Reuters Entertainment News Summary
Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.
Mike Nichols, award-winning American director, dies at 83
Mike Nichols, a nine-time Tony Award winner on Broadway and the Oscar-winning director of influential films such as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "The Graduate," and "Carnal Knowledge," died on Wednesday at age 83. The prolific director passed away at his home of cardiac arrest, his spokeswoman said. A private service for the family will be held this week, followed by a memorial at a future date.
Taylor Swift's '1989' tops U.S. Billboard album chart again
Taylor Swift's "1989" topped the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart for the third consecutive week on Wednesday. The most pop-oriented turn from the onetime country singer sold 312,000 copies last week, according to figures compiled by NielsenSoundscan. "1989" is the second album of the year, behind the soundtrack to Disney's animated film "Frozen," to spend at least three weeks atop the chart.
U2's Bono fitted with metal plates, screws after bike accident
Bono, frontman of the Irish rock group U2, required hours of surgery for fractures to his face and shoulder blade and to have metal plates inserted in his arm after a cycling accident in New York's Central Park, Rolling Stone magazine said on Wednesday. The 54-year-old singer was trying to avoid another cyclist on Sunday when the accident occurred, forcing cancellation of the group's weeklong appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show."
Judge dismisses 'American Idol' racial bias lawsuit
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by 10 black male contestants on "American Idol" who accused the singing competition show, its producers, sponsors, and the Fox television network of racial discrimination. The plaintiffs, who competed between 2003 and 2010, said they were disqualified from "American Idol" for reasons other than singing or artistic talent, including criminal histories, and that the show was "rigged" to favor white contestants.
Director Peter Sellars - shocking again in new Adams opera
Peter Sellars's new opera opens with a drug addict banging her head against the bars of a prison cell in what the American director says conceptualises a woman's version of the Passion. To be seen at the first full staging of composer John Adams's "The Gospel According to the Other Mary" at the English National Opera on Friday, it's an image of intense suffering.
With U.S. politics in play Anthony, de Lucia take Latin Grammys
Marc Anthony and the late Paco de Lucia were early winners at the Latin Grammys on Thursday after the start of the ceremony was preempted by U.S. President Barack Obama's speech announcing a new immigration order, a core issue for the U.S. Hispanics. Anthony, 46, won best salsa album for "3.0," while Spanish flamenco guitarist de Lucia's "Cancion Andaluza" won album of the year. De Lucia died of a heart attack in February at age 66.
A Minute With: Christoph Waltz on being a 'Horrible Boss'
As Colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," Christoph Waltz embodied an unsettling charm and cruelty, unleashing terror while maintaining his manners and securing an Oscar in the process. In "Horrible Bosses 2," out in U.S. theaters on Nov. 26, Waltz slides back into a egomaniacal character masked by a decorous facade.
Cosby comedy gigs to go on in midst of swirling allegations
All three of Bill Cosby's live comedy shows in November will proceed as planned, venue organizers said on Thursday, despite mounting allegations from multiple women saying the comedian sexually assaulted them decades ago. Cosby will perform Friday in a sold-out show in Melbourne, Florida, while a Las Vegas show and an engagement in Yakima, Washington are still scheduled for next week.
'SNL' comedian Cecily Strong to entertain White House correspondents' dinner
NBC's "Saturday Night Live" comedian Cecily Strong will headline the 2015 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Washington's annual mixer attended by members of the media, celebrities and the U.S. president. The association said on Wednesday that Strong, an Illinois native and relative newcomer to the popular improvisational comedy show, will be the main performer at the annual event, known for its ribbing of Washington power figures.
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth named 'sexiest man alive' by People magazine
"Thor" star Chris Hemsworth was named People magazine's "sexiest man alive" on Tuesday in a live broadcast of the late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Hemsworth, 31, appeared via Skype clad in a loose-fitting t-shirt with his face obscured and his voice disguised electronically, answering questions from the audience about his age, whether he was single and if he was an actor as they tried to guess his identity.
