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.

Series creator Damon Lindelof and director Stephen Williams walk us through the pivotal sixth episode; Kanye West's "opera" at the Hollywood Bowl; The Grammy Museum adds a gallery for Latin music.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea writes about his violent step-father who also inspired his love of music; Elizabeth Banks wants to up-end Hollywood’s outdated ideas of what kinds of movies women can direct; and Comedian Gabriel Iglesias reunites with the high school teacher who helped him find his voice.

The actor plays a corporate attorney who switches sides to go after an environmental polluter; Hollywood Reporter TV critic Daniel Feinberg on the glut of TV programming.

Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse examines cultural pitfalls of the holiday; late-night TV hosts are having a field day with the impeachment hearings; singer Dorian Wood channels Chavela Vargas.

The bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers has a new memoir that recounts his days before he met his bandmates in high school; the Grammy nominations make history, but could still use some improvement.

The 19-year-old filmmaker shot the movie while he was still in high school, and it won him awards at the Tribeca Film Festival; the U.S. Justice Dept. may allow studios to once again own movie theaters; the comedians who warm up TV studio audiences.

The writer/director strives for a sense of sisterhood in all her projects; Louie C.K.'s return to the stage; comedian Gabriel Iglesias reunites with an influential high school teacher of his.

Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas want “Queen & Slim" to make an impact on the culture as a form of protest art; Congressman Julian Castro questions in Hollywood is engaged in "systemic exclusion" of Latinos; "Ford v Ferrari" director James Mangold; "Scandalous" doc tell story of National Enquirer

Director Trey Edward Shults and actress Taylor Russell talk about their drama focused on an African-American family; Taylor Swift's ongoing battle for her early music; Josh Homme's "Desert Sessions."

The actor takes on a new challenge for Lauren Yee's play at The Pasadena Playhouse; the Country Music Association Awards and a dichotomy in country music; the composers of "Dickinson" use modern music for the classic tale.

Mark Landsman's documentary looks at the roots and the modern history of the notorious tabloid; Anna Waronker and the revival of the band That Dog; Song Exploder with Raphael Saadiq.

Daniel J. Jones, the Senate investigator who uncovered the CIA's use of torture in the wake of 9/11, talks about the movie based on his work, in which he's played by Adam Driver; Disney's new streaming service got off to a shaky start because of tech issues; Sam Beam of Iron & Wine and Joey Burns from Calexico have teamed up for another album.