NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Best in Show’ actor accused of lewd act

LOS ANGELES

Actor Fred Willard, perhaps best-known as a dog-show announcer in the movie “Best in Show,” has been arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act at a Hollywood adult theater.

Los Angeles police Sgt. Mark Ro says uniformed vice officers were conducting a routine investigation of the theater shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday and saw Willard engaging in a lewd act.

He says Willard appeared to be alone.

The 72-year-old actor was booked at the Holly-wood police station on suspicion of committing a lewd act in public. Ro says Willard was released after midnight without posting bail.

A call to Willard’s agent, Mike Eisenstadt, seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.

Willard was nominated four times for Emmys for guest roles on TV’s “Modern Family” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.” In Pixar’s 2008’s hit “WALL-E,” he played Shelby Forthright, the CEO of a ubiquitous big-box chain called Buy’n’Large.

In addition to “Best in Show,” Willard has also appeared in other Christopher Guest mockumentary films, including “This is Spinal Tap” and “Waiting for Guffman.”

Ohio store sells $1M Powerball ticket

WESTERVILLE, OHIO

A ticket sold in central Ohio is worth $1 million from the latest Powerball drawing, and the jackpot in the multistate lottery game now stands at an estimated $110 million.

Ohio Lottery officials say an auto-pick ticket sold at a grocery store in Westerville in suburban Columbus matched all five numbers in Wednesday’s drawing but missed the Powerball.

No ticket nationwide had all the winning numbers in the twice-weekly game, so the jackpot increased for the next drawing, which will be Saturday.

1979 tickets good for The Who concert

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Fans still holding tickets for a canceled 1979 show in Rhode Island by British rock band The Who can finally use them.

The Who’s 1979 concert in Providence was canceled by then-Mayor Buddy Cianci, who cited safety concerns after a stampede before a show in Cincinnati killed 11 people. The band hasn’t been to Providence since.

The Who this week announced it will end its latest tour in Providence on Feb. 26 at the same venue where its show was canceled 33 years ago, now called the Dunkin Donuts Center.

General Manager Lawrence Lepore said on Thursday the venue will honor tickets from the canceled 1979 show. Lepore said many ticketholders got refunds for the canceled show in 1979, but others may have kept their tickets as memorabilia.

“Somewhere, someplace, someone’s got it stashed,” he said. “The question is, are they willing to give that up? If they are, we’re willing to take it.”

Carey to be honored at BMI Urban Awards

NEW YORK

Reasons to court Mariah Carey as an “American Idol” judge keep building: The pop star will be honored as a BMI Icon at the BMI Urban Awards.

She’ll receive the honor Sept. 7 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. The award is given to an artist who has influenced generations in the urban music scene.

Carey is one of music’s best-selling singers and is best known for her multiple No. 1 hits.

Carey joins past BMI honorees such as The Jacksons, James Brown and Al Green.

A source told The Associated Press this week that Carey is being pursued to join the judging panel of “American Idol.”

Broadcast Music, Inc. is a music rights management company that represents more than 500,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.

Pup to play Sandy in ‘Annie’ revealed

NEW YORK

Broadway’s newest Little Orphan Annie has found her Sandy.

The award-winning animal trainer William Berloni on Thursday unveiled the pooch who is slated to star in the Broadway revival of the Tony Award-winning musical “Annie” — Sunny, a 2-year-old terrier mix rescued from a shelter in Houston.

Berloni, who located and trained the first stage dog for “Annie” more than three decades ago, makes it a point of using shelter dogs in all his projects.

Says Berloni: “The most talented animals are right there under your nose.”

“Annie,” starring 11-year-old Lilla Crawford in the title role and Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan, will open Nov. 8.

Vindicator wire reports