Entertainment News Roundup: Broadway to light up again in September; Black teenager on trial for murder in topical drama "Monster" and more

The Netflix drama follows 17-year-old Steve Harmon, a promising film student played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., who insists he is innocent after he is arrested for his alleged part in a fatal robbery at a bodega in Harlem, New York. A Minute with: Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish on 'Here Today' Billy Crystal returns to the director's chair after 20 years for "Here Today", in which he also plays a well-known comedy writer who unexpectedly becomes friends with a street jazz singer.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Broadway to light up again in September when shows are set to return

Live Broadway shows will return to the stage starting Sept. 14 after an 18-month hiatus to fight the coronavirus pandemic, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday.

Tickets will go on sale beginning on Thursday and theaters will be allowed to fill 100% of capacity, Cuomo said. Broadway theaters are among New York's biggest tourist attractions.

Black teenager on trial for murder in topical drama "Monster"

A Black teenager on trial for murder fights to clear his name and reclaim his identity in "Monster", a film that dives headlong into issues that have animated the Black Lives Matter movement and often led the news agenda in recent times. The Netflix drama follows 17-year-old Steve Harmon, a promising film student played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., who insists he is innocent after he is arrested for his alleged part in a fatal robbery at a bodega in Harlem, New York.

A Minute with: Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish on 'Here Today'

Billy Crystal returns to the director's chair after 20 years for "Here Today", in which he also plays a well-known comedy writer who unexpectedly becomes friends with a street jazz singer. Tiffany Haddish portrays performer Emma who wins a lunch with the veteran writer Charlie Burnz, despite not knowing who he is. Despite some initial setbacks, a friendship develops and she soon takes on an important role as Burnz deals with the onset of dementia.

Venezuela's Maduro receives samurai sword gift from actor Steven Seagal

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received a samurai sword as a gift from actor Steven Seagal, who was visiting the South American country as a representative of Russia, state television images showed on Tuesday evening. Maduro, wearing a white facemask and a traditional Venezuelan black long sleeve shirt known as a liqui liqui, positioned the sword over his shoulder as Seagal nodded and pointed in affirmation, the images broadcast from the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas showed.

Singer Arlo Parks emerges from lockdown fame for 'momentous' Brits show

British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in the past year - even if it was from home due to lockdown. So when the 20-year-old finally performs live for her fans and meets them in person, it might feel a little surreal. "It's definitely going to take some adjusting to because most of the fans that I have gained have been under (lockdown) where everything is very much happening across the internet and not having that in-person connection," Parks told Reuters.

Kevin Spacey accuser cannot sue anonymously, judge rules

A man who said he was sexually assaulted at age 14 by the actor Kevin Spacey in the 1980s must identify himself if he is to continue his $40 million civil lawsuit against the Oscar winner, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said on Monday that Spacey's fame "magnified" the public's legitimate interest in knowing the identity of the plaintiff, known as "C.D."

French stunt school's 'badass' women snapped up by film industry

Valeriane Michelini trained as a dancer before opting to tap into the growing demand for stuntwomen and a career of jumping out of helicopters, leaping from buildings and brawling.

Michelini is one of a growing number of women passing through the Campus Univers Cascade (CUC), which bills itself as the world's biggest stunt school, and looking to break into European cinema and Hollywood as a stunt double.

Britney Spears calls recent documentaries about her 'hypocritical'

Pop singer Britney Spears spoke out on Tuesday about recent documentaries about her life and career, calling them "hypocritical" because they rehash her personal problems while criticizing the media for reporting them the first time. Walt Disney Co's FX network and The New York Times released "Framing Britney Spears" in February. The documentary examined the singer's meteoric rise to fame as a teenager, the ensuing media scrutiny and her widely publicized breakdown.And this month, the BBC released "The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash and a Conservatorship" in Britain. It will debut in the United States and Canada starting May 11 via the BBC Select streaming service.

(With inputs from agencies.)