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Still A Shoe-In: The Charms Of 'Cinderella'

Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston play Cinderella and her fairy godmother in Disney's beloved production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Courtesy of Walt Disney/Storyline/Citadel/Kobal/Shutterstock hide caption

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Courtesy of Walt Disney/Storyline/Citadel/Kobal/Shutterstock

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Still A Shoe-In: The Charms Of 'Cinderella'

There are many versions of Cinderella, but few are as beloved as Disney's production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, starring Brandy as the titular character and Whitney Houston as her fairy godmother.

Still A Shoe-In: The Charms Of 'Cinderella'

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You May Or May Not Care For 'I Care A Lot'

Rosamund Pike stars in the new Netflix film I Care A Lot. Seacia Pavao/Netflix hide caption

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Seacia Pavao/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

You May Or May Not Care For 'I Care A Lot'

In the new Netflix comedy-thriller I Care A Lot, Rosamund Pike plays a slick grifter named Marla who tricks her way into becoming the legal guardian of elderly people, then drains their bank accounts. It's a well-oiled scheme, until she chooses a woman with a dangerous background as her new target.

You May Or May Not Care For 'I Care A Lot'

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Book Concierge: Nonfiction Recommendations
Becky Harlan/NPR

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Book Concierge: Nonfiction Recommendations

Every year, NPR brings together some of the best books of the year in a searchable, explorable guide called the Book Concierge. Today, we're talking about some of the best nonfiction picks that show up in this year's guide.

Book Concierge: Nonfiction Recommendations

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Actors Involved In James Franco Suit Settle, Drop Claims

James Franco attends a special screening of the final season of "The Deuce" at Metrograph on Sept. 5, 2019 in New York City. = Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images hide caption

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Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

Arts & Life

Actors Involved In James Franco Suit Settle, Drop Claims

Two actors that had alleged the Oscar nominee's acting school sexually exploited female students have reached a preliminary settlement agreement. It is unclear if monetary payments are involved.

'It's A Sin' Chronicles The Plague Years

Olly Alexander and Lydia West star as Ritchie Tozer and Jill Baxter in It's A Sin. Russ Ferguson/HBO Max hide caption

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Russ Ferguson/HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'It's A Sin' Chronicles The Plague Years

It's A Sin chronicles the AIDS epidemic as experienced by a group of friends in London in the early 1980s. They come from different backgrounds, and deal with the dawning realization that a virus is ravaging their community in different ways. None of them will get through it unchanged, and some of them won't get through it at all.

'It's A Sin' Chronicles The Plague Years

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We Buy A Superhero: Loophole

Planet Money ventures to another realm on their journey to acquire a superhero Siena Mae/NPR hide caption

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Siena Mae/NPR

Planet Money

We Buy A Superhero: Loophole

Marvel was not interested in selling us Doorman. But there is another way to jumpstart our superhero empire.| Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero: Loophole

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'Nomadland' Is An Empathetic, Immersive Journey

Frances McDormand stars as Fern in Nomadland. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Nomadland' Is An Empathetic, Immersive Journey

The new film Nomadland is about a woman named Fern who's lost her husband, her home and her entire community: a company town that collapsed when the company did. She's played by Frances McDormand, and in Chloé Zhao's film, she falls into a new community of people who live on the road, out of vans and RVs.

'Nomadland' Is An Empathetic, Immersive Journey

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Lara Jean Says Goodbye In 'To All The Boys: Always And Forever'

Lana Condor and Noah Centineo star in To All The Boys: Always And Forever. Katie Yu/Netflix hide caption

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Katie Yu/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Lara Jean Says Goodbye In 'To All The Boys: Always And Forever'

In 2018, To All The Boys I've Loved Before was a breakout hit for Netflix. Based on Jenny Han's novel, it followed Lara Jean Covey through the adventure of falling in love with one Peter Kavinsky. A sequel followed in 2020 and now, it's time for the finale, which finds Lara Jean and Peter dealing with the complication of graduating and heading off to college.

Lara Jean Says Goodbye In 'To All The Boys: Always And Forever'

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Diving Into 'Shark Tank'

Mark Cuban fields pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs on an episode of ABC's Shark Tank. ABC hide caption

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ABC

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Diving Into 'Shark Tank'

On Shark Tank, a group of wealthy investors like Mark Cuban and "Queen of QVC" Lori Greiner listen to pitches from people who have invented something. Might be an app, might be a toy, might be a belt that can hold a beer can. Then the investors decide whether to invest in the business, and they negotiate with the entrepreneur — sometimes competing with each other to get the deal. In this encore episode, we revisit our conversation about the hit ABC show.

Diving Into 'Shark Tank'

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In 'Supernova', Stanley Tucci And Colin Firth Play A Couple Facing Dementia

Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth star in Supernova. Courtesy of Bleecker Street hide caption

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Courtesy of Bleecker Street

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Supernova', Stanley Tucci And Colin Firth Play A Couple Facing Dementia

In Supernova, Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci play a gay couple coming to terms with the fact that Tucci's character is experiencing early onset dementia. They take one last trip together around the British Lake District and try to enjoy these moments together, even though their shared knowledge of what's to come exposes their fears and secrets.

In 'Supernova', Stanley Tucci And Colin Firth Play A Couple Facing Dementia

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Desus And Mero On Politics, Fame And Life In The Pandemic

Desus Nice and The Kid Mero in the second season of Desus & Mero. Greg Endries/Showtime hide caption

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Greg Endries/Showtime

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Desus And Mero On Politics, Fame And Life In The Pandemic

A special bonus episode from NPR's It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders. Desus Nice and The Kid Mero went from calling up "anyone in their phone book" in the early days of their podcast Bodega Boys, to booking big names in politics like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Barack Obama on Desus & Mero, their late-night show airing on Showtime.

Desus And Mero On Politics, Fame And Life In The Pandemic

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Now Playing On TikTok: 'Bridgerton' The Musical

Abigail Barlow, left, and Emily Bear are the creative duo behind Bridgerton the musical. "We wanted to be able to tell a stand-alone story and still honor what was created in the books and the TV show," says Barlow. "But honestly, we want to bring something new to these characters as well." Igor Kasyanyuk hide caption

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Igor Kasyanyuk

Now Playing On TikTok: 'Bridgerton' The Musical

Not long after the Netflix Regency romance premiered on Christmas, two young songwriters asked on TikTok: "Ok but what if Bridgerton was a musical?" Millions of people wanted to know the answer.

Now Playing On TikTok: 'Bridgerton' The Musical

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We Buy A Superhero: Origins

Planet Money tries to buy a superhero. Siena Mae/NPR hide caption

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Siena Mae/NPR

Planet Money

We Buy A Superhero: Origins

Marvel has 7,000 characters, many of them forgotten. We want to buy one from their vault and launch our own little Planet Money franchise. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero: Origins

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The Union Fight At Amazon, Plus 'Your Korean Dad'

Warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama are voting this week on unionization. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) David Zalubowski/AP hide caption

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David Zalubowski/AP

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

The Union Fight At Amazon, Plus 'Your Korean Dad'

An Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, has become ground zero in a battle that could change Amazon as we know it. Sam chats with a worker about his experience, and labor reporter and organizer Kim Kelly talks about what the fight for unionization in Amazon's warehouses means for the future of workers' rights. Plus, Sam talks to Nick Cho, known as Your Korean Dad on TikTok, about becoming the internet's favorite dad.

The Union Fight At Amazon, Plus 'Your Korean Dad'

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'Judas And The Black Messiah' Melds The Personal And Political

Daniel Kaluuya portrays Fred Hampton in new film Judas And The Black Messiah. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Inc. hide caption

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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Inc.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Judas And The Black Messiah' Melds The Personal And Political

Fred Hampton, the charismatic chairman of the Black Panther Party's Illinois chapter, was just 21 years old when he was killed during a police raid in 1969. In Judas And The Black Messiah, he's given the cinematic treatment via a stirring performance by Daniel Kaluuya. The new film directed by Shaka King focuses on Hampton's activism and how it made him the target of the federal government. The Judas in this story is the FBI informant who played a crucial role in Hampton's death: William O'Neal, portrayed deftly by LaKeith Stanfield.

'Judas And The Black Messiah' Melds The Personal And Political

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Book Concierge: Music Book Recommendations
Becky Harlan/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Book Concierge: Music Book Recommendations

Every year, NPR brings together some of the best books in a searchable, explorable guide called the Book Concierge. It can help you find exactly the read you're looking for. Today we're talking about some of the best books for music lovers that show up in this year's guide.

Book Concierge: Music Book Recommendations

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