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Top Picks: Jennifer Hudson on 'Hairspray Live!,' 'Florence Foster Jenkins,' and more

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NBC
Jennifer Hudson (C.)
  • By Staff

Hudson highlight

If you missed NBC’s latest live musical, “Hairspray Live!,” earlier this month, you can still check out one of the production’s best moments: Academy Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson taking on the song “I Know Where I’ve Been,” a performance that was widely viewed as a highlight of the broadcast. Hudson’s song can be seen on NBC’s YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/jhudsonhairspray.

Intriguing history

Focusing on such topics as Britain’s history in Africa, the Klondike gold rush, and the Terracotta Warriors, the History Hit podcast, by Dan Snow, presents an intriguing and wide-ranging look at various historical events, with knowledgeable guests providing insight. Check out the podcast at http://www.historyhitpodcast.com.

Itinerary inspiration

Want to share your travel experiences with others or looking for inspiration for an upcoming trip? The app Globespinning lets users assemble their own itineraries using photos from their trip. They can then share the itinerary with other Globespinning users, offering suggestions on how to have the best trip possible. Or if you’re going to an area you don’t know, you can check out other users’ itineraries for recommended destinations. The app is free for iOS.

Planetary photos

Add a little outer space to your day with the app Mars Images. The app shows the most recent photos being taken by the rovers on Mars, including Curiosity and Opportunity. The Mars Images app is free for iOS and Android.

True art

In the movie Florence Foster Jenkins, Meryl Streep portrays a real-life 1940s New York socialite who loved to sing – but none of her acquaintances could bear to tell her that she never hit the right notes. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that Streep is “a wonderful comic actress” and that actor Hugh Grant, as Florence’s husband, “gives a tremendously knowing and resonant performance.” The movie, Rainer says, “manages to be both flat-out hilarious and deeply melancholy, sometimes all at once.” “Florence Foster Jenkins” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. 

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