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Actors and theater industry notables are submitting tributes to celebrate the life of longtime theater and film producer William “Bill” Kenwright, who died Monday following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his liver back in August.

Kenwright is best known as one of the longest standing theater, TV and film producers, including being the force behind long-running West End musical “Blood Brothers.” He began as an actor, appearing in British soap opera “Coronation Street.” On top of his work in theater, he also served as a BBC Radio 2 presenter and as chairman of the Everton Football Club for nearly two decades.

“Like many grateful actors I am in debt to Bill Kenwright for employment,” “Lord of the Rings” star and theater legend Sir Ian McKellen shared on X (formerly Twitter). “We were young together, when he was in ‘Coronation Street’ and I was dipping a toe into Shaftesbury Avenue.

Lady Gaga has called “Born This Way,” the title song off her latest album, a gay anthem. The latest song by Katy Perry, “It’s A Choice,” is already being called an anti-gay anthem – although the singer insists it doesn’t mean she’s anti-gay.

We're not entirely convinced, given the song’s lyrics include:

God sure does make mistakes

Or r u sayin' mosquitoes and cancer are good things?

If you think you're beautiful the way you are

You obviously need a new mirror

Don’t be yourself, be someone else

If you love yourself, who are you going to hold hands with in the park? Yourself?

Don’t you realize how stupid you’ll look?

You weren’t born this way – it’s a choice

“It has nothing to do with being gay or Lady Gaga!” Perry insisted to Rolling Stone. “I don’t see how anyone could possibly think it does.

From the tears of John Boehner and the resurrection of Harry Reid; Virginia Thomas' voicemail and Eric Massa's tickling, 2010 was a long, strange trip.

The main political event of 2010 took place in November when Republicans seized Congress, grabbed gobs of statehouses, and put the kibosh on Barack Obama's designs for America. Off stage, there were tears and tickles. Awesome pranks and telephone cranks. In honor of the year's great and not-so-great moments, The Daily Beast presents the year's awards in politics.

Related story on The Daily Beast: Rush Limbaugh's TV Nemesis

The Muskie Award

Given to the person whose tears flowed like melting snow.

Winner: John Boehner

The future Republican speaker was given a run for his money by fellow Gop panjandrum Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator, who got misty-eyed when saying farewell to his departing colleague, Judd Gregg. When it comes to the waterworks, Boehner is a national treasure,...

Gerald McCullouch, Joe Conti and Stephen Guarino

Via JoeMyGod comes the above cover of Next Magazine, with the stars of Bear City reenacting a certain bloody Rolling Stone cover. Speaking of Rolling Stone, they're pissed that the Ugandan rag that published the "gay death list" is using their name, and calls it “one of the most vile and hateful anti-gay screeds we have ever read." They're demanding that the publication cease and desist. Below you can see a preview for next week's Top Chef: Diabetic Victims Unit which shows some tension in "Team Diva." Unfortunately, when I wished for Yigit covered in whip cream ... this is not what I had in mind.

Sir Elton and Lady Gaga will, after all the speculation, be teaming up for a duet. "Hello, Hello,” will appear in the upcoming Disney animated film Gnomeo & Juliet. Russell Tovey's short film Roar is available as...

Just when we thought we had moved on, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Virginia Thomas, has gone and revived the controversy of the sexual harassment case filed by Professor Anita Hill (pictured) against Thomas in 1992. In a voicemail Thomas left for Hill, she asks the professor to apologize for "what you did with my husband." "I would love you to consider an apology sometime," said Thomas. "Give it some thought and certainly pray about this and come to understand why you did what you did..." Here's what you had to say: Patricia commented via Facebook: "Anita Hill did nothing she needs to apologize for." Roni wrote via Facebook: "She needs to be asking her husband for an apology."...

Regarding the throngs of individuals attending Tea Party rallies today, Tax Day, Virginia Thomas said "more you get to know Tea partiers, there's nothing to be afraid of." The wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas was interviewed by Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, and demurred at any direct questions about her husband, choosing instead to promote her newly formed Tea Party group, Liberty Central.