NEIL SIMON

A judge has decried New York City's problems with electric and gas-powered bikes as he sentenced the electric scooter rider who crashed into “Gone Girl” actor Lisa Banes to one to three years in prison for his manslaughter conviction.

James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of “The Godfather” and to television audiences as the dying football player in the classic weeper “Brian’s Song” and the casino boss in “Las Vegas,” has died.

Neil Simon-Library of Congress FILE- American playwright Neil Simon appears during an interview in Seattle, Wash., on Sept. 22, 1994. (AP Photo/Gary Stuart, File) (Gary Stuart)NEW YORK — (AP) — Dozens of notebooks, scripts, speeches, drafts of letters, artwork and even signed baseballs owned by the late playwright Neil Simon have been donated to the Library of Congress. The collection offers offering historians and researchers access to the creative process of American theater’s most successful and prolific playwright. It also ensures Simon’s legacy is preserved for generations to come,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. The Library of Congress is already home to the collections of several Broadway icons, including Arthur Laurents, Marvin Hamlisch and Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.

Dozens of notebooks, scripts, speeches, drafts of letters, artwork and even signed baseballs owned by the late playwright Neil Simon have been donated to the Library of Congress.

Some 7,700 manuscripts, letters and other items belonging to the late Broadway playwright Neil Simon have been donated to the Library of Congress by his widow, Elaine Joyce.

"Plaza Suite" Broadway Opening Night Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick appear at the curtain call following the opening night performance of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite" on Broadway at the Hudson Theatre on Monday, March 28, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes)NEW YORK — (AP) — The second shoe has dropped at “Plaza Suite” on Broadway. First Matthew Broderick tested positive for COVID-19 and a few days later his wife and co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, has done so herself. Parker tested positive Thursday and the show has been canceled. The twin cases at “Plaza Suite” comes at a time when coronavirus cases are rising in the city and on Broadway again.

The second shoe has dropped at “Plaza Suite” on Broadway.

"Plaza Suite," with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, marks its official Broadway opening at the Hudson Theatre.

Katie Couric, in a new memoir called “Going There,” writes of feeling betrayed by Matt Lauer following the sexual misconduct accusations that led to his firing at the “Today" show in 2017.

A pair of plays showcasing Flagler's dramatic talent plus a farewell to Norm MacDonald and words of endings by Edith Wharton.

“Hadestown,” the brooding musical about the underworld, has set its Broadway reopening date on Sept. 2, jumping ahead of such megahits as “Hamilton” and “Wicked” to position itself as the first show to welcome audiences on Broadway since the pandemic.

Many Broadway productions are scrambling to resume ticket sales in the coming days to welcome theater-goers this fall after city and state leaders have green-lit a reopening of the Great White Way at full capacity.

FILE - The cast of "Mean Girls" performs at the 72nd annual Tony Awards on June 10, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Producers of the Broadway musical “Mean Girls” have decided not to restart when authorities allow theaters to reopen in New York City, the second and likely not last established show to be a casualty of COVID-19 on the Great White Way. “We remain excited to bring this musical to the big screen, relaunch the tour and prepare for a London production,” said “Saturday Night Live” and “Mean Girls” producer Lorne Michaels in a statement. Broadway theaters abruptly closed on March 12, knocking out all shows, including 16 that were still scheduled to open. Late May is the earliest Broadway will reopen, according to the Broadway League.

NEW YORK – Nominations for this year's Tony Awards have been set for Oct. 15, pitting 18 eligible shows in competition for 26 competitive categories in a coronavirus-shortened season. James Monroe Iglehart will announce the nominations on the Tony Awards' YouTube Channel at noon ET. The Tony Awards Nominating Committee will meet Tuesday to vote on this year’s nominations. That left the following productions eligible for 2020 Tony Award nominations:“Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” “Moulin Rouge! Producers, citing health and city authorities, have three times extended the Broadway shutdown, currently until at least early January.

(AP Photo/Harold Filan, File)NEW YORK Carl Reiner, who died Monday at 98, was the rare untortured genius of comedy, his career a story of laughter and camaraderie, of innovation and triumph and affection. Reiner died of natural causes at his Beverly Hills, California home, assistant Judy Nagy said. But CBS executives worried that Reiner would make Petrie seem too Jewish, so Van Dyke was cast instead. First lady Michelle Obama once joked that she preferred watching Dick Van Dyke to viewing her husbands debates. Reiner was the father of actor-director Rob Reiner, who starred as Archie Bunkers son-in-law on All in the Family and directed When Harry Met Sally... Rob Reiner said in a tweet Tuesday that his heart is hurting.

YOUR FORECAST: Prepare for a chillier weekend. FREE TREES: The cities of Tavares and Clermont are giving away free trees Saturday. Tavares hosts its Arbor Day Celebration from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. in Wooten Park. And Clermont starts its tree giveaway at 10 a.m. at Lake Hiawatha Preserves east pavilion, 420 Lake Minneola Shores. BILOXI BLUES: The Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora presents the Neil Simon comedy Biloxi Blues opening Friday and playing until Feb. 9.

A look at whats playing, and whats upcoming, on local stagesArmy boot camp life is under inspection in the Neil Simon comedy Biloxi Blues, opening Friday at the IceHouse in Mount Dora. Biloxi BluesThe Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora presents the Neil Simon comedy Biloxi Blues opening Friday and playing until Feb. 9. Biloxi Blues is directed by Darlin Barry, with scenic design by David Clevinger, lighting design by Philip Lupo and costume design by Anna Maria Muller. Details: icehousetheatre.comUPCOMINGBaskerville A Sherlock Holmes MysteryThe Melon Patch Players in Leesburg present the comedy Baskerville A Sherlock Holmes Mystery Jan. 24-Feb. 9. Details: baystreetplayers.orgThe Drowsy ChaperoneThe Moonlight Players in Clermont present the musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone, Jan. 24 to Feb. 16.

At first blush, seeing City Repertory Theater stage a Neil Simon play might seem akin to shock rocker Marilyn Manson remember him? The 1978 musical or, as Sbordone prefers it, the play with music is a semi-biographical account of the real-life romance and songwriting partnership of Hamlisch and Sager. So, when local attorney and stage veteran Lloyd Bowers, who has an undergraduate theater degree from the University of Virginia, suggested City Rep should stage Theyre Playing Our Song, Sbordone naturally said yes. Its just really fun and this play has been a challenge.Neither is the play anachronistic, Young says: Theres a lot to relate to now. Performances are at CRTs venue in City Market Place, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast.

Fans of City Repertory Theatre may ponder what is the most discombobulating aspect of the Palm Coast troupes 2019-20 season. This will be the third season that the company is partnering with the Palm Coast Arts Foundation to present Shakespeare in the Park. For more information call the Palm Coast Arts Foundation at 386-225-4394 or go online at palmcoastartsfoundation.com. Laughter on the 23rd Floor, by Neil Simon, directed by John Sbordone, staged by City Repertory Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20-21 and 27-28, plus 3 p.m. Sept. 22 and 29. Performances are at CRTs venue in City Market Place, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast.