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The grand lady and great dame Kitty Carlisle Hart passed away peacefully after a short illness this past week. The singer-actress had lived 96 fabulous years.

Diary of a Tired Black Man, an independent film about relationships between black men and women, is generating buzz within the African-American community. Its tagline: "Now it's black men's turn to exhale."

Actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) makes her directorial debut with Away from Her, a new movie based on a short story by Alice Munro; it stars Julie Christie as a woman with Alzheimer's.

Handel's Messiah was a part of the holiday season long before Kris Kringle. The oratorio uses Biblical passages to tell the story of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. Conductor Marin Alsop thought the imposing composition could withstand some modern experimentation.

NPR and WBGO present the annual Toast of the Nation New Year's jazz program. Nicholas Payton, Jeremy Davenport, Victor Goines, Ellis Marsalis, Peter Martin, Don Vappie, Reginald Veal and Herlin Riley conjure Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Sidney Bechet in a musical mix. Hosted by Branford Marsalis.

Singer James Brown dies at 73. He had been hospitalized in Atlanta for pneumonia. His string of hits began in 1956 with "Please Please Please" and continued with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Night Train," and "I Got You."

Michele Norris talks with Bob Mondello about the newly announced Oscar nominations. Among the topics: the number of British actresses will be competing in the best actress and best supporting actress categories. This year, there is also a greater racial diversity of nominees across the board. And could this finally be director Martin Scorsese's year?

Actor Peter O'Toole is up for an Oscar for his movie role in Venus. But he is also known for his best-actor nod in the 1964 film Becket. That movie has been restored and is back in theaters.

The stagehands' strike on Broadway shut down more than two dozen shows over the weekend. Producers say the union forces them to hire people who do little or no work at wages that can hover around $100,000 a year. Union representatives say they are willing to offer some concessions.

The Savages, with its depiction of family members dealing with their ailing father, hit close to home for NPR film critic Bob Mondello. Movies are emotionally effective, Mondello says, because they come so close to the truth.