we get our report from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> okay. better know this one. >> g. >> reporter: it was a moment captured on a cell phone that quickly captured hearts. >> abcd, e. >> reporter: 82-year-old john allen, patiently teaching his 70-year-old girlfriend, linda, to read again. after her stroke. >> what's this one? >> a v. >> okay. >> victory. >> right. >> reporter: almost every day, the two go to a starbucks, where john uses flash cards to quiz her on the alphabet. when fellow patron spotted them, he couldn't help but snap a picture. >> i just wanted some of my friends to see what a cool moment i had today. you know what i mean? >> reporter: but his friends shared it again and again. in almost two weeks, almost 2 million have seen it. >> wow! >> reporter: online, people explained it like this. every time i need a bit more patience, i think think of this picture. and this is what true love is all about. for a time, love was all john and linda had to hold on to. >> i couldn't even talk. except to say "i love you." >> reporter: the st

nbc's kristen dahlgren has that story. >> reporter: tonight, arizona is facing its coldest nighttime temperatures in years. >> anything that is tropical is going to need to be covered. >> reporter: threatening crops and potentially skyrocketing produce prices. in california, major freeway i-5 had to be closed due to ice and snow for the second time in three days. temperatures in san diego, los angeles and san francisco will bottom out in the 30s tonight. >> very strong dip in the jet stream has placed itself over the western part of the country and that's allowed some very cold air from canada to move southward. >> reporter: snow in new mexico made it look more like new york. that is if new york wasn't close to 50 today. in the east, many places were near record highs. in d.c. it was warm enough for shirtless beach volleyball. orlando was extra hot, even by florida standards. talk about upside down weather. on sunday, highs will be 57 in san diego, and one degree warmer in philadelphia. and flagstaff, arizona, will be exactly the same temperature as green bay, wisconsin. just 21 degr

we get the story tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: the biggest blockbuster in history isn't "avatar," not "titanic" -- >> this is bad. >> reporter: or even the entire "star wars" franchise. ♪ >> reporter: it turns out, a phantom has all of them beat. ♪ >> reporter: the phantom of the opera has grossed more than $5.6 billion worldwide. 130 million people have seen it, and on saturday, it will celebrate 25 years on broadway. >> i thought everybody in the world had seen it. >> reporter: 87-year-old sylvia bailey has been an usher since the show first opened back in 1988. >> they still love it. they go, ooh. >> reporter: the appeal is universal. ♪ >> reporter: phantom has been performed in 28 countries. >> it really is like "downton abbey." it's just as mellow dramatic as that. it's got sex, it's got love. it's got everything you want in a really good story. ♪ >> reporter: she was only 5 when phantom opened on broadway. >> i had the cassette tape and i used to listen and sing along with it. >> reporter: the production is massive. >> there's nothing like sitting underneath

our report tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: it was a night of surprises. >> "argo."porter: "argo" awarded best picture, ben affleck, best director, just days after being shut out for the oscar. >> i don't care what the award is. when they put your name next to the names you just read off, it's an extraordinary thing in it your life. >> now. >> reporter: "lincoln" which came into the globes with the most nominatns, seven, left with just one win, best actor in a drama. but the film about the 16th president brought another surprise. when the 42nd president introduced it. >> in lincoln, we see a man more interesting than the legend, and a far better guide for future presidents. >> that was hillary clinton's husband! >> reporter: it was definitely a girl's night. hbo upstart "girls" won best tv comedy and the first female hosting duo. >> "hunger games" was one of the biggest films of the year and also the six weeks it took me to get into this dress. >> "life of pi" i'm going to call the next six weeks after i take this dress off. >> reporter: "zero dark thirty's" jessica

nbc's kristen dahlgren has our report from los angeles. >> reporter: in the race for best actress, it is one for the ages. the oldest and youngest best actress nominees ever. 85-year-old emmanuel reve of "amore" and quvenzhane wallis, who was just 5 when she auditioned for "beasts of the southern wild." >> i was excited. >> reporter: now her small indy film about a young girl growing up in louisiana's bayou will take on some giants for best picture. nine in all. "beast" director bested some of hollywood's biggest for a director nod. many were shocked at the snubs. "argo's" ben affleck, quentin tarantino and "zero dark thirty's" kathryn bigelow off the list. even though they were best picture nominees. >> it's unusual but also inevitable since the best picture category is almost twice as big as the best director category. >> reporter: "silver lining's playbook "books becomes the first film in 30 years nominated in all acting categories. daniel day-lewis is considered almost unbeatable in "lincoln." but a world away from hollywood on the streets of kabul this morning, it wasn't about al

kristen dahlgren has a look at what you can expect at the biggest party around. >> now, now, now. >>h drama, high fashion, two hilarious hosts. >> it's a very kind of sloppy, loud party. >> the thousands of glasses of champagne. >> it's the most fun awards show. everyone knows there's alcohol at the table. >> and what you get is golden. >> it's tv mixed with film. i think having all of those names in one room makes it really quite different and special. >> the 70th annual golden globes just won't be a show but a showdown. breaking back, homeland head to head. while decorated comedies like modern family try to fend off stars like hbo's girls. >> it could turn it from a simple cult phenomenon to more of a mainstream success. >> in film, it is an epic battle. "lincoln" leads. but "argo" and django unchained have five apiece. including best director. after the oscars snubbed affleck, tarantino and "zero dark thirty"'s kathryn bigelow, it may take on extra meaning. in the past it has been a preview of who might get the oscar but not always. remember "the king's speech." it was honored by

kristen dahlgren is there this morning. ou can communicate with the dead. cool it, harry. but the magic castle is really all about the living, living it up and having a great time. ♪ i'll be your entertainer i'm putting on a show ♪ >> reporter: the magic castle may be the world's most unique nightclub. >> no birds come out of my sleeve, i guarantee you that. >> reporter: nestled at the base of the hollywood hills, this old victorian mansion has become a mecc aa for magic, celebrating 50 years of oohs and ahhs. >> i think this is the pinnacle for most magicians. >> reporter: tv actor and magician neil patrick harris is the president of the academy of magical arts which operates the club. escorting me on a tour that requires a secret password just to get in. >> open sesame. whoa! >> reporter: every night, the club's three showrooms, restaurants and bars host members and guests. david copperfield, david blaine and siegfried and roy. >> people love a mystery. >> reporter: the castle was started in 1963 by magician miltlarson ami

kristen dahlgren explains. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i'm here down on wall street.in an upscale supermarket complete with a sushi chef. that is just one of the surprises here. it's the hip new sushi bar, juice joint, liquor and cigar store and hot hollywood salon all rolled into one. this is definitely not your grandfather's drugstore. >> anything i can do back here? >> no. >> reporter: in new york, chicago and lmplths a., the company that owns walgreen's has opened new glitzy stores. >> you can get smoothies, sushi. i can get my diapers, wipes. >> reporter: some aren't used to the idea of buying diapers and sushi in the same place. but for others -- >> i've gotten sushi here, made-to-order sandwiches, espresso bar. >> reporter: hollywood a-listers helped to open the l.a. store. and jim cramer happened to stop by while we were shooting. >> there isn't anything i've looked for that they don't have. >> reporter: they say the idea is to provide a high-end shopping experience at all levels. >> one of the first things you'll see when you walk into our store is obviously

kristen dahlgren, thank you. it's a beautiful story.is is "today" on nbc. >>> we're back now at 8:52 with "today's" tech and the best apps for 2013. finding the ones to fit your needs could be a little overwhelming. our go-to digital guy, mario armstrong, is here with his top picks. good to see you. >> good to see you as well. >> it used to be simple, there were only a dozen or so that everybody was using. now almost a million. >> too many. do you know how hard i had to work to do this and get only five or six apps? >> are most of these free or do we have to pay for these? >> most of these are free but some have add ons that you can pay for. >> desktops and everything like that. >> >> absolutely. >> lot of travel apps out there. you like trip it. why? >> it manages all your travel itinerary. i'm pulling it up on my phone. as you set up, say, rental car information or plane tickets, all those e-mails that come into you now can go right to your -- they usually go to your inbox, then you have to search through the inbox and find all that s

kristen dahlgren is there this morning. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah.dini sayance room. it's all about living it up and having a great time. ♪ i'll be your anything >> reporter: the magic castle may be the world's most unique nightclub. >> no birds come out of my sleeve, i guarantee you that. >> reporter: nestled at the base of the hollywood hills, this old victorian mansion has become a mecca of magic celebrating 50 years of ooohhhs and aaahhhs. >> this is the pin make itle of being a magician. >> reporter: kneel patrick harrison escorted me on a tour that requires a secret password just to get in. >> open sesame. whoa. every night the club's three show rooms, restaurants, and bars host members and guests. a who's who of magic including david copper field, david blain and siegfried and roy. >> this is right here, the whole atmosphere. people love the mystery. >> reporter: the castle was started in 1963 by ma beginning shan milt larsson and his brother bill. >> we thought it would be fun. it's out of hand. >> reporter: out of hand because many believe t

kristen dahlgren reports from los angeles. >>> good evening, my fellow americans. [ laughter ] >> reportert be a little bit strange for all of you to see the two of us together. >> reporter: from "saturday night live" -- >> this is your prenatal vitamin. >> you're serious? >> reporter: to the big screen -- >> i can't do it. >> reporter: amy pohler and tina fey have kept us laughing. >> it seems to me that when cornered, you become increasingly adorable. is that fair to say? >> i don't know, is it? >> reporter: the comedy queens are about to take on a new role. hosts of the golden globes. >> the big thing is that television and film get to be together. so the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the horrible, disgusting people of television. and that's always nice to see. >> these two -- there's nothing they can't do it seems like. and they actually seem to be enjoying it. >> reporter: pohler and fey really are friends off screen and have been for years. >> we were at an improv group together at improv olympic, what 50 years ago? >> reporter: they've come a long way. and at the 70th

kristen dahlgren has the latest now from los angeles. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. woods' death was first ruled accidental drowning. it's now listed as undetermined. the new coroner's report lays out why officials made the change. natalie wood's death off the coast of catalina island in november 1981 has always left questions. a newly released ten-page addendum to the coroner's report offers some answers. at least about bruises left on the actress' body. bruises, lack of head trauma or facial bruising support bruising having occurred prior to entry in the water. defense attorney mark geragos calls the findings significant. >> the question is, was that caused by a fall or was it caused by somebody who administered a blow to her? >> reporter: how wood went overboard is still a mystery. the coroner writes he is unable to exclude unplanned entry. investigators reopened the case more than a year ago. around the same time the captain on board the boat that night claimed in a tell-all book he witnessed a drunken fight invol