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Mirvish to close ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ after 13-month run in Toronto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

TORONTO — “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is set to disappear from Toronto.Mirvish Productions announced Sunday it plans to close the stage play based on J.K. Rowling’s characters that opened less than 10 months ago. The wizards take their final bows on July 2 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.The end of “Harry Potter” comes as Canadian live theatre struggles for direction in the wake of extensive COVID-19 closures and a slow recovery. Producers hoped to cast a spell over audiences with a familiar franchise and theatrical spectacle that includes flying actors and impressive pyrotechnics.But the stage production was a gamble from the start. Toronto producer David Mirvish said when taking into account ticket sales trends, it became clear that high running costs would make it difficult to keep the show open.“In other times, it probably would’ve gone longer,” he acknowledged.“If we hadn’t had to deal with the pandemic, it would...

Chicago State faculty and staff union reaches agreement with university, suspends strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Faculty and staff members of the Chicago State University chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) suspended their strike Sunday after reaching a tentative agreement with CSU administration."We are pleased to report that, after many additional hours of intensive bargaining over the weekend, our union and CSU administration have resolved the issues remaining on the table and reached a tentative four-year agreement," said CSU UPI President Valerie Goss. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Chicago State University faculty on strike Details of the agreement will not be provided until all members of the union have had the opportunity to review it and a ratification vote is held. If approved, the agreement will take effect immediately.Union members will return to work on Monday, April 17, with classes resuming.“Our faculty and staff look forward to being back in our classrooms tomorrow," Goss said.The strike began on April 3 and lasted for ten days.

4 killed, 28 injured in Alabama birthday party shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (WRBL) - Four people were killed and 28 more were injured, including teenagers, in a Saturday night shooting in Dadeville, Alabama, according to law enforcement. Investigators are now imploring people to come forward with information.Witnesses said the shooting occurred at a 16th birthday party at Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio in downtown Dadeville. Sgt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said shots were fired at 10:34 p.m.Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing people running and screaming from the building.The total number of people shot was initially reported as more than 20. During a Sunday evening press conference, Sgt. Burkett confirmed 28 people were injured in the shooting, noting "some of those injuries are critical." CNN reported earlier in the day that 15 teenagers were taken to Dadeville’s Lake Martin Community Hospital with gunshot wounds. Six had been treated and released as of Sunday afternoon while the rest were t...

Weekend Break: Tron Exhibit at Chicago Gamespace

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

CHICAGO — It's the 41st anniversary of the movie Tron, along with the corresponding video games.The pinball games were made right here in Chicago. Weekend Break: Expo Chicago The 1982 film wasn't a box office hit, but the arcade games that came out of it were and still are. Time Lapetino wrote the book "The Art of Atari."In the movie, Jeff Bridges plays a programmer whose games get stolen and he tries to find the people who took them. When Disney came calling to help create an arcade game, George Gomez was one of the designers at a Chicago company called Midway.41 years later, Tron Games are still going strong.The Tron Exhibit is happening now at Chicago Gamespace.It runs on the weekends through August.

Bruce Springsteen gets his own holiday in New Jersey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

(The Hill) - Rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen is getting his own holiday in his native state of New Jersey. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) made the announcement on Saturday, saying in a social media post that September 23, the birthday of the legendary artist, will be known as “Bruce Springsteen Day.” “Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and influential musicians – and New Jerseyans – of all time, period,” Murphy wrote in a tweet.  Restaurant service fees on the rise: Here’s how to spot them “And so, I am both honored and proud to announce @springsteen's birthday, Sept. 23, will officially be known as Bruce Springsteen Day in the Garden State.”The news comes as the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer received the National Medal of Arts recognition from President Biden last month, being one of the 23 individuals being recognized with the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal.  Walmart closing locations across 12 states this year: Here’s wh...

Walk-off win clinches series over Kansas Jayhawks for No. 8 Texas softball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a hiccup Friday, the No. 8 Texas softball team clinched the season series against the Kansas Jayhawks with a 3-2 win Sunday at McCombs Field.The Longhorns bounced back from their worst defensive game of the season Friday, committing five errors and losing 9-3, to win the second game of the series 10-0 in five innings before Sunday's 1-run victory.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersIn Sunday's game, freshman catcher Reese Atwood smacked a single to score Mia Scott with the game-winning run in the seventh inning. Scott was the only Longhorn with multiple hits, collecting a pair from the leadoff spot in the lineup."I knew Mia (Scott) was on second and she has incredible speed, so I just knew I needed to get a ball in the gap or somewhere on the ground because she would score on anything I could put in play," Atwood said. "That was my approach going up t...

Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland: Gabriel Landeskog uncertainty didn’t impact how Avs handled trade deadline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

There are two schools of hindsight bias regarding the Avalanche’s 2023 trade deadline.First is the notion that if Chris MacFarland and the front office had known Gabriel Landeskog would be out for the year, then they could’ve, would’ve, should’ve made a bigger splash at the deadline to make use of his LTIR salary cap space.Second is the rebuttal that without absolute confidence in Landeskog returning, it would have been risky, superfluous or even nonsensical to sacrifice more future assets on a win-now mentality. The captain’s out anyway; why spend for a rental?As for MacFarland himself, he’s not taking the easy excuse that was available to him if he just wanted to appease the “trade for Ryan O’Reilly” crowd. The Avalanche general manager said Sunday that the uncertainty surrounding Landeskog had no effect on how Colorado navigated the deadline, dispelling that first theory.In fact, he indicated he was starting to get an idea by ...

Warriors notebook: Team blames rebounding for Game 1 loss, but what about on offense?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

SACRAMENTO — The Warriors canceled their practice Sunday following their loss to the Kings in Game 1. Instead, they holed up in the team hotel to look over film. Perhaps the adjustments necessary for Game 2 warranted a lengthy discussion over another walk-through.Head coach Steve Kerr, Gary Payton II and Klay Thompson emphasized their defensive lapses and failures on the offensive boards as the reason for their loss. They were out-rebounded on the offensive boards 17 to 9, often missing box outs and ceding the second-chance points that got De’Aaron Fox hot.“Rebound and limit our fouling,” Thompson said. “When you give that team any second chance opportunities they’re going to convert so that was an emphasis.”But the series could turn if the Warriors capitalize against the Kings’ league-worst defense. The Warriors found plenty of success in the first half getting into the paint, finding comfortable shots with little resistance form Doma...

Nothing’s come easy for Oakland A’s this season. Sunday was no exception

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

OAKLAND – Nothing has come easy for the Oakland A’s this season, and their game with the New York Mets on Sunday at the Coliseum was no exception.The A’s had an opportunity to close out a victory in the top of the ninth inning but blew the save. They had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth but stranded a runner on base.Finally, they stranded two more runners in the 10th inning in a 4-3 loss to the Mets before an announced crowd of 17,465 at the Coliseum. It was the A’s first three-game series sweep at home this season.The A’s miscues were plentiful, as a Zach Jackson wild pitch in the 10th inning scored Eduardo Escobar from third base, giving the Mets the lead.Sam Moll retired the first two batters he faced in the 10th as Francisco Alvarez flied out to move Escobar to third base.The A’s lost the series’ first two games, as they were blown out 17-6 on Friday and lost 3-2 on Saturday.The A’s led 3-2 going into the ninth inning.Brought in for a chance at ...

Warriors back E-40 after Game 1 ejection; rapper alleges he was tossed as result of racial bias

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:50 GMT

SACRAMENTO — Several Golden State players voiced support for E-40 one day after the Bay Area hip-hop legend was tossed from Game 1 of the Warriors-Kings series as a result of what he said was “racial bias” from security guards.Klay Thompson on Sunday said it was “very weird to see” E-40, a devout Warriors fan, get kicked out from his usual seats near the team’s bench in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Kings.“In my time, knowing him, he’s always been respectful,” Thompson said after a team meeting. “He’s always been considerate of those around him.”Several videos that circulated social media Saturday night showed E-40, whose real name is Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., talking to Golden 1 Center security before leaving his baseline seats. At one point, a member of the Warriors security team steps in to help de-escalate the situation before E-40 was escorted out through the tunnel, with Golden Sta...