• Former Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon said in a Twitter post Monday that she'll challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York's Democratic primary in September. The announcement sets up a race pitting an openly gay liberal activist against a two-term incumbent with a $30 million war chest. "We want our government to work again. On health care, ending massive incarceration, fixing our broken subway," Nixon said in a video announcing her candidacy. "We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us." In recent months, Nixon has given speeches and interviews calling on Democrats nationally to run "bluer" in 2018 and carve out a strong, progressive liberal identity rather than being merely "the anti-Trump party." Nixon, a 51-year-old Manhattan mother of three, is a longtime advocate for fairness in public school funding and a fervent supporter of Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has frequently clashed with Cuomo. More recently, Nixon has been delving into issues of keen interest to New York City, the main blue stronghold in a state where suburban and rural towns upstate tend to run red. The 60-year-old Cuomo had no immediate comment on Nixon's candidacy. But recently, he mocked the celebrity status the Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner could bring to the race. "Normally name recognition is relevant when it has some connection to the endeavor," Cuomo told reporters earlier this month. "If it was just about name recognition, then I'm hoping that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Billy Joel don't get into the race."
• Broadway fans are buzzing over the release of a new song by two popular Tony winners in support of the upcoming March for Our Lives. Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, the original star of Dear Evan Hansen, have recorded a three-minute duet called "Found/Tonight," mixing lyrics from "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen and "The Story of Tonight" from Hamilton. The Hamilton song marks a moment when the young rebels of the American Revolution reflect on the potential of their contributions, collectively, to history. The Dear Evan Hansen number suggests that no one is ever alone, even when they're "broken on the ground." The song was released at early Monday and is No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart. The fusion, created by Alex Lacamoire -- who did the orchestrations for both shows -- is a fundraising tool for Saturday's March for Our Lives, in Washington and other cities, for measures to end gun violence.
A Section on 03/20/2018