Actress Valerie Mahaffey, ‘Northern Exposure' Emmy Winner, Dies After Cancer Battle
LOS ANGELES—Celebrated actor Valerie Mahaffey, whose stage, film, and television work ranged from Shakespeare to the hit 1990s series 'Northern Exposure,' died at age 71 after a battle with cancer, according to a statement released Saturday by her publicist.
Mahaffey died Friday in Los Angeles, according to publicist Jillian Roscoe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Cast of "& Juliet" shares love for show's music and theme ahead of Denver Center for Performing Arts shows
On Wednesday evening, the cast and crew of "& Juliet" will open their upbeat production for audiences at the Buell Theatre, but only CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas was given advanced access to the production. The show, which plays the Denver Center for the Performing Arts through June 15, is a modern twist on a classic Shakespeare tale. & Juliet DCPA While read or seen Shakespeare before, this musical flips the script. Set to pop anthems, & Juliet's cast promised to bring witty and contemporary takes to the story of Romeo and Juliet. "I saw it and just fell in love with it," said Teal Wicks, the actress who portrays Anne Hathaway in the production. The musical explores the idea of what would have happened to Juliet if she had not died alongside Romeo in the classic tale. The new ending to the story is told through some of the greatest pop hits from the last 30 years, including hits from Brittany Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Kesha, Katy Perry, and more. Kathryn Allison, who portrays Angélique, said the music is one of the biggest draws of being part of the production any given night. "Of course, there is the music which I grew up listening to, which I adore," Allison said. "The fact that I get to sing 'Oops, I did it again' every night is the cherry on top." & Juliet DCPA Though the plot revives and rethinks a tale nearly 500 years old, the cast told Thomas they think it is always fun to see and hear audience reactions when some of their favorite hits suddenly drop perfectly into the storyline. "It is so fun for the audience to recognize the song," Wicks said. "And then, when they hear the song and it is completely different and it is a storytelling song, you can hear them get quiet, lean forward,d and then just go crazy at the end." Allison said the songs not only make ticket holders want to dance and sing along, but they may also bring out emotions in them that were rooted in their upbringing. "These songs came out at a very specific time in everyone's life. So, not only are they in the moment recognizing the song, but they are thinking about where they were and relating to the story at the same time," Allison said. Of course, what would Romeo and Juliet be without the iconic Shakespeare? Though the show predominantly follows the journey of Juliet's life after Romeo, actor Corey Mach portrays the playwright on stage. "It is super nostalgic for me, not just as an actor but as a human being," Mach said. Mach said the show is not only comical, upbeat, and fun. But it is also intelligently woven together to blend the lyrics of the pop hits with the storyline. & Juliet DCPA "The way they chose to meld a scene into a song is so smart," Mach said. While the storyline of the original Romeo and Juliet continues to age with every minute that passes, the cast said they felt the writers of the show found a great way to make it appeal to everyone. "It appeals to a wide range of ages," Allison said. "Yes, Shakespeare was famous a long time ago. But, he is also very clever, hip, and relevant because we are still referencing his storylines all the time," Wicks said. While having a background or general understanding of the original tale is not required in order to enjoy the show, some of the cast said they hoped their production would spark some curiosity in Shakespeare's writing. "My hope is that they studied the text of the original piece and came to the show and saw how it was interwoven throughout," Allison said. In the end, Mach said he hoped the show would bring people joy in both the music and the theme. "Being your own person. Not letting another person's opinion inform how you live your life, there is joy in that aspect as well," Mach said. Tickets to see & Juliet are available online. CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nearly 40 free Shakespeare performances coming to Milwaukee and state parks this summer
Milwaukee audiences and Wisconsin state park visitors can see dozens of free outdoor Shakespeare performances this summer, thanks to Optimist Theatre, also known as Shakespeare in the Park, and Summit Players Theatre. Both groups stage productions tailored to newbies and younger audiences, with small casts of actors (or puppets) performing shortened versions of the Bard's plays. Both groups also present related educational and entertainment activities with their performances. Summit Players Theatre will perform the comedy "Love's Labour's Lost" in a number of Wisconsin state parks. Optimist Theatre will stage a day of Shakespeare activities at Milwaukee-area parks and similar locations. Each day will include performances of "Much Ado About Nothing" and "The Taming of the Shrew." Optimist will present the same schedule at each performing location, highlighted by a 45-minute puppet version of "Much Ado About Nothing" and an 80-minute distillation of "Taming of the Shrew." Both productions are directed by Milwaukee Repertory Theater regular Kelley Faulkner and feature actors Libby Amato, George Lorimer and Brielle Richmond. Optimist promises that both productions are "reimagined with a blast of 1980s beach party flair." The schedule at each site: 1 p.m.:seating opens, "The Play's The Thing" tent with drop-in workshop, activities and games; 2 p.m. "Much Ado About Nothing"; 2:45 p.m. "The Play's The Thing" tent reopens; 4:10 p.m. Early Music Now performance of Renaissance-era music; 5 p.m. "The Taming of the Shrew." Locations: July 12, Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8800 W. Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa; July 13, Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St. ; July 19, Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave.; July 20, Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd.; July 26, Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd.; July 27, Grant Park, 100 Hawthorne Ave, South Milwaukee; Aug. 2, Lake Park, 2975 N. Lake Park Road; Aug. 3, Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum, 2405 W. Forest Home Ave.; Aug. 9, Kern Park, 3614 N. Humboldt Blvd.; Aug. 10, Lincoln Park, 1301 W. Hampton Ave.; Aug. 17, Wisconsin Avenue Park, 10300 W Wisconsin Ave., Wauwatosa. Aug. 16 is being held open in case an earlier scheduled performance is rained out. Bring a blanket or portable chair; no seating is provided. Optimist says these shows are for all ages. If you register for a show at the Optimist website, you will get email updates in case of weather issues or other changes. Also, while the shows are free to attend, if you donate $75 per person, Optimist will reserve a prime 3-feet-by-3-feet space for you. For information, visit A cast of six actors will perform director Maureen Kilmurry's adaptation of this early Shakespeare comedy at 17 state parks and forests, plus an outdoor preview performance on the Marquette University campus. Prior to each performance, Summit presents a 45-minute workshop on the play and its artistry; workshops start about 90 minutes before performance time. In the past Summit has suggested its shows work best for people 8 and older; younger audience members are welcome, but some of the program may over their heads. Bring your own chair or blanket. Here is the performance schedule. Unless a different time is listed, workshop begins at 5:30 p.m. and the performance at 7 p.m. June 12: Marquette University preview on the lawn (pre-show party, 6 p.m., performance, 7 p.m.) June 13: Richard Bong State Recreation Area, 26313 Burlington Road, Kansasville June 14: High Cliff State Park, N7630 State Park Road, Sherwood June 15: Havenwoods State Forest, 6141 N. Hopkins St., Milwaukee (1 p.m. workshop, 2:30 p.m. performance) June 20: Lake Kegonsa State Park, 2405 Door Creek Road, Stoughton June 21: Wyalusing State Park, 13081 State Park Lane, Bagley June 22: Blue Mound State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Road, Blue Mounds (1 p.m workshop, 2:30 p.m. performance) June 27: Amnicon Falls State Park, 4279 County Rd U, South Range June 28: Copper Falls State Park, 36664 Copper Falls Rd, Mellen July 11: Wildcat Mountain State Park, E13660 WI-33, Ontario July 12: Perrot State Park, 26247 Sullivan Road, Trempealeau July 13: Roche-A-Cri State Park, 1767 WI-13 Trunk, Friendship (1 p.m. workshop, 2:30 p.m. performance) July 18: Rib Mountain State Park, 4200 Park Road, Wausau July 19: Interstate State Park, WI-35, St. Croix Falls, July 21: Kohler-Andrae State Park, 1020 Beach Park Lane, Sheboygan July 25: Kettle Moraine State Forest-Pike Lake Unit, 3544 Kettle Moraine Road, Hartford July 26: Mirror Lake State Park, E10320 Fern Dell Road, Baraboo July 27: Hartman Creek State Park, N2480 Hartman Creek Road, Waupaca (1 p.m. workshop, 2:30 p.m. performance) For more info, including links to directions to each park, visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Free Shakespeare in Milwaukee, Wisconsin state parks in summer 2025
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
Apple Design Award 2025 winners announced — apps and games recognized for innovation and ingenuity
Apple got a head start on WWDC 2025 by announcing the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards today (June 3), as it looks to highlight some of best apps and games available in its App Store. This year's edition features 12 winners picked by the App Store's editorial team, curated from a list of 36 finalists. The categories have changed over the years, but the 2025 iteration has the same categories as last year minus the spatial computing category for Apple Vision Pro apps. Returning categories include Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, Visuals and Graphics. Each category sees two winners — an app and a game, so the six categories result in 12 awards. The winners aren't defined by downloads or revenue but by a commitment to innovation and ingenuity, Apple says. The 2025 winners will be recognized during WWDC 2025, which starts next Monday (June 9). Here's the full list of winners, as well as a selection of our favorites we recommend you check out. Balatro took the gaming world by storm last year. It was even one of our picks for the best video games of 2024. If you haven't played, the game fuses poker, solitaire and deck building where you combine joker cards with abilities to score points. Don't let the poker scare you, the twists on the rules make it a familiar-but-fresh take on the card game. It's "one more round" on your iPhone or iPad. Honorable Mention: CapWords turns images of objects into stickers to help you learn new languages. If you're practicing a new language this could be a fun way to change things up. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Play is an app designed to help you create iPhone apps by letting you build prototypes in the Apple SwiftUI code. It was chosen for its intuitive interface to help app makers of all levels of experience collaborate and design. It can be synced between your Mac and your iPhone so you can move between devices as needed. Honorable Mention: PBJ — The Musical is an interactive music game based on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. It features handcrafted paper figures and voice acting. It's clever and artistic. Dredge is an existential slow-burn horror game that has been available on other platforms for awhile. In fact, it was one of our favorite games that you might have missed in 2023. It only just got an excellent mobile port last year. In the game, you play as a contract fisherman who catches normal fish by day for a remote island settlement, but by night the horrors of the deep fill your nets. It's a haunting mystery with an eerie world to explore. And don't worry, it's not a gory or overly tense horror game, more disquieting. Honorable Mention: Taobao is a shopping experience app design for the Vision Pro that lets you compare 3D models of products side by side. Art of Fauna is a cozy, beautiful, illustrated puzzle game where you solve puzzles by moving around visual elements or texts. The puzzles are coupled with descriptions of the animals they depict. You can solve either the image or the text. It also promotes animal conservation and inclusivity. Honorable Mention: Speechify is an app that reads text and turns it into audio. The app is meant to help people with dyslexia, ADHD and low vision, or for those who learn better by listening. During the devastating California wildfires at the start of the year, the Watch Duty app was indispensable for tracking what was happening with the Palisades and Eaton fires as they spread through those Los Angeles neighborhoods. Through user and agency reports, the app shows fire perimeters and progress and evacuation orders. Plus, it's free and subsists on donations. Honorable Mention: Neva is absolutely gorgeous 2D platformer where a girl and her wolf, Neva, travel the world and fight against corrupted seasons. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and you should play it. On one level, Feather is meant for designers and artists. At the same time, it's a delightful app that takes 2D images and renders them in 3D. It's meant for people of all skills and enables you to create 3D models on the iPad using touch or the Apple Pencil features to create images. You don't need to have an image to start as you can create things from scratch in the app as well. Honorable Mention: Infinity Nikki is a cozy open-world game that continues the Nikki series which focuses magical outfits. Combat in the game is based on style duels and not physical.
