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The entertainment industry has lost several notable figures so far in 2025. The film world was shaken by the death of “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks” director David Lynch, with tributes to the visionary filmmaker continuing for weeks. Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman was found dead with his wife in late February in Santa Fe, N.M., while “Harriet the Spy” star Michelle Trachtenberg died in New York on Feb. 26. “The Doors” and “Top Gun” star Val Kilmer died April 1.

In music, Garth Hudson, the last remaining member of The Band, died in January, while Peter, Paul and Mary lost Peter Yarrow. “Killing Me Softly” singer Roberta Flack died in February, while Sly Stone and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson died in June. Singer Connie Francis, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and jazz musician Chuck Mangione died in July.

Last year, the entertainment business said goodbye to stars including Shannen Doherty,...

1950s singer Connie Francis, whose hits included “Pretty Little Baby,” “Stupid Cupid” and “Who’s Sorry Now?,” has died at 87, her publicist and friend, Ron Roberts, announced to fans through a Facebook post.

The singer was reportedly hospitalized after suffering a hip fracture, experiencing “extreme pain,” which eventually forced her to withdraw from a planned performance on July 4. News of her death came just two weeks after her hospitalization. While her publicist did not specify the cause, it was later confirmed that she had pneumonia.

>In Memoriam Slideshow: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2025

Although Francis officially retired in 2018, her 1962 song gained popularity on TikTok, with new audiences discovering her hit song “Pretty Little Baby” and sharing covers and renditions on the platform. The trending song was featured in over 600,000 videos and racked up 17 billion plays. It has since been shared by various celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Jimmy Fallon.

Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry. This week, a legendary creator makes an unexpected return to YouTube, a current star discusses his tricky finances, and the future comes into focus thanks to MrBeast.

Creator commotion

Welcome back to VSauce, Michael Stevens! Once upon a time, Stevens was YouTube’s most popular source for scientific content and other academic videos, but his 24 million VSauce subscribers haven’t gotten a new video in years — until now. Stevens’ first long-form upload since 2022 is a philosophical video that asks big questions about life and death. I hope that doesn’t mean Stevens is feeling fatalistic about his legendary YouTube operation.

Rip to Connie Francis, a TikTok late-bloomer. The leading songstress of the 50s and 60s, who died earlier this week at age 87, got one last...

The iconic singer and actor Connie Francis recently passed away, as BroadwayWorld reported yesterday. Francis is currently being portrayed on stage by Gracie Lawrence in the Broadway musical Just In Time, The Bobby Darin Story. Following last night's performance of Just In Time, Lawrence and the cast paid tribute to the late star with a song during the curtain call. Check out a video below: <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin-bottom:12px;...

American pop singer and actress Connie Francis, who gained fame in the late 1950s with hit songs like "Who's Sorry Now?" and "Where the Boys Are," has passed away. The talented artist was known for her mezzo-soprano voice and her charming stage presence. Before her death, Francis found a resurgence of fame when her 1962 song "Pretty Little Baby" began to go viral on social media platforms like TikTok. And now, following her death, fans and celebrities alike are paying tribute, mourning, and offering condolences to the family of the Golden Globe Award winner and NME Awards star. Francis leaves behind countless fans who were moved by her angelic voice, which gave her songs the warmth and charm of a lullaby.

Connie Francis, Beloved Singer, Passes Away at 87

On July 17, news broke that singer and actress Connie Francis passed away at the age of 87. The sad announcement was made by Francis's longtime publicist and friend,...

Pouring through the “In Memoriam” tributes to Connie Francis following her July 16 death, aged 87, I was a little surprised to find how few mentioned her brief but highly successful foray into film — particularly considering her most famous tune, “Where the Boys Are,” was the title of her debut feature. So, like any self-respecting vintage pop culture lover, I popped on the movie this morning to relive the screen presence that was Ms. Francis.

Francis is part of the ensemble in “Where the Boys Are,” which should be the focus of its own film essay series… I mean, truly, this Hays Code-bending 1960 teen comedy-drama focuses on a group of college girls hunting for men while on spring break in Ft. Lauderdale: some are willing to keep their virtue, some are not. Francis plays hockey player Angie, the kind of wise-cracking sidekick character that would eventually support Meg Ryan in ’90s romcoms.

Connie Francis, who died Wednesday at the age of 87, had a long and storied career that recently peaked again when her song "Pretty Little Baby" went viral on TikTok. A big achievement for any performer, nevertheless one in her 80s, but there's one milestone of Francis' that can never be replicated.

In 1960, at the age of 22, Francis had a hit song with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" that managed a level of success that even her arguably more famous rendition of "Who's Sorry Now?" never achieved.

With "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," Francis became the first female artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100. The chart had only been created two years earlier, with "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson becoming the first No. 1 on the list.

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" spent two weeks at the top of the chart.

Francis would go on top the chart two more times, with "Paradiso" in September 1962 and...

Connie Francis, who was the most successful vocal artist back in the 1960s, has sadly passed away at the age of 87. The news of her passing was confirmed by longtime friend and President of Concetta Records, Ron Roberts.

Taking to his Facebook page early July 17, Roberts wrote, “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”

He wrote that more details will be revealed in time, but at the time of writing, Roberts hasn’t shared another post on his account. However, he did change his profile photo to that of one with Francis.

Francis’ death came two weeks after she was hospitalized in Florida due to extreme pain. On June 25, Roberts shared an update from Francis,...

Connie Francis, the immensely popular mid-century pop singer known for teary ballads exemplified by “Who’s Sorry Now?” and jaunty, infectious near-novelty records “Stupid Cupid” and “Vacation,” died Wednesday. She was 87.

Her statement was announced on Facebook by her publicist and longtime friend Ron Roberts. A cause was not disclosed, but Francis was recently hospitalized in Florida where she reported “extreme pain” after suffering a fractured hip.

In today’s post, Roberts writes: “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later.”

Francis’ heyday was the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, when she scored 35 Top 40 and 16 Top 10 hits, placing three in the top spot: “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “My...

Connie Francis, the pop singer who released a string of hit singles across the late Fifties and early Sixties including “Where the Boys Are” and “Who’s Sorry Now?,” died on Wednesday at the age of 87.

Francis’ death was confirmed on Thursday by Ron Roberts, her friend and president of her Concetta Records (Francis’ birth name was Concetta Franconero). “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” Roberts wrote on social media in a...

Two weeks after it was revealed that Connie Francis had been hospitalized, the singer was died at the age of 87. Best known for her hits including “Who’s Sorry Now?” and “Pretty Little Baby,” Francis was the first female solo artist to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard 100 charts. The news was confirmed by Ron Roberts, who is Francis’ friend and the president of her record label. “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” Francis wrote via Facebook on Thursday, July 17. “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later.” On July 2, Francis took to Facebook herself to update fans on her health. “Hello Everyone — As many of you may now have learned through Cousin Brucie’s Facebook page,...

Connie Francis, the actress and beloved pop vocalist who had hits with “Who’s Sorry Now?,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Stupid Cupid” and “Where the Boys Are” before her life took several turbulent turns, has died. She was 87.

Ron Roberts, her friend and the president of the musician’s label Concetta Records, shared the news on Facebook on Thursday. “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” he wrote in a note that was reposted by the official Francis account on Facebook. “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”

The news comes after the star was hospitalized earlier this month. “I am back in the hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the...

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that singer and actor Connie Francis has died at age 87. Her death was confirmed on social media by Ron Roberts, a friend of Francis' who served as her copyright manager. Connie Francis is currently being portrayed on stage by Gracie Lawrence in the Broadway musical Just In Time, The Bobby Darin Story. Francis was introduced to Darin early in her career, and he helped write several songs for her, before the pair developed a romantic relationship. Francis rose to fame in the...

Connie Francis has sadly died at the age of 87.

The beloved singer of “Pretty Little Baby” passed away on Tuesday night (July 15), her close friend Ron Roberts confirmed in a Facebook post. Connie‘s official page reshared the news of her death.

The news comes just weeks after Connie was hospitalized for “extreme pain,” but she updated fans just days later that she was “feeling much better.”

Keep reading to find out more…

Ron wrote on his page on July 16, “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later.”

Connie‘s death comes just months after her song “Pretty Little Baby” had a major resurgence due to going viral on TikTok.

Connie Francis has been hospitalized due to ongoing pain. The 87-year-old shared a health update on Facebook, where she wrote that she completed “a series of tests and examinations in intensive care” and has since been moved to a private room.

“I am back in hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing,” Francis shared. The retired singer was scheduled to appear on an Independence Day radio broadcast with host Cousin Brucie, but will no longer participate.

Connie Francis, who at 87 is enjoying a remarkable and surprising return to the spotlight thanks to her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” going viral on TikTok, has been hospitalized for what she says is “extreme pain.” The “Where The Boys Are” singer canceled a planned July 4th radio appearance.

Francis, who earlier this month said on Facebook that she had suffered a fractured hip, wrote on her page yesterday that she is back in the hospital.

“As many of you may now have learned through [radio DJ] Cousin Brucie’s Facebook page, I am back in hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing,” she wrote. “I had hoped to take part in Brucie’s show for Independence Day, having had to cancel a previous slot a few weeks ago when receiving treatment on my hip. Sadly, I had...

Iconic singer and entertainer Connie Francis has revealed she was hospitalized on July 2 after undergoing a series of tests and examinations for “extreme pain.” The “Pretty Little Baby” hitmaker announced the news on her Facebook page on Wednesday, writing, “I am pleased to advise that following a series of tests and examinations in Intensive Care, I have now been transferred to a private room. Thank you all for your kind thoughts, words and prayers. They mean so much! Love, Connie.” Hours earlier, Francis told her followers, “I am back in hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing. I had hoped to take part in Brucie’s show for Independence Day, having had to cancel a previous slot a few weeks ago when receiving treatment on my hip. Sadly, I had to let him know that I again had to withdraw.

The band Lawrence has released a new "stripped-down" version of “Who’s Sorry Now?” performed by Tony nominees Gracie Lawrence (as Connie Francis) and Andrew Resnick (music director and orchestrator) from the hit Broadway musical Just in Time. Composed by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, the song was originally written in 1923 but later popularized by Connie Francis in 1958. Check out the performance now! Broadway's Just in Time stars Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff, Gracie Lawrence, Tony Award winner Michele Pawk, Joe Barbara, Drama Desk Award nominee Emily Bergl, Lance Roberts, Caesar Samayoa, Christine Cornish, Julia Grondin, Valeria Yamin, John Treacy Egan, Tari Kelly, <a...

Connie Francis has a viral hit with “Pretty Little Baby” — over 60 years after she first released it. Over the weekend, the Italian American pop singer shared a sweet reaction to learning that her B-side track is viral on TikTok. (She also dropped several new versions of the track in other languages.)

“My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception given to my 1961 recording ‘Pretty Little Baby,'” Francis wrote on Facebook Saturday. “The first I learned of it was when [my publicist] Ron called to...

Connie Francis is reacting to her song “Pretty Little Baby” making waves on TikTok over six decades after its recording.

If you didn’t know, the tune recently went viral on the social media platform, with many users showing themselves wearing vintage outfits and singing to their babies and pets. Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian have participated in the trend.

“Pretty Little Baby” has been used in nearly 15 million clips this year, streamed 20 million times on Spotify, and is currently at number 67 on the music streamer’s Global Top 100 chart.

Connie, 87, recently expressed her gratitude for the resurgence of the tune.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I am thrilled and overwhelmed at the success of ‘Pretty Little Baby.’ I recorded that song 63 years ago and to know that an entire new generation now knows who I am, and my music is thrilling for me. Thank you so much everybody,...

Tune in to Late Night with Seth Meyers next week to see the Tony-nominated stars of Just in Time, Jonathan Groff and Gracie Lawrence, on the show. The duo, who star as Bobby Darin and Connie Francis in the Broadway musical, will visit the late-night show on Tuesday, May 6. Late Night with Seth Meyers airs weekdays at 12:35/11:35c on NBC. Developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, Just In Time invites audiences to experience the great American entertainer’s meteoric journey – from soaring highs to crushing lows – brought to life by Groff, a cast of 11 on-stage actors, and featuring a live on-stage band performing Bobby Darin’s iconic hits including “Beyond the Sea,” “Splish Splash,”...

Well, big weekly grosses and even bigger stars can’t guarantee a Tony Awards nomination.

Broadway does what Broadway wants, so no Best Play nominations (or anything else) for huge moneymaker Othello, and no Best Play noms for Good Night, and Good Luck, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Same for the critical favorite Cult of Love.

While Good Night and Dorian Gray weren’t nominated for Best Play, their big stars — George Clooney and Sarah Snook, respectively — were nominated for their performances, as expected. In fact, Dorian Gray, in which Snook plays all the characters from the Oscar Wilde novel, has the distinction of being the most nominated solo show in Tony history, placing in six categories: Snook’s performance, Kip Williams’ direction, and nods for scenic, lighting, sound and costume design.

Related: Broadway’s 2024-2025 Season: All Of Deadline’s Reviews

Perhaps the...

Othello, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Denzel Washington, was entirely shut out of the 2025 Tony Award nominations.

While the play received mostly mixed reviews, it has been drawing crowds on Broadway and has frequently had the most expensive average ticket price in the industry, at $374.17 last week.

The new musical Redwood, starring Idina Menzel, was also entirely shut out of the Tony nominations, as was the musical The Last Five Years, starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. McNeal, led by Robert Downey Jr. in his Broadway debut, did not receive any Tony nominations.

Though George Clooney got his first Tony Award nomination for his role in Good Night, and Good Luck, the play, which he co-wrote, did not receive a nod for best play, even as it has also been the highest grossing production on Broadway for the past several weeks.

Similarly, the celebrity-driven Glengarry Glen Ross did not get a...

Nominations for the 69th annual Drama Desk Awards were announced Wednesday by Tony- and Grammy-nominated actor Norm Lewis. Winners will be announced on June 1, at a ceremony taking place at NYU Skirball and hosted by Debra Messing and Tituss Burgess.

The Drama Desk Awards are unique in the landscape of New York theater, as they are the only place where Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off Broadway compete within the same categories. The nominating committee of the 2025 Drama Desk Awards comprises Chair Martha Wade Steketee, Linda Armstrong, Daniel Dinero, Peter Filichia, Kenji Fujishima, Raven Snook, and Charles Wright.

The Broadway transfers of Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, English, Job, and Oh, Mary! were not eligible for these kudos, having already competed for their off-Broadway runs.

Boop! The Musical clearly captured the hearts of the nominators. The infectiously upbeat tuner is the most nominated production, with 11 nominations. Nipping at its heels is...

Just In Time, the Bobby Darin jukebox musical starring Jonathan Groff opening tonight at a wonderfully dressed Circle in the Square on Broadway, does some serious and genuine starmaking, twice over in fact. Darin, the once hugely popular but now barely remembered nightclub singer and Top 40 hitmaker is returned to a spot in our cultural memory, and Groff, the Tony-winning star of last season’s Merrily We Roll Along and for years now one of the stage’s more popular young actors, newly emerges to the top ranks of the best, most natural all-around entertainers working today.

Some performances – think Liza Minnelli in the film Cabaret, or Hugh Jackman in Broadway’s The Boy From Oz – send their stars into new stratospheres, something outside the labels “actor” and “singer” and into that exclusive circle of stars who can hold a stage both as a character and as themselves, instantly recognizable and unique.

Update: Broadway’s Mean Girls star Erika Henningsen will play singer Sandra Dee in the upcoming Just In Time musical about Bobby Darin starring Jonathan Groff.

Henningsen’s arrival rounds out the cast in the world premiere Broadway staging, which begins previews at Circle in the Square Theater on Friday, March 28, with an opening night on Wednesday, April 23.

Producers Tom Kirdahy, Robert Ahrens and John Frost made the casting announcement today.

Previous, Jan. 14: Gracie Lawrence of The Sex Lives of College Girls and the band Lawrence will make her Broadway musical debut this spring opposite Jonathan Groff in the Bobby Darin musical Just In Time. She’ll play singer Connie Francis to Groff’s Darin.

Also joining the cast is Emily Bergl, who has appeared on Broadway in Goodnight Oscar, The Ferryman, and A Touch of the Poet and on TV in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Mindhunter. For Just In TIme,...

Gracie Lawrence takes center spot in a group photo at the NewFest screening of The Sex Lives of College Girls held at The Center on Thursday (January 16) in New York City.

The 28-year-old singer and actress was joined by two of her co-stars, Ruby Cruz and Mia Rodgers, as well as writer, director and executive producer Justin Noble, who co-created the series with Mindy Kaling.

That same day, a brand new episode of the Max series dropped that day. Titled “Pics,” as Kacey (Lawrence) readies herself for a special date, Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) takes her first nude. Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) goes after what she needs, and Bela (Amrit Kaur) turns a roadblock with Arvind (Nabeel Muscatwalla) into new material.

If you missed the exciting news, it was just announced this week that Gracie will be making her Broadway musical debut in the new musical Just in Time.

Keep reading to find out more…...

Gracie Lawrence is heading to Broadway!

The 28-year-old actress is best known for playing Kacey on Max’s original series The Sex Lives of College Girls and for her band Lawrence.

Gracie is joining the cast of the new musical Just in Time opposite Tony winner Jonathan Groff.

Keep reading to find out more…

Groff stars as Bobby Darin, the legendary singer whose short but remarkable life took him from teen idol to global sensation, inspiring generations of performers who followed. The musical immerses audiences into an intimate, swinging nightclub complete with a live big band, a stellar ensemble cast, and a parade of Bobby Darin’s hits including “Beyond the Sea,” “Mack the Knife,” “Splish Splash,” and “Dream Lover.”

Lawrence will be taking on the role of Connie Francis. It was also just announced that Desperate Housewives actress Emily Bergl has joined the cast as Nina/Mary.

Performances begin...

Smile 2 doubles down on the original's horror now that the demonic curse has found its next host. The sequel's doomed protagonist also shares a Scream actor's celebrity status.

Smile 2 director Parker Finn said they prioritized building a believable persona for the film's main protagonist. The sequel is bigger and bolder with a pop superstar as the demon curse's new focus. Smile 2 follows pop sensation Skye Riley's (played by Naomi Scott) rehabilitation and recovery after a life-changing event; the fictional character appears on The Drew Barrymore Show to reflect on her recovery and to announce her comeback concert. Finn told Entertainment Weekly that Barrymore's cameo validated Skye Riley's celebrity status.

Related The Best Written Movie Protagonists Of All Time

Well-written protagonists play important roles beyond the films they star in. Without them, many movies wouldn't be as memorable.

"Building credibility with this pop star was such a priority...

Bob Booker, the veteran writer and producer whose crowning achievement was the hugely popular 1962 comedy album The First Family, which poked fun at President John F. Kennedy and won the Grammy for album of the year, has died. He was 92.

Booker died Friday of heart failure at his home in Tiburon, California, his family announced. He spent 75 years working in the recording industry and in radio, film and television.

Booker also teamed with George Foster to write the cult film The Phynx (1970), about a rock band who goes to Albania to rescue celebrities (among them Colonel Sanders and Leo Gorcey of The Bowery Boys) taken captive by communists.

He wrote and produced five seasons (1987-91) of the syndicated sitcom Out of This World, which starred Donna Pescow, Maureen Flannigan and friend Burt Reynolds, who as a favor agreed to voice the extra-terrestrial father on the show.

Booker and partner Earle Doud...

TV producer/writer Bob Booker, who spent 75 years working in television, radio, film, and the recording industry, died July 12 at his home in Tiburon, California, at age 92 from heart failure, according to his daughter, Laura Booker.

Booker was best known for the Grammy Award-winning album, The First Family,

In 1963, Booker, with partner Earle Doud, wrote and produced The First Family, a lampoon of President John F. Kennedy and his family starring Vaughn Meader. The album became the largest- and fastest-selling record in the history of the record industry, selling one million copies per week for the first six weeks and ultimately selling 7.5 million copies. The First Family went on to win the Grammy for Best Album that year.

JFK was known to have enjoyed parody, and when asked about the album, he replied, “I listened to Mr. Meader’s record, and frankly, I thought it sounded more like Teddy than it did me.

Tony-winner Jonathan Groff is set to star in a staged reading next month of a new musical about Bobby Darin, the 1950s-’60s-era singer who scored hits with “Mack the Knife,” “Dream Lover” and “Beyond The Sea,” Deadline has confirmed.

With an eye toward Broadway, Groff will perform the industry reading of Just In Time in New York next month. Alex Timbers will direct the reading, as he did in 2018 when he teamed with Groff on an early concert version of the musical at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

The musical takes its name from the Jule Styne-Adolph Green-Betty Comden song “Just In Time,” which Darin, among many others, recorded.

Attached to produce for an eventual Broadway run are Tom Kirdahy and Robert Ahrens. The reading in New York will be staged under the auspices of the Arlington, Virginia, non-profit regional theater Signature Theatre.

A timeframe...

When the Apple TV+ series The New Look premiered in February, it brought with it the true stories of Paris-based fashion designers — from Christian Dior to Coco Chanel — navigating the hardships of World War II. But the show also offered a new sound by way of its Jack Antonoff-produced soundtrack. The latest release from the record finds Bartees Strange reimagining the 1940s classic “You Always Hurt the One You Love.”

“Jack pulled a crazy group of musicians together to do original versions of some classic songs,” Strange wrote on...

Pat Cooper, the famously fast-talking and angry stand-up comedian who often appeared on Ed Sullivan and Howard Stern’s shows, died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 93.

Cooper appeared on “Seinfeld” in the Friars Club episode, playing himself. He also appeared with Robert DeNiro in the 1999 film “Analyze This” as Salvatore Masiello and reprised his role in “Analyze That.”

He was a frequent guest host on the Mike Douglas Show in the 1970s, and appeared many times on the Howard Stern show throughout the 1990s and 2000s, where he was known for his cranky persona.

Born Pasquale Caputo to an Italian family in Brooklyn, he started out playing local New York clubs. In 1963, he landed a spot on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” and then began performing at the Copacabana, where he opened for acts including the Four Seasons and Jimmy Roselli.

Cooper went on to perform at clubs across the country,...

“The Novice” is a dark-side-of-sports thriller. It’s a movie, like “Personal Best” or “Prefontaine,” that a lot of star athletes will probably be able to relate to, but it’s also a movie for anyone who ever felt existentially uncomfortable in gym class. The central character — and that’s no exaggeration, since her moody, relentless thousand-yard stare anchors every scene — is Alex Dall (Isabelle Fuhrman), a freshman at Wellington University, an overcast dystopian oasis of modernist concrete slabs, who decides to join the rowing team there. She’s not looking for an athletic scholarship (she was second in her high-school class and has won a full ride), and it’s a sport she has no experience in. At first, as she buckles down and starts her Erg workouts, strapping herself into a rowing machine that measures the amount of work being done, she seems as physically self-conscious and out-of-sorts...

Carmel Quinn, an entertainer whose Irish songs and stories made her a Carnegie Hall staple on St. Patrick’s day for a quarter century, died from pneumonia March 6 at her home in Leonia, N.J. She was 95 and her death was confirmed by her family.

Born and raised in Dublin, Quinn won an audition Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, a star-making vehicle of the 1950s whose alumni included Pat Boone, Tony Bennett and Connie Francis. She later moved to the television show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends, and also appeared on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show and other top variety programs of the day. Much later, she showed up on Live With Regis and Kathie Lee.

Quinn was famous for her songs and tales of the auld sod, with a snappy patter of anecdotes about her relatives and life. Quinn became a...

Welcome to this week’s Nxt UK review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have four matches, which is good. Yeah, don’t expect much excitement from me this time. I fell asleep on my toaster. I’ll let you figure out what that means.

Match #1: Trent Seven def. Kona Reeves The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Prior to his match against Trent Seven, Nxt’s Kona Reeves got on the mic in order to insult both the Nxt UK brand and The Artful Dodger. When words turned to action, Seven defended the honor of both himself and his brand when he overcame Reeves with the Burning Hammer. However, as he exchanged high-fives with the WWE Universe at ringside after the bell, someone suddenly grabbed his hand and didn’t let go. That man was a smiling Eddie Dennis, returning to the view of...

The first thing I want to ask Kent Jones is about his love of actress and singer Andrea Martin. Sctv, of which she was a cast member, was an essential part of my youth; my parents had it on all the time. It's not simply that I want a chance to share a common obsession, but rather there is something in the cozy, shot-on-tape homemade glow of the Canadian sketch show that provides a window into the film Jones has directed, his first fiction feature after years as a critic, programmer, and non-fiction filmmaker. It's only something that can be part of our past now. The film, Diane, is about a woman in a forgotten corridor of Massachusetts, the place where Jones grew up, who is stuck in a rut of routine, anger, and disappointment. It's based on his memories, of his mother, his home, his relatives, a friend, and...

Actor Roger Perry died on July 12 at his home in Indian Wells. California, after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 85.

Perry compiled dozens of feature, television, and stage credits during a long career that began when he was discovered by Lucille Ball, who put the young actor under contract to Desilu Studios. He co-starred with Pat O'Brien in the 1960 ABC series Harrigan and Son, and co-starred with Chuck Connors and Ben Gazzara in the 90-minute drama Arrest & Trial.

Perry was a guest star on the Star Trek TV series in a memorable first-season episode in 1967, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” playing Captain John Christopher. He appeared on Love, American Style, Ironside, The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-0, Barnaby Jones, The Bob Newhart Show, Quincy, CHiPs, The Fall Guy, and many more. He also recurred on programs such as The Facts of Life (as Charles Parker) and Falcon Crest (as John Costello from 1982-...

Anyone who saw singer Mandy Barnett playing the title role in Always… Patsy Cline or heard her splendid 2013 tribute LP to singer-songwriter Don Gibson is already aware of Barnett’s ability to deliver polished Nashville Sound classics with panache. The Tennessee native, who grazed the country charts in the late Nineties with Americana-ready material when that movement was in its infancy, earned considerable praise for her vocal range and should be well-positioned to do the same with regard to the breadth of material on her forthcoming album.

Barnett will end...

Actor Roger Perry died Thursday at his home in Indian Wells. Calif., after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 85.

Perry compiled dozens of feature, television, and stage credits during a long career that began when he was discovered by Lucille Ball, who put the young actor under contract to Desilu Studios. He co-starred with Pat O’Brien in the 1960 ABC series “Harrigan and Son,” and co-starred with Chuck Connors and Ben Gazzara in the 90-minute drama “Arrest & Trial” (1963-64).

Perry was a guest star on the “Star Trek” TV series in a memorable first-season episode in 1967, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” playing Captain John Christopher. He appeared on “Love, American Style,” “Ironside,” “The F.B.I.,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Barnaby Jones,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Quincy,” “CHiPs,” “The Fall Guy,” and many more before becoming a regular on programs such as “The Facts of Life” and “Falcon Crest.”

His movie credits included “Follow the Boys” (1963) with Connie Francis,...

While Tatum O'Neal has endured her share of tough times — including a bitter divorce from tennis champ John McEnroe and public battles with addiction and her movie star dad, Ryan O'Neal — she tells Closer Weekly, in an exclusive interview, that she is excited about her life now. Tatum is starring in the new film God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness and enjoys being "a devoted mom" to her kids, Kevin, 31, Sean, 30, and Emily, 26. As they've gotten older, their relationship has "changed for the better," Tatum, 54, reveals to Closer. "I think we have a lot in common now, and you become more like comrades. I have a lot of joy in my life." While her relationship with her kids has improved, her relationship with ex John has remained "complicated." Tatum tells Closer, "I was the one who left the marriage, and I don't know if you've ever seen John mad,...

In an exclusive interview with Closer Weekly, pop icon Connie Francis opens up about how she overcame adversity to find true happiness at age 80. The Where the Boys Are star scored 15 Top 10 hits in the '50s and '60s, including "My Happiness," "Lipstick on Your Collar," and "Among My Souvenirs," the song that shares a title with the massive (at 609 pages!) first volume of a new memoir she worked on "feverishly" for seven years. "I think there are very few people in this world who have experienced the kind of exhilaration that I have on many occasions," she tells Closer. Connie in 1960. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Yet it all came with big setbacks, including four divorces, her brother Georgie’s 1981 murder and a controlling father who ended her relationship with her true love, Bobby Darin. But Connie is as resilient as they come. "If I had to take all...

Forgotten amid Robert Aldrich’s more critic-friendly movies is this superb suspense picture, an against-all-odds thriller that pits an old-school pilot against a push-button young engineer with his own kind of male arrogance. Can a dozen oil workers and random passengers ‘invent’ their way out of an almost certain death trap? It’s a late-career triumph for James Stewart, at the head of a sterling ensemble cast. I review a UK disc in the hope of encouraging a new restoration.

The Flight of the Phoenix

Region B Blu-ray

(will not play in domestic U.S. players)

Masters of Cinema / Eureka Entertainment

1965 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 142 min. / Street Date September 12, 2016 / £12.95

Starring: James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Krüger, Ernest Borgnine, Ian Bannen, Ronald Fraser, Christian Marquand, Dan Duryea, George Kennedy, Gabriele Tinti, Alex Montoya, Peter Bravos, William Aldrich, Barrie Chase.

Cinematography: Joseph Biroc

Stunt Pilot: Paul Mantz

Art Direction: William Glasgow...

Heading for Spring Break somewhere? Long before Girls Gone Wild, kids of the Kennedy years found their own paths to the desired fun in the sun, and most of them came back alive. MGM’s comedic look at the Ft. Lauderdale exodus is a half-corny but fully endearing show, featuring the great Dolores Hart and the debuts of Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss and Jim Hutton.

Where the Boys Are

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1960 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date July 25, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Connie Francis, Dolores Hart, Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton

Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, Frank Gorshin, Barbara Nichols, Chill Wills.

Cinematography: Robert Bronner

Art Direction: Preston Ames, George W. Davis

Film Editor: Fredric Steinkamp

Original Music: Pete Rugolo, Neil Sedaka, George Stoll, Victor Young

Written by George Wells from a novel by Glendon Swarthout

Produced by Joe Pasternak

Directed by Henry Levin

Ah yes, in 1960 first-wave Rock...

Her breezy pop hits and beach party movies made Connie Francis one of the biggest stars of the ’50s and early ’60s, but her life has been far from sunny.

After a successful singing career with mega-hits like “Who’s Sorry Now,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” and “Stupid Cupid,” plus a starring role in the 1960 spring break classic Where the Boys Are, the chanteuse suffered hardship and heartbreak in the decades to come—including rape, murder, and the death of her true love.

But all that was behind her on Wednesday night as she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from...

Now that Nicki Minaj has dropped three new hit tracks, she has surpassed Aretha Franklin’s decades-long record for most Hot 100 songs of any female artist. The Queen of Soul held the record for nearly 40 years with 73 chart-making songs. Now Minaj has 76 Hot 100 entries, with the debut of three new songs that made Billboard’s Hot 100: “No Frauds,” with Drake and Lil Wayne (No. 14), “Regret in Your Tears” (No. 61) and “Changed It,” with Lil Wayne (No. 71). Also Read: Katy Perry Says She 'Prayed the Gay Away' at Jesus Camps (Video) Franklin first beat singer Connie Francis for...

Something sort of miraculous happened on The Voice‘s Season 10 premiere — and I’m not just talking about the Chosen Contestant in a four-chair turn selecting the lone female coach for the first time ever.

Related2016 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?

Nope, somehow NBC’s reality singing juggernaut combined all my least-favorite Blind Audition elements — formerly famous person taking a second swing at success; backstory tugging at the heartstrings; the entire coaching panel devolving into noisy hype; the contestant herself using the word “journey” — and made me fall for it...

Welcome to the eighth installment of our summer trip through "The Sopranos" season 1. When I revisited early seasons of "The Wire," as well as the whole run of "Deadwood," I did separate versions of each review for newcomers and veterans, but over time realized that the newcomers weren't commenting much, if at all, and that it therefore made sense to simply do one review. Any significant spoilers for episodes beyond the one being reviewed will be contained in a separate section at the end of the review; so long as you avoid that, and the comments, you should be fine. Thoughts on the eighth episode, “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti," coming up just as soon as I devote my energies to the dignity of Connie Francis... "Where's my arc?" -Christopher And here we come to the meta — before it was even 100% meta. "The Sopranos" quickly became a hit for HBO...

"The Craft" is being remade, and guess what? I'm not mad about it. Leigh Janiak did a terrific job on a limited budget with her recent horror flick "Honeymoon," and -- while I would certainly prefer that she utilize her talents in service of an original vision -- I trust she'll at least bring something interesting to the table. That said, the original movie will always hold a special place in the heart of every former '90s goth kid who's cool enough to recall the brief, unforgettable moment when Fairuza Balk was the preeminent alterna-"It Girl" of film. Without further adieu, here are the ten best parts of the original movie. 1. "We are the weirdos, mister" An iconic line delivered with sarcastic verve by our dear Fairuza. Punk rock. 2. All the scenes where they're just hanging out One of the main elements that makes "The Craft" a successful...