Ben Platt
FILE - Finneas O'Connell, left and Billie Eilish arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Feb. 9, 2020. O'Connell has been named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2020. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
AP Breakthrough Entertainer: Finneas finds his lane in music

By Mesfin Fekadu Dec. 17, 2020 10:03 AM EST

This image released by playwright Natalie Margolin shows, top row from left, Francesca Carpanini, Olivia Puckett, Kathryn Gallagher, Ben Platt, second row from left, Ashley Park, Molly Gordon, Beanie Feldstein, Ayo Edebiri and bottom row from left, Catherine Cohen and Max Sheldon, in scene from the Zoom play “The Party Hop," a play specifically to be performed on Zoom. (Natalie Margolin via AP)
Theater uses its creativity to defy pandemic and stage shows

By Mark Kennedy Dec. 03, 2020 12:09 PM EST

This image released by playwright Natalie Margolin shows, top row from left, Francesca Carpanini, Olivia Puckett, Kathryn Gallagher, Ben Platt, second row from left, Ashley Park, Molly Gordon, Beanie Feldstein, Ayo Edebiri and bottom row from left, Catherine Cohen and Max Sheldon, in scene from the Zoom play “The Party Hop," a play specifically to be performed on Zoom. (Natalie Margolin via AP)
Theater uses its creativity to defy pandemic and stage shows

By Mark Kennedy Dec. 03, 2020 11:20 AM EST

This image released by NBC shows Chrissy Metz as Kate, left, and Justin Hartley as Kevin, in a scene from "This Is Us." The fifth season of the popular series premieres on Tuesday. (NBC via AP)
New this week: 'This Is Us,' Baby Yoda, 'The Craft' redone

By The Associated Press Oct. 26, 2020 02:45 PM EDT

Graduates flip their tassels near their cars during a drive-thru graduation for Faith Lutheran High School at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Las Vegas. The school held a special drive-thru graduation amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Seniors get diplomas on racetracks, chairlifts amid virus

By Michelle L. Price And Lisa Rathke May. 24, 2020 11:37 AM EDT

FILE - In this April 6, 2019, file photo former President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during a town hall meeting at the 'European School For Management And Technology' (ESMT) in Berlin, Germany. On Saturday, May 16, 2020, Obama plans to speak during “Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,” a two-hour livestreaming event for historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Obama criticizes virus response in online graduation speech

By Jill Colvin May. 16, 2020 04:49 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2019, file photo, actress Tina Fey attends the American Museum of Natural History's 2019 Museum Gala in New York. Fey says more than $115 million was raised toward supporting New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19 during a virtual telethon. A tearful Fey said “Thank you, thank you" in reaching the dollar amount as host of the Rise Up New York! event Monday, May 11, 2020. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Telethon raises $115M for New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19

May. 11, 2020 09:58 PM EDT

FILE - This Dec. 13, 2019 file photo shows former President Barack Obama speaking at the Gathering of Rising Leaders in the Asia Pacific, organized by the Obama Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the Class of 2020 during an hour-long event that will also feature LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others. ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC will simultaneously air the special May 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern, along with more than 20 other broadcast and digital streaming partners, according to the announcement Tuesday from organizers. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement

By The Associated Press May. 05, 2020 12:18 PM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2020 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Though the coronavirus pandemic has upended graduation season, James is putting together an all-star event to honor and celebrate the Class of 2020. The one-hour special, "Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020," will air simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox on May 16 at 8 p.m. EDT. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
LeBron James to honor Class of 2020 with all-star event

By Mesfin Fekadu Apr. 30, 2020 12:00 PM EDT

FILE - This Jan. 19, 2012 file photo shows a Broadway street in Times Square, in New York. Broadway producers have extended the suspension of all shows on the Great White Way, saying musical and plays will stay shuttered through June 7 in accordance with latest medial guidance. Broadway abruptly closed on March 12 and announced plans to reopen the week of April 13. But that timetable was increasingly looking too optimistic as the city saw an alarming surge in deaths. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
BET plans all-star coronavirus special; Broadway stays dark

By The Associated Press Apr. 08, 2020 12:15 PM EDT