People
NEW YORK — Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a star in his own right but even he has had to gulp at the wattage on tap for the upcoming benefit for New York City's fabled Public Theater.
Meryl Streep, Antonio Banderas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys, Daniel Craig, Danielle Brooks, Glenn Close, Elvis Costello, Claire Danes, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, Sandra Oh, David Hyde Pierce and Sting are just some of stars expected to attend the June 1 virtual event, called “We Are One Public.”
“It is a pretty impressive list,” said Ferguson, who will be the host. “I can't believe I'm going to have a one-on-one conversations with these people. Some are friends, but I also have to prepare that I'm going to have a conversation with Sting — which is really mind-blowing.”
The event is free and will be livestreamed on The Public's website, YouTube channel and Facebook page. The celebration replaces The Public's annual gala held beside the stage where it offers Shakespeare in the Park.
Ferguson, “The Modern Family” star who was to be starring on Broadway this spring in a revival of “Take Me Out,” mourns that stages across the city are shut, but sees a bright spot.
“It's heartbreaking, but at the same time the union of all these people coming together to celebrate The Public is exactly what The Public is all about. It's about the people, the city and celebrating theater.”
LOS ANGELES — J.K. Rowling is publishing a new children's book online.The “Harry Potter” author released the first two chapters of “The Ickabog” on a new website Tuesday, explaining that the story will be released for free over the next seven weeks. Posted every weekday, each installment will be “a chapter (or two or three).”“I had the idea for 'The Ickabog' a long time ago and read it to my two younger children chapter by chapter each night while I was working on it,” Rowling wrote. “It isn't Harry Potter and it doesn't include magic. This is an entirely different story.”After the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” Rowling has published “The Casual Vacancy” and a series of crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.According to her note, Rowling is revisiting “The Ickabog” now because the global coronavirus crisis has led to kids staying at home after schools were shut down. She has pledged to donate all royalties when the book is published to “groups who've been particularly impacted by the pandemic.”Rowling has also announced a contest for illustrations to be included in the print and ebook editions of the story. The contests, judged by regional publishers, invites children ages 7-12 to submit drawings to accompany the chapters for a chance to win a signed copy of the completed book and a prize package for their school or library. Rowling will post suggestions for illustrations with each chapter.The English-language print, e-book and audiobook editions of “The Ickabog” will be released in November.
