NEW YORK – The sobering musical “Jagged Little Pill,” which plumbs Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough album to tell a story of an American family spiraling out of control, earned a leading 15 Tony Award nominations Thursday as the Broadway community took the first steps to celebrate a pandemic-shortened season.

On Sept. 24, my favorite game of all time received its first major update in nearly eight years. That game is “Left 4 Dead 2,” a cooperative first-person shooter that tasks players with overcoming hordes of zombies. Sounds original, right?

LONDON – Herbert Kretzmer, the journalist and lyricist best known for his English-language adaptation of the musical “Les Miserables,” has died. He was 95. His family confirmed Wednesday that Kretzmer died after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease at the London home he shared with his second wife, Sybil Sever.

Sheryl Stone winced when she gazed at the capacity crowd cramming the Knitting Factory for a sold-out Alter Bridge show in late February. "I looked at this sea of people in the audience, and I just knew that these people were super-spreaders," Stone said.

NEW YORK — Jon Bon Jovi has been churning out love songs and arena anthems for nearly 40 years, but his latest release, “2020,” has taken his music to another level. It’s Bon Jovi’s most socially conscious album to date, and the singer-songwriter calls the collection a “moment in time."

If you’ve spent any time perusing the Steam storefront, you’ve probably seen the words “early access” or “pre-alpha” next to a game’s title. There’s boatloads of high- and low-profile examples of these games, with the likes of “Fortnite” only dropping the phrase early access from its title in June.

Some creative thinking has kept the doors open at Pattison’s North skating rink in north Spokane, allowing owner Shaun Pattison to limit the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next few days, as we memorialize Eddie Van Halen, who died at age 65 on Tuesday from throat cancer, expect countless tributes noting his guitar-playing pyrotechnics, the finger-tapping, blazing speed and jigsaw puzzle of arpeggio chords crafted into perfectly constructed melodies (think "Panama" or "Unchained"). 

It doesn't feel like Spokane while relaxing at the pool of the sun-splashed RV Park at Northern Quest Casino. It's a quiet, late summer afternoon, and folks have chilled beers on a table as they sunbathe on lounge chairs. The destination crackles with life as pre-pubescents swim in the pool.

NEW YORK – The virus pandemic won’t stop Charlie Brown, Snoopy or the “Peanuts” gang from marking an important birthday and they’re hoping to raise the spirits of sick kids while they celebrate.

Few video games are entirely self-explanatory. In the early glory days of arcades, instructions were printed on the cabinet around the edges of the screen. When video games came home, many titles were released in a box with several pages of printed instructions. Developers typically try their best to make games intuitive.

About two years ago, in honor of TV Guide Magazine's 60th anniversary, magazine staff released a list of the top cartoons of all time, deeming it "The Definitive Ranking of 'The Simpsons,' 'Peanuts' and More Old Cartoons From Your Childhood."

In years past, the Spokane Arts’ annual awards parties celebrating local artists and cultural organizations have often been raucous affairs. Artists and audiences have shown up with loud costumes, strong cocktails and questionable dance moves. (This is what I’ve been told, anyway.)

"What is the future of American theater, and how do we bring it to Spokane?" Those questions will be discussed during the second "Expanding the Table," a virtual panel discussion series hosted by the Spokane Theatre Arts Council, on Friday at 6:30 p.m. via Facebook Live.

One genre description seems to be popping up everywhere lately: “roguelike.” Over the past few years, I’ve found the term to be increasingly ubiquitous, so I did some research. Like most genres, it’s a convoluted category now but had a clear beginning: the early dungeon-crawling game “Rogue,” developed in 1980.

Spokane Arts Awards – A live broadcast from Lucky You Lounge featuring Jess Walter reading from his new book, "The Cold Millions," live music and a presentation. For more information and tickets, visit spokanearts.org. Saturday, 8 p.m. Lucky You Lounge, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. $5. (206) 499-9173.

Since the show debuted in 1975, the writers and performers at "Saturday Night Live" have skewered the latest in national and international politics week after week. With a new season kicking off a month before the presidential election, you can guarantee many a headline will make its way onto TV screens courtesy of "SNL."

Kevin Hart is bringing more of his funny back to SiriusXM. The satellite radio company announced Tuesday a new multiplatform deal with Hart and his comedy network Laugh Out Loud. The superstar comedian-actor will host new regular and live programs on his channel, Laugh Out Loud Radio.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a complex celebration aiming to pay tribute to generations of Hispanic Americans. Some celebrate with food, history lessons or Spanish-language activities. Another excellent way to celebrate is to watch films created by and focused on this diverse group.