AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 4:42 a.m. EDT

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult pushes back after her musical is canceled by Indiana high school

NEW YORK (AP) — Jodi Picoult faces bans on both her books and a musical based on her novel “Between the Lines.” The superintendent of Mississinewa High School in Indiana canceled the musical last week, citing concerns over “sexual innuendo” and alcohol references. Picoult, whose works often tackle difficult issues, says censorship is problematic when one parent decides what's appropriate for others' children. The same school has performed “Grease,” which contains similar themes. The musical, featuring a nonbinary character, had already been edited for conservative audiences. Picoult's books have faced bans, with “Nineteen Minutes” banned 16 times this year.

A new Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley want to tell you a story

LONDON (AP) — There’s a new Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, and they want to tell you a story. Young British actors Frankie Treadaway, Arabella Stanton and Max Lester are voicing the famous wizard characters for Audible, where all the parts are played by different actors instead of one narrator. Speaking to The Associated Press in the recording studio while laying down final takes, they say they enjoy voice acting and being in the world of Harry Potter. But one of their favorite things is having a snack cupboard and fridge filled of chocolate to keep them going. The audiobook of “Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone” releases Nov. 4.

Broadway musicians reach tentative labor deal, averting a strike

NEW YORK (AP) — The union representing Broadway’s musicians reached a tentative labor agreement with commercial producers, averting a potentially crippling strike that would have silenced nearly two dozen musicals. The American Federation of Musicians Local 802 had threatened to strike if they didn’t have a new contract by Thursday morning, after going into mediation Wednesday. The union represents 1,200 musicians. The 23 shows that could have gone silent ranged from megahits like “Hamilton” and “The Lion King” to newcomers like “Queen of Versailles” and “Chess.” It was the second Broadway labor deal in less than a week, after producers reached a deal with the 51,000-member Actors’ Equity Association.

Taylor Swift, LL Cool J, Kenny Loggins and David Byrne are among Songwriters Hall of Fame nominees

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift, Kenny Loggins, LL Cool J, Pink, Sarah McLachlan and Talking Heads’ David Byrne are among the impressive list of nominees for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame class. It is an eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop, folk and rock innovators. Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine and Jane M. Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of The Guess Who, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America are also nominated. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the glam rock band Kiss are also on the list of nominees. Eligible voting members have until midnight Eastern on Dec. 4 to turn in ballots.

The new Children's Booker Prize aims to reward quality fiction for kids

LONDON (AP) — The Booker Prize Foundation has announced the creation of the Children's Booker Prize. This new award will join the existing prizes for English-language and translated fiction. The children's award will offer a prize of 50,000 pounds, or $67,000, and will open for submissions early next year. The inaugural award is set for 2027. A jury of children and adults, led by writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce, will select the winner. The prize, funded by the AKO Foundation, will be open to fiction for children aged 8 to 12, written in English or translated, and published in the U.K. or Ireland.

'Our reality, our values': Graffiti finds growing acceptance in West Africa

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Street art graffiti is spreading in West Africa. In Guinea's capital, an artist from Senegal is transforming city walls and public perceptions. Omar Diaw says graffiti was seen as vandalism in Conakry not even a decade ago. He decided to change minds by starting with public awareness murals. His collective called Guinea Ghetto Graff has created landmarks showing musicians and African independence leaders. Both local officials and residents have shown support. Diaw was mentored by the region’s first graffiti artist, Amadou Lamine Ngom. He says his goal was to show “our reality, our values.”

Bon Jovi is hitting the road. Band announces first tour since Jon Bon Jovi's vocal cord surgery

NEW YORK (AP) — Bon Jovi is hitting the road in 2026. The band announced a seven-night summer tour on Wednesday. The “Forever Tour” kicks off with four nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden before the band heads to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin and London. It will be the band's first run of shows in four years. It's the first tour since frontman Jon Bon Jovi underwent major vocal cord surgery. Bon Jovi’s last concert was April 30, 2022, in Nashville. That was detailed in the 2024 Hulu documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.” An artist presale for the tour begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern. General sales launch Oct. 31, also at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Movie Review: 'Bugonia' is a darkly comic gut punch

Yorgos Lanthimos' movies are farces, fables and experiments that reside in surreal worlds of their own. But his latest, “Bugonia,” is thrillingly, if tragically, tied to our reality, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. It might even be his best film. Though Lanthimos' flamboyant severity can sometimes leave you cold, “Bugonia” is a chamber-piece gut punch that's hard to shake. For starters, it’s difficult to resist any movie with a line in it like: “There’s Andromedan code all over your Instagram.” Jesse Plemons plays an eco-terrorist who kidnaps a pharmaceutical company CEO played by Emma Stone. He's convinced she's an alien.