OK, Broadway producers, I get it. It takes a lot of money to create a new musical, so it stands to reason that you’d want your investment to be a fairly safe one. Hence, adaptations of popular movies or stories built around familiar songs have become the go-to source material for new Broadway musicals. But how I wish you’d be more willing to take risks on completely new musical theater works of originality and imagination. Shows like “Kimberly Akimbo.”

Carolee Carmello, left, and Miguel Gil in the North American touring production of “Kimberly Akimbo,” a musical about a girl who ages into an old woman over the course of her teenage years, which runs through Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. (Courtesy of Joan Marcus)

Clearly, Tony Award voters agree, for they gave this creation of playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and composer Jeanine Tesori the “Best Musical” award in 2023. And now its first touring production (featuring over half the Broadway cast and a three-time Tony nominee in the lead) has landed at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre for a week.

And what a rare pleasure it is to experience a new stage musical that’s so unabashedly eccentric and unpredictable. What at first looks as if it’s going to take us down the well-trod path of life in an American high school veers off into one wild detour after another. And, thanks to Lindsay-Abaire’s well-sculpted, trope-defying characters, it’s a very funny and richly satisfying show.

Its story hints that the playwright consciously chose to defy cliches at every key juncture. What if the new girl at school had a rare genetic disorder that caused her to age at four to five times the normal pace, thus giving her a life expectancy of about 16? And what if her parents, instead of treasuring their limited time with her, were instead hopelessly self-absorbed? And what if the whole family seems to be on the lam from the law and our young protagonist’s aunt, a career criminal who never met a scam she didn’t like?

Yes, you’ll come upon such common high school conflicts as crushes, science presentations and show choir competitions, but they’re all just offbeat enough to be cringingly accurate in their awkwardness. Director Jessica Stone has helped shape a staging full of impeccable comic timing and a propulsive pace, the action flying to and fro on David Zinn’s simple yet effective set. And all nine cast members seem convincingly committed to this deliciously quirky musical.

At the center of this whirlwind is Carolee Carmello’s Kimberly, a shy teenager in a middle-aged woman’s body. It’s an extraordinary performance that invites you to observe her subtle alterations in voice and physicality, suggesting that we’re watching Kimberly age before our eyes and ears.

The unreliable adults in her life include Laura Woyasz as her tender but empathy-free mother, Jim Hogan as a perpetually apologetic alcoholic father, and, in the most scene-stealing role of all, Emily Koch as the brassy, filterless aunt who gradually helps transform the show into a caper comedy.

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Yet all the kids at school also impress, with Darron Hayes allowing us to watch a budding musical theater enthusiast come to full blossom. And Miguel Gil is excellent as the skating rink attendant who falls for Kimberly, even interjecting a tuba solo into one of his songs. And that’s just the kind of show this is. Lots of musicals set in high schools advocate for letting your freak flag fly, but “Kimberly Akimbo” shows how it’s done.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

‘Kimberly Akimbo’

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis

Tickets: $166-$40, available at hennepinarts.org

Capsule: A lovably eccentric musical.

By TARA COPP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused.

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The weapons now moving into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly.

It’s unclear exactly when the weapons started moving.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the pause last week, which affected a specific recent shipment of weapons to Ukraine, to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the U.S. would continue to deliver defensive weapons to Ukraine. He has sidestepped questions about who ordered the pause in exchanges with reporters this week.

“I would know if a decision is made. I will know,” Trump said Wednesday. “I will be the first to know. In fact, most likely I’d give the order, but I haven’t done that yet.”

When asked a day earlier who ordered the pause, he said: “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

Trump has privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing the pause — a move that he felt wasn’t properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon has denied that Hegseth acted without consulting the president.

The U.S. has sent more than $67 billion in weapons and military assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

By SHAWN CHEN

NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung introduced several updates to its foldable devices lineup on Wednesday, with the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and the new Z Flip 7 FE taking stage at the latest Unpacked event.

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The Korean electronics company unveiled the upgrades — including new versions of their watch — in New York but also announced an expanded partnership with Google to inject more artificial intelligence into its foldable lineup.

Here are the biggest announcements from this summer’s Unpacked event:

A thinner Galaxy Z Fold 7

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is much thinner and lighter than its predecessors, coming in at 0.17 inch thick when unfolded and less than half an inch folded.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is displayed during a Samsung preview event in New York, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

It also weighs slightly less than half a pound, an impressive feat considering the company also increased the total size of the screens from the Fold 6 — now 6.5 inches for the exterior screen and 8 inches for the interior screen.

The battery capacity remains the same as the previous generation. But unlike previous generations of fold devices, this one doesn’t support the company’s digital stylus.

A 200 megapixel camera will act as the main capture and a 10 megapixel camera that extends along the frame of the phone gives users the ability to quickly capture wide shots.

The Fold 7 will retail starting at $1,999. Pre-orders start today, and the device will hit shelves on July 25.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 goes bigger

The flippable cousin of the Fold has an enlarged 4.1-inch top screen and the clamshell folds down to just over half an inch. The inner display grows to 6.9 inches from the Flip 6’s 6.7 inches.

The new Galaxy Z Flip 7 is displayed during a Samsung preview event in New York, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

It gets a slightly bigger 4,300mAh battery and maintains a 50 megapixel main camera and 10 megapixel front camera.

A new, cheaper version of the phone, called the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE was also announced today. It’s a slightly smaller version — keeping the Fold 6’s 6.7 inch screen size — of its premium counterpart.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will retail for $1,099.99 and the Flip 7 FE starts at $899.99. Pre-orders for both devices began Wednesday and both will be available generally on July 25.

The updated Watch 8 series

The Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic have all been refreshed with various updates — memory, thickness, design — but the main takeaway from today’s event is that Google’s Gemini AI was being preloaded onto the devices. Users can access the AI by speaking to their watch.

AI permeates all of the devices

Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services, appeared in a pre-recorded video at Unpacked to announce that the AI Mode of its search engine will be used in Samsung’s circle to search function, allowing users to make quick queries by tapping or circling things on their screen. And Gemini will receive further integration with base Samsung device apps, like Calendar and Reminders.

By JACK BROOK

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly two months after 10 inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail by crawling through a hole behind a toilet, authorities have recaptured all but the man with the most violent rap sheet: Derrick Groves.

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Following the May 16 jailbreak, law enforcement tracked down three escapees within 24 hours and most of the others within the next few weeks. While some of the fugitives roamed through nightlife hotspots and another made Instagram posts, Groves has so far kept a low profile.

The 28-year-old New Orleans native has the most at stake, authorities say. Last year, a jury convicted Groves of killing two people after he opened fire on a family block party with an assault rifle in what prosecutors said was a feud with rival drug dealers.

Groves faces life imprisonment without parole, but administrative delays have kept him in jail for years rather than a more secure prison facility.

“He’s got nothing to lose,” said Forrest Ladd, an Orleans Parish assistant district attorney who prosecuted Groves. “That’s a dangerous thing from anybody, much less somebody capable of causing mass harm.”

How likely is it Groves will be recaptured?

More than 90% of people who escape from U.S. correctional facilities are recaptured within a year, said Bryce Peterson, adjunct professor of criminal justice at John Jay College.

“The longer you are out there, the more likely you are to stay out,” said Peterson, though he believes Groves will be caught eventually due to the high level of media attention.

Most escapes occur when low-level offenders seize spontaneous opportunities, Peterson said. The New Orleans jailbreak stands out because of its level of “sophistication and pre-planning” and the alleged roles current and former jail employees played in the escape, he added.

How has Groves avoided law enforcement for so long?

Multiple defense attorneys who have worked with Groves described him as intelligent and polite. Prosecutors in his cases say he is violent, manipulative and remorseless.

“He’s the worst human being I’ve ever come across in my life,” said Ladd, the Orleans Parish assistant district attorney. “But he is a very charismatic, and I think that allows him the ability to kind of control people.”

A former jail employee who became Groves’ girlfriend during his incarceration is accused of helping him coordinate the escape in advance by arranging phone calls that avoided the jail’s monitoring system. She is one of at least 16 people — many family members of the escapees — facing charges for providing transport, food, shelter and cash to the fugitives, most of whom stayed within New Orleans.

Several days after the escape, authorities received information that Groves was hiding in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward, the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged neighborhood where he grew up, according to court documents.

State and federal authorities declined to provide details on Groves’ suspected whereabouts. Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges indicated he believes Groves is receiving assistance from friends or family.

“Sometimes we think we are incredibly close,” Hodges said during a June 27 news conference, adding that authorities would arrive at a location to find a fugitive “just moved because they have help.”

There is a $50,000 reward for tips leading to Groves’ recapture.

Mistrust in the criminal justice system

Likely impeding the search for Groves is widespread skepticism toward law enforcement from city residents following decades of abuse, often against the Black community. In 1994, a corrupt police officer ordered the killing of Groves’ grandmother, Kim Groves, after she reported him for beating up a teenager. Her three children settled a federal civil rights lawsuit with the city for $1.5 million in 2018.

“For my family, it’s been like reliving a constant nightmare,” Groves’ aunt, Jasmine Groves, told WDSU, saying the family has been interrogated and remains under law enforcement surveillance. She has urged her nephew to turn himself in.

Groves’ mother and aunt did not respond to The Associated Press’ requests for comment for this story.

In 2014, at the age of 17, Groves was arrested and incarcerated for nearly two years on a charge of attempted second-degree murder for which he was later acquitted by a jury, though his own father had testified against him, according to court records and a prosecutor in the case, Mike Trummel.

Tom Shlosman, Groves’ defense attorney in that case, said that Groves’ prolonged incarceration as a teenager and his grandmother’s murder likely undermined his faith in the criminal justice system. Shlosman remembered Groves as “young and scared.”

“None of that’s going to affect a kid in any positive way,” Shlosman said. “And it’s certainly not going to instill trust in law enforcement.”

A series of killings

Groves, who goes by “Woo,” dropped out of school in ninth grade and sold heroin in the Lower Ninth Ward for years, according to court records. The FBI began monitoring his social media while he was still a teenager, and Groves pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in 2019.

Groves has been in jail since at least 2019, after his involvement in four killings during an 18-month period.

In October 2024, a jury convicted Groves of second-degree murder for using an assault rifle to spray dozens of bullets into a family block party on Mardi Gras, killing 21-year-old Byron Jackson and 26-year-old Jamar Robinson and wounding several others.

Groves later pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in two separate shootings, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office.

Eyewitnesses in cases involving Groves have been threatened and physically attacked by him, and others were so intimidated they refused to testify against him, according to three current and former prosecutors and court records.

In court, Robinson’s aunt, Janis Robinson, said she had cried every night since her nephew died: “I don’t know how we are going to get through it.”

In response, records show, Groves swore repeatedly at her in court.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.