show

Thundering drums and shredding guitar solos cut through the crowd as pyrotechnics and streamer cannons blast. The energy and production feel like a show at the Hollywood Palladium or the Forum, but we’re at Knott’s Berry Farm, on the rooftop of a big red doghouse — that is if we can suspend our disbelief for an evening. The educational rock band Jelly of the Month Club along with guest musicians Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder and Linus set up the show’s finale with a question: “Where’s that crazy dog?” Hundreds of fans scream as “All aboard!” resonates through the park, watching in anticipation as a spotlight searches for its fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll star to emerge.

Chances are you’ve seen Snoopy dressed as Doggy Pawsbourne on your Instagram or TikTok feed, complete with Ozzy’s signature round sunglasses, long hair and trench coat, punctuating the Prince of Barkness’ “Crazy Train” entrance. Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert became an instant hit with park patrons and with fans internationally thanks to a viral video posted on opening night. Sharon Osbourne shared the “Peanuts” tribute to her late husband with the all caps message “I LOVE IT” to her social media from the floor of the 68th Grammy Awards. But it’s more than witty puns and costumes that make Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert special.

The show at Knott’s tells the story of Snoopy learning to be a rock star at Jelly of the Month Club’s Music Academy and touring the world with the band. Snoopy takes on fursonas like Dog Lennon, Paw Prince, Fido Mercury, Flying Ace Freely and even a lost member of Devo wearing the signature Energy Dome hat. Jelly of the Month Club hits every beat and chord with precision, with arrangements of songs and medleys that bring together the power of rock’s past with the whimsy of “Peanuts.” Woodstock gets a solo moment too, whistling on Dog Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” set to a perfect one drop beat as Charlie Brown spirals out in a chicken suit while rubber chickens sway.

“We got rows of kids bringing their own rubber chickens,” show director Rob Perez tells me. “Its almost like watching ‘Rocky Horror’; kind of bizarre, really funny, and charming.” When Charles Schulz’s daughter Jill came to see the show, she told Perez that her dad used to say “there’s nothing funnier than a rubber chicken.”

Snoopy as Doggy Pawsbourne at Knott’s Berry Farm

(Dick Slaughter)

It makes sense that rock ‘n’ roll appeals to Snoopy; he’s a bit of an outsider with an internal life seen by almost none of his friends. It makes more sense that the feeling of family promised by rock touring life would appeal to Charlie Brown; it often calls to creative dreamers and outcasts with a subconscious need to belong. Schulz explored why all humans have the feeling people don’t like us in his cartoons and admitted that Charlie Brown was loosely based on himself. “People who win are the minority,” he told BBC in 1977, “most of us lose a lot.” The solution he provided to overcoming life’s most difficult conditions was simply to never give up.

Nobody cheers on Charlie Brown in Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert more than Jelly of the Month Club guitarist and vocalist Michael De La Torre, a.k.a. Mic Dangerously, who has become accustomed to encouragement working with youth. Active since 2013, Jelly of the Month Club is a family-friendly band who use music to inspire, educate and entertain kids and adults. It has played countless elementary schools, children’s hospitals, civic events and theme parks with interactive songs that teach musical concepts and life lessons. The band also offers free online lessons called the Jelly of the Month Club Music Academy, which turned live gigs into cartoon-based educational games. The band members have partnered with nonprofits including UNICEF’s Kid Power initiative to provide concerts to schools across Southern California, often donating their time.

“Studies say music helps with math, English and science, but it also helps you as a person,” Dangerously says. “It helps you understand feelings better. Look at how adults use music therapeutically. Kids are doing just the same.”

Dangerously first recognized the power of music education as a young boy at St. Pius elementary school in Buena Park, when a man with a bushy mustache and a Hawaiian shirt quieted the boisterous students in seconds with only an acoustic guitar. But hearing Louis Prima’s voice in “The Jungle Book” solidified his desire to become a singer.

Playing at Knott’s has forged meaningful connections to the community in ways Dangerously never foresaw in his early rock ‘n’ roll days. He’s become close to a father and his usually nonverbal son who can’t keep quiet at shows, asking questions and singing along. Last year an older woman who he’s built a friendship with for years suddenly disappeared. Dangerously learned from her daughter and granddaughter that she suffered a stroke. She credits singing and dancing to his music at Knott’s as instrumental in recovering her speech and movement. “She told me that she loved me like a son,” Dangerously says. “I’ve never had anything like that happen with my rock band. It makes you really want to show up.”

On the night The Times experienced Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert, Dangerously’s biggest fan, Abbey, stood in the front row playing a light up tambourine above her head to “The Blooz Beagles,” wearing a head-to-toe matching outfit to him. In her sequin blazer, red pants, black boots, bow tie and wide-brim hat, the 11-year-old mirrored his musical gestures, never missing a beat. Abbey loves “everything” about the music and dancing she tells me, excited to share that Mic personally gave her the tambourine and a few other instruments too.

Crowd at Jelly of the Month Club show at Knott’s

“They’ve known her since she was 3,” says April Guerrero, Abbey’s supportive mom who has helped her daughter make replicas of Jelly of the Month Club’s looks since 2017. Abbey learned to play music because of the band’s online resources.

“Many of us have a background in education,” Dangerously said. Matt Kalin is a teacher and pro saxophonist who has shared the stage with legends like Social Distortion and Louis Bellson. Dr. Todd Forman is a practicing physician who went to Harvard, taught at USC, and played sax with Sublime. Bassist James Kee is an educator who has taught kindergarten through fourth grade for the last 15 years. Dangerously’s own mom was an art teacher who encouraged him to teach after he finished his audio engineering degree at Musicians Institute, something he’s used in a junior producer’s course he created for an after-school program in Long Beach.

Like the members of Jelly of the Month Club, director Rob Perez is a multi-instrumentalist and producer with a deep reverence for classic rock and Charles Schulz cartoons. Perez is the man responsible for turning Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert from a dream into a reality. The concert grew out of a 2017 show called Woodstock’s Music Festival. When Snoopy walked out as Jimmy Hendrix, the crowd went wild, and Perez’s boss and Knott’s fans wanted more.

“The Rooftop Concert is a little bit of a nod to the Beatles, but it’s much more about Snoopy’s rooftop,” Perez tells me. “When you see Snoopy as the great writer, or the World War I Flying Ace, it’s always on the roof of his doghouse. So why wouldn’t he be a rock star on his rooftop?”

Knott’s rebrand of the show let Perez incorporate more storytelling, a task he shared with Jelly of the Month Club. The show opens with Snoopy traveling from his fictional cartoon town to a rehearsal where Dangerously gifts him a tambourine to join their jam. He sends Snoopy home with a pile of records which he listens to obsessively in his doghouse, a relatable experience for fans who have found solace and inspiration in old LPs, hiding out like Snoopy with pizza, root beer, and the complicated dream of leaving the only place you’ve ever called home to follow music’s call. Snoopy dons a leather vest, proclaims he’s a “Golden Dog,” and runs away from home to take lessons at Jelly of the Month Club‘s Music Academy and tour the world. After receiving criticism in the recording studio about his howl, Snoopy finds himself missing his best friend Charlie Brown. He asks the Peanuts Gang to team up with Jelly of the Month Club for one final performance on top of his doghouse, legendary enough to land them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perez’s writing and producing shares the attention to detail present in Jelly of the Month Club’s approach to the music. Perez had the honor of voice acting for Snoopy. He digitally re-created a technique he learned from researching Bill Melendez’s 1960s approach in which he recorded barks and grumbles directly to reel-to-reel tape, sped it up, then cut and pasted it randomly to create Snoopy’s signature pentameter-less cadence. Perez worked closely with costume designer Tim Barham, creating every wig, accessory, and costume with exacting detail. The storyline and graphics pay close attention to “Peanuts” lore and rock ‘n’ roll film history, with Easter eggs from “La Bamba,” “Rocketman,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Almost Famous” and many others hidden throughout the 30-minute show.

“We don’t try to change the Peanuts from who they are,” Perez says. “We have to bring Charlie Brown along as he constantly fails at being a rock star. We have to give him a shot and prop him up, because he’s usually on the ledge. We bring him back. That’s been the premise of many Peanuts TV specials and movies.”

Mic Dangerously with Snoopy at Knott’s

(Dick Slaughter)

Jelly of the Month Club’s original song “The Magic Is in the Music” meets Charlie Brown where he’s at, encouraging him to take on the challenge of becoming a guitarist. As he fumbles with his out-of-tune Flying V, looking ready to shred in a thrash band, the crowd cheers for his success despite his self-doubt. When Charlie withdraws during the Elton John number, Dangerously responds by saying that that music can be a safe place when you’re feeling lost, saying “Charlie Brown, you are home.”

“We’re out there singing we ‘want to bark and howl all night’ but we’re teaching Charlie Brown and Snoopy is that it’s not just about your clothes, it’s about what’s in here,” Dangerously says, touching his heart. “It’s important not to take yourself too seriously. We’re showing that it’s OK to have fun. And that silliness is a big, important component of rock and roll.”

This spirit is the core of Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert on stage and on the floor. At the show I see a sea of grandmas shaking babies’ fists in the air, a little boy in a Woodstock hoodie headbanging, rockers in studded vests with huge smiles on their faces, and teenagers momentarily dropping their defenses against cringe in exchange for a moment of sheer joy.

Hanna and Ellie, teens from South Gate and Silver Lake, respectively, can’t contain themselves, pogoing, screaming and singing along. “I’m at a loss for words,” Hanna says, giggling. The girls agree that the show was better than they expected.

On Snoopy’s rooftop everyone is a rock star: Abbey, a rubber chicken and even Charlie Brown.

When the Justice Department released an additional 3 million pages of documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein at the end of January, ARTnews unearthed and published excerpts from dozens of emails between Epstein and David A. Ross, a former director of the Whitney Museum of American Art who started his career in the 1970s as deputy director and curator of video art at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Ross, who served as the chair of the MFA art practice program at New York’s School of Visual Arts since 2009, promptly resigned.

If the emails had been less damning, the revelation of Ross’ connection to Epstein might have played out differently, but that was not the case. In one letter, dated Oct. 1, 2009, Epstein wrote to Ross that Roman Polanski’s attorney was coming to see him and that he was considering funding an exhibit titled, “Statutory.”

“Girls and boys ages 14 – 25, where they look nothing like their true ages,” Epstein wrote. “Juvenile mug shots, photo shop, make up. Some people go to prison because they can’t tell true age. Controversial. Fun. Maybe it should be a web page with hits, tallied.”

“You are incredible,” Ross wrote back. “This would be a very [sic] owerful and freaky book. Do you know that total porno commercial kiddie picture of Brooke Sheilds that Richard Prince appropriated for an exhibition in the early 1980’s?”

Epstein replied in the affirmative to Ross’ reference to a Prince photo titled, “Spiritual America,” which appropriated a 1976 photo of a naked, 10-year-old Shields taken by commercial photographer Gary Gross.

“They closed it off in the London show,” Epstein noted.

Ross also expressed sympathy for Epstein’s legal travails in 2009 following a 13-month sentence he served in Florida after pleading guilty to reduced state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution.

“Glad the nightmare is over, Jeffrey,” Ross wrote. “It was an undeserved punishment foisted upon you by jealous creeps.”

In an email to ARTnews, Ross expressed remorse that he “fell for” Epstein’s lies.

“Like many he supported with arts and education patronage, I profoundly regret that I was taken in by his story,” Ross wrote. “I continue to be appalled by his crimes and remain deeply concerned for its many victims.”

Ross noted that he first met Epstein when he was director of the Whitney in the mid-1990s. Ross also served as director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

“I knew him as a wealthy patron and a collector, and it was part of my job to befriend people who had the capacity and interest in supporting the museum,” Ross wrote, adding that when Epstein was jailed in 2008, he told Ross that it was a political “frame-up” resulting from his support for former President Bill Clinton. Ross said he believed him.

It seems lots of men believed Epstein. Meanwhile, behind all the power lunches, private plane rides and callous late-night emails, far too many women and girls suffered.

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt with your arts and culture news for the week.

On our radar

Michael Feinstein and the Carnegie Hall Ensemble will perform Valentine’s Day at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa.

(Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

Michael Feinstein: A Broadway Valentine
The singer, musician, conductor and stalwart proponent of the Great American Songbook celebrates the holiday of the heart with the Carnegie Hall Ensemble. Timeless love songs and lush orchestrations seem like a perfect way to spend the evening.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

A detail of miniature “sportraits” from Lyndon J. Barrois, Sr.’s exhibit, “Fútbol Is Life,” at LACMA.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Fútbol Is Life: Animated Sportraits
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL! Ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with L.A. as one of 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, arrives this unique exhibition celebrating the beautiful game. Portraying transcendent moments in men’s and women’s soccer, award‑winning animator and visual effects artist Lyndon  J. Barrois, Sr. fashions engrossing scenes in miniature from gum wrappers, glue, paint and other materials. The handmade sculptures and stop-motion animations on display bring together the visual and emotional elements that make it the world’s most popular sport. Jasmine Mendez spoke to Barrois about his process and Times photographer Allen J. Schaben provides more marvelous images.
Sunday through July 12. LACMA Resnick Pavilion, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. lacma.org

The Academy Museum’s exhibition “Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo” opens Saturday.

(Nibariki-GNDHDDT)

Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo
A deep dive into Hayao Miyazaki’s 2008 animated film about a goldfish who longs to be human honors the traditional hand-drawn animation processes used by its creators. The exhibition includes more than a hundred items handpicked by Studio Ghibli: art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original hand drawings by Miyazaki and others. “Because writer-director Miyazaki very much follows his own star when it comes to story, narratives like ‘Ponyo’ remind you of no one else’s tales,” wrote Times film critic Kenneth Turan upon the film’s U.S. release. “Not only do they offer up fantastical images, like Ponyo running on the crests of waves, they make deep connections to our emotions without following conventional paths, using the logic of dreams to excellent effect.”
Screening 2:30 p.m. Saturday; exhibition, Saturday through Jan. 10. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
Nitrate Festival
The American Cinematheque’s annual tribute to the beautiful, if highly volatile, film format that was used from the 1890s until the 1950s, offers audiences the rare opportunity to see this work on the big screen. The festival opens with the 1947 noir “Dead Reckoning,” starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Cromwell, and continues with William Wyler’s “The Good Fairy” (1935), Gregory La Cava’s “My Man Godfrey” (1936), William Wellman’s “Nothing Sacred” (1937), Mikio Naruse’s “Wife! Be Like A Rose!” (1935), David Lean’s “Blithe Spirit” (1945) and Cecil B. DeMille’s “Samson and Delilah” (1949).
7 p.m. Friday, through Feb. 22. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com

Foursome
Matthew Scott Montgomery, Adrián Javier, Jimin Moon and Calvin Seabrooks star in Montgomery’s comedy about a quartet of queer friends who reunite for an emotionally fraught, desire-filled weekend at a cabin. Directed by Tom DeTrinis.
Through March 23. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. iamatheatre.com

Guards at the Taj
Two sentries at the Taj Mahal have their friendship, faith and sense of duty challenged in Rajiv Joseph’s play set centuries in the past with contemporary resonance. Behzad Dabu and Kausar Mohammed star. Directed by Behzad Dabu.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 22
El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood elportaltheatre.com

Alfredo Rodriguez, left, and Pedrito Martinez will perform Friday at the Nimoy.

(Anna Webber)

Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez
Pianist Rodriguez and percussionist-vocalist Martinez perform traditional Cuban songs, original compositions and some surprises.
8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Incitation To The Dance
A young man upends an older gay couple’s relationship in the world premiere of writer-director Michael Van Duzer’s dark comedy.
Through March 15. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. https://theatrewest.org/on-stage/incitation-to-the-dance

Roksana Pirouzmand
The Iranian-born, L.A.-based multidisciplinary artist’s solo exhibition “everything was once something else” explores the contrasting properties forged by earth and fire through clay and metal works.
Through April 11. Oxy Arts, 4757 York Blvd. oxyarts.oxy.edu

SATURDAY
Attune 1.0
A free public light- and sound-art experience happens simultaneously across L.A. County locations presented by NXT Art Foundations with community support.
4:30-7:30 p.m. Barnsdall Park, East Hollywood; Sycamore Grove Park, Northeast Los Angeles ; Jessie Brewer Jr. Park, Exposition Park; Jane and Bert Boeckmann Park, Porter Ranch; Hansen Dam, Lake View Terrace; Leimert Park, South Los Angeles; Wende Museum, Culver City; Promenade Square Park, Long Beach; Tongva Park, Santa Monica and Loma Alta Park, Altadena. nowartpublic.com

Desert Dreams and Coastal Currents
The exhibition tracks the concurrent emergent of artistic hubs in Southern California and the Southwest, featuring work by artists in areas such as Laguna Beach, and Taos and Santa Fe, N.M.
The Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. theautry.org

Wally Hedrick
“Sex Politics Religion” is a two-venue retrospective of the Pasadena-born artist, who established himself in the burgeoning post-war San Francisco art scene. Hedrick eschewed “style” in favor of pursuing a vision including welded assemblage junk sculptures, Bauhausian abstraction, black monochromes, gestural figuration, graphic signage, pictographic diagrams and near-photorealism.
Through April 4. Parker Gallery, 6700 Melrose Ave.; The Box
805 Traction Ave., downtown L.A. parkergallery.com

Honour
The Ruskin’s grand opening on the Kaplan Stage features Joanna Murray-Smith’s drama on the precariousness of marriage, directed by Max Mayer and starring Marcia Cross, Matt Letscher, Ariana Afradi and Jude Mayer.
8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through March 22. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica.

Artist Takashi Murakami.

(Shin Suzuki)

Takashi Murakami
The new solo exhibition “Hark Back to Ukiyo-e: Tracing Superflat to Japonisme’s Genesis” features 24 paintings by the Japanese artist.
4-7 p.m. opening, free and open to the public; exhibition continues through March 14. Perrotin, 5036. W Pico Blvd. perrotin.com

Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry
Immigrant narratives and pan-Asian mythology infuse this immersive exhibition featuring contemporary artists including Dinh Q. Lê, Dominique Fung, Lily Honglei, Greg Ito, Wendy Park, Momoko Schafer, Kyungmi Shin, Sanjay Vora and Lauren YS. Conceived by L.A.-based Korean American artist and muralist Dave Young Kim.
Through Sept. 6. USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave. Pasadena. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

PASSION + MYSTERY
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, led by conductor Jaime Martín, celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend with Fauré’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” and Gernot Wolfgang‘s “Desert Wind,” and are joined by pianist Fazıl Say for Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 3.”
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Colburn School, Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; 4 p.m. Sunday, The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. laco.org

Red Harlem
Four Black actors in 1932 Harlem are recruited by the Communist Party to make a film in the Soviet Union in Kimba Henderson’s drama based on true events. Directed by Bernadette Speakes.
Through March 15. Company of Angels, 1350 San Pablo St. companyofangels.org

Retro Romantics: An Academy Film Archive Trailer Show in 35mm
Vintage cinematic love stories unspool in their original abridged glory, seductively beckoning you to the movies.
7:30 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

SUNDAY
Black History Month at The Ebell
Soprano Gertrude Bradley performs a tribute to Joel Graham, accompanied by pianist Greg Schreiner in an African Americans for LA Opera recital; and Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA) salutes the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in “I, Too, Sing America,” a nod to the Langston Hughes poem.
AALAO Recital, 12:30 p.m. Sunday; LA Voices: ICYOLA, 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. https://www.ebellofla.org/

Isidore String Quartet
The group performs “Brahms: the Admirer,” an exploration of the composer’s work alongside complementary pieces by Bach and Beethoven.
3:30 p.m. Caltech Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave. Pasadena. colemanchambermusic.org

What Happened to Flamenco
Clap your hands as dancer and choreographer Fanny Ara brings the folkloric tradition to life.
7 p.m. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com

TUESDAY
Seth MacFarlane
The erstwhile animator, writer, producer, director, actor and comedian picks up the mic, backed by an orchestra, for a program dedicated to the music of Frank Sinatra.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com/events

WEDNESDAY
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Barry Pearl directs the long-running off-Broadway musical comedy revue on modern love, featuring book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts to open ICT’s 41st season.
Through March 8. International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. ictlongbeach.org

Patti LuPone
The Broadway star marks the 25th anniversary of her “Matters of the Heart,” which ran on Broadway and London’s West End and toured the globe.
8 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Can’t get to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? The Soraya brings it to the Valley via the deep roots of this legendary French Quarter ensemble.
8 p.m. The Saroya, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge. thesoraya.org

Emma Elizabeth Smith as Catherine of Aragon in The North American touring company of “Six.”

(Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

Six
The national tour of the Broadway musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a modern pop take on the sextet of women who were the wives of Henry VIII.
Through March 9. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.; March 10-15. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 300 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. sixonbroadway.com

THURSDAY
Compagnie Hervé Koubi: Sol Invictus
The French-Algerian choreographer’s dance troupe performs “Sol Invictus,” with a score featuring music by Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, minimalist composer Steve Reich and digital composer Maxime Bodson.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. February 19 – 21, 2026 The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

Culture news and the SoCal scene

The cast of “Brassroots District” performs on Sunday.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones/For The Times)

Features columnist Todd Martens checked out “Brassroots District: LA ’74,” a piece of immersive theater he describes as “part concert, part participatory theater and part experiment, attempting to intermix an evening of dancing and jubilation with high-stakes drama. How it plays out is up to each audience member. Follow the cast, and uncover war tales and visions of how the underground music scene became a refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. Watch the band, and witness a concert almost torn apart as a group on the verge of releasing its debut album weighs community versus cold commerce. Or ignore it all to play dress-up and get a groove on to the music that never stops.”

The UCLA Hammer Museum has announced the winner of the $100,000 Mohn Award.

(Eric Staudenmaier)

Artist Ali Eyal, who grew up in Baghdad in the late 1990s and early 2000s during U.S. military operations in Iraq, is the recipient of the $100,000 Mohn Award, which honors artistic excellence, in conjunction with the Hammer Museum’s Made in L.A. 2025. In addition to the award money, the Hammer will produce a publication for Eyal. The Hammer also announced that sculptor Carl Cheng has been given the $25,000 Career Achievement Award; and that painter Greg Breda won the $25,000 Public Recognition Award.

The news out of the Kennedy Center continues to be grim. This week, Trump-appointed center president Richard Grenell sent an email to staffers informing them that significant cuts would be implemented when the center closes for renovations, beginning July 4. “Over the next few months, department heads and I will be evaluating the needs and making the decisions as to what these skeletal teams left in place during the facility closure and construction phase will look like,” Grenell wrote in the email obtained by The Times.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

Want a giant stuffed mochi? So do I.

Another presenter will step in to present Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this weekend.

The BBC presenter has confirmed another broadcaster will be stepping in at the weekend.

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is helmed by the political journalist. She has now revealed another presenter will briefly assume control.

On Sunday’s edition, Laura, 49, interviewed work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart and Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The question, “Can Keir Starmer survive the Mandelson crisis?” was raised during a panel debate on last week’s broadcast (February 8) where the host revealed her colleague would be taking over the forthcoming show on Sunday during half-term week.

Concluding the programme, Laura remarked: “Thank you to all my guests. And most of all to you for spending your Sunday morning with us.”

“Victoria [Derbyshire] is here next week. But I’ll be here later with Paddy O’Connell for Sunday’s Newscast.”

Laura informed viewers: “I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks a week on Sunday. Same time, same place.”

Victoria Derbyshire, who fronts BBC Newsnight, will present Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this weekend (February 15) with the programme’s regular host returning the subsequent Sunday, reports the Express.

The change in presenter comes as the BBC has had a plethora of shake-ups this month.

BBC viewers have seen Morning Live change channels to air on BBC Two, allowing the Winter Olympics to have coverage.

Similarly, the fifth and six episodes of Gladiators will now air later than usual to cover the football.

In a release, the BBC stated: “On February 14, if the football finishes in 90 minutes, Gladiators will air at 20:00. On February 21, Gladiators will air at 19:15.”

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg airs Sunday on BBC and BBC iPlayer at 9am.

FANS of Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo were delighted when they heard the Wicked star was hitting the West End, but have been left demanding refunds after watching her perform in the flesh.

The A-list actress is currently starring in one-woman show Dracula at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End, which kicked off last week and sees her playing a whopping 23 characters.

However, it seems that Cynthia may have bitten off more than she can chew with the vamp role – as fans have scrutinised her for “reading off of the teleprompter” throughout.

The show is filled with complex filmed sections, which means the autocue is clearly visible on massive screens throughout.

Taking to TikTok to share their frustration, one audience member wrote: “Did I just pay £135 to watch Cynthia Erivo read off a teleprompter?”

Agreeing in the comment section of the clip, another said: “The show was rubbish. After arguing with the ticket office I got a refund.”

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As one theatre-lover asked whether the teleprompter could really be seen from the audience, the original poster responded: ” Saw it with my own eyes unfortunately.

“As did many people in my section who were confused why there were multiple”.

Another user slammed: “Why play 20 roles if you know you can’t memorise a script consisting of 20 roles”.

The early reviews of the show will be a blow after the production budget was believed to be north of £3million, while tickets are as much as £225.

However, it’s not all bad for the Elphaba star, with some fans lauding her performance.

“I was at the first preview and it was genuinely the most incredible thing. Cynthia was epic!!,” said one fan after watching Dracula.

Another said: “My mind was blown”.

A third defended her use of the teleprompter, asking: “Did you want her to memorize 20 thousand words?”

Cynthia is no stranger to the West End and has even won a Tony award for her stage work.

In 2016, the actress won the gong for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal Celie in the revival of The Color Purple. 

Cynthia is set to star in Dracula until 31 May. 

Adams: The Leicester-born 29-year-old has established himself as Clarke’s first pick up front. Since switching allegiances in 2021, he has amassed 45 caps and contributed 11 goals. Formerly of Sheffield United and Birmingham City, he moved to Torino two years ago after featuring in the Premier League with Southampton.

This season, he has scored six goals in 26 appearances, 17 of them starts, for the side sitting 13th of Serie A’s 20 clubs.

Bowie: The Kirkcaldy-born 23-year-old began his career with Raith Rovers before spells with Fulham and on loan to Northampton Town before rising to prominence with Hibernian, his nine goal in 30 appearances this season leading to his January sale to Hellas Verona.

Bowie, who has two Scotland caps, made his debut, and first start, in a 0-0 draw at home to Pisa.

Doig: The Edinburgh-born 23-year-old became a first-team regular for Hibs in the Scottish Premiership before moving to Italy and is already at his second Serie A club. He moved from Verona to Sassuolo in 2024 and won his one and only Scotland cap last year in a left-back role in which he finds himself behind Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney.

Doig has made 24 appearances, 20 of them starts, this season for his 11th-placed club side.

Ferguson: Having started his career with local club Hamilton Academical, the 26-year-old spent four seasons with Aberdeen in the Premiership before being sold to Bologna in summer 2022. Ferguson, who has 21 Scotland caps, became captain the following October and led his side to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan last year and European qualification.

He has made 29 appearances this season, 21 of them starts for the side sitting eighth.

Gilmour: Irvine-born, the 24-year-old started his career with Rangers but moved to Chelsea while still a youth. He made his senior debut aged 18 but moved to Premier League rivals Norwich City on a season-long loan in 2021.

Transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion the following year, he helped them to a sixth-place finish and qualification for European football for the first time before being sold to Napoli in 2024, on the same day as Scotland team-mate McTominay, and they finished the season with the first league titles of their careers. However, this season he has been limited to 12 appearances, only six of them starts, having been sidelined since November.

McTominay: The Lancaster-born midfielder came through Manchester United’s youth ranks and, although he did not make his first-team debut until aged 21, he went on to make 255 appearances for the Premier League club. After being sold to Napoli, the 29-year-old was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award last season as his goalscoring feats helped win the league title.

His 14 goals in 67 Scotland appearances include a lauded overhead kick that helped beat Denmark to secure World Cup qualification in November. McTominay has made 34 appearances this season for his club, scoring 10 goals.

Miller: Born in Wishaw, the 19-year-old son of Scotland-capped former striker Lee came through the youth ranks with Motherwell, making his debut just days after turning 16. After 76 appearances for the Premiership club, he was sold to Udinese in August for a Well club record fee, two months after being handed the first of his four Scotland caps.

He has made 14 appearances, six of them starts, so far.

Nicole Curtis, whose home-rehab work in Detroit and Minneapolis has been the backbone of “Rehab Addict” on HGTV, is thanking people for their support and apologizing after a video surfaced in which she used a racial slur.

“I could say more, but I shall say less,” she wrote Wednesday in a caption on an Instagram video showing her going back and forth on an airport’s moving sidewalk. “Thank you for 15 years of amazing, amazing support! Your love took me from a struggling mommy working odd jobs in Craigslist to a real estate mogul whose voice (more than face) gets recognized all over the world.

“God Bless … Set the DVR -stream it -just make sure these old houses are saved.”

In the video, you can see her riding in one direction as the text over the video states, “POV: you waiting all this time for more Rehab Addict. Then she’s going the other way with text saying, “Me: I promise” followed by another direction switch and text that reads, “Me: forgive me.”

In her Instagram Stories, she shared a text exchange with TMZ where she said, in part, “Regarding HGTV, I’m grateful for the 15-year journey we’ve shared. It’s been a meaningful chapter, but my focus isn’t on my career. My focus at this moment is rightfully on my relationships, and my community — the people who truly know my character and where my heart is. I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone.”

She followed that up with a series of screen grabs showing messages from strangers calling her profane names, insulting her and labeling her a racist. One person said he wanted her deported and “disposed of” and added, amid his all-caps profanity, “may you never have a day of peace again.” Curtis told TMZ she was focused on being a mom.

Video of the slip was captured two years ago, according to Radar Online, which posted it Wednesday.

“Why? It’s my last one,” she says in the brief clip, whining a bit as she stands on a ladder and struggles to clip some wires. Then she uses the N-word.

She immediately stops what she’s doing, turns around and says, “What the f— is that that I just said? Nick, you gotta, you gotta — can you kill that?” A worker is seen helping her at ground level. Someone can be heard laughing off camera.

“No, I’ve got 35 minutes [of footage shot], I can’t …,” her cameraman says from farther away, off-camera.

“Oh, f— my life,” Curtis says, distressed over what she just said.

HGTV said in a statement that the network had been “recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV.”

The network said it had removed the show “from all HGTV platforms.” The show was produced for eight full seasons from 2010 to 2018 and was in the midst of an apparently short ninth season spread over two years when it was pulled. The franchise — which also included “Rehab Addict Rescue” (2021) and “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue” (2022) — was no longer available to stream on the HBO Max or Discovery+ platforms on Thursday.

Curtis had posted a promo for the new episodes of “Rehab Addict,” which hasn’t showed new material since last summer.

“Straight from Detroit —the new episodes drop Wednesday …was told now or never -so you get them now,” the Instagram post says. Two episodes were set to air, but did not,” she wrote in the promo caption.”And can you do me a huge show of support by sharing this. Sending it to friends, tag a friend, a stranger.”

Curtis talked with The Times about her 2016 book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned From Saving Old Houses,” where she wrote, “The best way to get through hell is to keep on moving.”

“Years ago, I was having a bad time and I was sitting there in my pajamas crying, and a friend was there and said, ‘C’mon, get up, we’re going for a walk,’” she said at the time. “Now I’ve got mascara running down my face, and I’m a mess, but she said, ‘You have to keep moving, now, let’s go!’ And that was really helpful. If I wasn’t so physically active, I probably wouldn’t get out of bed some days. You have to get fired back up — just get up and move.”

It could be time for Curtis to get up and moving again.

Votes are still being tallied, but unofficial results in the Bangladesh election suggest that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is ‘clearly leading’. Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury provides an update from Dhaka.

These days, almost every cultural or news event seems fleeting. But there’s one thing that feels nearly as momentous as it did 20 years ago: the Super Bowl.

From a personal point of view, I can say that despite basically divesting myself from football (I haven’t watched a non-Super Bowl NFL game in well over a decade, and haven’t played fantasy football for just as long), I still participate in what has become, essentially, a national holiday. Maybe that’s just it: In the ideologically fractured world of 2026, there’s something to be said for having at least one relatively universal experience.

In any case, such a uniquely shared media event inevitably reflects the cultural milieu of the moment. That’s why, for a while now, I’ve been tracking how many of the commercials that air during each year’s Super Bowl have some relation to the environmental issues that I’ve been covering for most of my career as a journalist. I started this project when I was an editor at Time magazine, and thought it merited revisiting this year. Here’s what I found.

During Super Bowl LX on Sunday, there were just two commercials that focused in a meaningful way on products that would advance a transition to a fossil-fuel-free economy. One was for the 2026 Jeep Cherokee Hybrid. The other was for a Chinese supercar made by a vacuum-cleaner company.

It wasn’t long ago that domestic manufacturers were marketing a future based on electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes. During the 2022 Super Bowl, the second year of Joe Biden’s presidency, seven different ads focused specifically on existing and new EV models. Those were in some ways the halcyon days of American EV manufacturing, following the passage of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which, in part, offered a $7,500 tax credit to anyone who bought a new electric car.

The second Trump administration quickly put an end to that; the credit was nixed as of Sept. 30 last year. That was just one of many moves Trump has made since retaking office to anesthetize the United States’ nascent green economy. Over the last year, the Trump administration has tried to shut down offshore wind energy projects while demanding the growth of the coal industry; reversed key policies that previously established legal precedent for the public health impact of greenhouse gases; and generally tried to undermine efforts by many states, California especially, to establish and regulate policies meant to make their infrastructure less dependent on fossil fuels.

So it’s no surprise that in 2026, the second year of Trump’s second presidency, there was just one Super Bowl ad for a domestically produced green product — and it wasn’t even entirely green. Indeed, it reflects a recent trend across the U.S.: Since the federal clean-vehicle tax credits expired in September, sales of purely electric vehicles have plummeted, while those of hybrids have continued to grow, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Tellingly, four different companies — Cadillac, Toyota, Volkswagen and Chevrolet — had ads that showed an EV but didn’t mention it. It’s become more something to hide than to promote.

Then there’s the one other green-energy ad this year, which, honestly, you could quibble with categorizing it as “green.” It’s a reportedly $10-million spot for an electric sports car, theoretically to be made by the Chinese company Dreame, which to date has primarily produced robotic vacuum cleaners. I say theoretical because it seems somewhat unlikely that an outfit that made its nut building knockoff Roombas will be selling an electric super car anytime soon. (As of writing, Dreame has not responded to emailed questions.)

Nevertheless, it is indicative of another trend: Tesla is down; BYD is up. U.S. car companies like Ford can’t seem to figure out how to transition to a gas-less (or, at least, less gas-forward) future, while many Chinese firms, some without any automotive heritage, such as the consumer-tech company Xiomai, are already driving laps around U.S. and European competitors in what is clearly the race for the future of global car-manufacturing dominance.

In 2025, more than half the cars made in China were EVs. And China is working to power those electric cars with renewable energy, while the U.S. is largely swimming against the tide. In 2025, China installed an estimated 315 gigawatts of solar and 119 gigawatts of wind capacity; the U.S. added an estimated 60 gigawatts of solar and 7 gigawatts of wind capacity in the same time.

Green tech doesn’t seem to have much cultural currency right now in the U.S., at least based on the Super Bowl ad lineup. What does, though, is artificial intelligence. There were at least eight different Super Bowl commercials for AI products, and many more that obviously used AI in their production.

Even setting aside the many intellectual-property and ethical issues they raise, there’s the reality that these AI tools rely on data centers that, in turn, require a huge amount of energy to operate — energy that should, ideally, be coming more and more from renewable sources.

Maybe it’s not all that sexy to advertise solar panels or wind turbines — but it also wasn’t that long ago that a pitch about talking to your hand-held computer to help with your scheduling would have seemed pretty lame.

More in climate and culture

One more thing about the Super Bowl: In this pretty cool video, Pearl Marvell, an editor at Yale Climate Connections, broke down the climate change references in Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.

In other sports+climate news, my colleague Kevin Baxter, reporting from Italy, wrote about the impact climate change is having on this — and future — Winter Olympics. The bottom line: Athletes are going to have to expect less fresh powder, and deal with more dangerous, icy conditions.

Last sports-related story of the week: My former colleague Sammy Roth recently wrote a nice profile of Jacquie Pierri, who plays for the Italian women’s hockey team and moonlights as a sustainable-energy engineer and climate activist. Italy plays the U.S. in the quarterfinals on Friday.

On a different note, on the podcast Zero, Akshat Rathi this week interviewed composer Julia Wolfe about how she uses classical music to work through, and communicate, her feelings about the climate crisis.

A couple of last things in climate news this week

California created a program meant to encourage the development of electric semi-trucks. But, as my colleague Tony Briscoe reported a few days ago, Tesla took advantage of it, claiming most of the money while failing to deliver and essentially bullying smaller manufacturers out of the space.

The Trump administration has indicated that it plans this week to rescind the so-called endangerment finding, a policy establishing the fact that greenhouse gases endanger public health, and that essentially acts as the legal underpinning for many climate regulations passed in recent years. Stay tuned — our reporters will have more on this as the story develops.

This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. And listen to our Boiling Point podcast here.

The show proved to be a hit with ITV viewers but the show is now reportedly facing an uncertain future

There’s bad news for fans of the reality show, The Fortune Hotel, as it’s been reported ITV has “shelved” the show with no confirmed plans for its comeback.

The series, fronted by Stephen Mangan, debuted in May 2024 with a second run following in August 2025, and was branded as the broadcaster’s rival to The Traitors.

The format brings together 10 pairs of contestants at The Fortune Hotel, where each receives a crucial briefcase. One case conceals the grand prize of £250,000 in cash, eight contain nothing, and one holds the feared Early Checkout Card.

Whichever duo ends up with that particular case at each episode’s conclusion will face an abrupt and dramatic exit from the competition. Daily, the contestants get opportunities to deduce who possesses which case by tackling engaging challenges, as the puzzle intensifies for those staying at the hotel.

Each episode reaches its tension-filled peak during the case exchange in the alluring Lady Luck bar, where every pair must choose whether to retain or switch their briefcase, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Audiences are kept guessing whether the couple holding the fortune managed to deceive their rivals and deflect attention, or whether their case will be mercilessly snatched away.

Home viewers remain informed throughout, privy to every scheme and tactic as events unfold. The well-received programme attracted substantial audiences but now faces an unclear path forward despite its millions of fans.

The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment. Nella and Tope emerged victorious in the latest series, walking away with an impressive £210,000. The pair triumphed over rivals Fred and Min, as well as Martina and Briony.

During the finale, the Hotel Game saw contestants frantically tackle a cunning puzzle in their rooms before dashing across the Caribbean Sea in the series’ final Day Trip Challenge.

Yet only one duo could depart with the prize money, and fortune favoured Nella and Tope in the concluding Night Cap. As Stephen Mangan congratulated the victorious pair, ITV viewers flocked to social media to express their reactions to the outcome.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan wrote: “Fair play, they played a consistently strong game. #TheFortuneHotel.”

Another added: “I wanted Nella and Tope to win, and they won.” A third person said: “LET’S GO TOPE AND NELLA #thefortunehotel.”

A fourth social media user said: “Aww Nella and Tope ! ! I’m so happy for you #TheFortuneHotel #FortuneHotel. “Nella and Tope well well deserved. They played a great game,” a fifth person said.

Meanwhile, Sheffield mother and son duo Jo-Anne and Will claimed victory in the inaugural series, securing an impressive £210,000.

The Fortune Hotel is available to stream on ITVX

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website

The man I’m talking to tells me he has no name.

“Hey” is what he responds to, and he says he can be best described as a “travel agent,” a designation said with a sly smile to clearly indicate it’s code for something more illicit.

About eight of us are crammed with him into a tiny area tucked in the corner of a nightclub. Normally, perhaps, this is a make-up room, but tonight it’s a hideaway where he’ll feed us psychedelics (they’re just mints) to escape the brutalities of the world. It’s also loud, as the sounds of a rambunctious funk band next door work to penetrate the space.

Celeste Butler Clayton as Ursa Major and Ari Herstand as Copper Jones lead a group of theater attendees in a pre-show ritual.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / For The Times)

”Close your eyes,” I’m told. I let the mint begin to melt while trying to pretend it’s a gateway to a dream state. The more that mint peddler talks, the more it becomes clear he’s suffering from PTSD from his days in Vietnam. But the mood isn’t somber. We don’t need any make-believe substances to catch his drift, particularly his belief that, even if music may not change the world, at least it can provide some much-needed comfort from it.

“Brassroots District: LA ’74” is part concert, part participatory theater and part experiment, attempting to intermix an evening of dancing and jubilation with high-stakes drama. How it plays out is up to each audience member. Follow the cast, and uncover war tales and visions of how the underground music scene became a refuge for the LGBTQ+ community. Watch the band, and witness a concert almost torn apart as a group on the verge of releasing its debut album weighs community versus cold commerce. Or ignore it all to play dress-up and get a groove on to the music that never stops.

Audience members are encouraged to partake in a “Soul Train”-style dance exhibition.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / For The Times)

Now running at Catch One, “Brassroots District” aims to concoct a fantasy vision of 1974, but creators Ari Herstand and Andrew Leib aren’t after pure nostalgia. The fictional band at the heart of the show, for instance, is clearly a nod to Sly and the Family Stone, a group whose musical vision of unity and perseverance through social upheaval still feels ahead of its time. “Brassroots District” also directly taps into the history of Catch One, with a character modeled after the club’s pioneering founder Jewel Thais-Williams, a vital figure on the L.A. music scene who envisioned a sanctuary for Black queer women and men as well as trans, gay and musically adventurous revelers.

“This is the era of Watergate and Nixon and a corrupt president,” Herstand says, noting that the year of 1974 was chosen intentionally. “There’s very clear political parallels from the early ‘70s to 2026. We don’t want to smack anyone in the face over it, but we want to ask the questions about where we’ve come from.”

This isn’t the first time a version of “Brassroots District” has been staged. Herstand, a musician and author, and Leib, an artist manager, have been honing the concept for a decade. It began as an idea that came to Herstand while he spent time staying with extended family in New Orleans to work on his book, “How to Make it in the New Music Business.” And it initially started as just a band, and perhaps a way to create an excitement around a new group.

Ari Herstand as musician Copper Jones in an intimate moment with the audience.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / For The Times)

Celeste Butler Clayton (Ursa Major), from left, Ari Herstand (Copper Jones), Bryan Daniel Porter (Donny) and Marqell Edward Clayton (Gil) in a tense moment.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones/For The Times)

Yet as the pair became smitten with immersive theater — a term that typically implies some form of active involvement on the part of the audience, most often via interacting and improvising with actors — Brassroots District the band gradually became “Brassroots District” the show. Like many in the space, Herstand credits the long-running New York production “Sleep No More” with hipping him to the scene.

“It’s really about an alternative experience to a traditional proscenium show, giving the audience autonomy to explore,” Herstand says.

Eleven actors perform in the show, directed by DeMone Seraphin and written with input from L.A. immersive veterans Chris Porter (the Speakeasy Society) and Lauren Ludwig (Capital W). I interacted with only a handful of them, but “Brassroots District” builds to a participatory finale that aims to get the whole audience moving when the band jumps into the crowd for a group dance. The night is one of wish fulfillment for music fans, offering the promise of behind-the-stage action as well as an idealized vision of funk’s communal power.

Working in the favor of “Brassroots District” is that, ultimately, it is a concert. Brassroots District, the group, released its debut “Welcome to the Brassroots District” at the top of this year, and audience members who may not want to hunt down or chase actors can lean back and watch the show, likely still picking up on its broad storyline of a band weighing a new recording contract with a potentially sleazy record executive. Yet Herstand and Leib estimate that about half of those in attendance want to dig a little deeper.

At the show’s opening weekend this past Saturday, I may even wager it was higher than that. When a mid-concert split happens that forces the band’s two co-leaders — Herstand as Copper Jones and Celeste Butler Clayton as Ursa Major — to bolt from the stage, the audience immediately knew to follow them into the other room, even as the backing band played on. Leib, borrowing a term from the video game world, describes these as “side quests,” moments in which the audience can better get to know the performers, the club owner and the act’s manager.

“Brassroots District: LA ‘74” is wish fulfillment for music fans, providing, for instance, backstage-like access to artists. Here, Celeste Butler Clayton performs as musician Ursa Major and is surrounded by ticket-goers.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / For The Times)

An audience member’s costume.

(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / For The Times)

Yet those who stay in the main stage will still get some show moments, as here is where a journalist will confront a record executive. Both will linger around the floor and chat with willing guests, perhaps even offering them a business card with a number to call after the show to further the storyline beyond the confines of the club. If all goes according to plan, the audience will start to feel like performers. In fact, the central drama of “Brassroots District” is often kicked off by an attendee finding some purposely left-behind props that allude to the group’s record label drama. Actors, say Herstand, will “loosely guide” players to the right spot, if need be.

“The point is,” says Leib, “that you as an audience member are also kind of putting on a character. You can stir the spot.” And with much of the crowd in their ‘70s best and smartphones strictly forbidden — they are placed in bags prior to the show beginning — you may need a moment to figure out who the actors are, but a microphone usually gives it a way.

“They’re a heightened version of themselves,” Herstand says of the audience’s penchant to come in costumes to “Brassroots District,” although it is not necessary.

“Brassroots District,” which is about two hours in length, is currently slated to run through the end of March, but Herstand and Leib hope it becomes a long-running performance. Previous iterations with different storylines ran outdoors, as it was first staged in the months following the worst days of the pandemic. Inside, at places such as Catch One, was always the goal, the pair say, and the two leaned into the venue’s history.

“It’s in the bones of the building that this was a respite for queer men and the Black community,” Leib says. “There’s a bit of like, this is a safe space to be yourself. We’re baking in some of these themes in the show. It’s resistance through art and music.”

Such a message comes through in song. One of the band’s central tunes is “Together,” an allusion to Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People.” It’s a light-stepping number built around finger snaps and the vision of a better world.

“We are stronger when we unite,” Herstand says. “That is the hook of the song, and what we’re really trying to do is bring people together. That is how we feel we actually can change society.”

And on this night, that’s exactly what progress looks like — an exuberant party that extends a hand for everyone to dance with a neighbor.

When “Dawson’s Creek” premiered on Jan. 20, 1998, I was 11 years old. I had never been in a love triangle or gotten drunk at a house party. Yet, like so many other millennials, I religiously set the VHS player to record “Dawson’s Creek” every week on the WB.

My parents didn’t approve of their impressionable child devouring the semi-debaucherous teen melodrama, so I labeled the VHS tapes “The Brady Bunch,” then routinely snuck out of bed late at night to quietly watch Dawson, Joey, Pacey and Jen navigate their hormonal angst via unbelievably erudite dialogue.

On Wednesday, “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek died at 48 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He left behind six kids, a wife and decades of work across film and television.

But for many millennials, he will always be Dawson Leery.

Van Der Beek’s health was already in decline when I profiled “Dawson’s Creek” creator Kevin Williamson for The Times last year. Still, the actor kindly agreed to answer questions for the piece via email. His commentary went beyond what was expected, graciously detailing his time on the show and praising his co-stars and collaborators.

In the “Dawson’s” audition room, for example, Van Der Beek said his soon-to-be co-star Joshua Jackson “stood out because while other actors nervously went over their sides (myself included), he had the energy of a guy who was ready for a prize fight. I remember thinking, ‘THAT GUY is really interesting. If they cast him as Pacey, this is going to be really good.’”

James Van Der Beek, left, and Joshua Jackson in “Dawson’s Creek,” which would launch them to stardom.

(Fred Norris/The WB)

Van Der Beek likewise effused that, as a showrunner, Williamson “felt like a friend who was excited to go make a movie in his backyard. Even the way he ‘pitched’ storylines — it was never a pitch. It was a campfire story about people he cared about that he’d unfold in such a simple, compelling way that you couldn’t help but care about them too.”

Millennial viewers did care. A lot.

“Dawson’s Creek,” a simple drama about four friends growing up in a small, coastal town, quickly became a defining touchstone of Y2K culture, a major hit for the WB network — the series finale drew more than 7 million viewers — and a star-making machine for its four leads: Van Der Beek, Jackson, Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.

The floppy-haired, often flannel-clad Van Der Beek wasn’t the show’s breakout heartthrob. (That honorific belonged to Jackson, who played Pacey, Dawson’s charming best friend and Joey’s end-game paramour.)

But as the title character and a partial avatar for Williamson — who had similarly spent his own teen years dreamily pining and aspiring to be a filmmaker — Dawson was the boy-next-door pillar around which the show orbited.

Yes, Dawson was whiny and moody and extremely self-centered, but so are a lot of teenagers. Through Van Der Beek’s wistful performance, viewers were given a window through which to grapple with betrayal, death, heartbreak and a litany of bad decisions.

For better or worse, Dawson served as an emotional, often cautionary, proxy for millennials’ own coming-of-age messiness.

In the years since the series ended in 2003, Dawson has largely been reduced to the “Dawson crying” meme: a Season 3 screenshot of Van Der Beek, face contorted in pain and on the verge of crying messy, heaving tears as Dawson tells Joey she should choose Pacey over him.

The emotional relationship between Joey and Dawson was core to the series.

(Fred Norris/The WB)

Van Der Beek later revealed that the tears weren’t scripted. So attuned had he become to his character’s sensitivity by that point that the emotions flowed naturally.

“I think at the heart of [Williamson’s] projects are characters that he himself cares about deeply — flaws and all,” Van Der Beek said in his email last year. “They’re authentic to their background, sincere according to their world view… and vulnerable.”

Van Der Beek was vulnerable, too. As his cancer progressed, he was open with fans about his health struggles and the early warning signs. He appeared via video at a “Dawson’s Creek” reunion event in New York City last September, the proceeds of which raised money for cancer awareness.

In Van Der Beek’s death, there is no real-world instrumental score or innate montage of his best moments to soften the blow, as would have happened with a character on “Dawson’s Creek” (though the internet will surely be awash in such fan-made edits).

But through his work on “Dawson’s,” a generation can take comfort in a starry-eyed boy on a dock in Capeside who once invited us into his messy, emotional world.

Jeffrey Epstein used a former Russian official with links to Moscow’s FSB intelligence services to collect information on a woman he claimed was attempting to blackmail his business associates, according to documents released by the United States Department of Justice.

Epstein reached out to Sergei Belyakov, a former deputy minister of economic development, for advice in 2015 about what he described as an attempt to blackmail a group of “powerful” businessmen in New York, the documents contained in the latest tranche of the so-called Epstein files show.

“I need a favor,” Epstein wrote to Belyakov in a July 2015 email, describing an extortion attempt by a Russian woman who had arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York the previous week.

Epstein said the situation was “bad for business for everyone involved” and asked for “suggestions”.

Belyakov, a graduate of the FSB Academy, Moscow’s institute for training intelligence personnel, wrote back that he needed some time to “get information about her” and that he would meet a man who knew the woman the next day.

Several days later, Belyakov sent Epstein a roughly 100-word description of the woman’s background and what the ex-official described as her “sex and escort” business.

“She has nobody behind her,” Belyakov said, adding that she was believed to have “no patronage”.

Belyakov said “business problems” may have led the woman to resort to blackmail, and suggested that denying her entry to the US would be a “real threat” to her business.

Epstein, the FSB Academy graduate and US billionaires

Belyakov, who took up the position of board chairman at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum after leaving the Kremlin in 2014, relied on Epstein for access to high-profile figures in the financier’s orbit, according to the documents.

After a meeting with Epstein in May 2014, Belyakov told the convicted sex offender that he did not know many people who could offer “new horizons and prospects”.

“And I’m looking forward for next meeting with you,” he told Epstein.

In July 2015, Belyakov sought Epstein’s help to organise meetings with American venture capitalist Peter Thiel and the billionaire heir and businessman Thomas Pritzker.

“Sergey – let me know when you are in SF and it would be good to find a time to meet,” Thiel wrote to Belyakov in an email in July 2015, following an introduction by Epstein.

A little over a week later, Belyakov told Epstein that Thiel and Pritzker had shared their views on Russia’s economy and other topics, calling the meetings “very helpful”.

“By the way I was surprised that they had a lot of information about Russian economy and their view about our society,” Belyakov wrote, adding he hoped to see both businessmen again in Moscow.

In 2016, Belyakov sought Epstein’s feedback on proposals he wished to discuss with business leaders in the US.

Epstein told Belyakov he liked the idea, which was not specified in the emails, but that he should get a “good English speaking editor” before sharing business proposals, and there were “pretty women” who could fill the role.

Efforts by Al Jazeera to contact Belyakov, including through the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and the e-commerce company Ozon, where he served as managing director from 2021 to 2024, were unsuccessful.

Thiel’s foundation did not respond to a request for comment. Pritzker declined to comment through a spokesperson for his foundation.

Epstein also sought to arrange meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to the documents, though there is no indication he was successful.

“I think you might suggest to putin, that lavrov, can get insight on talking to me,” Epstein wrote in an email to former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland in June 2018.

Jagland, who is under investigation in Norway on suspicion of corruption in his dealings with Epstein, wrote back that he would “suggest” the idea to Lavrov’s assistant.

Epstein, who died in 2019 while in prison awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, has long been the focus of speculation that he worked for or with intelligence agencies on behalf of various countries, including Israel.

He had close ties with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during his lifetime, with the two men exploring numerous business ventures and regularly exchanging correspondence on personal matters.

Barak’s former aide Yoni Koren, an ex-Israeli military intelligence officer who died in 2023, also stayed at residences belonging to Epstein for long stretches while receiving cancer treatment in the US in the late 2010s.

GAUNT and thin after a long cancer battle, the trademark smile still shone through.

Actor James Van Der Beek was supposed to be there as the cast of Dawson’s Creek reunited for the first time in 22 years.

But his illness meant he could only appear in a short video for the assembled fans.

Yet for those there, and around the world, it meant everything.

The 48-year-old actor, who died yesterday after being diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2023, said the emotional reunion, which his wife Kimberly and their six children attended in his place, had been something he had been looking forward to during his gruelling treatment.

He told the audience at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York: “I have been looking forward to this night for months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together.

LAST WORDS

James Van Der Beek left heartbreaking final message to fans before shock death

‘COURAGE AND GRACE’

James Van Der Beek statement in full after Dawson’s Creek star dies

“I can’t believe I’m not there. I can’t believe I don’t get to see my cast mates, my beautiful cast in person.

“I wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theatre for being here tonight.

“From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world.”

Van Der Beek was the all American teenager long before he became the object of teenage desire in adolescent drama Dawson’s Creek.

The son of mobile phone executive James Van Der Beek and former dancer Melinda, he was a promising American footballer in Cheshire, Connecticut.

But a concussion at the age of 13 kept him off the playing field so he took up acting.

He landed the lead role in his school’s production of Grease playing Danny Zuko.

He never looked back.

By the time he was 15 he was begging his mother to get him an agent and they travelled to New York to secure a deal.

While studying at private boarding school The Cheshire Academy he started appearing in Broadway productions.

A brief stint at university in New Jersey quickly fell by the wayside as he started landing major roles and then, at the age of 20, the lead in the teen drama.

As Dawson Leery, a budding filmmaker with an on-off relationship with Joey played by Katie Holmes, he became a teen heart-throb and the spawn of countless memes.

In 122 episodes of the show he grew from a confused 15-year-old to a confused adult.

The show’s theme tune I Don’t Want To Wait followed him throughout his life and triggered memories of the teen frenzy that surrounded him.

He said: “If I was at karaoke and it started playing there’s a part of me – and I’m a f*****g grown-ass man with four kids – that still wants to go hide under the table.

“I was at a pharmacy in Philadelphia and it came on and I immediately went into a weird panic.

“I think it’s tied to the pandemonium that accompanied that, for which there was no off button.

“Walking around at that time was very tricky because one autograph could turn into a mob scene. So I walked around in fear of teenage girls.

“When I was first very famous and people were passing out and all that, I remember watching a Beatles documentary and George saying how people were looking for any excuse to go mad.”

Dawson, like James, grew up on the show and when it came to an end he struggled to find work.

His big TV comeback show, NBC medical drama Mercy, was cancelled.

Sitcom Friends With Better Lives, made by the people behind Friends and Frazier, was pulled off air after eight episodes.

“I was 33, I had my first kid, and I thought: OK, what doors are open right now?” he said. “And I was thinking, I’m having more fun doing comedy than I would crying every day!

“I look back and I’m grateful. But it was an exhausting six-year marathon.

“I was shooting movies or doing photo shoots when the show was on hiatus.

“I felt burnt out when it ended. I needed time to duck away and disappear, figure things out and grow up a bit.

“When I was 24 the character I played on TV was a teenager losing his virginity.”

James met the love of his life Kimberly in 2009 and married the following year.

Together they had six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel Leah, 11, Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and four-year-old Jeremiah, known as Remi.

He said: “When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never all that fulfilling, and then I became a husband… it was much better and then I became a father… that was the ultimate.

“It just happened. We had one planned child – one out of six.

“One was 100% on purpose. The one thing we really sucked at was not getting pregnant. But thank God, honestly, because it’s such a struggle for people, and we really don’t take it for granted.

“I joke, and I laugh, but like, yeah, we really just kind of got lucky that way.”

He was always devoted to the show that made him a poster boy to girls around the world.

But, closer to home, he was reluctant at showing it to his own children for one very good reason.

He said: “It’s a great show, I love the show, I think other kids can watch it.

“I don’t think my kids need to watch their dad pretend to go through puberty. That’s my stance on it.

“It was a very well-intentioned show, people really trying to do the right thing and speaking incredibly eloquently about how they were trying to do the right thing.

“I think that seed of good intentions comes through.”

In November 2024, he revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

Last March he spoke about his fight with the disease on his 48th birthday, saying it had been the hardest year of his life.

He said: “I had to come nose to nose with death and all those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me.

“I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them.

“I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.”

The reunion with his fellow cast members, in a charity gig for cancer research, was a beacon of hope in his darkest days.

Illness forced him to stay home but his message to fans was clear.

He said: “Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family.

“I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin.”

Feb. 11 (UPI) — The House of Representatives narrowly passed the SAVE America Act on Wednesday, but it faces a tough sell in the Senate.

The House approved the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 218-213, with one Democrat voting in favor of the proposed law that would require voters to provide a birth certificate or passport to prove their citizenship status when registering to vote and produce a valid photo ID to vote.

“It’s just common sense. Americans need an ID to drive, to open a bank account, to buy cold medicine [and] to file for government assistance,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told media. “So, why would voting be any different than that?”

Democrats oppose the measure, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called “Jim Crow 2.0.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the proposed voting law a “desperate effort by Republicans to distract” without saying from what.

“The so-called SAVE Act is not about voter identification,” Jeffries continued. “It is about voter suppression, and they have zero credibility on this issue.”

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was the lone Democrat to vote in favor of the measure, which now goes to the Senate for consideration. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, sponsored the bill.

Although Senate Republicans have a simple majority in the upper chamber, they likely lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Tuesday said he supports the proposed act but does not have the votes needed to change the filibuster rule to pass it with a simple majority.

The GOP controls 53 Senate seats, while Democrats control 47, including two held by independents who sit with the Senate Democratic Party’s caucus.

Some Republicans have suggested requiring a standing filibuster, which would require those opposing proposed legislation to physically engage in a non-stop filibuster instead of just announcing their intent to do so.

Pete Finney, a steel guitarist who toured with Patty Loveless for more than 20 years and recorded with Reba McEntire, the Chicks, Vince Gill, the Judds and more, has died. He was 70.

Confirmation came via a statement earlier this week from Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which said Finney died Saturday. No cause of death was provided.

Calling him “a widely admired Nashville musician,” the museum said Finney “exemplified how top instrumentalists can adapt to a remarkable range of styles and settings, whether in a recording studio, a concert stage, or the corner of a small nightclub.”

Finney was born in Maryland in September 1955 and played his first gigs in Washington, D.C., with singer-songwriter Liz Meyer before Meyer moved to the Netherlands in the mid-1980s. He relocated to Austin, Texas, in the late 1970s and then moved to Nashville in the mid-1980s.

Upon his arrival in Tennessee, Finney toured with Foster & Lloyd and later contributed to the solo careers of Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd. His career would take him in diverse directions: He recorded with Beck, Jon Byrd, Shemekia Copeland, Justin Townes Earle, Jon Langford, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Ron Sexsmith, Candi Staton and scores of other artists.

“RIP old friend!” wrote Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson in a comment on a Facebook post announcing Finney’s death. His was one of hundreds of comments, many left by those who had known Finney. “Pete came to a concert in 1970 and saw Asleep at the Wheel he told me that was when he decided to play pedal steel… and play he did with style grace and total command of that instrument! Hard to lose a great friend who was there at the beginning of it all for me and so many in those early Wash DC days.”

Finney was something of a music historian as well, co-curating the Hall of Fame museum’s 2015-2018 exhibition “Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City” and co-writing the exhibit’s accompanying book, which won the 2016 Chet Flippo Award for excellence in country music journalism from the International Country Music Conference.

“The idea for the exhibit came from Finney’s research on the many non-country artists from North America and England who came to Nashville in the 1960s and 1970s to record with the city’s talented and fast-working studio musicians,” the museum said.

Finney hosted programs at the Hall of Fame museum and participated in panel discussions frequently over the years.

The musician married singer Carol Tully on Oct. 15, 2017.

He was touring with Reba McEntire in 1991 when one of the tour’s planes crashed into a mountain near San Diego, claiming the lives of eight band members on their way to a show in Fort Wayne, Ind. Finney was traveling in the second plane to take off from a municipal airport that night; the first was the one that went down. McEntire was not on either plane.

“The planes took off three minutes apart,” a spokeswoman for McEntire told The Times after the March 1991 crash. “The plane that crashed took off first. The pilot of the second plane didn’t see anything. They just knew that they had lost radio contact with the other. They continued flying and were diverted to Nashville.”

Years later, when he was recruited by Mike Nesmith in 2017 to join the revival of the Monkees singer-songwriter’s country-rock group the First National Band, Finney stepped up to replace founding member Red Rhodes, who died in 1995.

“Finney often used Rhodes’ innovative parts from the recordings as his starting point, but frequently added dimensions of his own to prevent the set from simply replicating the original versions,” detailed former Times music writer Randy Lewis in a feature on a 2018 show by the reconstituted group. “Rhodes — and Finney — employ the steel guitar inventively, not just to evoke notes of melancholy often found in country music, but to bring an orchestra’s worth of color, texture and shading to the arrangements.”

In 2021, Finney joined the final Monkees tour, which included Mickey Dolenz as well as Nesmith and wrapped before Nesmith’s death that December.

The Hall of Fame said Finney “frequently performed in pickup bands in small Nashville clubs, where he might be seen with top-flight players such as Mac Gayden, Jen Gunderman, Jimmy Lester, Chris Scruggs, Kenny Vaughan, and others.”

Singer-songwriter and podcaster Otis Gibbs, who had Finney on his show several times, remembered frequently seeing the steel guitarist out on the Nashville music scene.

“I’d sometimes run into him 4, or 5 nights a week at shows,” Gibbs wrote Tuesday on his website. “If there were 9 people in attendance, Pete would usually be one of them. He’d joke that he liked seeing me at shows because he’d know it must be the place to be.”

Gibbs said he saw Finney just three weeks ago at a Jon Byrd show in East Nashville.

“I snuck up next to him and whispered, ‘I must be at the right show because Pete Finney’s here,’” he wrote. “That was the last time I saw him.”

Finney is survived by his wife. Friends and family are invited to a remembrance gathering Sunday at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater in Nashville.

Produced by Reese Witherspoon, James Van Der Beek’s final TV role will debut on Amazon Prime later this year, months after the actor’s death following a harrowing cancer battle

James Van Der Beek‘s final TV show will air later this year. The actor, who died aged 48 on 11 February, starred as Dean Wilson in Elle, a prequel series to the iconic Legally Blonde film franchise.

Produced by Reese Witherspoon, the show follows a young Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) in her pre-Harvard high school years, and James played Dean, a mayoral candidate and the school district’s superintendent. His scenes, the last of his that will ever air, were shot in May 2025.

Elle will air on Prime Video on 1 July 2026. This will come months after James’ death. He died aged 48 after a two-year battle with colorectal cancer.

READ MORE: James Van Der Beek’s heartbreaking final message weeks before devastating deathREAD MORE: James Van Der Beek’s cancer battle in full as Dawson’s Creek star dies aged 48

The news was confirmed in a statement from his wife, Kimberley: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now, we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

In an additional statement, Kimberly said: “James Van Der Beek was a beloved husband, father, and friend who touched the lives of everyone around him. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, James passed away on February 11, 2026, leaving behind his devoted wife, Kimberly, and their six wonderful children. Throughout his illness, the family faced not only emotional challenges but also significant financial strain as they did everything possible to support James and provide for his care.

“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds. They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time. The support of friends, family, and the wider community will make a world of difference as they navigate the road ahead.” The family have since launched a GoFundMe to help them cover costs.

James was diagnosed with cancer in August 2023, after getting checked following changes in his bowel movements. He announced the diagnosis over a year later in November 2024.

Speaking about his diagnosis when he chose to go public, he explained: “The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer. You think, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things. I have a lot to live for.”

In November last year, he announced that he would be auctioning off personal items from Dawson’s Creek, where he played Dawson Leery, in order to help with the costs associated with his ongoing treatment.

He starred in the show alongside Katie Holmes, who played Dawson’s childhood love Joey Potter, and Joshua Jackson, who played their friend and Joey’s second love Pacey Witter.

For more information or support about bowel cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.

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EMMERDALE actress Lisa Riley said Robin Windsor’s “glow had gone” after he was dropped from Strictly, an inquest heard.

The professional dancer, 44, was found dead in a hotel room in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, in February 2024.

An inquest heard Windsor left a suicide note saying the way he was treated by the BBC “destroyed me”.

The pro added: “It started me on the road I’m still on.

“All I wanted from life was to be happy.

“I loved my job more than anyone else.”

Riley was Windsor’s dance partner in the penultimate series he appeared on in 2012.

After being paired with Windsor, Riley said they were “joined at the hip”.

“To say we hit it off was an understatement,” the actress said in a written witness statement read to West London Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.

“I had only just lost my mum in the July. I, myself, was in a very difficult place.

“Robin was my rock.”

The Latin and ballroom dancer joined Strictly in 2010 and danced with actresses Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson and Riley, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden in four series until 2013.

He could not perform in the 2014 series because of a back injury and was dropped in 2015, but still appeared in the Christmas special that year, dancing alongside TV presenter Alison Hammond.

“It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into depression,” Riley said.

“His glow had gone.”

The actress recalled how she and Windsor had built up an “incredible trust” and remained friends.

“He literally told me everything,” she said.

“I trusted him and he trusted me.

“There were many, many happy times to begin with and together we did have so much fun.”

Riley said Windsor told her of times of “never feeling good enough” and “imposter syndrome”.

“Robin was and always has been very influenced by other men,” she added.

“It became a standing joke that he fell in love after three days.”

Riley said Windsor was insecure about his body and took steroids which, combined with alcohol, would put him in a bad place, jurors heard.

The court was also told how he was “drowning in debts” and “frantically” spent on designer items he could not afford.

Riley added: “Money problems also played a part of his darker days.”

She said her last contact with Windsor was around Christmas 2023, when they texted after Riley saw him share a “really dark” post on Facebook.

Riley continued: “I of course text him straight away and he replied saying he was ‘fine, just usual ups and downs of life’.”

The inquest also heard Robin was “obsessed” with watching Strictly prior to his death.

His panto co-star Terry Gleed said Robin spent his free time during rehearsals watching the show.

The star added: “I could feel that he really wanted to be there more than where we were. He missed it dearly.”

The court heard Robin had suffered a back injury in late 2013 which resulted in him needing surgery to remove a disc.

He missed the 2014 series while he recovered.

Next year telly bosses chose not to renew his contract.

Pal Kristina Rihanoff, 48, told the hearing yesterday she was “extremely upset” after learning Robin had not been asked back for the 13th series.

She added “the psychological impact was very severe” because he “couldn’t do what he loved” due to his back pain.

Kristina described it as “heartbreaking” to see him “deeply sad, subdued and burdened”.

The inquest continues.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.

By Euronews with AP

Published on
11/02/2026 – 9:18 GMT+1

Cardi B was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. But exactly what she did during that show turned into a perplexing question for two major prediction markets.

At least one Kalshi trader filed a complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over how the prediction market handled Sunday’s appearance by the Grammy-winning rapper. The result of a similar event contract on Polymarket also drew the ire of some users on that platform.

Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the results of future events. The markets are comprised of typically yes-or-no questions called event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring.

The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.

More than $47.3mn (€39.69mn) was wagered on Kalshi’s market for: “Who will perform at the Big Game?” A Polymarket contract had more than $10mn (€8.39mn) in volume.

Cameo appearance

Cardi B joined singers Karol G and Young Miko and actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal on a starry front porch during the halftime spectacle. She danced to the music, but it was unclear whether she was singing along during the show, which included performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.

Due to “ambiguity over whether or not Cardi B’s attendance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show constituted a qualifying ‘performance,’” Kalshi cited one of its rules in settling the market at the last price before trading was paused: $0.74 for No holders and $0.26 for Yes holders. The platform returned all the money to its users.

Polymarket’s contract was resolved as Cardi B had performed, but the Yes was disputed. A final decision on the contract is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

In the CFTC complaint — first reported by the Event Horizon newsletter and posted by Front Office Sports — the trader alleges that Kalshi violated the Commodity Exchange Act with how it resolved the Cardi B contract. The trader — a Yes holder — is seeking $3,700 (€3,104).

Spike in Super Bowl trading

The Super Bowl capped a big NFL season for prediction markets.

Kalshi reported a daily record high of more than $1bn (€839mn) in total trading volume on the day of the game, an increase of more than 2,700% compared to last year’s Super Bowl.

The season-long total for all Super Bowl winner futures was $828.6mn (€695.32mn) up more than 2,000% from last year.

The increased activity on Sunday caused some deposit issues. Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara posted on X on Monday that the “traffic spike was way bigger than our most optimistic forecasts”.

She said the platform had reimbursed processing fees on the affected deposits and added credits to users who experienced delays.

Robinhood Markets highlighted the strength of its prediction markets when it announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 on Tuesday.

“I think we are just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time,” CEO Vlad Tenev said during an earnings call.

“This year is going to be a big year. The Olympics are going on right now. The World Cup is coming in the summer.”

Jon Kay and Sally Nugent delivered sad news as they opened the instalment of BBC Breakfast

BBC Breakfast opened with breaking news after nine people were killed in a school shooting in Canada.

The incident took place in the small town of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. The police have said that the suspected shooter was found dead at a school in the town.

Opening the show on Wednesday (February 11), host Jon Kay said: “Here are our headlines today and some breaking news. Nine people have been shot dead at a school in Canada. The attacker has also died.”

Co-host Sally Nugent went on: “At least nine people have been shot dead, 25 injured at a school and at a nearby home in British Columbia in what Canadian officials have described as one of the worst mass shootings in the country’s history.”

Jon continued: “According to Canadian media, an alert said during that attack described the suspect as a female in a dress with brown hair.”

The show then moved to a North America correspondent, who explained: “A total of 10 people are dead. This happened just after lunchtime yesterday.

“The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it received a report of an active shooter at a school in the small town of Tumbler Ridge, a tiny place, a population of about 2,400 people.

“It lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

“There was a search of a school. They found six people dead. A seventh died on the way to hospital. More than two dozen people we’re told, were injured.

“Now, the authorities say another person believed to be the attacker was also found dead at the school with what appeared to be self-inflicted injuries.

“Officials say the shooting at the school and at a nearby home where two additional bodies were found are believed to be linked. The authorities say they don’t know yet what the attacker’s connection is to the school.”

The British Columbia Premier David Eby has said: “This is a devastating and unimaginable tragedy. We can’t imagine what the community is going through, but I know it’s causing us all to hug our kids a little bit tighter tonight.”

BBC Breakfast airs on BBC One

From Broderick Turner: In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick, every team his group faces is a test. Still, many wondered if the Lakers’ litmus test would come from facing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

Even with All-Star and league most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out with a strained abdominal, the Thunder are still a problem for most of the league. And the Lakers had to play OKC with their own MVP candidate, Luka Doncic, sitting out for the second straight game with a left hamstring strain.

In the end, it came down to the Lakers not being able to hold off the champion Thunder in the decisive fourth quarter of a 119-110 loss at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers (32-19) had six players score in double figures, but the Thunder had seven.

The Lakers shot 50% from the field, but the Thunder shot 48.3% from the field and 42.4% from three-point range.

“I think when you play the best teams, and Oklahoma City is clearly, you know they’re the best team, you have to have a really high level of effort, and you have to have a really high level of execution,” Redick said.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

Dream job

From Steve Galluzzo: The NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome is days away, and no one is looking forward to it more than Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush and the NBA’s vice president of social impact. She found her “dream job” and is loving every minute of it.

“I played basketball until fifth grade. I grew up in Dallas and everyone watched the Mavericks. Then when I moved to Austin it was all about UT,” she said, referring to the University of Texas. “I never thought I’d work in basketball. For most of my career I’ve worked in global health with nonprofits. During COVID, I started paying more attention to the NBA as it utilized its arenas for vaccination sites and voting centers since you could be socially distanced and compliant by using them.”

While representing the foundation for which she worked, Bush attended meetings with NBA executives and sought ways to work together.

Continue reading here

This day in sports history

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jack Palmer in the fourth round to defend his world heavyweight title in London.

1949 — Joe Fulks of Philadelphia scores 63 points in a 108-87 win over Indianapolis to set an NBA scoring record which would last for nearly a decade.

1952 — The Baltimore Bullets play the 48-minute game without making a substitution and beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 82-77.

1962 — Jim Beatty becomes the first American to break the 4-minute mile indoors with a 3:58.9 in Los Angeles.

1968 — Peggy Fleming wins the women’s Olympic figure skating gold medal in Grenoble, France.

1969 — LSU’s Pete Maravich scores 66 points in a 110-94 loss to Tulane.

1971 — Former first baseman Bill White becomes the first Black announcer in major baseball league history, signing to join the New York Yankees WPIX broadcast team.

1972 — Guy Lafleur becomes the first rookie in the NHL’s modern era to have three hat tricks in a season. Lafleur scores three goals and adds an assist in the Canadiens’ 7-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

1989 — K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics and Lenny Wilkens of the Cleveland Cavaliers are elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also elected is William “Pop” Gates, who played during the game’s barnstorming years in the 1930s and 1940s.

1991 — Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers, playing with a stress fracture in his left foot, becomes the NBA All-Star MVP with 17 points and 22 rebounds after leading the East to a 116-114 victory.

1992 — Bonnie Blair becomes the first woman to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal in 500-meter speed skating and the first American woman in any sport to win gold medals in consecutive Olympics.

1998 — Picabo Street, Alpine skiing’s comeback kid, overcomes a mistake about midway through her run and charges to an Olympic gold by one-hundredth of a second in the women’s super-G — the games’ first Alpine medal after three days of snow-related postponements.

2003 — Detroit’s Brett Hull becomes the sixth NHL player to score 700 regular-season goals. Hull beats San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov with a wrist shot in a 5-4 win over the Sharks.

2007 — Jaromir Jagr has three assists in the New York Rangers’ 5-2 win over Washington and becomes the 12th player in NHL history to score 1,500 points.

2017 — Golden State’s Draymond Green becomes the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with fewer than 10 points scored. Green had 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals and 4 points in a 122-107 win over Memphis. Green also had five blocks, which made him the first player to record 10 steals and five blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first tracked in 1973-74.

2018 — Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla wins the first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games and Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen takes silver in the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon to become the most decorated female Winter Olympian ever. Bjoergen captures her 11th career medal, breaking a three-way tie with Russian Raisa Smetanina and Italian Stefania Belmondo.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Countryfile presenter has opened up about her initial nerves during Strictly Come Dancing, which she joined following her split from rugby player Richie Myler

Former Blue Peter host Helen Skelton navigated a difficult period following her separation from rugby league player Richie Myler, ultimately reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing. However, the Countryfile star has admitted she felt “terrified” during the competition’s early weeks.

“I tried to leave,” she disclosed on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast. “I ran and hid on the fire escape, and they filmed Strictly next to The Crown, and there’s a massive wall. I kid you not, I was looking at the wall and thinking, ‘I could get over that’.”

Helen revealed that a member of the production team persuaded her to return to the studio, where her professional dancing partner Gorka Márquez delivered some crucial words of encouragement: “I remember he said to me: ‘It’s like jumping out of a plane, you’ve got to engage the parachute’.”

“He was so wonderful,” Helen continued, praising the Spanish dancer’s unwavering support, which helped build her confidence from those anxious beginnings through to her memorable Cabaret-themed Couple’s Choice routine in the final, which earned a flawless score of 40.

“By the final, I’ve gone from hiding on the fire escape, being terrified to look at the dance floor, to just freestyling. Even all the professionals were crying laughing. They were like, ‘Who are you?'” she said.

Helen’s Strictly experience wasn’t without its challenges, including an unfortunate costume mishap during the semi-finals when part of her outfit tore and hung around her leg for the remainder of the routine. Nevertheless, Helen persevered and secured an impressive 37 points — with Shirley Ballas awarding her and Gorka the lowest mark of 8, while Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke both gave them a 10.

Speaking to Kate, Helen revealed that despite the personal anguish of her eight-year marriage ending, she remained resolute that the circumstances wouldn’t impact her performance — or influence how the Strictly judges scored her.

She remembered: “A few people said if you’d have just cried and gone on about what was going on, you might have won it.”

Helen added that numerous friends had urged her to take up the Strictly opportunity purely due to the massive public fascination with her marriage split: “My friends were just like, ‘Just do it. Just do it.

“It’s going to swallow you up. Just do it. Like, there’s so many people talking about you and looking at you. They may as well look at you in a sparkly dress, mate.'”

Following Helen’s decision to accept the invitation, some audience members claimed she might have had an advantage due to her childhood tap-dancing background. Speaking to ITV’s Lorraine at the time, she said: “I found it so funny when they said it was a fix — Helen’s a tap-dancing champion. When I was seven, yes, I did tap dancing.

“Like lots of little girls and boys, I did dancing and absolutely loved it. I hit an age where I didn’t want to be in a leotard in public and I gave it up. I wish I hadn’t!”

The donkeys are pissed off. Put upon, out of work and victims of decades-long systemic abuse, it’s time, they have decided, to protest.

The donkeys, metaphorically, are us.

At least that’s the premise of “asses.masses,” a video game played by and for a live audience. It’s theater for the post-Twitch age, performance art for those weaned on “The Legend of Zelda” or “Pokémon.” Most important, it’s entertainment as political dissent for these divisive times. Though the project dates to 2018, it’s hard not to draft 2026 onto its narrative. Whether it’s unjust incarceration, mass layoffs or topics centered around tech’s automation of jobs, “asses.masses,” despite generally lasting more than seven hours — yes, seven-plus hours — is a work of urgency.

The audience cheers various decisions made during the playing of “asses.masses” at UCLA Nimoy Theater.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

And for the audience at the Saturday showing at the UCLA Nimoy Theater, it felt like a call to arms. Citizens executed in the street for exercising their right to free speech? That’s in here. Run-ins with authorities that recall images seen in multiple American cities over the past few months? Also in here, albeit in a retro, pixel art style that may bring to mind the “Final Fantasy” series from its Super Nintendo days.

In a city that’s been ravaged by fires, ICE raids and a series of entertainment industry layoffs, the sold-out crowd of nearly 300 was riled up. Chants of “ass power!” — the donkey’s protest slogan — were heard throughout the day as attendees politely gathered near a single video game controller on a dais to play the game, becoming not just the avatar for the donkeys but a momentary leader for the collective. Cheers would erupt when a young donkey reached the conclusion that “I kinda think the system is rigged against everyone.” And when technological advances, clearly a stand-in for artificial intelligence, were described as “evil, soulless, job-taking, child-killing machines,” there were knowing claps, as if no exaggeration was stated.

“Our theater is supposed to be a rehearsal for life,” says Patrick Blenkarn, who co-created the game with Milton Lim, interdisciplinary artists from Canada who often work with interactive media.

“We grew up in a radical political tradition of theater,” says Patrick Blenkarn, right, who co-created “asses.masses” with Milton Lim.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“We grew up in a radical political tradition of theater, where this is where we can rehearse emotional experience — catharsis,” Blenkarn says. “That is what art is supposed to be doing. We have been very interested in the idea that if we come together, what are we going to do and how are we going to do it? What we are seeing in your country, and other countries, is the question of how are we going to change our behavior, and will the people who currently have the controller listen? And if they don’t, what do we do?”

Video games are inherently theatrical. Even if one is playing solo on the couch, a video game is a dialogue, a performance between a player and unseen designers. Blenkarn and Lim also spoke in an interview prior to the show of wanting to re-create the sensation of gathering around a television and passing a controller back and forth among family or friends while offering commentary on someone’s play style. Only at scale. And while I thought “asses.masses” could work, too, as a solitary experience at home, its themes of collective action and reaching a group consensus, often through boos or shouts of encouragement, made it particularly well-suited for a performance.

The UCLA Nimoy Theater played host to “asses.masses” this weekend.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Beginning at 1 p.m. and ending shortly after 8 p.m., coincidentally, says Blenkarn, the length or so of a working day, not everyone made it to the “asses.masses” conclusion. About a quarter of the audience — a crowd that was clearly familiar with the multiple video game style represented in “asses.masses” — couldn’t stand the endurance test. But in a time of binge-watching, I didn’t find the length prohibitive. There were multiple intermissions, but those became part of the show as well, as there was no set time limit. Blenkarn and Lim were asking the audience, via a prompt on the screen, to jointly agree upon a length, emphasizing, once again, the importance of collective cooperation.

And “asses.masses” holds interest because it, in part, embraces the animated absurdity and inherent experimentation of the medium. While often in a retro pixel art style, at times the game shifted into a more modern open-world look. And the story veers down multiple paths and side-quests — some requiring wild coordination such as a rhythm game meant to simulate donkey sex, and others more tense, such as “Metal Gear”-like sneaking, complete with the donkeys hiding in cardboard boxes.

Audiences vote, often by cheering or booing, on choices in “asses.masses.”

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The way “asses.masses” shifted tones and tenor recalled a game such as “Kentucky Route Zero,” another serialized and alternately realistic and fanciful game with political overtones. Other times, such as the surreal world of the donkey afterlife, I thought of the colorfully unpredictable universe of the music-focused game “The Artful Escape,” a quest for personal identity and self-actualization. The donkeys in “asses.masses” are an ensemble, often trying to steer the audience in different directions. As much as some push for a protest as a way for communal healing and progressive action, others take a cynical outlook, viewing that path as “intellectually compromised” by a “commitment to past ideals.”

The goal, says Lim, is to create a sort of game within a game — one that’s being played with a controller and one of debate among a crowd. “It’s not about having a billion endings,” Lim says. “We understand it’s a theater show, and we as writers have objectives for what we want it to go towards. But the decisions people make in the room really matter. The game is half in the room and half on the screen.”

The audience, for instance, can play a role in keeping certain donkeys alive. Or what jobs a group of renegade donkeys may choose. Our audience voted for the donkeys to enter the circus, at least until they were deemed obsolete and sent to detention centers, which felt uncomfortably of the moment. Such topicality is what drew Edgar Miramontes, leader of CAP UCLA, to the show, despite his admittance to being largely unfamiliar with the world of video games.

“It doesn’t shy away from the nuances of when organizing happens and what we’re seeing in our world right now,” Miramontes says. “There are instances in which a donkey may die because, in organizing to achieve their goals, these things happen. We have seen this in our Civil Rights Movement and other movements and the current movement that’s happening right now around ICE.”

The Nimoy event, part of UCLA’s current Center for the Art of Performance season, was the 50th time “asses.masses” had been performed. The show will continue to tour, with a performance in Boston set for this upcoming weekend and it will reach Chicago later this year. Our donkeys on Saturday didn’t solve all the world’s inequalities, but they did live full lives, attending raves, engaging in casual sex and even playing video games.

A player celebrates during “asses.masses,” live action theatrical video game.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The show is an argument that progress isn’t always linear, but community is constant. As one of the donkeys says at one point, “If you aren’t doing something that brings you joy, do something different.”

“In case anyone is like, ‘I don’t want to be lectured at,’ or I don’t want to do all this work, it feels like you’re just having fun with friends,” Lim says. “Maybe revolution doesn’t always look like just this. Maybe it’s also this.”

And like many a video game, maybe it’s a chance to live out some fantasies. “We do beat up riot cops in the game,” Blenkarn says, “in case anyone is hoping for that opportunity.”