title: Peter Yarrow

text: While campaigning for 1968 presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, Yarrow met McCarthy's niece, Mary Beth McCarthy, in Wisconsin. They were married in October 1969 in Willmar, Minnesota. Paul Stookey wrote "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" as his gift for their wedding and first performed it at St. Mary's Church in Willmar. They had two children, but later divorced.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: In December 2000, Yarrow's Larrivee acoustic guitar was stolen on an airplane flight. In early 2005, fans spotted the guitar on eBay. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recovered it in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, and returned it to Yarrow. He did not press charges, as the person it was recovered from had not stolen it.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: Yarrow performed the world premiere of "The Colonoscopy Song" on the CBS early morning program "The Early Show" on March 9, 2010.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: Yarrow has also acknowledged being an alcoholic, and sought treatment for the disease. He considers himself in recovery.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: A longtime resident of New York City, Yarrow has also had a vacation home in Telluride, Colorado. Yarrow's son, Christopher, is a visual artist who in the late 2000s owned an emporium in Portland, Oregon, named The Monkey & The Rat.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: In 1970, Yarrow was convicted, and served three months in prison, for taking "improper liberties" with a 14-year-old girl who went with her 17-year-old sister to Yarrow's hotel room in Washington, DC seeking an autograph. "Yarrow answered the door naked and made sexual advances that stopped short of intercourse." Yarrow served three months of a one-to-three-year prison sentence. He apologized for the incident, saying that "It was an era of real indiscretion and mistakes by categorically male performers. I was one of them. I got nailed. I was wrong. I'm sorry for it."


title: Peter Yarrow

text: Yarrow was granted a presidential pardon by Jimmy Carter on January 19, 1981, the day before Carter's presidency ended. For decades, Yarrow avoided mention of this sexual assault, but by the early 2000s, it became a campaign issue for politicians he supports. In 2004, U.S. Representative Martin Frost of Texas, a Democrat, canceled a fundraising appearance with Yarrow after his opponent ran a radio advertisement about Yarrow's offense; in 2013, Republican politicians in New York called on Democratic congressional candidate Martha Robertson to cancel a scheduled fundraiser with Yarrow. In 2019, he was disinvited from a folk music festival when the organizers were informed of his conviction.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: In May 2021, "The Washington Post" wrote that "[Yarrow's] pardon by Carter — perhaps the only one in U.S. history wiping away a conviction for a sexual offense against a child — escaped scrutiny when it happened. It was granted just hours before the American hostages in Iran were freed, which captured headlines for weeks." The same article details other allegations of sexual assault of minors made against Yarrow.


title: Peter Yarrow

text: Yarrow received the Allard K. Lowenstein Award in 1982 for his "remarkable efforts in advancing the causes of human rights, peace, and freedom". In 1995 the Miami Jewish Federation recognized Yarrow's continual efforts by awarding its Tikkun Olam Award for his part in helping to "repair the world".


title: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

text: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is a descriptive list which was first proposed by Georges Polti in 1895 to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance. Polti analyzed classical Greek texts, plus classical and contemporaneous French works. He also analyzed a handful of non-French authors. In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi, who also identified 36 situations.


title: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

text: This list was published in a book of the same name, which contains extended explanations and examples. The original French-language book was written in 1895. An English translation was published in 1916 and continues to be reprinted.


title: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

text: The list was popularized as an aid for writers, but is also used by dramatists, storytellers and others. Other similar lists have since been made.


title: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

text: It influenced Christina Stead and George Pierce Baker, the author of "Dramatic Technique". The 36 situations have been critiqued as being "concatenations of events rather than minimal or isolable motifs".


title: The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

text: Each situation is stated, then followed by the necessary elements for each situation and a brief description.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: Great Pretender (stylized as GREAT PRETENDER) is a Japanese original net animation series produced by Wit Studio, directed by Hiro Kaburagi and written by Ryōta Kosawa. The series' arcs are called "cases", and the first case (Los Angeles Connection) was released in June 2020 on Netflix in Japan. The series' first three cases (Los Angeles Connection, Singapore Sky, and Snow of London) were released worldwide on Netflix in August 2020, followed by its fourth case (Wizard of Far East) in November. The series also aired from July to December 2020 on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: During Anime Expo 2019, Wit Studio revealed announced the 23-episode original anime television series, directed by Hiro Kaburagi, written by Ryōta Kosawa, character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and music composed by Yutaka Yamada. Yamada also composed its theme song "G.P.", while its ending theme is a cover of the song "The Great Pretender" performed by Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, originally recorded by The Platters.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: The series' story is divided into blocks of episodes called "Cases". Case 1: Los Angeles Connection is episodes 1 through 5, Case 2: Singapore Sky is episodes 6 through 10, Case 3: Snow of London is episodes 11 through 14, and Case 4: Wizard of Far East is episodes 15 through 23. Case 1 began streaming on Netflix Japan on June 2, 2020, with Case 2 following on June 9. Case 3 began streaming on Netflix Japan on June 16, 2020, and Case 4 followed on September 21.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: The anime series aired on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block and BS Fuji from July 8 to December 16, 2020.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: "Great Pretender's" first 14 episodes were released outside of Japan on Netflix on August 20, 2020, with the last 9 following on November 25.


title: Great Pretender (TV series)

text: A manga adaptation by Daichi Marui began releasing on Mag Garden's Mag Comi and LINE Manga from June 10, 2020. The manga series has been licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. The series went on hiatus on September 10, 2020 due to Marui's poor health.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name of Shelton Benjamin.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah through their working relationship under the ring name Shelton X Benjamin and for American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) under his real name. Within the World Wrestling Council (WWC), he won the Universal Heavyweight Championship once. Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, he was a two-sport athlete in college. Benjamin won an NJCAA championship in both track and field and collegiate wrestling. After attending junior college, he completed his degree from the University of Minnesota.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin started his professional wrestling career in WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he held the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship four times (three times with Brock Lesnar and once with Rodney Mack). WWE then moved him to the main roster in 2002, where he formed an alliance with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas, known as Team Angle (and later The World's Greatest Tag Team with Charlie Haas). During his tenure with the company, he won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship once, the WWE (Raw) Tag Team Championship three times (twice with Charlie Haas, once with Cedric Alexander), and the WWE 24/7 Championship three times. He left WWE in 2010 but he returned to WWE in 2017.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He began wrestling his sophomore year at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School. Benjamin recorded a 122–10 overall win–loss record in his high school career and was a two-time South Carolina state high school heavyweight wrestling champion (1993-1994). Benjamin then attended Lassen Community College in Susanville, California and became a National Junior College Athletic Association collegiate wrestling champion.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: He then transferred to the University of Minnesota on a wrestling scholarship for his junior and senior years of college. He achieved All-American status twice in wrestling, placing fifth in the heavyweight division of the NCAA Championships in 1997 then improving to third place in 1998. After graduation, he served as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater and trained with future Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) tag team partner Brock Lesnar. Benjamin thought about trying to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics but decided instead to pursue a professional wrestling career.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On January 10, 2000, Benjamin signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was placed in its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). OVW booker Jim Cornette paired Benjamin with his former college roommate Brock Lesnar after he felt Lesnar was "boring" as a wrestler and had "no personality", while Benjamin was "exciting". Together, they were known as the "Minnesota Stretching Crew," and they held the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. The first two reigns occurred during February and July 2001. They won the title for a third time from Rico Constantino and The Prototype on October 29, 2001. After Lesnar was called up to the main roster in November 2001, Benjamin formed a tag team with Redd Dogg Begnaud called "The Dogg Pound" and once again won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on July 17, 2002. Benjamin then wrestled at several house shows for the main WWE roster and eventually made his WWE television debut on "Sunday Night Heat" as a face.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: He joined WWE's SmackDown! brand as a heel on the December 26, 2002 episode of "SmackDown!", forming an alliance with Charlie Haas and Olympic gold-medalist Kurt Angle as their mentor known as "Team Angle". Their first televised match together in WWE was on the January 2, 2003 episode of "SmackDown!" against Edge and Chris Benoit.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: The duo won the WWE Tag Team Championship just a month after their debut by defeating the champions, Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero Jr.) on the February 6 episode of "SmackDown!". They continued their feud with Benoit until No Way Out, when Benoit teamed with Brock Lesnar to defeat Team Angle. The two then went on to compete in their first WrestleMania match at WrestleMania XIX, retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match against Los Guerreros, and Chris Benoit and Rhyno. Team Angle later lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Eddie Guerrero and his new partner Tajiri at Judgment Day in a ladder match. The storyline concluded on the June 12 episode of "SmackDown!", when Angle confronted Benjamin and Haas and fired them from Team Angle. They then began referring to themselves as "The World's Greatest Tag Team" and won the WWE Tag Team Championship back from Guerrero and Tajiri on the July 3 episode of "SmackDown!". They lost the titles to Los Guerreros on the September 18 episode of "SmackDown!", after Benjamin suffered a legitimate knee injury during the match. Benjamin was sidelined for approximately one month, but the pair competed together again, taking part in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XX.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the March 22, 2004 episode of "Raw", Benjamin was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2004 WWE draft lottery. After arriving, Benjamin quickly became a face when he scored an upset victory over Triple H. Benjamin then feuded with Triple H, beating him three times in total: once by pinfall, once by countout and once by disqualification. As part of the storyline, Benjamin then feuded with the other members of Triple H's stable Evolution. Benjamin defeated Ric Flair at Backlash and lost to Randy Orton in an Intercontinental Championship match at Bad Blood.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: During a match with Garrison Cade on "Heat", Benjamin punched Cade's knee brace, breaking his hand in the process and briefly taking him out of action. Benjamin returned in the fall of 2004 helping Randy Orton fight off Evolution and was later chosen by the fans to compete for the Intercontinental Championship in a match against then-champion Chris Jericho at Taboo Tuesday. Benjamin won the match, giving him his first singles title in the company. During his reign as Intercontinental Champion, Benjamin retained the title against challengers such as Christian at Survivor Series, Maven at New Year's Revolution, and Chris Jericho at Backlash. Benjamin lost the title to Carlito on the June 20 episode of "Raw" (Carlito used the ropes during the pinfall), ending the longest Intercontinental Championship reign of the decade at 244 days.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin was then depicted as having a "losing streak" over the next several weeks, which led to Benjamin's "Momma" (played by comedian/actress Thea Vidale) coming to "Raw" to confront Benjamin. Momma slapped and yelled at Benjamin every time he lost a match. Before long, she assisted Benjamin in his matches, often interfering on his behalf. This led to Benjamin turning heel for the second time in his career. In 2006, Benjamin then began a rivalry with then-Intercontinental Champion Ric Flair. On the February 20 episode of "Raw", Benjamin defeated Flair to win his second Intercontinental Championship after Momma faked a heart problem, causing enough of a distraction to allow Benjamin to cheat and win the title. Benjamin continued to feud with Flair, but Momma no longer accompanied him to ringside. Benjamin explained her absence by stating that she was undergoing heart surgery in the hospital. She actually left due to being sexually harassed by someone in WWE.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin competed in the second Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 22. Benjamin then began a rivalry with Rob Van Dam, the winner of the match, in an attempt to take Van Dam's Money in the Bank contract. During this time, Benjamin emphasized his new heel persona by now wearing shades, jewelry, and occasional colored shirts while entering the ring. At one point, Benjamin was defeated by his former tag team partner, the returning Charlie Haas, on the April 17 episode of "Raw". A stipulation added to the match meant that due to this loss, Benjamin had to defend the Intercontinental Championship in the same match as his shot at Van Dam's contract, meaning at Backlash it would be a "Winner Takes All" match. Van Dam won at Backlash and became Intercontinental Champion. On the May 15 episode of "Raw", Benjamin regained the title from Van Dam in a Tornado Tag Team match, pitting Benjamin, Triple H and Chris Masters against Van Dam and WWE Champion John Cena; both the WWE Championship and WWE Intercontinental Championship could be won by whoever pinned the appropriate champion. Benjamin pinned Van Dam, picking up his third Intercontinental Championship. Subsequently, Benjamin feuded with Carlito and others for his Intercontinental Championship before losing the title to Johnny Nitro in a Triple Threat match also involving Carlito at Vengeance.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the December 4 episode of "Raw", Benjamin's former tag team partner Charlie Haas came out to celebrate with Benjamin after he defeated Super Crazy. On the December 11 episode of "Raw", Benjamin announced The World's Greatest Tag Team was officially back in a segment with Cryme Tyme. They defeated The Highlanders in a match later that same night. They then started a feud with Cryme Tyme, but were largely unsuccessful in defeating them, including a tag team turmoil match at New Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, where they were eliminated by Cryme Tyme. Benjamin entered the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Shawn Michaels. They finally managed a win over Cryme Tyme, ending their undefeated streak, on the January 29 episode of "Raw".


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the April 2 episode of "Raw", The World's Greatest Tag Team was unsuccessful in defeating the team of Ric Flair and Carlito, but defeated them in a rematch the following week when Haas distracted Carlito, allowing Benjamin to gain the pin over Flair. They won again two weeks later when Carlito turned on Flair, attacking him and allowing The World's Greatest Tag Team to win via countout. They then challenged The Hardys for the World Tag Team Championship at One Night Stand in a ladder match, but were unsuccessful.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Following this, The World's Greatest Tag Team began a rivalry with Paul London and Brian Kendrick after losing to the duo in their debut match on the June 18 episode of "Raw". A few weeks later, London defeated Benjamin in a singles match, however, on the July 23 episode of "Raw", The World's Greatest Tag Team got a tag team win over London and Kendrick to end the rivalry.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin and Haas then routinely competed against the teams of Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes and Super Crazy and Jim Duggan until November, when the team was disbanded due to Benjamin joining the ECW roster.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the November 20, 2007 airing of "ECW", Elijah Burke introduced Benjamin as the newest member of the ECW brand. Benjamin, who had dyed his hair blond before leaving "Raw", began wearing gold wrestling attire and referring to himself as "The Gold Standard". On "ECW", Benjamin began once again receiving more airtime and higher profile matches, defeating Tommy Dreamer in his debut. Benjamin then qualified for the Royal Rumble match and won an over the top rope preview. Benjamin appeared in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, entering at number 17, but was eliminated by Shawn Michaels. He suffered his first loss since coming to ECW to Kane by count-out, on the January 29, 2008 episode of "ECW". On the February 22 episode of "SmackDown", Benjamin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang in a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV, which was won by CM Punk. After WrestleMania, Benjamin briefly feuded with Punk, before he began an on-screen rivalry with Kofi Kingston, who defeated Benjamin on the April 22 episode of "ECW". On ECW's 100th episode, however, Benjamin defeated Kingston, thus ending the latter's undefeated streak. To end the feud, Kingston then defeated Benjamin in an Extreme Rules match.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: As part of the 2008 supplemental draft, Benjamin was drafted to the SmackDown brand. On the July 11 episode of "SmackDown", Benjamin defeated United States Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match, earning himself a future title shot. At The Great American Bash, Benjamin once again defeated Hardy to win the United States Championship. Throughout his reign as champion, he retained the title several times against competitors such as R-Truth and Hurricane Helms. On the 500th episode of "SmackDown", on March 20, 2009 Benjamin lost his United States Championship to Montel Vontavious Porter, ending Benjamin's reign at 240 days. Benjamin then participated in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 25, but failed to win as CM Punk won the match for the second year in a row. On June 29, 2009, Benjamin was traded to the ECW brand. The following night, Benjamin returned to the brand in a losing effort to the debuting Yoshi Tatsu. He defeated Tatsu in a rematch the following week on "ECW". After a tag team match, Benjamin abandoned his partner Zack Ryder during a tag team match, turning Benjamin face. He would soon feud with Ryder and Sheamus over the following weeks. Benjamin and Sheamus began feuding with and traded wins against each other on "ECW" and "Superstars" and the feud lasted until Sheamus was moved to the Raw brand on October 26. The next night on "ECW", Benjamin lost to Sheamus in Sheamus' final match on the brand.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin wrestled Christian at for the ECW Championship in a ladder match, but came up on the losing end. At the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2010, Benjamin entered the Royal Rumble match at entry number 20, but was eliminated by John Cena in under a minute. On the final episode of "ECW", Benjamin formed an alliance with Vladimir Kozlov. Together, they defeated three members of the ECW roster: Vance Archer, Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta. On the February 26 episode of "SmackDown", Benjamin returned to the SmackDown brand and once again qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI, beating CM Punk. However, Benjamin failed to win the match. He defeated the returning Joey Mercury in his last match at the "SmackDown" tapings on April 20 in a dark match. On April 22, Benjamin was released from his WWE contract.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin made his independent circuit debut on July 24, 2010, in San Diego, California against Scorpio Sky. On July 31, 2010, during the World Wrestling Council's "La Revolución" show in Puerto Rico, Benjamin defeated Ray González to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. At Crossfire on November 27, Benjamin lost the Universal Heavyweight Championship to Carlito.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: In November 2010, Benjamin competed for American Wrestling Rampage. He made his debut on November 10 with Haas facing La Résistance. During his tour with AWR he defeated Shawn Daivari in a steel cage match. He also had tag team matches with Haas taking on Booker T and Scott Steiner. On March 8, 2011, Benjamin wrestled in a dark match prior to the "SmackDown" tapings in Houston, Texas, defeating Curt Hawkins. On March 9, 2011, Benjamin won the MWF Heavyweight Championship and lost it on June 4.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: At JAPW 18th Anniversary Show, Haas, Benjamin and Angle reunited for the first time in 11 years. In the main event, Benjamin and Haas defeated Chris Sabin and Teddy Hart.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On May 15, 2015, Global Force Wrestling (GFW) announced Benjamin as part of their roster. He made his debut for the promotion on June 20, defeating Chris Mordetzky in a main event singles match. Benjamin participated in Global Force Wrestling's inaugural tournament to crown their very first GFW Global Champion, which served as the company's world heavyweight championship. After gaining a victory in the quarter-finals, he forfeited his next match-up to Bobby Roode due to a storyline concussion.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On September 11, 2010, at Glory By Honor IX, Benjamin and Charlie Haas made their Ring of Honor debuts in a match, where they were defeated by The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli).


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin and Haas returned to ROH at the "Ring of Honor Wrestling" television tapings on December 9, where they defeated the Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lance). The following day, at the second set of television tapings, they defeated the All-Night Express of Kenny King and Rhett Titus, and participated in an eight-man tag team match, teaming with the Briscoe Brothers against the Kings of Wrestling and the All-Night Xpress, which ended in a no contest. On December 18 at the Final Battle 2010 pay-per-view Benjamin and Haas announced that in 2011 they would be wrestling regularly for Ring of Honor. At the following pay-per-view, 9th Anniversary Show, on February 26, 2011, Benjamin and Haas defeated the Briscoe Brothers in the main event of the evening to earn another shot at the Kings of Wrestling and the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On April 1 at Honor Takes Center Stage, Benjamin and Haas defeated the Kings of Wrestling for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On June 26 at Best in the World 2011, Benjamin and Haas successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship in a four-way match against the Briscoe Brothers, the Kings of Wrestling and the All Night Express. The following day ROH announced that both Benjamin and Haas had signed contracts with the promotion. On December 23, at Final Battle 2011, Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to the Briscoe Brothers. On May 12, 2012, at Border Wars, Benjamin and Haas regained the ROH World Tag Team Championship from the Briscoe Brothers. On June 24 at Best in the World 2012, Benjamin and Haas lost the title to Kenny King and Rhett Titus.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: In early August, ROH, in storyline, suspended Benjamin for attacking Titus and several ROH officials with a steel chair. The suspension was used to explain Benjamin's absence from ROH, while he was working in Japan. Benjamin returned on September 15 at , accompanying Charlie Haas and Rhett Titus during their tag team championship tournament matches. On December 16 at , Benjamin and Haas defeated Titus and B. J. Whitmer in a Street Fight. The following day it was reported that Benjamin had requested and received a release from his ROH contract. Benjamin made one more appearance for ROH on February 2, 2013, when Haas turned on him during an ROH World Tag Team Championship match against the Briscoe Brothers. Benjamin was scheduled to face Haas on April 5 at Supercard of Honor VII, but after Haas had parted ways with the promotion, he was replaced by Mike Bennett, who went on to defeat Benjamin.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On December 9, 2011, New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that Benjamin would be joining MVP for a tag match against Masato Tanaka and Yujiro Takahashi at Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2012. Benjamin and MVP were victorious in the match, after MVP submitted Takahashi. Benjamin returned to New Japan on June 16 at Dominion 6.16, where he and MVP defeated Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga in a tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Tonga for the win. On July 8, New Japan announced Benjamin as a participant in the 2012 G1 Climax tournament. Benjamin returned to the promotion on July 29 at "Last Rebellion", where he, Karl Anderson, MVP and Rush defeated Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, Taichi and Taka Michinoku) in an eight-man tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Taichi for the win. In the following month's G1 Climax tournament, Benjamin ended up winning four out of his eight matches, failing to advance to the finals. On November 11, New Japan announced that Benjamin would return to take part in the 2012 World Tag League, where he would be teaming with MVP under the tag team name "Black Dynamite". Benjamin and MVP finished their tournament on December 1 with a record of three wins, one over the reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions K.E.S. (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer), and three losses, failing to advance from their block. On December 2, the final day of the tournament, Benjamin got into a brawl with Masato Tanaka, which led to New Japan the naming him the number one contender to Tanaka's NEVER Openweight Championship the following day. On January 4, 2013, at Wrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Tanaka for his title.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin returned to New Japan on April 20, now working as a member of the villainous Suzuki-gun, teaming with the stable's leader Minoru Suzuki in a main event tag team match, where they defeated Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura. On the following tour, Benjamin worked under the ring name "Shelton X Benjamin", playing off the fact that prior to him being revealed as the newest member of Suzuki-gun, Suzuki's partner had been billed simply as "X". On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2013, Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Benjamin returned to New Japan on June 22 at Dominion 6.22, where he and Minoru Suzuki defeated Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii in a tag team match, with Benjamin pinning Nakamura for the win. From August 1 to 11, Benjamin took part in the 2013 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of five wins and four losses, narrowly missing advancement from his block. On September 29 at Destruction, Benjamin received another shot at the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, but was again defeated by Shinsuke Nakamura. From November 24 to December 7, Benjamin and Suzuki took part in the 2013 World Tag League, where they finished with a record of three wins and three losses, with a loss against Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano on the final day costing them a spot in the semifinals. Benjamin returned to New Japan on January 4, 2014, at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, where he and Suzuki were defeated by The Great Muta and Toru Yano in a tag team match. On March 15, Benjamin entered the 2014 New Japan Cup, defeating Yujiro Takahashi in his first round match. On March 22, Benjamin defeated Katsuyori Shibata to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The following day, Benjamin was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by Bad Luck Fale. From July 21 to August 8, Benjamin took part in the 2014 G1 Climax, where he finished fifth in his block with a record of five wins and five losses.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin returned to New Japan on January 4, 2015, at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, where he, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer and Takashi Iizuka were defeated by Naomichi Marufuji, Toru Yano and TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) in an eight-man tag team match. Benjamin's profile has since been removed from NJPW's website.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On January 10, 2015, Benjamin, along with the rest of Suzuki-gun, took part in a major storyline, where the stable invaded a Pro Wrestling Noah show, attacking Marufuji and TMDK. Benjamin made his in-ring debut for Noah on January 12, when he, Suzuki, Taichi and Michinoku defeated Marufuji, Atsushi Kotoge, Muhammad Yone and Taiji Ishimori in an eight-man tag team match. Over the next few weeks, Benjamin worked all Noah events, while starting a feud with Takashi Sugiura due to him also having a background in amateur wrestling. Benjamin and Sugiura finally met in a grudge match on July 18, where Sugiura was victorious. In November, Benjamin made it to the finals of Noah's premier singles tournament, the Global League, but was defeated there by Naomichi Marufuji. On June 12, 2016, Benjamin unsuccessfully challenged Go Shiozaki for Noah's top title, the GHC Heavyweight Championship.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the July 26, 2016, episode of "SmackDown", a vignette aired promoting Benjamin's WWE return. However, on August 7, Benjamin announced that his return was on hiatus due to a torn rotator cuff, which required surgery. On March 30, 2017, Benjamin announced on Twitter that he was once again medically cleared to compete. However, he also confirmed that he never signed with WWE prior to his injury and was for the time being a free agent.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On August 17, 2017, it was reported that Benjamin had officially re-signed with WWE. He returned on the August 22 episode of "SmackDown" and was paired with Chad Gable, working as a fan favorite tag team. The duo made their in ring debut on August 30, 2017, defeating The Ascension. At Hell in a Cell, Benjamin and Gable defeated The Hype Bros, marking Benjamin's first appearance at a WWE pay-per-view since 2010. At Clash of Champions, they had their SmackDown Tag Team Championship title shot in a fatal four-way tag team match, in which they were unsuccessful. On the January 2, 2018 episode of "SmackDown Live", they defeated The Usos for the titles, but the decision was reversed by the referee when he realized they unknowingly pinned the wrong twin. The following week on "SmackDown Live", the duo turned heel when they insulted the referee of their title match the week before, demoralized the fans, and accused general manager Daniel Bryan of being biased, which resulted in Bryan booking them for a two out of three falls match against The Usos at Royal Rumble, where they lost in two straight falls. At WrestleMania 34 on April 8, Benjamin competed alongside Gable in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but neither won. On April 16, Gable would be traded to "Raw" during the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up, thus disbanding the team.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the April 17 episode of "SmackDown", after seemingly wishing Gable good luck on his move to the "Raw" brand on Twitter, Benjamin would claim his account "got hacked" and began to demoralize Gable, before issuing a challenge to anyone in the locker room. Randy Orton would initially accept the challenge, however, while making his way to the ring, newly drafted United States Champion Jeff Hardy would come out and accept the challenge instead, defeating Benjamin. The following week on "SmackDown", Benjamin would issue another open challenge, first answered by Hardy, but Orton would replace him. Benjamin would go onto defeat Orton. Benjamin appeared at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, competing in the titular 50-man Royal Rumble match. Benjamin entered the match as entrant number 48 and was eliminated by Chris Jericho. On the May 1 episode of "SmackDown", Benjamin teamed with The Miz in a losing effort against Orton and Hardy. Following this, Benjamin would make only make four more televised appearances on "SmackDown" throughout 2018, losing to Daniel Bryan in June, Jeff Hardy in August and WWE Champion AJ Styles in October. His only win would come over Daniel Bryan on the October 2 episode of "SmackDown", after interference from The Miz.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 27, 2019, Benjamin competed in the Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Braun Strowman. On the March 11 episode of "Raw", Benjamin surprisingly appeared and attacked Seth Rollins, and later faced Rollins in a losing effort. In the following months, Benjamin would be mostly off WWE programming, only wrestling in two battle royals: the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35 in April, and the 51-man battle royal at Super ShowDown in June; he would win neither match however. In August, Benjamin was announced as one of sixteen competitors in the King of the Ring, where he was defeated by his former tag team partner Chad Gable in the first round on the August 27 episode of "SmackDown Live". As part of the 2019 draft, Benjamin was drafted to the Raw brand. On January 26, 2020, Benjamin participated in the Royal Rumble match and entered at #10 at the namesake pay-per-view, but was eliminated by the WWE Champion and former tag team partner Brock Lesnar, whom previously teamed as the Minnesota Stretching Crew.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the June 15 episode of "Raw", Benjamin faced United States Champion Apollo Crews, where Crews won after using the ropes as leverage. Following the match in a WWE Network exclusive, MVP promised Benjamin a rematch with Crews for the United States Championship, thus teasing an alliance between the two. On the June 22 episode of Raw, Benjamin attacked Crews during the VIP Lounge with MVP before their scheduled match. Despite this, Benjamin was defeated by Crews.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the July 20 episode of "Raw", Benjamin officially joined MVP and Bobby Lashley's stable The Hurt Business as they helped him capture the 24/7 Championship from R-Truth. During his time with the stable, he would win the 24/7 Championship three times. On the August 10 episode of "Raw", Benjamin defeated United States Champion Apollo Crews in a non-title match following a distraction by MVP and Lashley. This was Benjamin's first victory on Raw in over 14 years. On the September 7 episode of Raw, Cedric Alexander joined The Hurt Business when he betrayed Crews and Ricochet during a six-man tag team match, attacking them and helping The Hurt Business win the match. On December 20, at , Alexander and Benjamin defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship. This would also make him a 3-time WWE (Raw) Tag Team Champion. Benjamin and Alexander would later drop the titles back to Kingston and Woods on the March 15 episode of Raw.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the March 29 episode of "Raw", Lashley lambasted Alexander and Benjamin due to them losing the Raw Tag Team Championships and losing to Drew McIntyre in a 2-on-1 handicap match, a loss that meant they would be barred from ringside at Lashley's WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 37 against McIntyre. This led to Lashley attacking Alexander and Benjamin, thus kicking them out of the faction in the process. They started a losing streak, lost to the teams such as The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) twice, and to RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) once. On the May 3 episode of Raw, Alexander turned on Benjamin after losing to Lucha House Party. On the May 10 episode of Raw, Benjamin fought Alexander in a match with Alexander losing to Benjamin.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On the September 27 episode of "Raw", Benjamin and Alexander helped Lashley fight off The New Day and in the process, reuniting The Hurt Business. In January 2022, after not being seen together, Benjamin and Alexander approached Lashley under the assumption they were still a unit, only to be dismissed. This would cause the pair to launch a sneak attack that evening, but they were easily dealt with.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: On May 14, 2022, it was reported that Benjamin suffered an undisclosed injury and would be out of action. He made his return on the June 13 taping of Main Event in a winning effort against Akira Tozawa. On August 8, 2022, Benjamin faced Cedric Alexander in the "Main Event" tapings in a losing effort, effectively signaling the end of The Hurt Business. Afterwards, they embraced each other and shared a moment in the ring, turning Benjamin face for the first time since 2017.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: While continuing his run on "Main Event", Benjamin began teaming with R-Truth, with it being reported that the duo were officially listed as a tag team in WWE' internal roster. On the October 19th edition of "Main Event", Benjamin convinced Truth to stop having fun and start taking himself seriously, believing that at their stage in the game as veterans, they deserve respect. This segment ended with Benjamin listing off his various accomplishments in WWE before referring to himself simply as Shelton, teasing a name change. However on the November 7th edition of "Raw", Benjamin wrestled under his full name against Austin Theory in a loss, after Theory challenged him backstage.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin is a fan of video games. He won WWE's THQ Superstar Challenge, a video game tournament that took place every year during WrestleMania weekend, four years in a row before retiring from the event in 2007. He has the Guinness World Record for "wrestler who won the most WWE THQ Superstar Challenges". In April 2020, during the nationwide quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Benjamin jokingly asked parents via Twitter to keep their children from playing online games due to younger players beating his records.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Since 2002, Benjamin has maintained a close friendship with Charlie Haas, who often refers to him as his "brother." He served as the best man at Haas and Jackie Gayda's wedding, and is the godfather to Haas' oldest daughter. Benjamin is also close friends with Brock Lesnar, having met him at the University of Minnesota and roomed with him. He once let Lesnar stay in his basement when Lesnar was out of money. Benjamin is also the godfather to Lesnar's daughter. In 2004, Benjamin visited Four Dwellings Primary School in Birmingham, UK, to teach students about reading week.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin, along with Candice Michelle, Dave Bautista and Josh Mathews, represented WWE at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, in an effort to encourage fans to register to vote in the 2008 Presidential election.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin has said he has vertigo, which can make his in-ring performance pretty difficult when it happens.


title: Shelton Benjamin

text: Benjamin made his WWE video game debut in 2003's "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain", and he would continue to appear in "WWE Day of Reckoning", "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw", "WWE Day of Reckoning 2", "WWE WrestleMania 21", "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006", "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007", "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009", "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010" and "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011". After an eight-year absence, Benjamin next appeared in "WWE 2K19", "WWE 2K20", and "WWE 2K22".


title: Greta Lee

text: While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing arts. After high school, she studied communication and theater at Northwestern University, and continued to pursue acting by moving to New York City.


title: Greta Lee

text: She has played Soojin in "Girls" and Homeless Heidi in "High Maintenance". She was a guest star in the TV shows "New Girl" and "Wayward Pines". She costarred as Hae Won in "Sisters" alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Lee starred as Maxine in the Netflix comedy-drama series "Russian Doll".


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions (originally known as The Big Game in 1996 and renamed, temporarily, to The Big Game Mega Millions six years later) is an American multi-jurisdictional lottery game; as of January 30, 2020, it is offered in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The first "(The Big Game) Mega Millions" drawing was in 2002. What is now Mega Millions initially was offered in six states; the logo for all versions of the game following the retirement of "The Big Game" name featured a gold-colored ball with six stars to represent the game's initial membership, although some lotteries insert their respective logo in the ball.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions is drawn at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday and Friday evenings, including holidays. Mega Millions is administered by a consortium of its 12 original lotteries; the drawings are held at the studios of WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, supervised by the Georgia Lottery. The hosts are John Crow, Carol Blackmon and Adrian Wollford.


title: Mega Millions

text: Under the current version's regulations (which began October 28, 2017, with the first drawing October 31) for Mega Millions, the minimum Mega Millions advertised jackpot is $40 million, paid in 30 graduated yearly installments, increasing 5% each year (unless the cash option is chosen; see below for differences by lotteries on cash/annuity choice regulations.) The jackpot increases when there is no top-prize winner.


title: Mega Millions

text: Reflecting common practice among American lotteries, the jackpot is advertised as a nominal value of annual installments. A cash value option (the usual choice), when chosen by a jackpot winner, pays the approximate present value of the installments. Mega Millions' previous format began on October 19, 2013; its first drawing was three days later. The current version of Mega Millions requires players to match 5 of 70 white balls, "and" the gold-colored "MegaBall" from a second field, of 25 numbers ( / ).


title: Mega Millions

text: Each game costs $2. Of the 47 Mega Millions jurisdictions, all but California offer an option, called "Megaplier" (plays with the "Megaplier" are $3 each) where non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by 2, 3, 4, or 5. The "Megaplier" was made available to all Mega Millions jurisdictions in January 2011; it began as an option available only in Texas. Several of the game's members offer the "Just the Jackpot" option, in which two plays cost $3. Only the jackpot can be won; none of the lower-tier prizes are available on such a wager.


title: Mega Millions

text: The largest jackpot (in which the jackpot was won) in Mega Millions history was $1.537 billion, for the October 23, 2018 drawing, in which there was one winning jackpot ticket, sold in South Carolina. The winner anonymously claimed the prize in March 2019.


title: Mega Millions

text: On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in American lottery jurisdictions, with the two groups referred to as the "Mega Power Lottery" by many users. The expansion occurred on January 31, 2010, as 23 Powerball members began selling Mega Millions tickets for their first drawing on February 2, 2010; likewise, 10 Mega Millions members began selling Powerball tickets for their first drawing the next day. Montana (joining Mega Millions on March 1, 2010) was the first jurisdiction to add either game after the cross-sell expansion. Nebraska (March 20, 2010), Oregon (March 28, 2010), Arizona (April 18, 2010), Maine (May 9, 2010), Colorado and South Dakota (the latter two on May 16, 2010) also have joined Mega Millions since the expansion.


title: Mega Millions

text: As of January 2020, there were 47 lotteries offering Mega Millions "and" Powerball; Florida joined Mega Millions in May 2013. (Puerto Rico, whose lottery began in the 1930s, currently does not offer Mega Millions.) Mississippi began selling lottery tickets in 2019; it joined Mega Millions on January 30, 2020.


title: Mega Millions

text: Before the agreement, the only stores which sold Mega Millions "and" Powerball tickets were retailers whose business was on a border between jurisdictions which sold competing games.


title: Mega Millions

text: The current Mega Millions format began in October 2017. Plays are $2 per game. For an additional $1 per play, the "Megaplier", if activated, multiplies non-jackpot prizes. Multipliers are 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x (a second-prize Megaplier play can win $5 million cash). The Megaplier is not available in California, or on "Just the Jackpot" wagers (where offered).


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions replaced "The Big Game" in 2002 (see below for the evolution of the name "Mega Millions").


title: Mega Millions

text: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah do not sell lottery tickets. In 2013, Wyoming became the 44th state to establish a lottery; the next year, it began, initially offering both Mega Millions and Powerball. (In August 2018, a bill establishing a lottery in Mississippi was passed, and sent to its Governor for his signature; its lottery began November 25, 2019, with Mississippi joining Mega Millions on January 30, 2020.)


title: Mega Millions

text: In most cases, a lottery joining Mega Millions on or after January 31, 2010 offered Powerball before the MUSL cross-sell expansion.


title: Mega Millions

text: Tickets for "The Big Game" began to be sold in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia on August 31, 1996. "The Big Game" was created and designed by Michigan Lottery Commissioner Bill Martin and Illinois Lottery Director Desiree Rogers after having discussions regarding a multi-state game with lottery directors Rebecca Paul of the Georgia Lottery and Penelope W. Kyle of the Virginia Lottery. "The Big Game" initially was drawn weekly, on Friday.


title: Mega Millions

text: The Georgia Lottery was a member of MUSL at the time and wanted to sell both games for the remainder of 1996; however, within a few days, Georgia was forcibly removed from MUSL, returning with the 2010 cross-selling expansion.


title: Mega Millions

text: Beginning in January 1999, jackpot winners were given the option to receive their prize in cash. In May 1999, New Jersey joined "The Big Game", the only jurisdiction to enter as a participant before "The Big Game" became Mega Millions in 2002.


title: Mega Millions

text: Ohio and New York joined "The Big Game" consortium on May 15, 2002, when the game was renamed "The Big Game Mega Millions", temporarily retaining the old name and the original "gold ball" logo. The "Big Money Ball" became the "Mega Ball." While the game's name was altered, the yellow ball in the new Mega Millions logo continued to read "The Big Game" until February 2003, after which it was replaced with six stars representing the original members of the consortium. The first " (The Big Game) Mega Millions" drawing was held two days later, on May 17. The Mega Millions trademark is owned by the Illinois Lottery. The first three lotteries to join Mega Millions were Washington (in September 2002), Texas (in 2003), and California (in 2005); California was the last addition to Mega Millions before the cross-sell expansion of 2010. Montana joined Mega Millions on March 1, 2010, the first addition to Mega Millions after the cross-sell expansion.


title: Mega Millions

text: When Texas joined Mega Millions in 2003, it began offering an option, initially available only to Texas Lottery players, known as the "Megaplier", which was similar to Powerball's "Power Play". The 11 Mega Millions lotteries without "Megaplier" on the January 31, 2010 cross-selling date gradually added the multiplier option; by January 2011, all Mega Millions lotteries, except for California, offered the "Megaplier". The Texas Lottery owns the trademark to "Megaplier".


title: Mega Millions

text: On June 24, 2005, to commemorate California joining Mega Millions, that night's drawing was held in Hollywood, with Carrie Underwood assisting host Glenn Burns for the draw.


title: Mega Millions

text: For the November 15, 2005 drawing, a group called "The Lucky 7" held the only jackpot-winning ticket, purchased in Anaheim, California, winning $315 million. They chose the cash option, splitting $175 million before tax was withheld.


title: Mega Millions

text: On March 6, 2007, the Mega Millions jackpot reached $390 million, which was then the record for the third largest jackpot in U.S. history. The jackpot was shared by two tickets, both matching the numbers of 16-22-29-39-42 and Mega Ball 20. Both winners chose the cash option, with each share $116,557,083 before tax was withheld.


title: Mega Millions

text: The New Jersey Lottery, among others, in early 2009 announced it would seek permission to sell Powerball tickets alongside Mega Millions. In October 2009, an agreement between Mega Millions and MUSL allowed all U.S. lotteries, including New Jersey's, to offer both games. On January 31, 2010, Mega Millions expanded to include the 23 MUSL members; as of that date, 35 jurisdictions were participating in Mega Millions. On the same day, 10 existing Mega Millions-participating lotteries began selling Powerball tickets. Ohio joined Powerball on April 16, 2010. On March 1, 2010, Montana became the first MUSL member to add Mega Millions "after" the cross-sell expansion. Nebraska became the 37th Mega Millions participating member on March 20, 2010, followed by Oregon as the 38th member on March 28, Arizona as the 39th member on April 18, and Maine as 40th Mega Millions participant on May 9, 2010. Colorado and South Dakota added Mega Millions on May 16, 2010, bringing the total to 42 jurisdictions.


title: Mega Millions

text: Recent additions to Mega Millions included the U.S. Virgin Islands, in October 2010, and Louisiana in November 2011. Florida joined Mega Millions on May 15, 2013; the first drawing to include Florida-bought tickets was two days later.


title: Mega Millions

text: Presumably due to their experience with the "Power Play" option for Powerball, all 23 lotteries joining Mega Millions on January 31, 2010 immediately offered "Megaplier" to their players. The "Megaplier" continues to be drawn by Texas Lottery computers, as California does not offer the multiplier. Montana, offering Powerball before the expansion date, became the 24th lottery to offer the Megaplier, followed by Nebraska (the 25th), Oregon (the 26th), Arizona (as the 27th) and Maine (as the 28th lottery to offer the "Megaplier" option). After Colorado and South Dakota joined Mega Millions, this raised the number of lotteries offering the "Megaplier" to 37.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions tickets bought with the Megaplier option, beginning September 12, 2010, automatically won $1 million (instead of $250,000) if the five white balls – but excluding the Mega Ball – are matched.


title: Mega Millions

text: On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first Mega Millions participant (just before the cross-sell expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning ticket for Powerball after joining that game. The ticket was worth over $211 million annuity (the cash option was chosen). On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first Powerball member (just before the cross-selling expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket after joining Mega Millions, with an annuity jackpot of $12 million.


title: Mega Millions

text: In January 2012, Mega Millions' rival Powerball was altered; among the changes were a price increase of $1 for each play, as a result, a base game costs $2, or $3 with the "Power Play" option. At the time, there were no plans to change the price of a Mega Millions play, with or without the "Megaplier" (see below for the 2017 format change that includes the base price for a Mega Millions play to be raised to $2). The price increase for playing Powerball was a major factor in Louisiana deciding to pursue joining Mega Millions, as that state's lottery joined Mega Millions on November 16, 2011.


title: Mega Millions

text: The final 5/56 + 1/46 Mega Millions drawing was held on October 18, 2013; that night's jackpot of $37 million was not won. The first drawing under the revised 5/75 + 1/15 format—which saw the jackpot estimate "leap" to $55 million due to the change in the annuity structure—occurred on October 22, 2013. The minimum jackpot was then $15 million, with rollovers of at least $5 million. Second prize (5+0) became $1 million cash. In the revised format, players chose 5 of 75 white ball numbers, and the "Gold Ball" number out of 15.


title: Mega Millions

text: The odds of winning or sharing a Mega Millions jackpot (October 19, 2013 – October 27, 2017): 1 in about 258.9 million. The overall odds of winning a prize were 1 in 14.71, including the base $1 prize for a "Mega Ball"-only match.


title: Mega Millions

text: The odds for winning the $1 prize, 1 in 21, reflected the possibility of matching "none" of the white balls, but matching the Mega Ball.


title: Mega Millions

text: The annuity—which was 20 annual payments (no cash option was available) when "The Big Game" began—changed from 26 equal yearly installments to 30 graduated annual payments (increasing 5 percent yearly) with the format change on October 19, 2013.


title: Mega Millions

text: On October 28, 2017, the price of a Mega Millions play doubled, to $2; the first drawing under the current price point was October 31, 2017. The Mega Millions double matrix changed, from 5/75 + 1/15 to the current 5/70 + 1/25. The starting jackpot became $40 million, with minimum rollovers of $5 million. The "Megaplier" option (which again is not offered in California) was retained, with an adjustment to its multipliers. (The final jackpot for the $1 version was $30 million, which was not won; the initial jackpot for the new version would still be $40 million with a jackpot hit.)


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' non-California prize tiers effective October 28, 2017 (old prizes in parentheses; changed amounts in boldface) for a $2 base play:


title: Mega Millions

text: The new prize structure allocates roughly 75 percent of the prize pool for the jackpot; this is, in part, to facilitate the new "Just the Jackpot" option. The 2013-2017 version allocated about 68 percent towards the jackpot.


title: Mega Millions

text: In preparation for the October 28, 2017 format change the then-46 Mega Millions members were given the choice of offering a $3, two-game play (called "Just the Jackpot"). A player choosing this option is not eligible for any of the eight lower-tier prizes; therefore, the Megaplier option is not available for "Just the Jackpot" wagers.


title: Mega Millions

text: These lotteries offered the "Just the Jackpot" option upon the format change: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Kentucky has since added "Just the Jackpot", with other lotteries potentially adding it. Not known is whether a second series of playslips would be printed for lotteries offering "Just the Jackpot" beginning after the October 28, 2017 format change.


title: Mega Millions

text: "Just the Jackpot" wagers and regular Mega Millions plays are printed on separate tickets. Most "Just the Jackpot" wagers are terminal-generated; however, "JtJ" wagers in Kansas and Texas allow the player to choose their numbers, while Wisconsin players must ask for a terminal-generated ticket.


title: Mega Millions

text: As of January 2020, there has yet to be a jackpot winner from a "Just the Jackpot" wager; there also is no known count of "JtJ" wagers that would have won second prize (5+0) with a traditional Mega Millions play.


title: Mega Millions

text: On April 7, 2020, the Mega Millions starting jackpot amount was temporarily reset from $40 million to $20 million with the annuity option, with at least a $2 million rollover for each drawing without a jackpot winner, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. This was done to enforce social distancing and discourage crowding of selling venues for large jackpots, and to account for lower interest rates.


title: Mega Millions

text: The largest Mega Millions jackpot, $1.537 billion, was won on October 23, 2018 by one ticket, sold in South Carolina. This prize, the largest for one set of numbers in world history, was the second largest lottery payout, behind Powerball's $1.586 billion jackpot won on January 13, 2016 by multiple tickets. The record Mega Millions jackpot was claimed on March 5, 2019, with the winner choosing to remain anonymous under South Carolina law.


title: Mega Millions

text: The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.34 billion was won following the July 29, 2022 drawing, in which one winning ticket was sold in Illinois.


title: Mega Millions

text: The third-largest Mega Millions jackpot advertised as $640 million at the time of the drawing (annuitized) or $462 million (cash value), was drawn on March 30, 2012. The initial estimate for that drawing (following the March 27 drawing, which was $363 million annuity) was $476 million (later increased to $500 million and again to $540 million); brisk ticket sales pushed the jackpot values, both annuitized (to $656 million) and the cash option ($474 million) higher. The amount spent on Mega Millions for drawings following its previous jackpot win, on January 24, 2012, was at least $1.5 billion. three jackpot-winning tickets had been confirmed (Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland).


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' fourth-largest jackpot, $648 million (second largest won), was for the December 17, 2013 drawing. Two winning tickets, one each from California and Georgia, were sold. The holder of the Georgia ticket claimed the next morning; they selected the cash option, which amounted to $173,819,742.50 before withholdings. The holder of the California ticket claimed on January 3, 2014. (The California ticket holder received an equal share, but potentially a larger cash-option amount, as California lottery winnings are exempt from state income tax.)"


title: Mega Millions

text: The July 24, 2018 drawing produced the fifth-largest jackpot (pending the larger one on offer the following October). The annuity value was $543 million but the holders of the winning ticket, 11 co-workers at a Wells Fargo branch in San Jose, chose to split the $320 million cash lump sum.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' sixth-largest jackpot, $540 million, was for the July 8, 2016 drawing. One ticket from Indiana won the jackpot; the winner chose the cash option.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' seventh-largest jackpot, $533 million, was for the March 30, 2018 drawing. One ticket from New Jersey won the jackpot; Riverdale Lukoil South Gas Station sold the winning ticket.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' eighth-largest jackpot, $451 million, was for the January 5, 2018 drawing. The winner was Shane Missler of Port Richey, Florida.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions' ninth-largest jackpot annuity value ($390 million) was for the March 6, 2007 drawing. Two tickets, one each from Georgia and New Jersey, won $195 million (annuity value) each. The holders of each ticket also chose the cash option.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions players have the option to activate a multiplier, called "Megaplier", in 46 of its 47 jurisdictions; it is functionally similar to Powerball's "Power Play"; except the latter limits the second-prize multiplier to 2x. (Neither "Megaplier" nor "Power Play" are offered in California because its state penal code distinguishes between a "lottery" in which the bank cannot be "broken", and a "banked game" whose bank theoretically could be broken; only a "lottery" was authorized by the state Lottery Act.) By adding $1 to a basic Mega Millions game, to $3, a player has an opportunity to multiply any non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, 4, or 5. The "Megaplier" is drawn by the Texas Lottery (before the cross-sell expansion on January 31, 2010, it was the only lottery to offer "Megaplier"), it is drawn by a random number generator (RNG). The odds for each "Megaplier" possibility are not uniform.


title: Mega Millions

text: "Megaplier" wagers made for drawings from September 12, 2010 through October 18, 2013 that won second prize (then $250,000) were automatically elevated to 4x, winning $1 million. This "guarantee" did not carry over to the following version of Mega Millions, although the $1 million second prize became $5 million if the "Megaplier" is 5x.


title: Mega Millions

text: The probability and odds can be taken into a mathematical perspective: The probability of winning the jackpot (through October 27, 2017) was 1:(C) x (15); that is: 75 ways for the first white ball times 74 ways for the second times 73 for the third times 72 for the fourth times 71 for the last white ball divided by 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1, or 5!, and this number is then multiplied by 15 (15 possible numbers for the "Megaball"). Therefore, (75 x 74 x 73 x 72 x 71)/(5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1) x 15 = 258,890,850, which means any combination of five white balls plus the Megaball has a 1:258,890,850 chance of winning the jackpot. Similarly, the odds for second prize were 1:(C) x (15/14) = 1: 18,492,204 chance of winning. The overall probability of winning any prize was 1 in 14.7. If there are no jackpot winners for a specific drawing, the jackpot will keep increasing; however, the odds will still remain the same.


title: Mega Millions

text: In California, prize levels are paid on a parimutuel basis, rather than the fixed lower-tier amounts for winners in other Mega Millions jurisdictions. California's eight lower-tier Mega Millions prize pools are separate from those shared by the other 45 lotteries. California's second prize is a "secondary jackpot"; its payout sometimes exceeds $1 million cash, even though California does not offer the "Megaplier".


title: Mega Millions

text: In New Jersey and Texas, players must choose, in advance, whether they wish to collect a jackpot prize in cash or annuity. New Jersey winners can change an annuity ticket to cash should they be eligible to claim a jackpot; however, the choice is binding in Texas.


title: Mega Millions

text: The other Mega Millions members allow the cash/annuity choice to be made after winning (usually 60 days after claiming the ticket), although in Florida the 60-day "clock" starts "with the drawing in which the jackpot prize was won."


title: Mega Millions

text: If a jackpot prize is not claimed within the respective jurisdiction's time limit, each of the 46 Mega Millions members get back the money they contributed to that jackpot. Each of the 46 lotteries have rules in regards to unclaimed prizes; most Mega Millions members set aside unclaimed winnings for educational purposes.


title: Mega Millions

text: In 2007, a $31 million prize went unclaimed in New York. Many prizes of $250,000 each have been unclaimed, including several in Michigan for 2007 drawings.


title: Mega Millions

text: Mega Millions winners have either 180 days (California non-jackpot prizes only) or one year to claim prizes, including the jackpot (although some Mega Millions winners lose the right to collect a jackpot in cash if they wait more than 60 days after the drawing).


title: Mega Millions

text: The minimum age to purchase a Mega Millions ticket is 18, except in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where the minimum is 21; and in Nebraska, where it is 19. Generally (an exception is Virginia), minors can win on tickets received as gifts; the rules according to each Mega Millions member vary for minors receiving prizes.


title: Mega Millions

text: Rules vary according to the applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction where the ticket is sold, and the winner's residence (e.g., if a New Jerseyan wins on a ticket bought near their workplace in Manhattan). Mega Millions winnings are exempt from state income tax in California; while Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington state, and Wyoming do not have an income tax. On the other hand, some residents of New York City and Yonkers, New York pay "three" levels of income tax, as these cities levy income taxes.


title: Mega Millions

text: Drawings are usually held at the studios of WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. The original host was WSB's chief meteorologist, Glenn Burns. Since 2008, the drawings have been emceed by the hosts of the Georgia Lottery drawings, actor John Crow, Atlanta radio host Carol Blackmon and Adrian Whitford. Crow usually signs off each drawing with "Play on, America!" Sabrina Cupit served as the secondary host if neither Crow, Blackmon or Whitford are available. The drawings are audited by Preston, CPA.


title: Mega Millions

text: Before the January 31, 2010 cross-sell expansion, Mega Millions was the only multi-jurisdictional lottery whose drawings were carried nationally, instead of airing only on stations in participating jurisdictions. Chicago-based cable superstation WGN-TV simulcast Mega Millions drawings on its national WGN America feed immediately following WGN's 9:00 p.m. Central Time newscast. Following the cross-sell expansion, WGN also began airing Powerball drawings nationally. WGN served as a default carrier of both major games where no local television station carried either multi-jurisdictional lottery's drawings. Both drawings were removed from WGN America in late 2014 when it ceased carrying WGN's newscasts.


title: Mega Millions

text: Two machines are used in each Mega Millions drawing. The model used for Mega Millions is the Criterion II, manufactured by Smartplay International of Edgewater Park, New Jersey. The balls are moved around by means of counter-rotating arms which randomly mix the balls. Individually, the five white balls, several seconds apart, drop through a hole in the bottom of the mixing drum.


title: Mega Millions

text: Approximately 50% of Mega Millions sales is returned to players as prizes; the remainder is split (each lottery has different rules regarding these funds) among retailers, marketing, and operations, as well as the 46 jurisdictions offering the game; different lotteries use the proceeds in different ways.


title: Mega Millions

text: In the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the legislature in Albany, fearing a monumental loss of revenue, passed legislation the following month, which was signed by Governor George Pataki, which included joining a multi-jurisdictional lottery game. Around the same time, for entirely different reasons, Ohio's governor also gave the green light to joining a multi-jurisdictional game. Both lotteries opted to join "The Big Game", which, at the time, was offered in seven states. The added populations of the two new jurisdictions, in turn, led to a larger double matrix. The first machine continued to hold white 52 balls, while 16 gold balls were added in the second, meaning there were 52 numbers to pick from in both parts of each $1 game. On May 15, 2002, the game was renamed "The Big Game Mega Millions"; shortly after, it became just "Mega Millions". Except for the 2010 cross-selling expansion, this was the only time "The Big Game" or Mega Millions simultaneously added more than one member.


title: Mega Millions

text: In 2005, Mega Millions was the target of a mailing scam. A letter bearing the Mega Millions logo was used in a string of lottery scams designed to trick people into providing personal financial information by cashing bogus checks. The letter, which had been sent to people in several states via standard mail, included a check for what the scammers said was an unclaimed Mega Millions prize. If the check was cashed, it bounced, but not before the bank stamped it with a routing number and personal account information and sent it back to the fraudulent organization, providing them with the recipients' financial information.


title: Mega Millions

text: A budget impasse due to the 2006 New Jersey Government shutdown led to the temporary closing of its non-essential agencies on July 1, 2006. Among the casualties were the Atlantic City casinos and the New Jersey Lottery. Not only were New Jersey's in-house games (such as Pick-6) not drawn for about a week, but all New Jersey lottery terminals were shut down, meaning Mega Millions could not be played in New Jersey, even though Mega Millions was drawn as usual. A similar shutdown happened in Minnesota on July 1, 2011.


title: Mega Millions

text: Elecia Battle made national headlines in January 2004 when she claimed that she had lost the winning ticket in the December 30, 2003 Mega Millions drawing. She then filed a lawsuit against the woman who had come forward with the ticket, Rebecca Jemison. Several days later, when confronted with contradictory evidence, she admitted that she had lied. Battle was charged with filing a false police report the following day. As a result of this false report, she was fined $1,000, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, and required to compensate the police and courts for various costs incurred.


title: Mega Millions

text: The January 4, 2011 Mega Millions drawing drew attention for its similarity to "The Numbers," a sequence of six numbers that served as a plot device of the ABC drama series "Lost". One such usage involved character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes playing the sequence in a similar "Mega Lotto" game, winning a nine-figure jackpot and subsequently experiencing numerous misfortunes in his personal life. The first three numbers (4, 8, 15) and mega ball (42) in the Mega Millions drawing matched the first three numbers and the final number (which Hurley also used as the "mega ball" number) in the "Lost" sequence. The last two numbers in the Mega Millions drawing did not match the last two numbers that were used in the scene. Those who played "The Numbers", including from quick-picks, won $150 ($118 in California) in a non-"Megaplier" game; $600 with the multiplier.


title: Mega Millions

text: The 12 original (before the 2010 cross-sell expansion) Mega Millions members have each produced at least one Mega Millions jackpot winner.


title: Zerkaa

text: Joshua Bradley (born 4 September 1992), better known as Zerkaa and his stage name Josh Zerker, is an English YouTuber, streamer and Internet personality. He is also a co-founder and member of the British YouTube group known as the Sidemen. In 2019, Bradley was listed as the ninth most influential online creator in the United Kingdom by "The Sunday Times". As of August 2022, his main YouTube channel has over 4.62 million subscribers and just under 700 million video views.


title: Zerkaa

text: Joshua Bradley was born on 4 September 1992 in Bermondsey, London. Bradley attended Bexley Grammar School, where he met future fellow Sidemen member Tobi Brown. He later achieved an upper second honours degree in digital film production at Ravensbourne University.


title: Zerkaa

text: In 2009, Bradley created his first YouTube channel, Zerkaa, to which he primarily uploaded video game content of "Call of Duty" and "FIFA". In October 2013, Bradley co-founded and became a member of the British YouTuber group known as the Sidemen. He lived with three other members of the group from 2014 until 2018, after which he moved into an apartment with his girlfriend. Bradley also launched his own clothing line named ZRK.


title: Zerkaa

text: In 2018, Bradley co-starred alongside the rest of the Sidemen in the YouTube Premium series "The Sidemen Show". In a 2021 article discussing gambling issues surrounding the "FIFA" game series, Bradley was cited by "The Sunday Times" as an example of a YouTuber sponsored by EA to make pack opening videos.


title: Zerkaa

text: Bradley is a supporter of Millwall F.C. and has had a season ticket since he was six years old. He has been in a relationship with Freya Nightingale since 2010.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. The species is also naturalized in the West Indies and in the states of Florida and Arizona in the United States. In its native range, its small fruit are favored by some birds.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: "Ficus benjamina" is a tree reaching tall in natural conditions, with gracefully drooping branchlets and glossy leaves , oval with an acuminate tip. The bark is light gray and smooth. The bark of young branches is brownish. The widely spread, highly branching tree top often covers a diameter of 10 meters. It is a relatively small-leaved fig. The changeable leaves are simple, entire and stalked. The petiole is long. The young foliage is light green and slightly wavy, the older leaves are green and smooth; the leaf blade is ovate to ovate-lanceolate with wedge-shaped to broadly rounded base and ends with a short dropper tip. The pale glossy to dull leaf blade is cm long and wide. Near the leaf margins are yellow crystal cells ("cystolites"). The two membranous, deciduous stipules are not fused, lanceolate and (rarely to ) long.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: "F. benjamina" is monoecious. The inflorescences are spherical to egg-shaped, shiny green, and have a diameter of . In the inflorescences are three types of flowers: male and fertile and sterile female flowers. The scattered, inflorescences, stalked, male flowers have free sepals and a stamen. Many fertile female flowers are sessile and have three or four sepals and an egg-shaped ovary. The more or less lateral style ends in an enlarged scar.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: In tropical latitudes, the weeping fig makes a very large and stately tree for parks and other urban situations, such as wide roads. It is often cultivated for this purpose.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: "F. benjamina" is a very popular houseplant in temperate areas because of its elegant growth and tolerance of poor growing conditions; it does best in bright, sunny conditions, but it also tolerates considerable shade. It requires a moderate amount of watering in summer and only enough to keep it from drying out in the winter. Longer days, rather high and moderate day temperatures at night are favourable conditions for great appreciable growth in a short time. It does not need to be misted. The plant is sensitive to cold and should be protected from strong drafts. When grown indoors, it can grow too large for its location and may need drastic pruning or replacing. "F. benjamina" has been shown to effectively remove gaseous formaldehyde from indoor air.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: The fruit is edible, but the plant is not usually grown for its fruit. The leaves are very sensitive to small changes in light. When it is turned around or relocated, it reacts by dropping many of its leaves and replacing them with new leaves adapted to the new light intensity. The plant is also sensitive to changes in environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and relocation.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: Numerous cultivars are available (e.g. 'Danielle', 'Naomi', 'Exotica', and 'Golden King'). Some cultivars include different patterns of colouration on the leaves, ranging from light green to dark green, and various forms of white variegation. In cultivation in the UK, this plant and the variegated cultivar 'Starlight' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The miniature cultivars, especially 'Too Little', are among the most popular plants for indoor bonsai.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: The United States Forest Service states, "Roots grow rapidly, invading gardens, growing under and lifting sidewalks, patios, and driveways." They conclude that its use in tree form is too large for residential planting, therefore, the species should only be used as a hedge or clipped screen.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: These trees are also considered a high risk for succumbing to storm gale winds in hurricane-prone South Florida. As a consequence, in many jurisdictions in South Florida, no permit is needed for removal of these trees. The South Florida Water District recommends removing them safely and promptly.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: The plant is a major source of indoor allergens, ranking as the third-most common cause of indoor allergies after dust and pets. Common allergy symptoms include rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma. "Ficus" plants can be of particular concern to latex allergy sufferers because of the latex in the plants and should not be kept in the environment of latex allergy sufferers. In extreme cases, "Ficus" sap exposure can cause anaphylactic shock in latex allergy sufferers. The consumption of parts of plants leads to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Exceptions are the edible fruits.


title: Ficus benjamina

text: Allergy to "Ficus" plants develops over time and from exposure. The allergy was first observed in occupational settings amongst workers who regularly handled the plants. A study of workers at four plant-leasing firms showed that 27% of the workers had developed antibodies in response to exposure to the plants.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Hello, Dolly! is a 1964 musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce "The Merchant of Yonkers", which Wilder revised and retitled "The Matchmaker" in 1955. The musical follows the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker, as she travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: "Hello, Dolly!" debuted at the Fisher Theater in Detroit on November 18, 1963, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, and moved to Broadway in 1964, winning 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. These awards set a record which the play held for 37 years. The show album "Hello, Dolly! An Original Cast Recording" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The album reached number one on the Billboard album chart on June 6, 1964, and was replaced the next week by Louis Armstrong's album "Hello, Dolly!" Louis Armstrong also was featured in the film version of the show, performing a small part of the song "Hello, Dolly!".


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The show has become one of the most enduring musical theater hits, with four Broadway revivals and international success. It was also made into the 1969 film "Hello Dolly!" by 20th Century Fox, which won three Academy Awards, including Best Score of a Musical Picture and was nominated in four other categories, including Best Picture at the 42nd Academy Awards.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The plot of "Hello, Dolly!" originated in the 1835 English play "A Day Well Spent" by John Oxenford, which Johann Nestroy adapted into the farce "Einen Jux will er sich machen" ("He Will Go on a Spree" or "He'll Have Himself a Good Time") in 1842. Thornton Wilder adapted Nestroy's play into his 1938 farcical play "The Merchant of Yonkers". That play was a flop, so he revised it and retitled it as "The Matchmaker" in 1954, expanding the role of Dolly (played by Ruth Gordon). "The Matchmaker" became a hit and was much revived and made into a 1958 film starring Shirley Booth.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The role of Dolly Gallagher Levi was originally written for Ethel Merman but she turned it down, as did Mary Martin—although both eventually played it. Merrick then auditioned Nancy Walker, but he hired Carol Channing who originated the role of Dolly. Director Gower Champion was not the producer's first choice, but Hal Prince and others turned it down, among them Jerome Robbins and Joe Layton.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: "Hello, Dolly!" had rocky tryouts in Detroit, Michigan and Washington, D.C. After receiving the reviews, the creators made major changes to the script and score, including the addition of the song "Before the Parade Passes By". The show was originally entitled "Dolly, A Damned Exasperating Woman", then "Call on Dolly", but Merrick changed it upon hearing Louis Armstrong's version of "Hello, Dolly". The show became one of the most iconic Broadway shows of the latter half of the 1960s, and running for 2,844 performances, was the longest-running musical in Broadway history for a time.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: As the nineteenth becomes the 20th century, all of New York City is excited because widowed but brassy Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town ("Call on Dolly"). Dolly makes a living through what she calls "meddling" – matchmaking and numerous sidelines, including dance instruction and mandolin lessons ("I Put My Hand In"). She is currently seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half-a-millionaire, but it becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself. Ambrose Kemper, a young artist, wants to marry Horace's weepy niece Ermengarde, but Horace opposes this because Ambrose's vocation does not guarantee a steady living. Ambrose enlists Dolly's help, and they travel to Yonkers, New York to visit Horace, who is a prominent citizen there and owns Vandergelder's Hay and Feed.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Horace explains to his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, that he is going to get married because "It Takes a Woman" to cheerfully do all the household chores. He plans to travel with Dolly to New York City to march in the Fourteenth Street Association Parade and propose to the widow Irene Molloy, who owns a hat shop there. Dolly arrives in Yonkers and "accidentally" mentions that Irene's first husband might not have died of natural causes, and also mentions that she knows an heiress, Ernestina Money, who may be interested in Horace. Horace leaves for New York and leaves Cornelius and Barnaby to run the store.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Cornelius decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers. They'll go to New York, have a good meal, spend all their money, see the stuffed whale in Barnum's museum, almost get arrested, and each kiss a girl! They blow up some tomato cans to create a terrible stench as a pretext to close the store. Dolly mentions that she knows two ladies in New York they should call on: Irene Molloy and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay. She tells Ermengarde and Ambrose that she'll enter them in the polka competition at the upscale Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City so Ambrose can demonstrate his ability to be a breadwinner to Horace. Cornelius, Barnaby, Ambrose, Ermengarde and Dolly all take the train to New York ("Put on Your Sunday Clothes").


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene wants a husband, but does not love Horace Vandergelder. She declares that she will wear an elaborate hat to impress a gentleman ("Ribbons Down My Back"). Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Horace and Dolly arrive at the shop, and Cornelius and Barnaby hide from him. Irene inadvertently mentions that she knows Cornelius Hackl, and Dolly tells her and Horace that even though Cornelius is Horace's clerk by day, he's a New York playboy by night; he's one of "the" Hackls. Minnie screams when she finds Cornelius hiding in the armoire. Horace is about to open the armoire himself, but Dolly, Irene and Minnie distract him with patriotic sentiments related to subjects like Betsy Ross and The Battle of the Alamo shown in the famous lyrics "Alamo, remember the Alamo!" ("Motherhood March"). Cornelius sneezes, and Horace storms out, realizing there are men hiding in the shop, but not knowing they are his clerks.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take the ladies out to dinner to the Harmonia Gardens restaurant to make up for their humiliation. She teaches Cornelius and Barnaby how to dance since they always have dancing at such establishments ("Dancing"). Soon, Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby, and Minnie are happily dancing. They go to watch the great 14th Street Association Parade together. Alone, Dolly decides to put her dear departed husband Ephram behind her and to move on with life "Before the Parade Passes By". She asks Ephram's permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign from him. Dolly catches up with the annoyed Vandergelder, who has missed the whole parade, and she convinces him to give her matchmaking one more chance. She tells him that Ernestina Money would be perfect for him and asks him to meet her at the swanky Harmonia Gardens that evening.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Cornelius is determined to get a kiss before the night is over, but Barnaby isn't so sure. As the clerks have no money for a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant shows that they've got "Elegance". At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph, the head waiter, prepares his service crew for Dolly Gallagher Levi's return: their usual lightning service, he tells them, must be "twice as lightning" ("The Waiters' Gallop"). Horace arrives with his date, but she proves neither as rich nor as elegant as Dolly had implied; furthermore she is soon bored by Horace and leaves, as Dolly had planned she would.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Cornelius, Barnaby, and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also dining at the restaurant. Irene and Minnie, inspired by the restaurant's opulence, order the menu's most expensive items. Cornelius and Barnaby grow increasingly anxious as they discover they have little more than a dollar left. Dolly makes her triumphant return to the Harmonia Gardens and is greeted in style by the staff ("Hello, Dolly!") She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to eat a large, expensive dinner, telling the exasperated Horace that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Barnaby and Horace hail waiters at the same time, and in the ensuing confusion each drops his wallet and inadvertently picks up the other's. Barnaby is delighted that he can now pay the restaurant bill, while Horace finds only a little spare change. Barnaby and Cornelius realize that the wallet must belong to Horace. Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby and Minnie try to sneak out during "The Polka Contest", but Horace recognizes them and spots Ermengarde and Ambrose as well. The ensuing free-for-all culminates in a trip to night court.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Cornelius and Barnaby confess that they have no money and have never been to New York before. Cornelius declares that even if he has to dig ditches the rest of his life, he'll never forget the day because he had met Irene. Cornelius, Barnaby, and Ambrose then each profess their love for their companion ("It Only Takes A Moment"). Dolly convinces the judge that their only crime was being in love. The judge finds everyone innocent and cleared of all charges, but Horace is declared guilty and forced to pay damages. Dolly mentions marriage again, and Horace declares that he wouldn't marry her if she were the last woman in the world. Dolly angrily bids him "So Long, Dearie", telling him that while he's bored and lonely, she'll be living the high life.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The next morning, back at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each set out on new life's paths. A chastened Horace Vandergelder finally admits that he needs Dolly in his life, but Dolly is unsure about the marriage until her late husband sends her a sign. Vandergelder spontaneously repeats a saying of Ephram's: "Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." Horace tells Dolly life would be dull without her, and she promises in return that she'll "never go away again" ("Hello, Dolly" (reprise)).


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: <nowiki>*</nowiki>Song cut before Broadway Opening, reinstated when Ethel Merman joined to play Dolly.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The musical, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, opened on January 16, 1964, at the St. James Theatre and closed on December 27, 1970, after 2,844 performances. Carol Channing starred as Dolly, with a supporting cast that included David Burns as Horace, Charles Nelson Reilly as Cornelius, Eileen Brennan as Irene, Jerry Dodge as Barnaby, Sondra Lee as Minnie Fay, Mary Jo Catlett as Ermengarde, and Igors Gavon as Ambrose. Although facing competition from "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand, "Hello, Dolly!" swept the Tony Awards in 1964, winning awards in ten categories (out of eleven nominations) that tied the musical with the previous record keeper "South Pacific", record that remained unbroken for 37 years until "The Producers" won twelve Tonys in 2001.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: After Channing left the show, Merrick employed prominent actresses to play Dolly, including Ginger Rogers, who started on August 9, 1965; Martha Raye, starting on February 27, 1967; Betty Grable, from June 12, 1967, to November 5, 1967; Pearl Bailey (in an all-black version with Cab Calloway as Horace) starting on November 12, 1967 (with Thelma Carpenter as her alternate); Phyllis Diller, as of December 26, 1969; and Ethel Merman (after having turned down the lead at the show's inception) from March 28, 1970, to December 27, 1970.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Two songs cut prior to the opening – typical belt style songs "World, Take Me Back" and "Love, Look in My Window" – were restored for Merman's run. Jo Anne Worley was Channing's original standby but she never went on. She later played Dolly in regional and summer stock productions. Bibi Osterwald was the standby for Dolly following Worley's and Channings' departures, subbing for all the stars, including Bailey, despite the fact that Osterwald was white. Marie Bryant and Novella Nelson also covered for the role of Dolly. Bailey received a Special Tony Award in 1968.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The show received rave reviews, with "praise for Carol Channing and particularly Gower Champion." The original production became the longest-running musical (and third longest-running show) in Broadway history up to that time, surpassing "My Fair Lady" and then being surpassed in turn by "Fiddler on the Roof." The Broadway production of "Hello Dolly!" grossed $27 million. "Hello, Dolly!" and "Fiddler" remained the longest-running Broadway record holders for nearly ten years until "Grease" surpassed them.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Carole Cook, (the second actress to play the title role, after Channing, appearing in Australia and New Zealand productions), Dorothy Lamour, Eve Arden, Ann Miller, Michele Lee, Edie Adams, and Yvonne De Carlo played the role on tour. Betty White appeared with the Kenley Players as Dolly in the summer of 1979. Molly Picon appeared as Dolly in a 1971 production by the North Shore Music Theatre of Beverly, Massachusetts. Lainie Kazan starred in a production at the Claridge Atlantic City. Vicki Lawrence played the role twice, once for Sacramento Music Circus and once for Glendale Music Theatre. Both Tovah Feldshuh and Betsy Palmer played Dolly in productions by the Paper Mill Playhouse. Marilyn Maye also starred in several regional productions and recorded a full album of the score. Sally Struthers led a U.S. tour in 2014.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The Australian production was produced by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 27 March 1965. Carole Cook was imported to star, making her the second woman to play the role of Dolly Levi. Jack Goode played Horace, alongside Bill Millican as Cornelius, Jill Perryman as Irene, Tikki Taylor as Minnie Fay, and Brian Hannan as Barnaby.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Australian choreographer Betty Pounder was employed to stage the musical numbers. Jill Perryman served as understudy to Carole Cook. Nancye Hayes was featured in the ensemble as well as understudying the part of Irene Molloy.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: After a successful season in Sydney, the show went on to play Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, and His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland in 1966.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: In 1995 a new Australian tour was presented by Gordon Frost. Jill Perryman, who starred as Irene Molloy in the 1965 production, starred as Dolly Levi. The production opened at the State Theatre, Melbourne, followed by Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Festival Theatre, Adelaide and His Majesty's Theatre, Perth.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The Production Company has staged "Hello, Dolly!" at the State Theatre, Melbourne twice: first in 2002, starring Amanda Muggleton, then again in 2017, starring Marina Prior.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: "Hello, Dolly!" premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on December 2, 1965, and ran for 794 performances. Champion directed and choreographed, and the cast starred Mary Martin as Dolly (after she, as well as Merman, had turned down the role for the original run of the show) and Loring Smith as Horace Vandergelder. Smith had created the Horace role in the original Broadway production of "The Matchmaker", Johnny Beecher as Barnaby, Garrett Lewis as Cornelius, Mark Alden as Ambrose Kemper, and Marilynn Lovell as Irene Molloy. Dora Bryan replaced Martin from May 1966 until the show closed in October 1967.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: In 1989, there was a UK tour of the show directed and choreographed by Paul Kerryson, starring Dora Bryan. Kerryson went on to direct the show again in 2014 at the Curve Theatre in Leicester UK, starring Janie Dee.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: On 22 November 2019, it was announced that a new production would run for a limited season at the Adelphi Theatre starring Imelda Staunton, Jenna Russell and Andy Nyman from 11 August 2020, with direction by Dominic Cooke. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show has been postponed until 2022.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: On January 19, 2016, it was announced that Bette Midler would play the title role in a Broadway revival of "Hello, Dolly!". Previews began March 15, 2017, officially opening on April 20, 2017, at the Shubert Theatre.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: The production was produced by Scott Rudin, directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. David Hyde Pierce played Horace Vandergelder. Other principal casting for this revival included Kate Baldwin as Irene Molloy, Gavin Creel as Cornelius Hackl, Jennifer Simard as Ernestina Money, Taylor Trensch as Barnaby Tucker, Will Burton as Ambrose Kemper, Melanie Moore as Ermengarde, and Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay. Donna Murphy played the role of Dolly at Tuesday evening performances beginning in June 2017, as well as covering Midler's holiday dates. She played her final performance on January 7, 2018.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Midler, Pierce, Trensch, and Feldstein left the production on January 14, 2018. Bernadette Peters took over the role of Dolly with previews from January 20, 2018, officially on February 22, 2018, and Victor Garber took over the role of Horace Vandergelder. Charlie Stemp assumed the role of Barnaby Tucker on January 20, 2018. Santino Fontana temporarily played the role of Cornelius Hackl from March 2018 to May 6 while Gavin Creel recovered from back surgery. Creel returned to the role on May 8, 2018. Before Fontana's temporary engagement, understudy Christian Dante White played the role of Cornelius. The production closed on August 25, 2018, with Midler and Hyde Pierce returning to play Dolly and Horace (respectively) from July 17, 2018, to closing.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Betty Buckley played the title role in the first national tour of the 2017 Broadway revival, which began performances in Cleveland, Ohio in October 2018 in the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square, after a tryout in Utica, New York in September 2018.


title: Hello, Dolly! (musical)

text: Opening night reviews of the original production were generally positive, and Carol Channing's performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi was greatly acclaimed; however, some reviewers criticized the score and the libretto, implying that Channing's performance was responsible for the efficacy of the show. In his review of the opening night performance, "The New York Times" theatre critic Howard Taubman wrote