puzzle

 ACROSS

  1 Big name in gumdrops

  5 Tourney stage before the finals

 10 Preschool topic

 14 Leave out

 15 Home of Goya's "The Third of May 1808"

 16 Nothing more than

 17 Very costly mistake (see letters 4 to 6)

 19 Graceful bend

 20 Gambol about

 21 Kin's partner

 23 Trippy drug

 24 Fragrant rings

 26 Birth helpers

 28 Requiring a step stool, perhaps (3 to 7)

 32 Prefix for "favor"

 33 "That smarts!"

 34 Scale-y astrological sign?

 35 Texter's "I think ..."

 37 Garment whose name aptly ends with "t"

 40 Eastern Europe's Sea of ___

 41 Pickle piece

 43 Light gas, in two ways

 45 Employ

 46 Upper-ear jewelry items (6 to 10)

 50 Took five

 51 The ___ of the party

 52 American currency: Abbr.

 53 Type of electrical converter

 55 Without delay

 59 Solar panel spot

 61 Words before a stunt, and a hint to 17-, 28- and 46-Across

 63 Overlook deliberately

 64 Farm song refrain

 65 W alternative

 66 Sweet Italian bubbly

 67 Works like a dog

 68 They may be stacked in a kitchen cabinet

DOWN

  1 Remove, as a hat

  2 Minnesota's Ilhan

  3 Mambo king Puente

  4 Buys time

  5 Plausible but wrong

  6 "Umm ..."

  7 Write on

  8 Enthusiastic response to "Who wants cake?"

  9 In a way

 10 Piece of band gear

 11 "This woman's place is in the House --  the House of Representatives!" campaigner, 1970

 12 Pass back and forth over

 13 Tournament position

 18 Not be straight with

 22 Throw with force

 25 "No ___ luck!"

 27 Princess played by Carrie Fisher

 28 "The Big Bang Theory" star

 29 Led to the exit

 30 Any object

 31 Dine on

 32 Word with "golf" or "jockey"

 36 Muesli tidbits

 38 Stagger

 39 "Cornflake Girl" singer

 42 Actress Moreno

 44 Pretty swell

 47 Tres ___ cake

 48 Salad recipe instruction

 49 '80s jazz subgenre

 52 ___ Minor (Little Bear constellation)

 54 Nile queen, briefly

 56 He was found in a 2003 film

 57 Word on a penny

 58 Goddess of discord

 60 James Comey's former org.

 62 Really enjoy

solution