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Two-time Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage turns a triple play in New York City

Lynn Nottage photographed at A Broadway Celebration at the Times Square EDITION, in December 2021. Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for CAA hide caption

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Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for CAA

Arts & Life

Two-time Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage turns a triple play in New York City

Nottage, the only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice, has a new play on Broadway, an opera at Lincoln Center Theater and a Michael Jackson musical opening soon.

Two-time Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage turns a triple play in New York City

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Something wicked-good this way comes: 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'

Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in The Tragedy of Macbeth, directed by Joel Coen. Alison Rosa/A24/Apple TV+ hide caption

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Alison Rosa/A24/Apple TV+

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Something wicked-good this way comes: 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'

The Tragedy of Macbeth adapts Shakespeare's familiar tale of blood and betrayal, dreamlike daggers and stubborn stains. But its stars Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand are significantly older than the leads usually are, which makes the whole thing hit differently. Directed by Joel Coen, the film fuses black-and-white cinematography with a clean, minimalist production design that underscores the story's theatrical roots. It's now streaming on Apple TV+.

Something wicked-good this way comes: 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'

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On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

The Weeknd returns with his fifth studio album Dawn FM. Courtesy of Republic Records hide caption

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Courtesy of Republic Records

Pop Culture Happy Hour

On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

The Weeknd's album After Hours was one of the biggest hits of 2020, and now the elusive artist is back. He's had a decade of massive highlights from "Blinding Lights" to last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. His new album is Dawn FM, and it's a set of sleek synth-pop songs with assists from Oneohtrix Point Never and comedian Jim Carrey.

On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

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The (not-so) secret second life of your Amazon returns

People order pallets of online returns, knowing either something or next to nothing about what they're getting, and then they open the pallets for the benefit of YouTube viewers. Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The (not-so) secret second life of your Amazon returns

People order pallets of online returns, knowing either something or next to nothing about what they're getting, and then they open the pallets for the benefit of YouTube viewers.

'Station Eleven' offers a home at the end of the world

Mackenzie Davis in a scene from Station Eleven. Ian Watson/HBO Max hide caption

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Ian Watson/HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Station Eleven' offers a home at the end of the world

The HBO Max miniseries Station Eleven begins with a highly contagious and deadly virus wiping out 99 percent of humanity. That might not sound like comfort viewing, but hear us out. The show follows many characters as their individual stories intersect — both in the 100 days after the virus hits, and 20 years later, as civilization attempts to rebuild. Based on Emily St. John Mandel's novel, the series stars Himesh Patel, Mackenzie Davis, Gael García Bernal, Danielle Deadwyler, and Lori Petty.

'Station Eleven' offers a home at the end of the world

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Cecily Strong finds 'Signs of Intelligent Life' in a celebrated one-woman show

Cecily Strong is putting her personal spin on a celebrated one-woman show at The Shed in New York City this month. Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC hide caption

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Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Arts & Life

Cecily Strong finds 'Signs of Intelligent Life' in a celebrated one-woman show

The 'Saturday Night Live' cast member and 'Schmigadoon!' star performs in "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," a one-woman show made famous by Lily Tomlin.

Cecily Strong finds 'Signs of Intelligent Life' in a celebrated one-woman show

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'C'mon C'mon shows the pleasure and pangs of parenting

Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman in Mike Mills' film C'mon C'mon. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'C'mon C'mon shows the pleasure and pangs of parenting

In the movie C'mon C'mon, Joaquin Phoenix plays an audio journalist who, after visiting his sister (played by Gaby Hoffmann), takes his young nephew (played by Woody Norman) on the road as he interviews kids about the world. Along the way, the two learn a lot about each other. Directed by Mike Mills, it's a film about family, loss, and joy — and it's about radio.

'C'mon C'mon shows the pleasure and pangs of parenting

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Remembering Sidney Poitier

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Keystone/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Remembering Sidney Poitier

Hollywood legend Sidney Poitier died last week at age of 94. He was a man of many firsts, including the first Black performer to win the best actor Oscar for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. He was also a humanitarian who was active during the civil rights movement, and also someone who was quite obviously dedicated to his craft. And today we remember Poitier's work, including In The Heat Of The Night and To Sir With Love.

Remembering Sidney Poitier

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A pub that let people buy beers for Betty White will now donate the money to charity

A tally on the chalkboard at Commerce Street Brewery in Mineral Point, Wis., shows that people have bought more than 110 beers for the late comedian Betty White. Commerce Street Brewery hide caption

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Commerce Street Brewery

National

A pub that let people buy beers for Betty White will now donate the money to charity

The Golden Girl had a golden ale named for her at the pub in Mineral Point, Wis. Now the brewery is using its "buy a beer for a friend" system to support animal charities in White's honor.

Great 2021 Movies You May Have Missed

Nine Days, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, is writer-director Edson Oda's debut feature film. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Great 2021 Movies You May Have Missed

We cover a lot of movies here on Pop Culture Happy Hour, but we can't come close to hitting every great film. Today, we're inviting some of our favorite film critics to share the movies they loved from 2021 — the ones that got past us the first time, but should definitely get added to your queue.

Great 2021 Movies You May Have Missed

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Crashing into the mysteries and fun of 'Yellowjackets'

The Showtime series Yellowjackets boasts an impressive cast actresses set in both 1996 and 2021. Kailey Schwerman/Showtime hide caption

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Kailey Schwerman/Showtime

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Crashing into the mysteries and fun of 'Yellowjackets'

The Showtime drama Yellowjackets is a series in two halves: In the first part, a plane crashes in 1996, and a high school girls' soccer team is stranded in the Canadian wilderness. The other part follows some of the girls more than 20 years later, as they realize the full ramifications of what they did during the time before they were rescued. Part horror and part suspense, Yellowjackets boasts a killer cast and a tangle of dark mysteries at its heart.

Crashing into the mysteries and fun of 'Yellowjackets'

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The past and present collide in 'The Lost Daughter'

Olivia Coleman in a scene from The Lost Daughter. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The past and present collide in 'The Lost Daughter'

In the Netflix film The Lost Daughter, Olivia Coleman plays Leda, a professor on a working holiday in Greece who becomes fascinated by a young mother played by Dakota Johnson. This leads Leda to think about her own past, and to flashbacks in which the young Leda is played by Jessie Buckley. Adapted from the 2006 Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, The Lost Daughter marks the directorial debut of Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris, and Paul Mescal.

The past and present collide in 'The Lost Daughter'

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