BEN PLATT

“Dear Evan Hansen” may have been a hit on Broadway, but the filmed adaptation of the Tony-winning show is off to a slow start at the box office in its first weekend in theaters.

Many of Broadway’s biggest lights — including Kristin Chenoweth, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chita Rivera and Idina Menzel — will make appearances at Sunday’s TV celebration of Broadway’s return.

On Broadway, "Dear Evan Hansen" was a smash hit. On the big screen, its poised to be a flop.

The Toronto International Film Festival is uniquely reliant on crowds, which has made its 2021 edition particularly challenging during the pandemic.

This week’s new entertainment releases include new music from Lizzo and Ben Platt and an animated series on Disney+ that features a bevy of heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in reimagined events called “What If.

The adaptation of the Broadway hit and Tony-winner “Dear Evan Hansen,” Edgar Wright’s ’60s London themed “Last Night in Soho,” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” are just a few of the major films coming to the Toronto International Film Festival this September.

The first trailer for "Dear Evan Hansen" was released Tuesday and is set to the tune of star Ben Platt's "You Will Be Found"

FILE - Actress Cynthia Erivo poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sept. 10, 2019. Erivo portrays Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic miniseries Genius: Aretha. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – “The Color Purple” turned into Grammy, Tony and Emmy gold for Cynthia Erivo. The performer’s brilliant performance in the Broadway revival won her the 2016 Tony for best actress in a musical. “I guess I didn’t expect to be this close this soon,” Erivo told The Associated Press of her almost-EGOT status.

Live theater is uniquely tested by the virus, one reason it will be among the last sectors to return to normal. It's not technically live theater, but its soul is theatrical. Play and musical licensor Concord Theatricals says theater companies across the country are looking for flexibility in case of virus restrictions. Launched shortly before the pandemic with 15 podcasts, the theater shutdown initially wiped out its revenue streams, advertising and sponsorship. “It’s not anything that will ever replace live theater, but it’s an extension.

(NBC via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES— Many things will be different about Halloween this year, but the annual rush of horror films is much the same. It stars Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku as a Sudanese refugee couple finding new horrors in life in England. But Neon, the “Parasite” distributor, last week put a restored version into theaters and on Tuesday brings it to VOD. One is Natalie Margolin “The Party Hop,” which she wrote during quarantine in one week in early April.

FILE - Barbara Streisand performs at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011. The Grammy Museum is launching its own online streaming service featuring performances and interviews from A-list musicians, as well as material from the museums archive. The Grammy Museum is launching its own online streaming service featuring performances and interviews from A-list musicians, as well as material from the museums archive. Without the GRAMMY Museum, we wouldnt have gotten to experience or learn about so many important artists before us, FINNEAS said in a statement. We are proud to be part of this series.The Grammy Museum is a nonprofit organization through The Recording Academy, which annually produces the Grammy Awards.

Considering Disney+ saw a 72% increase in downloads of its app over the weekend, it’s safe to say that bringing musicals filmed on stage to a mass audience is a pretty good idea. Some will argue that theater is meant to be consumed live, but with so much uncertainty about when Broadway will return, it’s not a bad idea to start filming more Broadway musicals and plays for streaming networks. While it’s still a wildly popular musical, fans have been begging for some sort of movie version for years. Disney’s most popular and long-running show on Broadway is “The Lion King,” and it’s hard to imagine the people wouldn’t love to watch a filmed version of this production. Do you plan to watch “Hamilton?” Are there any musicals you’d like to see from the comfort of your home?

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo former President Barack Obama accepts the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award at a ceremony in New York. 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. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue, and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts. Obama did not name President Donald Trump or any other federal or state officials in either of his appearances. The commencement remarks were the latest sign that Obama intends to play an increasingly active role in the coming election.

NEW YORK – Former President Barack Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the high school Class of 2020 during an hour-long event that will also feature LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others. Several high school students from Chicago public schools and the Obama Youth Jobs Corps will join, as will the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe and H.E.R. The event is titled “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.” It's hosted by the education advocacy group XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation. Obama will reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of school life, especially for seniors who have missed out on their milestone rites of passage. “We are grateful to President Obama for giving this gift to our nation’s three million high school seniors as they #GraduateTogether,” she added.