The Frame

Two prominent music critics look at where the orchestra has been and where it's heading; filmmaker Sandi Tan looks for a lost film of hers in "Shirkers."

Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins all have successful individual careers, but decided to combine forces for their folk-Americana trio; how is "House of Cards" concluding without Kevin Spacey?; MOCA puts the spotlight on influential painter and film critic Manny Farber.

"The Good Place" creator Michael Schur and writer Jen Statsky talk about making a sitcom that takes on ethics and philosophy; as the Trump Administration reportedly considers rolling back civil rights protections for trans people, we revisit The Frame's 2017 roundtable discussion on transgender representation on television.

The award-winning Broadway smash with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul finally arrives in Los Angeles; how deep are Saudi Arabia's tentacles in American museums?; the Berlin-based performance group, Gob Squad, examines how we cope with aging.

The mezzo-soprano had a promising hoops career, but then she discovered singing; Netflix buys a huge production studio in Albuquerque; Janelle Monáe breaks down her song, "So Afraid."

She's a rare female minority show-runner, but her main goal is to let the mom character have some fun; how are immigrants depicted on TV?; the L.A. Master Chorale takes its show on the road.

Actor Peter Dinklage and filmmaker Sacha Gervasi on making "My Dinner With Hervé," about the French actor Hervé Villechaize; how do "The Conners" fare without Roseanne? L.A. Times TV critic Lorraine Ali shares her thoughts.

Muslim comedian Mo Amer once sat next to Eric Trump on an international flight. That's just one of many stories in his Netflix special "Vagabond." In the wake of Jamal Khashoggi's disapperance, Hollywood rethinks its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Plus, how Dieter Ruehle came to be the Dodgers' organist.

The popular politics podcast launches a weekly TV version on HBO leading up to the mid-term elections; the ReelAbilities Film Festival showcases movies and conversations to gain a greater appreciation of opportunities and challenges for differently-abled people.

The digital platform provides opportunities for comedy shows like "Everything Is Fine!"; the annual VF Summit draws the biggest names in Hollywood and Silicon Valley; Desert Daze claims a space on the music festival landscape.

Actor Jason Segel made his career in big studio comedies such as “Forgetting Susan Marshall," the TV sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother," and as author David Foster Wallace in the film “The End of the Tour,” which won him a lot of acclaim. Now he's taking that new image into his latest movie, the sci-fi love story “The Discovery,” which co-stars Rooney Mara and Robert Redford.

Jessica Williams was a correspondent on "The Daily Show" and now co-hosts the popular podcast, “2 Dope Queens." And this summer she can be seen in the Netflix movie, “The Incredible Jessica James"; movie theater owners are gathered in Las Vegas for CinemaCon. While movie studios preview their big 2017 releases, hovering over the party is the looming threat of streaming and video-on-demand.

The Wooster Group’s latest stage show, “The Town Hall Affair,” re-creates an infamous 1971 public debate about feminism moderated by – of all people – the chauvinistic writer Norman Mailer. Now on stage at the REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles, the show has resonance in an era when a presidential candidate can get away with ugly talk about women and millions of women took to the streets on the day after his inauguration.

Film producers Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn have made several small budget, character-driven movies together including “Albert Nobbs” with Glenn Close and “Last Days in the Desert” with Ewan McGregor. But "Life" is completely different. They talk with The Frame about managing a bigger budget –with special effects and zero gravity– and what makes their partnership work.

Caro's latest film is “The Zookeeper’s Wife," but her next project, the live-action version of “Mulan,” will make her only the 4th woman to have a budget over $100 million; The Writer’s Guild is negotiating its next contract, and there has been talk of a strike over wages for TV writers; children’s book author/illustrator Claire Keane worked with her Disney animator father on a story about Rapunzel that is being turned into a TV series.

"The Americans" creator Joe Weisberg and fellow showrunner Joel Fields talk about creating their 1980's Russian espionage show in the era of Russian hacking. The two are joined by director Chris Long– who shot some of the show in Moscow– to talk about creating a family drama that's also a secret agent story.

The 1991 Disney animated film "Beauty and the Beast," is considered by many to be a classic. But the man behind the lyrics of some of our favorite songs never got to see the final film. We put together this oral history/remembrance of his life and legacy; “Good Grief" is a new play by LA-based playwright Ngozi Anyanwu that can help people cope with their own losses; Drake’s new album "More Life” was the soundtrack to this past weekend. Literally.

Deborah Borda is leaving her post as CEO of the L.A. Philharmonic to run the N.Y. Philharmonic; filmmaker Taylor Hackford recalls making his 1987 documentary about Chuck Berry; Discostan is a monthly club night that features Middle Eastern music.

A new Japanese American National Museum (JANM) exhibit remembers the dark history of legalized discrimination in the US. Classical music composer Julia Adolphe is a rising star with a new work at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Director Sydney Freeland discusses her coming-of-age movie "Deidra & Laney Rob a Train."

What does President Trump's budget proposal to eliminate the NEA, NEH and CPB actually mean? New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz finds hope in the political messages and diverse voices at the Whitney Biennal. And director Ferne Pearlstein and Holocaust survivor Renee Firestone discuss the new documentary "The Last Laugh."

LA Phil chief Deborah Borda will depart to head the NY philharmonic. She leaves behind a flourishing institution, a happy orchestra, and a charismatic artistic director. Documentarian Marina Zenovich tries to uncover who owns California's water supply in "Water & Power: A California Heist." And filmmaker Ritesh Batra goes from "The Lunchbox" to "The Sense of an Ending."

Misha Green, co-creator of the WGN series "Underground," talks about how characters like Harriet Tubman are real-life superheroes and how she's sometimes mistaken for an assistant on set; Goldenvoice—the promoters behind Coachella, Stagecoach and Desert Trip—bring their latest fest to Pasadena, called Arroyo Seco Weekend.