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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 20 February 2019

First-ever ‘Jeopardy!” team contest draws top champions

By LYNN ELBER drills to prepare for his pre-
Associated Press vious “Jeopardy!” appear-
CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) — ances and resumed them
Glance around the “Jeop- for the tournament with
ardy!” set during rehearsals teammates Alex Jacob
for its first-ever team cham- and Jennifer Giles.
pionship and it’s easy to be “I would go the gym, hang
intimidated by the assem- from a bar and have my
bled brain power. trainer quiz me to try to rec-
There’s Brad Rutter, whose reate the stress” of being in
overall “Jeopardy!” haul, the thick of the game, Co-
$4.3 million, is the most won hen said. This time around,
on any game show. And he added NFL reaction-
Ken Jennings, a 74-game time drills — to sharpen his
winner and top money- skills with the buzzer that
maker, with $2.5 million, in gives players a chance to
non-tournament “Jeop- score — along with “deep
ardy!” competition. And secrets” he gleaned from
Buzzy Cohen, the reigning Jacob.
Tournament of Champions “I do not care if I fail. But if I
winner. fail other people on some-
They’re among the six thing that I should know,
captains who will join their that I should have memo-
teams in competing for rized ... like a world capital
a top $1 million prize in a or an Oscar year, and I’m
series of 10 episodes that This image released by Jeopardy Productions, Inc. shows, Brad Rutter, Colby Burnett, Alan Lin, Seth letting someone else down,
begin airing Wednesday Wilson, Larissa Kelly, Monica Thieu, Pam Mueller, Matt Jackson, Jennifer Giles and Ken Jennings, that’s not cool,” he said.
and conclude March 5. Ben Ingram, Roger Craig, David Madden, Julia Collins, host Alex Trebek, Austin Rogers, Leonard Collins said she enjoyed
The other three captains: Cooper, Alex Jacob and Buzzy Cohen on the set of the game show “Jeopardy!” taking a cooperative ap-
Julia Collins, No. 2 in over- Associated Press proach to a game that’s
all winnings on the show; sis of their previous success, son teams from among the and third-place prizes to typically an individual ex-
Colby Burnett, a Teachers with an edge going to fan remaining 12 contestants. be split are $300,000 and perience, beyond splitting
Tournament and Tourna- favorites as determined by The full teams won’t play $100,000. the workload.
ment of Champions victor, social media, said Harry directly against each other, Players are working hard for “It is very solitary to be on
and Austin Rogers, No. 5 in Friedman, executive pro- with one person from each the money, in the strategy the show in the normal for-
games and money won. ducer of the syndicated team designated to com- sessions held at the begin- mat and compete alone,
“It’s like the Mount Rush- show hosted by Alex Trebek pete in a game’s first round, ning of each game and, which is what you’d ex-
more of ‘Jeopardy!’” ob- and featuring announcer another to play double more importantly, in the pect. But you go through
served Jimmy McGuire, Johnny Gilbert. “Jeopardy!” and the third cramming that Friedman the whole experience of
part of the traveling “clue Can “Jeopardy!” soloists to play the final round. metaphorically termed the show by yourself, so it’s
crew” that poses video an- work together? “We’re go- The winning teammates will “test prep on steroids.” nice to have your team-
swers from distant spots. ing to find out,” Trebek said. get equal shares of the top Exhibit A — as in type A — is mates who are sharing that
The 18 contestants were The captains, who will also prize, about $330,000 each, Cohen, who created men- experience with you,” she
chosen primarily on the ba- play, built their three-per- said Friedman. The second- tal and physical training said.q

Chaka Khan’s ‘Hello Happiness’ is mini bundle of joy

By PABLO GORONDI comes on the back of a of now sounds to classic
Associated Press dramatic awakening after disco and funk structures,
Chaka Khan, “Hello Hap- the 2016 death of Prince, with some space judiciously
piness” (Diary/Island Re- a close collaborator, which reserved for rapturous reg-
cords) helped her confront her gae on “Isn’t That Enough”
With just seven songs in 28 own addiction to prescrip- and a gliding acoustic gui-
minutes, Chaka Khan’s tion drugs. tar and tap-tap-tapping
“Hello Happiness” is a little The title track is a good percussion on cozy closer
bundle of joy, emphasis on sampler for the rest of the “Ladylike.”
the little. record — deep grooves, Elsewhere, the scalding,
But you shouldn’t feel short- dancefloor beats and exuberant “Too Hot” isn’t
changed. Khan’s excellent voice, shy to describe the kind of
Consider it instead as a which, even decades since man who’ll earn a swipe
corrective to all those over- her days with Chicago right, and “Like Sugar,” a
long, overblown collections funksters Rufus and a dozen contortionist’s dream, fea-
of incessant sonic doodles years after her last solo re- tures Khan on timbales and
and listen up as the iconic lease, has not lost the ability is based on the Fatback
singer makes her feelings to create its own flow while Band’s “(Are You Ready)
and intentions clear from forming a tight connection Do the Bus Stop.”
the start: “Music makes me to each song. Chaka Khan has found
say/Goodbye sadness/Hel- The production from Switch some contentment and
lo happiness.” This cover image released by Diary Records/Island Records and Sarah Ruba Taylor ap- “Hello Happiness” is gratify-
shows “Hello Happiness,” the latest release by Chaka Khan.
Khan’s clarity of purpose Associated Press plies just the right amount ing proof.q