Entertainment briefs 3/16/16

'Wicked' reaches $1 billion mark

NEW YORK -- Producers of "Wicked" say the theatrical blockbuster has grossed over $1 billion on Broadway, joining only "The Lion King" and "The Phantom of the Opera" to that mark but faster than either rival. The show, which opened in 2003 based on novelist Gregory Maguire's fanciful "Wizard of Oz" prequel, took just 12½ years to reach $1 billion. "The Lion King," which opened in 1997, reached that mark in 2013. "The Phantom of the Opera," which opened in New York in 1988, reached $1 billion last year. With a score by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, "Wicked" has been one of Broadway's biggest success stories since it arrived in 2003 starring Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba. Worldwide, "Wicked" has amassed nearly $4 billion in global sales and has been seen by nearly 50 million people.

'Friends' star to play Ted Kennedy in series

NEW YORK -- Former "Friends" star Matthew Perry will play Ted Kennedy in the forthcoming miniseries "The Kennedys -- After Camelot." Reelz cable channel on Tuesday announced his casting for the four-hour project, a follow-up to the miniseries "The Kennedys." The new film will begin production in May, to air in spring 2017. Perry portrays Ted Kennedy in the years after the assassinations of his brothers Jack and Bobby as he tries to continue the Kennedy legacy. Katie Holmes will reprise her role as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from "The Kennedys," which aired on Reelz in 2011. Perry, who starred for a decade in the comedy "Friends," is appearing on the London stage in his playwriting debut, "The End of Longing." His CBS sitcom, "The Odd Couple," begins its second season in April.

NYC to permit dogs in restaurants

NEW YORK -- New York City restaurants with outdoor tables soon will be able to welcome four-legged guests under new rules announced by the city Health Department. The regulations announced Tuesday will permit dogs that are licensed and vaccinated against rabies to join their human chowhounds at participating restaurants. The state Legislature passed a law last year allowing municipalities to set their own rules for dogs in outdoor dining areas. The bill's sponsor, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, said she's pleased the city Health Department "threw dog lovers a bone." City health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said the new rules will go into effect in 30 days, just in time for outdoor dining season. New York City restaurants previously were required to restrict dogs to the area outside the patio railing.

-- From wire reports