'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.

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.

For Black men, fashion has been a tool of self-expression — and a way they've been judged

NEW YORK (AP) — Clothing as message. Fashion and style as tools, signifiers of culture and identity, whether intentional or assumed. There’s likely no group for whom that’s been more true than Black men, both in terms of what they wear and how what they wear has been perceived by others, sometimes at serious cost. It’s the subject of the upcoming exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” opens to the public May 10 and focuses on Black designers and menswear. Black style will be on display sooner, and prominently, at Monday's Met Gala.

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.

Dakota Johnson and Celine Song on love, dating and ‘Materialists’

Oscar-nominated “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song's new film “Materialists” was inspired by the brief time she worked as a matchmaker in New York. She was a playwright who needed a day job to pay rent, but during that time she learned a lot about the human condition and the marketplace of dating. The film, out June 13, stars Dakota Johnson as the matchmaker who finds herself torn between two types of men. One is played by Pedro Pascal, the other by Chris Evans. Johnson and Song spoke to the Associated Press about the film, which is about more than just her choice.

Actor Diego Boneta is trying something new with debut novel 'The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Diego Boneta grew tired of Hollywood’s obsession with narcos storylines for Latinos, so he decided to shake things up by writing his own self-described “murder mystery, sexual thriller” set around a fictional business empire. Boneta is best known for portraying Latin pop icon Luis Miguel in Netflix’s 2018 biopic series and co-starring in “Rock of Ages.” Now, he is fighting against stereotypical Mexican portrayals by adding a new skill set to his multi-hyphenated list of abilities. On Thursday, the actor, producer and musician will be unveiling his debut novel “The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco.”

Movie Review: Thriller ‘The Surfer’ brings Nicolas Cage to a boil

For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Finnegan’s beach-set “The Surfer” simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil. “Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” is the slogan at a pristine stretch of beach along Luna Bay on the Australian coast where our unnamed protagonist has come to surf with his teenage son. But the situation rapidly disintegrates. If there was ever an actor to elevate pulpy, not-fully formed genre material, it’s Cage. His performance of a man brought to near-disintegration can be neatly filed alongside Cage’s many other head trips to the brink. All he needs is a parking lot on a bluff overlooking the beach to make “The Surfer” churn with the currents of a man tenuously close to being swept out to sea.

Select list of nominees for 2025 Tony Awards

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Award nominations have been handed out, and the five shows competing for best musical are “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Dead Outlaw,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Maybe Happy Ending” and “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.” The best new play category is made up of “English,” “The Hills of California,” “John Proctor Is the Villain,” “Oh, Mary!” and “Purpose.” The leading lady in a musical category is fierce, with Megan Hilty, Audra McDonald, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Simard facing off. As is the leading actor in a play category, which has George Clooney, Cole Escola, Jon Michael Hill, Daniel Dae Kim, Harry Lennix and Louis McCartney.

UK counterterror police say they will investigate comments by Irish rap group Kneecap

LONDON (AP) — British counterterrorism detectives will investigate comments by Irish hip-hop group Kneecap. The Irish-language rappers from Belfast were reported to police over footage from a 2024 concert in which a band member appears to say: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Footage from another concert appears to show a member of the trio shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” London’s Metropolitan Police force said Thursday that “there are grounds for further investigation into potential offenses linked to both videos.” Several Kneecap gigs have been canceled because of the controversy. Kneecap said it did not support violence and accused “establishment figures” of trying to “manufacture moral hysteria."

Longtime Cubs fan revels in Pete Crow-Armstrong using his group's song for walkup music

CHICAGO (AP) — John Hauldren has been a Chicago Cubs fan all his life. During the team’s last homestand, he got a text message from a high school friend. It was the first text he had received from him. Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had just used “Front to Back” — a song from Hauldren’s electronic music group, Levity — as his walkup music in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hauldren, who is from the Chicago suburbs, was in disbelief until he confirmed the moment himself. Levity played Coachella this year, and it is on the bill for Lollapalooza this summer.