Black dandyism etches place into Met Gala history — and global visibility

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Black dandyism is finally taking center stage at the Met Gala, with cultural powerhouses leading this subversive, sharply tailored style into the global fashion spotlight. As a gala host committee member, Janelle Monáe and other trendsetters are helping frame Black dandyism as a proud tradition rather than a trend as the movement claims its long-overdue moment of visibility. On Monday, with the world watching, a wave of fashion disruptors and stylists will usher Black dandyism as the Metropolitan Museum of Art unveils its new costume exhibit “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for 'I Kissed a Girl,' has died in a fire

Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” has died in a house fire. She died Thursday. She was 66. The fire was in Woodbury, Minnesota, about 19 miles east of Minneapolis. It was not immediately clear how it started. During her more than three decades of recording, she released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues. Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend.

Banksy's ‘Broken Heart' painting defaced on a Brooklyn wall is up for sale

NEW YORK (AP) — A slab of Brooklyn wall that the artist Banksy emblazoned with a bandaged, heart-shaped balloon is emerging after more than a decade in storage. The “Battle to Survive a Broken Heart” is set to be auctioned off May 21. Some proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. The family that owns the artwork says they are honoring their father, who died from a heart attack after running his business from the warehouse where Banksy stenciled the image in 2013. The wall became the canvas for a graffiti battle before the family removed the painted section and had it preserved.

Movie Review: 'Thunderbolts' is Marvel, and Florence Pugh, in high gear

“Thunderbolts” is both a return to form for Marvel and something a little different for the superhero factory, writes Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. While there’s plenty of franchise building going on, “Thunderbolts” is a pleasantly stand-alone and refreshingly earthbound caper about a band of Marvel Cinematic Universe rejects teaming up. The movie borrows a little of the misfit irreverence of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Suicide Squad.” But director Jake Schreier’s film is leaner and less antic than those movies. And it serves as an IMAX-sized platform for the increasingly obvious movie-star talents of Florence Pugh.

'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' lead Tony Award nominations

NEW YORK (AP) — Three Broadway shows — “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending” — each earned a leading 10 Tony Award nominations Thursday. Nominators spread out the joy and gave nods to George Clooney, Sarah Snook and Bob Odenkirk in their debuts. Audra McDonald, as expected, heard her name called for her turn as Rose in a hailed revival of “Gypsy.” A revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” earned Odenkirk a nod, but not for his co-stars Kieran Culkin or comedian Bill Burr. And, in a shock, an edgy “Othello” with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal that costs north of $900 for orchestra seat tickets, got not a single nomination.

Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election.

In final season, 'The Righteous Gemstones' embraces depravity even as it appeals to Christians

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The final season of “The Righteous Gemstones” is rife with the show’s trademark depravity. But Danny McBride has always hoped the HBO series would speak to people of faith. He says the series is instead meant to satirize hypocrites who hold positions of power within the church. The fourth and final season comes to a close on Sunday. But its cast and fans alike think the show is more relevant than ever. Their biggest challenge was keeping up with the outrageous stunts some megachurches pull. But the show also infused moments of tenderness and poignancy.

Movie Review: 'Rust' is a serviceable Western, haunted throughout by its tragic offscreen history

Many thought it would never hit a movie screen, but “Rust” is here. The story of a notorious outlaw surfacing to rescue his estranged grandson from the gallows, the film is a serviceable Western. But it is haunted in every frame, writes Associated Press critic Jocelyn Noveck in her review, by the offscreen tragedy that has come to define it — the accidental on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The movie starring Alec Baldwin may surprise some who expected it to be a uniformly shoddy affair; the evocative cinematography stands out. But one cannot forget the tragedy, even for a moment – especially with so much shooting going on. Opens Friday in theaters and on video on demand.

Artists in this former pasta factory are preserving Italian opera traditions

ROME (AP) — Behind a rusty gate near Rome’s Circus Maximus is a building passed daily by hordes of tourists. They’re oblivious to the fact that behind its faded, flaking paint is a hive of activity sustaining one of Italy’s grandest cultural institutions. It was a pasta factory until almost a century ago, when the Rome Opera House transformed the four-story building into a sprawling warehouse and workshop. It is home to a trove of scenic backdrops and 70,000 costumes from over a century of performances. Even more are being created — the traditional way.