The Frame

After the 2016 Presidential election, the singer/songwriter took a cross-country train trip and then wrote a song cycle of character sketches and personal reflections; Taylor Swift's recording contract is about to expire, giving her a world of options; Boots Riley's "Sorry to Bother You" is one of the year's biggest critical hits.

Director Chris Weitz's film 'Operation Finale' tells the amazing story of the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann; fans begin to pay their respects to the Aretha Franklin at the Museum of African American History in Detroit; and Cuban jazz pianist Dayramir Gonzalez is a rising star.

Breaking down the scene between Michelle Yeoh and her would be daughter-in-law, Constance Wu; documentary filmmaker Steve James spent a year inside a Chicago high school for the series, “America to Me”; remembering playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon, who died at the age of 91.

The former "Gilmore Girls" co-star has an Emmy nomination for her role in the dystopian world of "The Handmaid's Tale"; Harvey Weinstein's legal woes seem to be mounting; Aneesh Chaganty, director and co-writer of the film, "Searching," has created a hyper-modern day thriller.

On Today's Show:

The co-star and Emmy nominee says she isn't daunted by challenges being faced by the cast; ever seen James Corden and friends performing a musical on the streets outside CBS on Fairfax? That's the work of Emmy-nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold.

The Emmy-nominated director of "Atlanta" talks about his collaborations with Donald Glover, his love of the Coen brothers and how the show set out to accurately portray life in urban Georgia; in the documentary, "What Haunts Us," Paige Goldberg Tolmach examines multiple suicides at her prep school alma mater; director Jesse Peretz and actor Chris O'Dowd talk about their movie, "Juliet, Naked."

Sarah Paulson has a lead actress Emmy nomination for "American Horror Story: Cult" — the seventh season of the anthology series; Bing Liu's videos of his skateboarding pals turned into the intimate documentary, "Minding the Gap."

Wayne Kramer, guitarist and leader of the Detroit rock band MC5, discusses his new memoir, "The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities"; Amazon is in the running to buy Landmark Theatres.

The iconic singer has died at the age of 76. We hear from her longtime bass player, Chuck Rainey; why has a documentary about her landmark 1972 performance at a Baptist church in Los Angeles never been released?; Daphne Brooks, a professor of African American Studies and Theater Studies at Yale University on the transcendent power of Aretha's voice.

"Captain America: Civil War" directors Joe and Anthony Russo went from directing TV sitcoms to the massive Marvel movie machine; how Beyoncé and Radiohead are changing the music marketing game; Millennials are forcing film schools to make MFA programs more responsive to their needs.

Tyler is a comedian, actress, talk show and podcast host, a voice on the animated series “Archer,” and she's about to direct her first film; David O. Russell and other prominent directors talk about the important job of script supervisor.

Playwright Stephen Karam tells the story of making "The Humans" a Broadway hit; "Hamilton" broke a Tony nomination record and Broadway proves more diverse than Hollywood; Anybody who's anyone in the digital media world is making online videos, so what's hot at the Newfronts?

The Broadway musical "School of Rock" stars Alex Brightman in the role originated by Jack Black in the 2003 movie of the same name; the married musical duo Marty and Elayne celebrate 35 years of their lounge act at The Dresden Room; a massive festival planned by the promoters of Coachella is stacked with some of the biggest — and oldest — names in classic rock.

Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne star in Lorene Scafaria's film that was inspired by her own meddlesome mother; North Carolina’s so-called “bathroom law" has some film/TV studios threatening to move out of state. Three below-the-line workers tells us how their lives and careers could be upended; Pace Gallery opens its first West Coast venue in Palo Alto.

Tracy Oliver co-wrote "Barbershop: The Next Cut," her biggest credit in a career that's only getting bigger; What does Comcast's $3.8 billion deal to buy DreamWorks Animation say about the state of Hollywood?; musician and composer Adam Young is writing scores for movies that haven't been made.

Raymond Lee channels the mindset of a school shooter, and the legacy of Korean rage, in the new play "Office Hour"; Vulture's Kyle Buchanan on the trend of casting actors such as Idris Elba and Lupita Nyong'o in roles where you don't see their faces; Kevin Morby finds musical inspiration in his L.A. neighborhood.

Eddie Huang criticized ABC's adaptation of his memoir, "Fresh Off The Boat." He's turned to reality TV for the Viceland food-travel series "Huang's World"; Turner Classic Movies and Criterion Collection are creating a streaming service for film fanatics; painter Lily Simonson's new exhibit depicts the world she found while on a research expedition to Antarctica.

The official weapons master for "Game of Thrones," Tommy Dunne, shares secrets from the show's war chest; "After The Thrones" is the official GoT after-show, hosted by Andy Greenwald; Beyoncé takes a bold artistic and personal leap forward with her new album and short film.

John Carney ("Once") makes a love letter to '80s rock with his new movie, "Sing Street"; playwright, choreographer and theatrical activist Larissa FastHorse chronicles what it means to be a Native American in Los Angeles through her play, "Urban Rez."

The Frame pays tribute to Prince: music critic Melissa Ruggieri reports on Prince's final concerts; singer Judith Hill had her debut album produced by Prince; Alex Pappademas of MTV News on Prince's legacy in music and film; and Scott Goodman got a personal request from Prince to have his music removed from Goodman's file sharing website.

Kathryn Bostic has a varied music career as a composer for film, stage and the concert hall, and a singer/songwriter; the Ford Amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills is nearing the end of an extensive renovation; an unprecedented number of women comic book writers and artists are up for Eisner Awards.