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Avenue Q, an adult musical featuring naughty puppets, wins the prize for best new musical at Sunday night's Tony Awards. In a major upset, Idina Menzel -- who plays the green-skinned Elphaba in Wicked, a retelling of the Wizard of Oz -- wins in the toughest race of the night, best actress in a musical. Phylicia Rashad becomes the first African American to win best actress in a play for her role in a A Raisin in the Sun. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

The Stradivarius stolen from a cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last month and later recovered is getting a makeover this summer. Each and every crack in the $3.5 million instrument is being repaired by a master craftsman, who says the owner won't notice the difference when the restoration is complete. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne.

A grand jury in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday will consider whether artist Steve Kurtz should be prosecuted on bioterrorism charges. Last month, authorities found scientific lab equipment while responding to a 911 call at Kurtz's house. Now Kurtz is being investigated for having biological agents. Kurtz often uses his art to raise concerns over issues such as biotechnology and genetic engineering. NPR's Karen Michel reports.

In an effort to encourage a broader range of entries from American composers, administrators of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize have decided to expand their definition of "serious" music. Since 1943, the Pulitzer Prize for music has been awarded exactly once to either a jazz composition, musical drama or film score. Hear NPR's Steve Inkseep and Pulitzer Prize Administrator Sig Gissler.

This year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature will be announced Thursday by the Swedish Academy. NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg talks with Michael Gorra, professor of English at Smith College. Gorra theorizes that Nobel Prizes for Literature are given in cycles to vary those of different genres, abilities and geographical areas.

The 2003 Nobel Prize for literature is awarded to South African novelist J. M. Coetzee. He's the fourth African writer to win the prize in the last 40 years. Hear NPR's Neda Ulaby.

"It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members," the 50-year-old rapper and mogul said.

Entertainer Gregory Hines, a marvelous dancer, Tony-winning stage actor and film star, has died of cancer, his publicist says. Hines was 57. His 1992 Broadway success in Jelly's Last Jam was a highlight of a sparkling career. Hear an NPR News report.

Writer and Paris Review editor George Plimpton dies at his Manhattan apartment. He was 76. Plimpton's writing combined elegance and wit, and often showed a willingness to make himself the butt of the joke. Paper Lion was the most famous of several books he wrote chronicling Walter Mitty-like experiences in sports and other endeavors. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR's Frank Deford.

The 22-year-old American topped a competitive field Thursday in Beijing. Figure skaters from Japan came in second and third.