New local theatre production ‘Glory!’ defies categorization

A groundbreaking children’s album about gender roles and a nudity-laden magazine promising “entertainment for men” collide in Glory!, the latest — and largest-ever — performance piece by We Quit Theatre, a scrappy, do-it-ourselves local theatre collective.

A John Candy documentary gives Toronto film fest a tender and appropriately Canadian opening night

TORONTO (AP) — “I wish I had more bad things to say about him,” Bill Murray says in the opening moments of the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.”

It has always been hard to find a negative word about Candy. The great Canadian comedian and actor not only radiated a warm, down-to-earth friendliness in movies like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Uncle Buck” and “The Great Outdoors,” he was that way off screen, too. As Mel Brooks says in the film, “He was a total actor because he was a total person.”

“John Candy: I Like Me,” directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, is a tribute not just to Candy the actor, but Candy, the man. On Thursday night, it premieres as the opening night film of the Toronto International Film Festival. For a beloved Canadian icon like Candy, whose nickname was “Johnny Toronto,” the setting could hardly be more fitting. To reference Candy’s cameo in “The Blues Brothers,” it’s an occasion that calls for orange whips, all around.

“I can’t tell you the amount of meetings we had about when the movie can be made, and maybe we can do this festival or that,” Hanks says. “And I just kept thinking in the back of my mind: Well, this is a gigantic waste of time. It should just be at Toronto. Period. The End.”

Giorgio Armani, who dressed the powerful and famous from boardroom to Hollywood, dies at 91

MILAN (AP) — Giorgio Armani, the iconic Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, died Thursday, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.

Armani died at home, "peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones," the fashion house said. “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing and future projects."

Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry, missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.

He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.

R&B singer Angie Stone’s children sue truck company for her death in highway crash

ATLANTA (AP) — Two children of R&B singer Angie Stone are suing a trucking company, truck manufacturer and others, seeking damages for an Alabama interstate crash that killed Stone.

The lawsuit says the driver lost control of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and when he tried to steer it back onto the highway, it flipped over, with the 63-year-old Stone, her bandmates and entourage inside.

Stone was a Grammy-nominated R&B singer and member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence. She was known for the hit song “Wish I Didn’t Miss You," and flourished in the early 2000s as neo-soul began to dominate R&B. She was on her way back to her Atlanta-area home after a performance at a Mardi Gras ball in Mobile, Alabama.

The suit was filed Tuesday in a Georgia state court in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville. It says Stone and the other occupants of the van survived the initial predawn wreck and that passersby pulled over and helped five of the nine occupants crawl out. Stone was still trying to get out when an 18-wheeler carrying a load of sugar slammed into the van, the lawsuit says. That impact ejected Stone and pinned her under the van, where she died, the lawsuit claims. Sheila Hopkins, still inside the van, suffered injuries.

Justin Bieber announces ‘Swag ll’ will arrive Friday

NEW YORK (AP) — Never say never... again? In July, Justin Bieber surprised fans by releasing his seventh studio album, “Swag,” hours after he teased it on billboards and social media posts. It turns out, he wasn't done yet. On Thursday morning, Bieber shared that “Swag II” will arrive on Friday.

The popstar posted the release's artwork on Instagram — a pale pink background with the text “Swag II” featured in the center. It contrasts with the cover of “Swag,” which also featured only the album's title, but on a black background.

Bieber also shared an image of himself, his wife model Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin), and their infant son, Jack Blues Bieber.

“Swag II Tonight Midnight,” he wrote in the caption.

New Brunswick elections agency says major challenges threaten free and fair voting

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's elections agency is warning that it has an outdated management system and faces other challenges that threaten its ability to run a free and fair vote.

In its most recent annual report, Elections New Brunswick outlined three major challenges facing the agency. The report is to be presented before a legislative committee on Sept. 23.

Aside from concerns about outdated systems, the agency also noted the need for more stringent rules to protect voter privacy and warned about the rise in foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns.

"Our current election management system, which supports the data driven processes required by election officials and other key stakeholders to administer each election, is outdated and built on multiple disconnected legacy systems," it said in the report.

Movie Review: In audacious dark comedy ‘Twinless,’ grief and loneliness lead down disturbing paths

James Sweeney never had a twin, though he wanted one. The filmmaker grew up a military brat, and says he dreamed of a having a twin that would serve as a kind of built-in best friend. Alas, he was twinless.

Of course, not all twins remain or ever become best friends, which is one of the painful truths we encounter in “Twinless,” the audacious film that has resulted from Sweeney’s persistent fascination with twindom.

But Sweeney’s provocative work — in which he stars as well as writes, directs and produces — swings much wider. From the very specific vantage point of twindom, he’s made a dark comedy — with a definite emphasis on the dark — that addresses the nature of grief. What was it Shakespeare said about love, that it looks with the mind, not the eyes? Sweeney’s film argues that grief is also subjective, and that it doesn’t always follow logical paths — or even acceptable ones.

His partner in this absorbing project is a terrific Dylan O’Brien, who earns double billing as two very different twins (he won a special acting prize at Sundance this year, where the film won the U.S. dramatic audience award). One is Rocky, a gay man who is outgoing, freewheeling, witty, self-assured. The other, Roman, is a straight man who is withdrawn, insecure, less than articulate and easily offended.

Q&A: How the band Big Thief transformed into a trio and reimagined their sound

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When asked where she lives, Big Thief lead vocalist Adrianne Lenker will tell you “the forests.”

The Grammy-nominated writer drifts between the Northeast, Minnesota and Texas, like a folk-rock musician of another era.

But as the band was splintering last year, she hunkered down with them in upstate New York. Bassist Max Oleartchik left, and Big Thief needed to imagine their shared future as a trio. The bandmembers are cryptic, even now, about the split, citing “interpersonal reasons" and sidestepping speculation that's circulated online.

“Let me be incomprehensible,” Lenker croons on the new track “Incomprehensible,” as if in response. Her bandmates are easier to pin down: guitarist Buck Meek lives in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles County, and drummer James Krivchenia lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Kim Novak’s emotional return to the spotlight at Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Kim Novak was worried she’d made a mistake. The 92-year-old star of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” had made the long trek from Oregon to Venice, Italy, for the film festival. There she’d be receiving a lifetime achievement award and supporting the world premiere of a documentary about her life and career, “Kim Novak’s Vertigo.”

But on that first day, she wasn’t feeling strong or up to the task.

“I thought I could handle it, then I thought, no I can’t, I’m not physically strong enough,” Novak told The Associated Press this week. “Then I heard my mother’s voice from heaven and she said ‘just have fun and enjoy it.’”

Novak listened to that voice and was glad she did. Being bipolar, she said, she’s used to going through a lot of emotions. But the experience in Venice has been a dream.

American Eagle counts new customers after Sydney Sweeney ad frenzy and shares soar

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters spiked 34% Thursday after the teen clothing retailer said the frenzy surrounding its Sydney Sweeney ad campaign drew new customers during its most recent quarter.

American Eagle rolled out its new new ad campaign starring 27-year-old actor over the summer. The fall denim campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to “woke” American politics and culture.

Negative reactions centered on ads that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” featuring the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor known for the HBO series “Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”

But American Eagle did get noticed, executives said late Wednesday in a call after the Pittsburgh retailer posted second quarter earnings.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear goes national with podcast, the hot format for aspiring politicians

NEW YORK (AP) — If Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vaults into national prominence as a Democratic leader, he may one day look back at Thursday as a key step in that direction.

SiriusXM announced that it was giving Beshear's new podcast a national platform starting this month, along with featuring him in a regular call-in show on its Progress network.

President Donald Trump's appearances on podcasts were a pivotal media strategy in his successful 2024 Republican campaign. Moving forward, mastering a personal podcast could replace soft-focus biographies or wonky books as a way for politicians to increase their profiles.

Beshear said on NBC's “Meet the Press” this summer that he will “take a look” at running for president in 2028. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also in the circle of potential presidential nominees, started his own podcast earlier this year.

Travis Kelce on what’s changed since his engagement to Taylor Swift: ‘I got one more ring’

SAO PAULO (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs tight end and three-time Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce made teammate Patrick Mahomes and reporters laugh on Thursday when asked what has changed in his life since announcing his engagement to pop superstar Taylor Swift last week.

“I got one more ring for it,” Kelce said at a news conference in Sao Paulo ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. “I would say ever since I've been dating Taylor, life has been fun.”

“I love when the lights are bright,” Kelce added, without mentioning whether Swift is going to make an appearance at NeoQuimica Arena for the game.

Neither the NFL nor Corinthians, the soccer club that owns the stadium, have confirmed the superstar will be in attendance. Several Brazilian media outlets have reported that local TV stations are preparing for that possibility.

Julia Roberts, Anna Wintour, Ralph Lauren and more pay tribute to Giorgio Armani

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani's work spanned the worlds of celebrity, fashion and power. His death announced Thursday at age 91 has elicited an outpouring of tributes.

Ralph Lauren

“I have always had the deepest respect and admiration for Giorgio Armani, not only as a designer who never strayed from his vision, but as a man who loved his family and friends, and his homeland in such a special way. Though he was an icon of the world of fashion, he lived with great humility and a love of living that inspired the way he worked and the way he lived. He created a world reflecting all the things he loved with a foreverness that will be his legacy.” — the American designer, in a statement to The Associated Press.

Anna Wintour

With ‘Mile End Kicks,’ Chandler Levack is out to prove she’s not a one-hit wonder

TORONTO - As a music journalist, Chandler Levack opined about the "sophomore slump" many bands face on their second album. Now, as a filmmaker, she understands why those words strike fear in many creators.

Shortly before her second feature, "Mile End Kicks," makes its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, Levack admits she's a tad jittery.

Her debut film "I Like Movies," was warmly received at the festival three years ago and she wonders if her new semi-autobiographical comedy will live up to expectations.

“It's like I made a cool indie album that broke through and got highly rated on Pitchfork … and now I’m back with a new album,” she says.

Ava Duvernay and Stacey Allaster accept Billie Jean King Champions of Equality award

NEW YORK (AP) — Filmmaker Ava Duvernay and U.S. Open tournament director Stacey Allaster accepted the Billie Jean King Champions of Equality Award on Thursday, in honor of their groundbreaking work in the film and sports industries.

The award is given to trailblazers in gender equality, and was started in 2023 in honor of the 50th anniversary of King securing equal pay for women at the U.S. Open.

The event also recognized members from across the USTA's 17 sections for their dedication to advancing inclusivity in the sport.

“It was beautiful to be thought of. Certainly Billie Jean King is an icon way beyond the sport,” Duvernay told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “Anytime I have an opportunity to be around her or to be associated with her, it’s an honor.”