AP Entertainment Digest for Wednesday, May 27

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WEDNESDAY, May 27

UPDATES with OBIT-LARRY KRAMER, TV-FALLON-BLACKFACE, VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA, SCI-HOME LAUNCH-TOM CRUISE, OBIT-ROBB FORMAN DEW, VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN-MURAKAMI

OBIT-LARRY KRAMER — Larry Kramer, the playwright whose angry voice and pen raised theatergoers’ consciousness about AIDS and roused thousands to militant protests in the early years of the epidemic, has died. He was 84. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 1110 words, photos. WITH-OBIT-LARRY KRAMER-REACTION, 314 words.

STREAMING TV-HBO MAX — Is a pandemic the perfect time to launch a new and relatively expensive streaming service? AT&T sure hopes so. The phone company is investing billions in HBO Max, its first big entertainment venture since it spent $85 billion for Time Warner in 2018. The good news: Millions are stuck at home, watching more video than ever. The bad news: Many of them are also out of work and carefully watching their incomes. By Tali Arbel. SENT: 676 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA — Officials from SeaWorld and Disney World say they hope to open their theme parks in Orlando, Florida, in June and July. A city task force approved the plans on Wednesday. They will now be sent to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his approval. By Freida Frisaro. SENT: 448 words, photo.

MUSIC-JASON ISBELL — Jason Isbell had big plans for this summer, between a new album specifically designed to introduce his music to a wider audience and a schedule that had him onstage most nights from May to September. The coronavirus changed things. By Entertainment Writer David Bauder. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.

MUSIC-KIP MOORE — Country singer Kip Moore releases his new album “Wild World,” in a very chaotic time, but he said his introspective messages might help people right now. By Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall. SENT: 556 words, photos, video.

TV-FALLON-BLACKFACE — NBC ‘Tonight’ show host Jimmy Fallon apologized via Twitter for using blackface to impersonate comic Chris Rock in a 20-year-old ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit. That performance suddenly became a topic for online discussion this week when video of the skit was posted on Twitter. SENT: 225 words, photo.

OBIT-ROBB FORMAN DEW — Author Robb Forman Dew has died at age 73. She was a prize-winning fiction writer who drew upon her small-town Ohio background for such novels as “Dale Loves Sophie to Death.” She was the granddaughter of the author-critic John Crowe Ransom and the goddaughter of the poet-novelist Robert Penn Warren. SENT: 303 words.

FOOD-DIANA KENNEDY — A new documentary, “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy,” focuses on an unlikely champion of Mexican cuisine. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 690 words, photo.

SCI-HOME LAUNCH-TOM CRUISE — NASA is rolling out the International Space Station’s red carpet for Tom Cruise to make a movie in orbit. The space agency’s administrator, Jim Bridenstine, said before Wednesday’s planned launch of ta SpaceX rocket that Elon Musk’s company is already getting customers eager to blast off. Cruise is one of them. Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn. SENT: 311 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN-MURAKAMI — Acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, hosting a special radio show from home, has painted a brighter side of the world with his favorite music. He says the fight against the coronavirus is a challenge to human wisdom in figuring out ways to help and care for each other. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 667 words, photo.

NIELSENS — Coverage of the top prime-time programs from the week of May 18-24. By AP Media Writer David Bauder. UPCOMING: 450 words, photo if available.

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REVIEWS

FILM REVIEW-ON THE RECORD. By Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. Upcoming: 700 words by 12 p.m. Wednesday, film stills.

FILM REVIEW-THE VAST OF NIGHT. By Film Writer Jake Coyle. UPCOMING: 700 words by 1 p.m. Wednesday, photos.

FILM REVIEW-THE HIGH NOTE. By National Writer Jocelyn Noveck. SENT Wednesday: 725 words, film stills.

MUSIC REVIEW-LADY GAGA. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. UPCOMING Friday: 350 words, photo.

MUSIC REVIEW-TEDDY THOMPSON. By Steven Wine. UPCOMING Thursday: 350 words, photo.

MUSIC REVIEW-GIL SCOTT-HERON & BRIAN JACKSON. By Pablo Gorondi. UPCOMING Thursday: 350 words, photo.

MUSIC REVIEW-JASON WILBER. By Steven Wine. SENT Wednesday: 240 words, photo.

MUSIC REVIEW-JIMMY BUFFETT. By AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT Tuesday: 412 words, photo.

BOOK REVIEW-RED DRESS IN BLACK AND WHITE BY ELLIOT ACKERMAN. Reviewed by Rob Merrill. SENT Tuesday: 446 words, cover image.

BOOK REVIEW-ALL MY MOTHER’S LOVERS BY ILANA MASAD. Reviewed by Molly Sprayregen. SENT Tuesday: 205 words, cover image.

BOOK REVIEW-HIDEAWAY BY NORA ROBERTS. Reviewed by Sophia Rosenbaum. SENT Tuesday: 311 words, cover image.