeth Moss) were left off the Emmy nomination list while some underdogs (Jeff Hiller, “Common Side Effects”) sneaked on.Awards shows are handicapped more accurately these days than presidential elections, but here are some at least mildly surprising results gleaned from the Primetime Emmys nominations announced on Tuesday.Snub: ‘Squid Game’Apparently the voters had soured on the bloody South Korean drama, which was nominated for outstanding drama and won for lead actor and director in its first season on Netflix. The second season, which debuted in December, was shut out of the drama series field. (Because of the Emmys’ June-to-May calendar, the recently released final season will be eligible for next year’s awards.) It was the only unexpected result in the major series categories, allowing the Hulu thriller “Paradise” to sneak in.Surprise: Uzo AdubaNetflix’s murder-in-the-White-House comedy “The Residence” did not attract a ton of attention and was quickly canceled after one season. Aduba’s performance as a quirky, bird-watching police consultant was noticed, however, and she made it into the comedy lead-actress field over the former nominees Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face”) and Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”).Snub: Alfonso CuarónCuarón, the winner of four Oscars, was thought to be a lock for at least a directing nomination for his spooky limited series “Disclaimer” on Apple TV+. Cuarón was left out, however, as was the series and its lead actor, Kevin Kline. Cate Blanchett picked up a lead-actress nomination.“Common Side Effects” was nominated for outstanding animated program for its first season.Adult SwimSurprise: ‘Common Side Effects’Adult Swims’s lo-fi conspiracy thriller about little people battling Big Pharma, streaming on HBO Max, was an unexpected and very welcome nominee for outstanding animated program, taking a spot expected to go to Amazon Prime Video’s “Invincible” or Netflix’s “Big Mouth.”Snub: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’Hulu’s adaptation of the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood never regained the heights of its first season, when it won the award for best drama and its star, Elisabeth Moss, won for best actress. In their sixth and final season, both the show and Moss were left out.Surprise: Jeff HillerIn the third and final season of the melancholy, autobiographical HBO comedy “Somebody, Somewhere,” starring Bridget Everett, Hiller came out of nowhere for a supporting-actor nomination. (Sorry, Tyler James Williams of “Abbott Elementary.”) The show, previously unnominated, also got a nod for comedy writing.Snub: John Mulaney (again)Mulaney keeps trying to tweak the nighttime talk-show format, following up last year’s “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.” on Netflix with the apparently more permanent “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney.” Breaking through the Colbert-Kimmel-Stewart gas ceiling in the variety talk series category is a tall order, though. (Also left out, with the category limited to three slots, was the three-time nominee “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”) More

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    Emmy Nominees 2025: See the Complete List

    The 77th Emmy Awards ceremony is planned for Sept. 14. See all the nominees below.Nominees for the 2025 Emmy Awards were announced by Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Brenda Song (“Running Point”) on Tuesday morning.In the drama categories, “The White Lotus,” “Severance” and “The Last of Us” picked up the most nominations — with “Severance” earning 27, the most of any show this year.In the comedy categories, “The Studio,” “Hacks” and “The Bear” came out on top. For limited series, “The Penguin” got 24 nominations and “Adolescence” earned 13.The Emmys ceremony will take place on Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.Here is the full list of nominees.Best Drama“Andor” (Disney+)Read our critic’s notebook“The Diplomat” (Netflix)Read our reviewWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More