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2 • June 11 - 17, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media B roadway is having a moment. While New York's beloved the- ater district has always been popu- lar, it's been particularly successful this past season, and the city's per- formers are ready to celebrate. Kevin Spacey ("House of Cards") takes the stage of New York's iconic Radio City Music Hall to host the 71st Annual Tony Awards, airing Sunday, June 11, on CBS. Founded in 1947, the awards recognize out- standing achievement in a number of categories, including acting, writ- ing and choreography, as well as more technical aspects of theater production such as costume and lighting design. A Tony, Oscar and Golden Globe winner himself, Spacey is a natural choice to host what is considered by many to be the preeminent theater awards ceremony in the world. Still, he had no trouble making light of the gig when it was announced. "I was their second choice for 'Usual Suspects,' fourth choice for 'American Beauty' and 15th choice to host this year's Tony Awards. I think my career is definitely going in the right direction," Spacey quipped. "Maybe I can get shortlist- ed to host the Oscars if everyone else turns it down." The actor is currently the star and executive producer of the Netflix se- ries "House of Cards." His role as Frank Underwood has netted him a Golden Globe and back-to-back SAG Awards. Before landing roles in critically lauded films such as "The Usual Suspects" (1995) and "Ameri- can Beauty" (1999) — both of which earned him Oscars — Spacey began his career in theater. He gained the attention of critics when he starred in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in the 1980s, and went on to win a Tony Award for his por- trayal of Uncle Louie in "Lost in Yon- kers" in 1991. A champion of the theater, Spacey served as the artistic director of the Old Vic in London from 2004 to 2015, and he has also launched a namesake foundation to support young actors, writers, direc- tors and producers. He takes the helm of the theater community's biggest night to cele- brate the successes of his peers on Broadway. This year's Tony contend- ers face some fierce competition with 13 new musicals in contention for awards. Selected by an indepen- dent committee of theater profes- sionals, the nomina- tions were an- nounced by ac- tor Chris Jack- son ("Bull") and actress Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock") in May. "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812," a musical adapta- tion of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," leads the list of nominees with an astounding 12 nominations. Stars Denée Benton ("UnREAL"), who plays Natasha, and Josh Groban ("Life in Pieces"), who plays Pierre, are up for Tonys, which is particularly impressive given the fact that the production marks both performers' Broadway debuts. The show has also been nominated for the coveted Best Musical award, but it faces stiff competition from the Canadian show "Come From Away," the teen-centered "Dear Evan Hansen" and the movie-in- spired musical comedy "Groundhog Day." Benton finds herself in good company in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category alongside Bette Midler for "Hello Dolly," Patti LuPone for "War Paint," Christine Ebersole for "War Paint" and Eva Noblezada for "Miss Saigon." Groban's fellow Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical nominees include Christian Borle for "Falsettos," Andy Karl for "Groundhog Day," David Hyde Pierce for "Hello Dolly" and Ben Platt for "Dear Evan Hansen." Their non- musical coun- terparts are equally re- markable. The nomi- nees for Best Play are "A Doll's House, Part 2," "Indecent," "Oslo" and "Sweat." American The- ater Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Kline is up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his work in "Present Laughter," an honor shared by Denis Arndt for "Heisenberg," Chris Cooper for "A Doll's House, Part 2," Corey Hawk- ins for "Six Degrees of Separation" and Jefferson Mays for "Oslo." Leg- endary actress Sally Field leads the list of nominees for Best Perfor- mance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her role in "The Glass Menagerie." Her fellow nomi- nees are Cate Blanchett for "The Present," Jennifer Ehle for "Oslo," Laura Linney for "Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes" and Laurie Metcalf for "A Doll's House, Part 2." Fans can access the full list of nominees at www.tonyawards.com, but there are a few other notable awards slated to be given out this year. Two-time Tony winner James Earl Jones ("The Great White Hope," 1970) is set to be honored with this year's Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the The- ater. Widely known for his voice work as Darth Vader from the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa from Disney's "The Lion King," Jones is highly regarded for his work on stage. The actor made his Broadway debut in 1957, and has starred in such shows as "Fences," "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Gin Game." Also, director, actress and chore- ographer Baayork Lee is set to re- ceive the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, which is presented to a member of the theater community who contributes to humanitarian, social service or charitable organi- zations. Lee is being recognized for her work with the National Asian Artists Project, which promotes the work of theater artists of Asian descent. Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin are set to receive a special Tony Award for outstanding sound design for their work on "The Encounter," a show about a National Geographic photographer who finds himself lost in Brazil. The work of such artists has made live theater as popular as ever, and CBS is likely hoping to build on the success of last year's Tony's broadcast, which attracted its largest audience in 15 years. En- joy a taste of Broadway as Kevin Spacey hosts the 71st Annual Tony Awards, Sunday, June 11, on CBS. The Tonys celebrate the best of the best on CBS Cover Story this week Kevin Spacey is set to host the 71st Annual Tony Awards The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I saw that President Trump gave a commencement speech at Liberty University on Saturday, and he said: "Always have the courage to be yourself" and "chase your dreams." Then he stopped talking because he ran out of fortune cookies. I read somewhere that attendance at the ceremony was mandatory, and booing wasn't allowed. Which, incidentally, are also the rules when you have dinner with Trump. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Well, ladies and gentlemen, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news: The Washington Post reports that Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador. Good news: Trump found the leaker! The Late Late Show With James Corden Over the weekend, the world's biggest-ever cyberattack spread around the globe, infecting 150 countries. It's pretty horrifying. Computers have been totally destroyed. In some cases, in extreme cases, people were forced to have actual face-to-face conversations. It was a nightmare. The virus was stopped by a computer security expert who is only 22 years old. It is incredible. It's the first time a 22-year-old guy has stopped a virus without putting ointment on it. It's prom season right now, and at a prom in Memphis, Tennessee, the rapper Drake made an appearance, attending the event with his cousin and her date. Kind of a mixed bag, though, because on one hand, you came to the prom with Drake. On the other hand, you came to the prom with your cousin. Late Laughs 001580069r1 Kinship Partners OFFICES IN: Brainerd, Pequot Lakes, Crosby & Staples 218.829.4606 Toll Free 877.730.5437 S E A M L E S S "EXPERIENCE THE ADVANTAGE" "EXPERIENCE THE ADVANTAGE" Advantage Seamless, Inc. 218-270-2663 or 888-570-5778 WWW.ADVANTAGESEAMLESSGUTTERS.COM THE BEST DEFENSE IN GUTTER PROTECTION AMERICA'S FIRST HIGH FLOW SYSTEM™ COUPON % OFF *** Must do entire home. Must book project by 6/30/17 *** Does not apply to contractors. Excludes Copper and 1/2 Round. Call 1-888-570-5778. Must present coupon at the time of consultation. We will match any competitor coupons. Cannot be combined with other offers. 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