Latest news with #Spector
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Wedding gift stress? Expert reveals surprising amount guests should spend — and call it a day: ‘It's more about the meaning'
If the biggest question on your mind this wedding season is 'how much do I need to shell out for a gift?' — take a deep breath, unclench your credit card and listen up. The average wedding gift in America runs about $100, according to Jennifer Spector, Director of Brand at wedding company Zola. But before you throw a crisp Benjamin in a card and head for the open bar, Spector has a few more pointers for guests looking to nail the perfect present — without blowing their budget or their dignity. 3 No, you're not on the hook for a $275 stand mixer just because filet mignon's on the menu. What does matter? How close you are to the couple — not your dating life. Africa Studio – First, forget the age-old etiquette 'rule' that your gift should match the cost of your dinner plate. According to the Emily Post Institute, that little nugget of social pressure is nothing more than a 'modern myth.' So no, you don't owe the couple a $275 stand mixer just because they're serving filet mignon. That said, relationship status does matter — no, not your relationship status, theirs with you. Your gift should match your relationship: ride-or-dies go big, office acquaintances go budget, Spector noted when sitting down with Parade for a recent interview. And if you're already forking over big bucks for flights, a hotel, and three rounds of matching bachelorette T-shirts? Cut yourself some slack. 'If you're traveling to the wedding or spending a lot on pre-wedding events, it's okay to spend a little less, but I always recommend giving a gift,' Spector told the outlet. 'It's more about the meaning behind what you give than how much you spend.' 3 Shopping for gifts shouldn't cause a meltdown — just match the vibe. BFFs can splurge, but for your coworker's destination 'I do's,' it's totally fine to keep it low-key. pressmaster – Translation: Thought counts, but not zero dollars' worth. Timing also matters. Don't be that guest dragging a wrapped blender into the reception — unless your goal is to become a dance floor hazard. 'Unless you're giving a check, I encourage not bringing gifts to the wedding,' she said, adding that gifts should land before the big day or no later than three months after (so the newlyweds can actually use the stuff in their real, married life). And when in doubt? Shop the registry. It exists for a reason. 'If they love to host dinner parties, a cheese board or decanter makes a great gift,' Spector continued. 'Gift cards, like tickets to a show or to the store they are registered at, are another great option. Keep in mind couples will likely be receiving a lot of gifts, so don't choose anything too bulky or difficult to exchange.' Increasingly, couples aren't just eyeing toasters and towels — they're gunning for a home, as The Post previously reported. Nearly 87% of couples now add a cash fund to their registry, with over a third putting it toward a future down payment, according to Zola. And with sky-high housing costs, it's a wedding gift that actually pays off. According to a LendingTree survey, nearly half of recent couples asked for help with a down payment instead of traditional gifts, and 26% said it helped them put more money down on a home. In this economy, cash is the new china. 3 Before you slip a fresh $100 into a card and make a beeline for the bar, experts say there are a few smarter ways to gift — and still save your wallet and your pride. Andrii Zastrozhnov – At the end of the day, don't let gift-giving drama overshadow the I do's. 'There really aren't any hard and fast rules on how much and what you're expected to give,' Spector told the publication. 'As long as you give a gift that feels personal and is within your budget, you're on the right track!'
IOL News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
How US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities changed the landscape of conflict
Experts say the US has been thrown into the conflict against Iran based on fake information about the latter's nuclear facilities. Image: Atta Kenare / AFP The recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have sparked intense debate, with the focus shifting from the act of aggression itself to the scale of destruction inflicted on Iran's nuclear program. US President Donald Trump initially claimed the damage was "monumental" and that the nuclear sites were "obliterated." However, the Pentagon's own report suggests that the damage was less severe, setting back Iran's nuclear program by only three months. The discrepancy between Trump's claims and the Pentagon's report has raised questions about the accuracy of the damage assessment. While Trump claimed to be happy about the damage, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, reportedly said that the US strikes inflicted "extremely severe damage and destruction" on Iran's nuclear facilities, but the extent of the damage is still being assessed. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have deepened the conflict in the Middle East, and the international community is waiting to see how the situation unfolds. Disagreement over the extent of the damage has raised questions about the effectiveness of the US strategy and the potential consequences for the region from experts. International relations expert Bruce Spector noted that there are "a couple of things that must be focused on, including the disagreement over the extent of the damage". "The Pentagon's intelligence agency's leaked report said the damage was rather less significant than a number of other organisations internationally had said," Spector said. "What we need to concentrate on is what happens going forward. Will the Iranians finally start rebuilding a nuclear program? And if they do, is it headed toward the creation of a bomb or a nuclear device?" Spector thinks the best way to evaluate the situation is to look at what happens next. "If Iran's program has been decimated or obliterated, then there isn't much point cooperating because there isn't much of a program to cooperate over," he said. "If that's a kind of a threat to allow the Iranians to begin to reconstitute their program, that's a whole different thing altogether." Spector noted that there are 18 different organisations in the US that focus on different aspects of information gathering, and they have yet to offer their analysis. "A lot of it will be second-hand intelligence…"It will be a while until we have a consensus on this,' Spector said. Meanwhile North Korea has since 'strongly' condemned the US strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities as a grave violation of a sovereign state's security interests and territorial rights, the North's state media reported. The US and Israel are the culprits of the current tensions in the Middle East born out of Jerusalem's "ceaseless war moves and territorial expansion" accepted and encouraged by the West," North Korea's foreign ministry said. "North Korea strongly denounces the attack on Iran by the US which ... violently trampled down the territorial integrity and security interests of a sovereign state. "The just international community should raise the voice of unanimous censure and rejection against the US and Israel's confrontational acts," the statement added.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area artists make Tony Awards history
Among the big winners at the 78th Tony Awards was the Bay Area, as three theater artists with ties to the region took home the nation's highest honors for commercial theater. Two San Francisco natives — and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School alumni — won acting awards during the ceremony Sunday, June 8, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Francis Jue, who's performed locally with San Francisco Playhouse and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, nabbed best performance by a featured actor in a play for ' Yellow Face,' David Henry Hwang's semiautobiographical comedy about racial representation in theater. Darren Criss, an alumnus of American Conservatory Theater's Young Conservatory program, won best performance by a leading actor in a play for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' Hue Park and Will Aronson's sci-fi show about two robots who've been abandoned by their humans. Meanwhile, Oakland playwright Jonathan Spector won best revival of a play for 'Eureka Day,' his comedy about a mumps outbreak at a progressive Berkeley private school with anti-vaxx parents. Berkeley's own Aurora Theatre Company commissioned and premiered the play in 2018. It was each artist's first Tony Award, and Spector's marks the first such honor in recent memory for a current Bay Area resident. Spector in his acceptance speech thanked 'my theater community, who gave me space to find my voice as a writer.' Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Josh Costello, who helmed the world premiere, revisits 'Eureka Day' at Marin Theatre in September. In his acceptance speech, Criss thanked Craig Slaight, the former director of ACT's Young Conservatory program, 'for shepherding me and so many people here.' Fellow nominee Julia Mattison, co-composer of 'Death Becomes Her,' is also a Young Conservatory alum, and the two helped Slaight, who retired in 2017, travel to New York and attend the ceremony. 'I was honored and humbled to be invited and to have the gift of the arrangements to make it possible,' Slaight told the Chronicle the morning after the ceremony. 'For (Criss) to mention me in his remarks was just so moving.' 'Maybe Happy Ending' is slated to tour to San Francisco as part of BroadwaySF's 2026-27 season, the operator of the Golden Gate, Orpheum and Curran theaters announced Monday, June 9. It joins previously announced titles 'Death Becomes Her' and 'The Outsiders.' Casting has not yet been announced. The Tony Awards ceremony, hosted by ' Wicked ' star Cynthia Erivo, also made history for Asian American representation. Jue's and Criss' wins, alongside Nicole Scherzinger's for best actress in a musical for her role in 'Sunset Blvd.,' doubled the number of actors with Asian heritage who have won Tonys throughout history. Criss' mother is Filipina, Jue is Chinese American, and Scherzinger has Filipino and Native Hawaiian ancestry. The only other winners of Asian descent are Chinese American actor BD Wong (1988), Filipina actor and singer Lea Salonga (1991) and Ruthie Ann Miles (2015), whose mother is Korean. In accepting his award, Jue told the audience he was wearing a tuxedo that the actor Alvin Ing had made for himself for the opening of ' Pacific Overtures ' on Broadway in 1976. Ing gave it to Jue 20 years ago, Jue said, telling Jue to wear it 'when I accepted my Tony Award.' In a statement to the press after walking offstage, Jue said, 'Isn't it interesting that it is still unusual, historic, groundbreaking to tell an Asian American story on Broadway? And to tell it at a time when this country is wrestling with its identity, with who gets to be American, who gets to say who gets to be American?' His character in 'Yellow Face,' an avatar for the real-life father of Hwang, who emigrated from China, begins the show as a fervent champion of what Jue called traditional American values such as 'freedom and inclusion and justice.' He continued, 'We're living in challenging times where we're being asked whether we still value those things that we always assumed make us American.' The Antoinette Perry Awards have honored Broadway plays and musicals annually since 1947. They're named for the actor, producer and director who co-founded the American Theatre Wing, which co-presents the awards with the Broadway League. Nominees are chosen by a committee of a few dozen theater professionals who serve three-year terms, and winners are voted on by a group of more than 800. Tony Awards can boost box office receipts or extend runs for shows still performing on Broadway as well as further career opportunities for winning artists. For Bay Area audiences, they also boost chances that a particular title might tour nationally.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Spector picks Alan Cumming's 5 best looks from ‘The Traitors,' including that ‘showstopper' wedding tuxedo dress
Sam Spector's life would never be the same after Alan Cumming referred to himself as "a less butch Agatha Christie in a fabulous outfit" in the first season of The Traitors. All of a sudden, Cumming's wardrobe became a character of its own, and for some fans, seeing what the host wears next is even more important than finding out who'll be banished from the castle. The costume designer is responsible for bringing the flair to a reality TV show that often delves into dark themes like murder and betrayal. Renowned for his gender-fluid designs and fun approach to blending historical references with a modern eye, Spector is the mastermind behind Cumming's ever-changing wardrobe. He recently took a break from filming Season 4 in Scotland to talk to Gold Derby about his five favorite looks from Season 3, including the "campy glam" turquoise armor and the "showstopper" wedding tuxedo dress. More from GoldDerby Marc Maron's 'Are We Good?': What happens when stars clash with their documentary filmmakers TV's double threats: 10 actors eyeing nominations for both comedy and drama at the 2025 Emmys Beyond Alexis Bledel: 7 other times actors withdrew themselves from Emmy consideration The Traitors is a three-time Emmy winner for reality casting (2023), competition program (2024), and reality host (2024). Spector is seeking his first career Emmy nomination this year, and he has submitted the Season 3 episode "Til Death Us Do Part" for consideration in the category of Best Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Programming. "This look was an extension of the opening look where Alan rides in on a horse," Spector says about the host's turquoise kilt costume. "For the big reveal, we made a custom chest piece that was inspired by armor, but I wanted a campy glam color to make it perfectly Alan." Peacock "The wedding look was intended to be a showstopper," the costume designer proclaims. "While Alan comes out at breakfast in a traditional masculine suit, I wanted to play with gender for the wedding and make a tuxedo dress. We custom draped fabric to attach to the suit to appear as half suit, half dress. We love playing with gender. I also worked with Zero Waste Daniel for the appliqué, in which I wanted to do a cross between a boutonniere and bouquet a bride would wear. This piece is made from recycled material." Peacock As for the baby blue look, Spector notes, "The mission in this episode took place in a creepy dollhouse so I was inspired by creepy horror dolls. We used an off-the-rack Paul Smith suit for breakfast and swapped out the sleeves to resemble a horror doll's dress. We embellished the look with a baby doll head as a pocket square that was bedazzled with red rhinestones in the eyes." Peacock If you got Mary Queen of Scots vibes while seeing Cumming wearing blue velvet and a gold cage corset, that was the intention. "While researching historical Scottish figures, I realized we hadn't used Mary Queen of Scots as a reference," the designer explained. "I immediately texted Alan and he was onboard create a look inspired by her. We worked with Michael Ngo to build a glam/punk/goth Mary Queen of Scots look." Peacock Finally, Spector told us all about Cumming's black-and-white chess ensemble. "This mission took place on a huge chess board with life-size chess pieces," he stated. "I wanted to play with prints and proportions here, and custom created this head piece made out of chess pieces." Peacock Last month at a murder mystery luncheon for press, Spector teased the upcoming fourth cycle of The Traitors, saying, "Each season, we have taken it to the next level. This one is by far the most dramatic in terms of costume. We're bringing a whole new level of style. This season, we're bringing a lot more full custom costume design." Tour our photo gallery below to see which famous faces will take part in Season 4, due out in 2026. The first three seasons of The Traitors are streaming now on Peacock. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Sam Rockwell on Frank's 'White Lotus' backstory, Woody Harrelson's influence, and going all in on 'this arc of Buddhist to Bad Lieutenant' Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh admit they 'never had the audacity to realize' a show like 'Deli Boys' was possible Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alan Cumming and ‘The Traitors' team on murder mystery madness
Who's a Traitor? Who's a Faithful? The Traitors staged a murder mystery event on May 15 to find out. On Thursday, Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming joined executive producers Rosie Franks and Sam Rees-Jones and costume designer Sam Spector for a Traitors-themed event at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. Attendees grabbed random envelopes upon entry, which informed them whether they would be a Traitor (someone who had to perform a certain task) or a Faithful (someone who had to sniff out the villains) for the luncheon. More from GoldDerby 'Murderbot,' 'The Brutalist,' 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Duster,' and the best to stream this weekend Making the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise, ScarJo vs. AI, catching up with the Gosselins, and what to read this weekend: May 16, 2025 'Running Point': Kate Hudson and Jeanie Buss swap stories on being 'a woman in a man's world' A special drink menu included concoctions like Murder at Midnight (classic Bloody Mary), The Wake-Up Call (morning mimosa), and Spill the Beans (espresso martini). The first course for lunch was deviled eggs, beet salad, and crudités, while the main course was roasted salmon and grilled chicken paillard. Guests enjoyed berries & cream for dessert. Cumming told the audience he loves doing "these sorts of events," because "the people who make this show all come together." He then deadpanned, "But also, they're all equally as well-dressed as me." Gold Derby As the audience chuckled, Cumming added, "It's a really lovely thing to come together and talk about the show. We all really care so much about this show and the production standards. We care about the experience people have on it. We're very passionate about it in a way that, I don't think in my experience, has always been the case when you promote a show." Speaking about the audience at large, Cummings surmised, "It's become this water-cooler thing and this sense of community. We all watch this show together. Each week, the whole country seems to be waiting to see what's gonna happen. At this time in our history in America, we really need to feel community, and need to feel that other people think the same way as us, and we feel safe." Spector said Cumming's wedding dress is "the standout moment of the season." The iconic white garment appeared during the "Til Death Us Do Part" episode, in which the players had to hold hands while being covered in creepy crawlies. "For breakfast, Alan is in a men's tailored suit, and then for the mission, he's in a suit dress," explained the costume designer. "It was so exciting for me to make. It transforms something masculine into something that's half-masculine, half-feminine. I love that Alan is super open to playing with gender, and to be able to do that on network TV, and have the fans react the way that they have, has been so cool. An intense amount of detail goes into each look. The wedding dress was a lot of logistical figuring out." Here is how Spector teases Season 4, which is due out in 2026: "It is next level. Each season, we have taken it to the next level. This one is by far the most dramatic in terms of costume. We're bringing a whole new level of style. This season, we're bringing a lot more full custom costume design." Rosie Franks said the producers are "really grateful" for the super fans, realizing it does "connect on a psychological level." She loved how the costumes "evolved throughout the episodes," and noted, "Everyone to a certain extent is putting on an act — it's that universal thing." Franks noted that Cumming is "such a big part of the show, with his fashion and his delivery." Season 4 begins production in June, so "Anything can happen once we get out there," she teased. "It's gonna be good. It will always be different, that's the important thing." SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby How Natasha Rothwell helped Belinda get her groove back in 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Making of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' panel: Bringing the Balrog to life was 'like doing a slight of hand card trick' TV Animation roundtable panel: '#1 Happy Family USA,' 'Secret Level,' and 'Arcane' Click here to read the full article.
