Alan Menken

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* musical theatre
 Occupation(s) | * Arranger
* conductor
* songwriter
* music director

**Alan Irwin Menken** (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, songwriter, music conductor, director and record producer. Menken is best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for *The Little Mermaid* (1989), *Beauty and the Beast* (1991), *Aladdin* (1992), and *Pocahontas* (1995) have each won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores and songs for *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), *Newsies* (1992), *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996), *Hercules* (1997), *Home on the Range* (2004), *Enchanted* (2007), *Tangled* (2010), among others.

He is also known for his work in musical theater for Broadway and elsewhere. Some of these are based on his Disney films, but other stage hits include *Little Shop of Horrors* (1982), *A Christmas Carol* (1994), and *Sister Act* (2009).

Menken has collaborated with such lyricists as Lynn Ahrens, Howard Ashman, Jack Feldman, Tim Rice, Glenn Slater, Stephen Schwartz, and David Zippel. With eight Academy Award wins, Menken is the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman, who has 9 Oscars. He has also won 11 Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award among many other honors. Menken is one of sixteen people to have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.

## Early life

Alan Irwin Menken was born on July 22, 1949, at French Hospital in Manhattan, to Judith and Norman Menken. His father was a boogie-woogie piano-playing dentist, and his mother was an actress, dancer and playwright. His family was Jewish. Menken developed an interest in music at an early age, taking piano and violin lessons. He began to compose at an early age. At age 9, at the New York Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composers Contest, his original composition "Bouree" was rated Superior and Excellent by the judges.

He attended New Rochelle High School in New Rochelle, New York, and graduated in 1967. Menken remembers: "I'd make up my own Bach fugues and Beethoven sonatas because I was bored with the piano and I didn't want to practice; so I'd go off on tangents". He then enrolled at New York University. He graduated with a degree in Musicology in 1971 from the university's Steinhardt School. Menken recalled: "First, I was pre-med. I thought I'd be a dentist like my dad. Finally, I got a degree in music, but I didn't care about musicology. It wasn't until I joined BMI Workshop ... under Lehman Engel, and walked into a room with other composers that I knew this was it." Menken noted that "Before college, I was writing songs to further my dream of being the next Bob Dylan. A lot of guitar songs – I was composing on piano before that." After college, he attended the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

## Career

### Early career

After graduating, Menken's plan was to become either a rock star or a recording artist. His interest in writing musicals increased when he joined the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Musical Theatre Workshop and was mentored by Lehman Engel. From 1974 to 1978, he showcased various BMI workshop works, such as *Midnight*, *Apartment House* (lyric by Muriel Robinson), *Conversations with Pierre*, *Harry the Rat* and *Messiah on Mott Street* (lyrics by David Zippel).[*citation needed*]

According to Menken, during this period, he "worked as a ballet and modern dance accompanist, a musical director for club acts, a jingle writer, arranger, a songwriter for *Sesame Street* and a vocal coach. He performed his material at clubs like The Ballroom, Reno Sweeny and Tramps."

In 1976, John Wilson reported for *The New York Times* that members of Engel's BMI Workshop began performing as part of the "Broadway at the Ballroom" series: "The opening workshop program ... featured Maury Yeston and Alan Menken, both playing their piano accompaniment and singing songs they have written for potential musicals." Wilson reviewed a performance at the Ballroom in 1977 where Menken accompanied a singer: "In the current cabaret world, a piano accompanist is no longer expected to merely play piano for a singer. More and more, pianists can be heard joining in vocally, harmonizing with the singer, creating a background of shouts and exclamations or even doing brief passages of solo singing."

Menken contributed material to revues like *New York's Back in Town*, *Big Apple Country*, *The Present Tense* (1977), *Real Life Funnies* (Off-Broadway, 1981), *Diamonds* (Off-Broadway, 1984), and *Personals* (Off-Off-Broadway, 1985). His revue *Patch, Patch, Patch* ran at the West Bank Cafe in New York City in 1979 and featured Chip Zien. The *New York Times* reviewer Mel Gussow, wrote: "The title song ... refers to a life's passage. According to Alan Menken ... after age 30 it is a downhill plunge."

Menken wrote several shows that were not produced, including *Atina, Evil Queen of the Galaxy* (1980), with lyrics by Steve Brown. He also wrote *The Thorn* with lyrics by Brown, which was commissioned by Divine in 1980. This was a parody of the film *The Rose*, but they could not raise the money to have it produced. He collaborated with Howard Ashman in an uncompleted musical called *Babe* (c. 1981), with Tom Eyen in *Kicks: The Showgirl Musical* (1984), and with David Rogers in *The Dream in Royal Street* (c. 1981), which was an adaptation of *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. Menken contributed music for the film *The Line* (1980), directed by Robert J. Siegel.

### Breakthrough years

Menken finally achieved success as a composer when playwright Howard Ashman chose him and Engel to write the music for his musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel *God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater*. The musical opened in 1979 at the WPA Theater to excellent reviews and modest box office. It transferred after several months to the Off-Broadway Entermedia Theater, where it ran for an additional six weeks.

Menken and Ashman wrote their next musical, *Little Shop of Horrors*, for a cast of only 9 performers, including a puppeteer. This musical is based on the 1960 black comedy film *The Little Shop of Horrors*. It opened at WPA Theater in 1982 to warm reviews. It moved to the Off Broadway Orpheum Theatre in the East Village, Manhattan, where it ran for five years. The musical set the box-office record for highest grossing Off-Broadway show of all time. It toured around the world, won theater awards and was adapted as a 1986 musical film starring Rick Moranis that earned Menken and Ashman their first Oscar nomination for the song "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space". For his body of work in musical theatre, he was awarded the BMI Career Achievement Award in 1983.

In 1987, Menken and lyricist David Spencer's adaptation *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz*, based on the 1959 novel of the same name, was produced in Philadelphia. After substantial re-writes, it was produced in 2015 in Montreal. In 1992, the WPA Theatre produced Menken's *Weird Romance*, also with lyrics by Spencer. Menken's musical based on the Charles Dickens novella *A Christmas Carol*, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Mike Ockrent, debuted at Madison Square Garden's Paramount Theater in 1994. The show proved successful and was an annual New York holiday event.

### Disney Renaissance and later films

On the strength of the success of *Little Shop of Horrors*, Menken and Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write the music for *The Little Mermaid* (1989). The challenge was to create an animated musical film of this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney films *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* and *Cinderella*. *The Little Mermaid* opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called the Disney Renaissance. The film gave them their first Oscar win: Best Song for the song "Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Oscar for Best Score.

Menken and Ashman's *Beauty and the Beast* garnered them three 1991 Oscar nominations for Best Song, winning for its title song. Menken won another Oscar for Best Score. The two were working on *Aladdin* at the time of Ashman's death in 1991. Subsequently, Menken collaborated with Tim Rice to finish the songs for the film. The film won an Oscar in 1992 for Best Song: "A Whole New World". Menken also won the Oscar for Best Score. Menken's live action musical film *Newsies*, with lyrics by Jack Feldman, was released in 1992.

Three more animated musical films followed. Menken collaborated with Stephen Schwartz for *Pocahontas*, for which the two won two Oscars: Best Song and Best Musical or Comedy Score. In 1996, the same musical team created the songs, and Menken, the score, for *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*. In 1997, Menken reunited with his early collaborator, David Zippel, for his last film in the era, *Hercules*.

Menken also wrote the music for the Michael J. Fox vehicle *Life with Mikey* (1993), the holiday film *Noel* (2004) and *Mirror Mirror* (2012). His other film scores for Disney have included *Home on the Range* (2004), the Tim Allen remake of *The Shaggy Dog* (2006), *Enchanted* (2007), and *Tangled* (2010).

In March 2017, Disney released a live-action adaptation of *Beauty and the Beast*, directed by Bill Condon, with the songs from the 1991 film and new material by Menken and Rice. Menken collaborated with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on writing new songs for the 2019 live-action version of *Aladdin*, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Menken is also working on new music for a live-action film adaptation of *The Little Mermaid*, directed by Rob Marshall, with longtime *The Little Mermaid* fan Lin-Manuel Miranda, whom Menken knew since the former's childhood, as Miranda went to the same school as Menken's niece. Menken will also once again be working with Stephen Schwartz to write new songs for *Disenchanted*, the sequel to *Enchanted*, and for a remake of *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*, which Menken will score. Menken is also working alongside former Disney chief creative officer John Lasseter on a project at Skydance Animation. In May 20, the project was revealed to be Vicky Jenson's *Spellbound*. Menken will co-write songs for *Spellbound* alongside Glenn Slater, with whom he worked in *Home on the Range* and *Tangled*. Menken is also reportedly attached to a sequel to *Aladdin*.

With eight Academy Awards, only composer Alfred Newman (nine wins) and Walt Disney (22 wins) have received more Oscars than Menken. He is tied for third place with late costume designer Edith Head, and currently holds the record for the most wins for a living person.[*citation needed*]

### Return to musical theatre

Menken debuted on Broadway with a musical theatre adaptation of *Beauty and the Beast* that opened in 1994 and ran for 13 years before closing in 2007. In 1997, he collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical, *King David*, based on the biblical character, which was performed in a concert version on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. *Little Shop of Horrors* played on Broadway from 2003 to 2004.

He next created the stage version of *The Little Mermaid*, which played on Broadway from 2008 to 2009 and for which he received a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Score. Menken's stage adaptation of *Sister Act* premiered in London in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011. He was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Score. Menken received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. In December 2010, he was a guest on the *NPR* quiz show *Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!*.

In 2012, Menken won a Tony Award for Best Score for his musical adaptation of *Newsies*, which ran until 2014. He also wrote the music for *Leap of Faith*, which had a brief run on Broadway in 2012. His stage adaptation of *Aladdin* opened on Broadway in 2014, earning him another Tony nomination for Best Score. In 2013, he was a guest at the annual Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and was honored with the Junior Theater Festival Award. He gave a concert there, including music that was cut from various productions, while talking about his creative process.[*citation needed*]

Menken's stage adaptation of *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* played at La Jolla Playhouse, California, in 2014. *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz* was revived in Montreal in 2015, and *A Bronx Tale: The Musical* played at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2016. Menken is currently working on a stage musical adaptation of *Night at the Museum*.

As of 2014 Menken was composing a new musical based on the 1994 film *Corrina, Corrina,* with lyrics by Brian Yorkey and book by Jessie Nelson (writer of the film's screenplay) for singer/actress Audra McDonald. As of 2019, Menken is reuniting with his *Newsies* creators Jack Feldman and Harvey Fierstein to develop a new musical called *Greetings From Niagara Falls*. A reading was held in January 2019; however, there is no word on future plans for the project at this time.

### Television work

From 1989 to 1990, Menken and Howard Ashman wrote songs for the popular puppet TV show *Sesame Street*. In 2008, Menken said that his work on *Sesame Street* was "pathetic money, but it still had some prestige to it. It was on the air and [he] was getting some royalties". The duo also wrote a song titled "Wonderful Ways to Say No" for the 1990 animated anti-drug special *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue*.

In 2015, Menken co-composed the score for the musical television series *Galavant* alongside Christopher Lennertz, reuninting him with *Tangled* screenwriter Dan Fogelman. Menken also co-wrote songs for the series alongside Glenn Slater. The series lasted two seasons, first airing on January 4, 2015, and last airing on January 31, 2016. In 2017, Menken and Slater returned to write songs for the animated series *Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure*, which is set after the events of *Tangled*. The series ended in 2020, after three seasons. On July 26, 2020, Menken and Slater won the Daytime Emmy Award for Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for the song titled "Waiting in the Wings".

Menken is currently writing songs for a prequel/spin-off series to 2017's *Beauty and the Beast* titled *Little Town*, which will be centered on Gaston and LeFou. The series will be released on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.

## Personal life

Menken met the ballet dancer Janis Roswick while working with the Downtown Ballet Company. They have been married since November 1972 and live in North Salem, New York. They have two daughters, Anna Menken and Nora Menken.

## Musicals

* *Dear Worthy Editor* (Off-Broadway, c.1974)
 Book by Judy Menken
Based on the letters-to-the-editor of Jewish-American newspaper Daily Jewish Forward
* *God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater* (Off-Broadway, 1979)
Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Based on a 1965 novel by Kurt Vonnegut
* *Little Shop of Horrors* (Off-Broadway, 1982; West End, 1983; Broadway, 2003)
Lyrics by Ashman
Based on the 1960 black comedy film
* *Weird Romance* (Off-Broadway, 1992)
Lyrics by David Spencer
Two one-act musical: Based on "Her Pilgrim Soul" and "The Girl Who Was Plugged In"
* *Beauty and the Beast* (Broadway, 1994; West End, 1997)
Lyrics by Ashman and Tim Rice
Based on the 1991 Disney film
* *A Christmas Carol* (Madison Square Garden, 1994-2003)
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Perennial holiday musical based on 1843 novella by Charles Dickens
* *King David* (Broadway, 1997)
Lyrics by Rice
Based on the Biblical books of Samuel, 1 Chronicles and Psalms
* *Der Glöckner von Notre Dame* (Berlin, 1999)
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Based on the Disney film and the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo
* *The Little Mermaid* (Broadway, 2008)
Lyrics by Ashman and Glenn Slater
Based on the Disney film
* *Sister Act* (West End, 2009; Broadway, 2011)
Lyrics by Slater
Based on the 1992 comedy film
* *Leap of Faith* (Broadway, 2012)
Lyrics by Slater
Based on the 1992 film
* *Newsies* (Paper Mill Playhouse, 2011; Broadway, 2012)
Lyrics by Jack Feldman
Based on the 1992 film
* *Aladdin* (Seattle, 2011; Broadway, 2014)
Lyric by Ashman, Rice and Chad Beguelin
Based on the 1992 film
* *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (La Jolla Playhouse, 2014)
Lyrics by Schwartz
Based on the 1996 film and the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo
* *The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz* (Montreal, 2015)
Lyrics by Spencer
Based on the 1959 novel by Mordecai Richler
* *A Bronx Tale: The Musical* (Broadway, 2016)
Lyrics by Slater
Based on the 1990 autobiographical one-man play by Chazz Palminteri
* *Hercules* (Central Park, 2019)
Lyrics by David Zippel
Based on the 1997 Disney film

### Other

* *Aladdin, Jr.* - 1-act, 7-scene musical adapted from the animated film *Aladdin* 1992
* *Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage* - Theatrical show at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World
* *Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular* - Theatrical show at Disney California Adventure Park
* *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* - Theatrical show at Disney's MGM Studios, Walt Disney World
* *The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure* - Attraction at Disney California Adventure Park
* *Sindbad's Storybook Voyage* featuring "Compass of Your Heart" - Attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disney Resort
* Dramatists Guild of America YouTube Channel music video featuring "Someone Wrote That Song"
* *Tangled: The Musical* - Theatrical show on the Disney Cruise Line (starting November 2015)
* Dubai Parks and Resorts*'*s official theme song "All the Wonders of the Universe" (opening October 2016)
* Boston's Independence Day 2017 celebration featuring "The Sum of Us" for soloist, chorus, and orchestra

## Awards

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Alan Menken
Alan Menken has received eight Academy Awards, eleven Grammy Awards, one Tony Award, and one Daytime Emmy Award. He has also received seven Golden Globe Awards, one Drama Desk Award, and two Outer Critics Awards.

He was made a Disney Legend in 2002 and was the recipient of a Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award in 1998, a Freddie G. Award for Musical Excellence in 2013, and The Oscar Hammerstein Award in 2013, among others.

The American Film Institute included the title song from the film *Beauty and the Beast*, in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. Five other songs from his Disney films were nominated:

* "Under the Sea" from *The Little Mermaid* (1989)
* "Be Our Guest" from *Beauty and the Beast* (1991)
* "Belle" from *Beauty and the Beast* (1991)
* "A Whole New World" from *Aladdin* (1992)
* "Friend Like Me" from *Aladdin* (1992)

In 2006, AFI listed its 25 greatest movie musicals, with *Beauty and the Beast* (1991) ranked 22nd. It is the only animated musical film on the list. Four of his other film musicals were also nominated:

* *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986)
* *The Little Mermaid* (1989)
* *Aladdin* (1992)
* *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996)

In 2019, Menken finally accepted the Razzie Award for "Worst Original Song" he won at the 13th Golden Raspberry Awards (1993) for "High Times, Hard Times" from *Newsies* (1992), becoming the first person to win a Razzie and Oscar in the same year. Menken wrote the music for the song, and shared the award with lyricist Jack Feldman.

In 2020, Menken reached EGOT status when he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for co-writing the song "Waiting in the Wings" for *Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure*.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Alan Menken Discography at Discogs". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nordyke, Kimberly (26 July 2020). "Alan Menken Achieves EGOT Status With Daytime Emmy Win". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Timeline. Official Site" Archived 2019-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, Alanmenken.com, accessed February 19, 2016
4. ↑ "Alan Menken Biography (1949–)", FilmReference.com, accessed August 27, 2011
5. ↑ "He's a Guest: Composer Alan Menken Shares Thoughts at BMI Master Class - Playbill". *Playbill*.
6. ↑ "Alan Menken: Year Inducted 2001", Disney Legends, D23.com, accessed February 19, 2016
7. ↑ ""Bouree" composition and comments from contest judges" Archived 2018-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, Alanmenken.com
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Klein, Alvin. "Theater: Composer Finds His Niche in Life", *The New York Times*, July 27, 1986, accessed February 19, 2016
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Alan Menken biography", *The New York Times*, accessed February 19, 2016
10. ↑ "10 Questions With Alan and Anna Rose Menken", BMI.com, May 22, 2013, accessed February 19, 2016
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Jones, Kenneth. "He's a Guest: Composer Alan Menken Shares Thoughts at BMI Master Class", *Playbill*, December 18, 1998
12. ↑ "Biography, 1972-1980" Archived 2019-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, Alanmenken.com, accessed February 19, 2016
13. ↑ Wilson, John S. "Someday, Maybe on Broadway, But for Now They Are in SoHo", *The New York Times*, October 13, 1976, p. 33
14. ↑ Wilson, John S. "Menken and Ellen March Play", *The New York Times*, November 3, 1977, p. 71
15. ↑ Dietz, Dan. "Present Tense", *Off Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007: Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception*, McFarland, 2010, ISBN: 0786457317, p. 362
16. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Revue. *Real Life Funnies*", *The New York Times*, February 12, 1981, accessed February 19, 2016
17. ↑ Rich, Frank. "Stage. 'Personal' Musical Comedy", *The New York Times*, November 25, 1985, accessed February 19, 2016
18. ↑ Gussow, Mel. "Cabaret: *Patch*, a Revue With Cheer for Over 30's: Life Passes", *The New York Times*, August 16, 1979, p. C14
19. ↑ Jay, Bernard. "Briefly Not the Bitch", *Not Simply Divine*, Simon and Schuster (1994), p. 87, ISBN: 0671884670
20. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. ""Howard Sings Ashman" CDs Will Feature Demos From Smile, Babe, Mermaid and More", *Playbill*, October 10, 2008, accessed February 20, 2016
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Suskin, Steven. "Alan Menken", *Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadways Major Composers*, Oxford University Press (2010), pp. 356–359, ISBN: 019974209X
22. ↑ Tepper, Jennifer. "Only Ran a Minute! 10 Forgotten Musicals Due For a Revival" Archived 2015-09-04 at the Wayback Machine, *Playbill*, May 2, 2015, accessed February 19, 2016
23. ↑ "*The Line* Details", *The New York Times*, accessed February 20, 2016
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Gussow, Mel. "Stage: *God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater*: In Vonnegut Land", *The New York Times*, May 21, 1979, p. C14
25. ↑ Corry, John. "Broadway: The Phoenix's place in the city's theatrical life", *The New York Times*, August 17, 1979, p. C2
26. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Menken & Ashman's *God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater* Gets NYC Concert March 7", *Playbill*, March 6, 2003, accessed February 18, 2016
27. ↑ "*God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater* Listing", Lortel.org, accessed February 18, 2016
28. ↑ Vonnegut, Kurt. "Script" Kurt Vonnegut's *God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater*, Samuel French, Inc., 1980, ISBN: 0573681252, pp. 3-4
29. ↑ "Menken Biography" Archived 2017-01-29 at the Wayback Machine, Songwritershalloffame.org, accessed February 22, 2016
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Viagas, Robert. "Alan Menken-David Spencer Musical *Duddy Kravitz* Will Get Another Chance in Montreal", *Playbill*, March 28, 2014
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Cast Set for World Premiere of Alan Menken Musical *Duddy Kravitz* in Montreal", BroadwayWorld.com, March 10, 2015
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Gussow, Mel. "Review/Theater; Nearby Science Fiction In a Musical of 2 Parts", *The New York Times*, June 23, 1992
33. ↑ Richards, David. "Theater Review. *A Christmas Carol*; A Famous Miser, Tiny Tim and a Tap-Dancing Chorus", *The New York Times*, December 2, 1994, accessed February 18, 2016
34. ↑ "Show History", MTIshows.com, accessed February 18, 2016
35. ↑ "1989 Yearly Box Office for G-Rated Movies". *Box Office Mojo*. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 "Menken Academy Awards" Archived 2008-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, Awardsdatabase.oscars.org, accessed February 19, 2016
37. ↑ *Hercules*, TCM.com, accessed February 19, 2016
38. ↑ Rainer, Peter. "A Fox Steals the Show in Too-Cute *Life*", *Los Angeles Times*, June 4, 1993, accessed February 18, 2016
39. ↑ Demonte, Adena. *Noel*, *Film Monthly*, December 1, 2004, accessed February 18, 2016
40. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Alan Menken: *Mirror Mirror* (Soundtrack)", AllMusic, accessed February 18, 2016
41. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 16, 2015). "Disney's Live-Action *Beauty and the Beast* Set for March 17, 2017". *Variety*. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
42. ↑ "Alan Menken Talks Live-Action Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Young Lin-Manuel Miranda". *Make It Better - Family, Food, Finances & Philanthropy*. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
43. ↑ "VIDEO: Pasek & Paul to Team with Menken on Live-Action ALADDIN; Miranda Confirmed for LITTLE MERMAID". *Broadway World*.
44. ↑ Lee, Ashley (March 14, 2017). "'Beauty and the Beast' Composer Alan Menken on Rediscovering Lost Lyrics and Why He's "Shutting Up" About That Gay Character". *Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
45. ↑ Christina Radish (March 7, 2018). "Adam Shankman on 'Step Up: High Water' and The Status of the 'Enchanted' Sequel". *Collider*. Retrieved April 30, 2018. As planned right now, there's more singing and dancing than there was in the first one, and it's all original music, with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz coming back to do it.
46. ↑ April May, Rebecca (May 20, 2019). "Disney legend Alan Menken talks about updating Aladdin and the movie he thinks won't get remade". *Digital Spy*. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 Talk Back with Alan Menken (2020)
48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 Giranda, Carolyn (May 20, 2020). "Alan Menken to Compose Original Songs and Score for Skydance Animation's 'Spellbound'". *Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Taylor, Drew (July 27, 2020). "Composer Alan Menken Achieves EGOT Status with Daytime Emmy Win". *Collider*. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
50. ↑ Disney Legends – Alan Menken, Disney Legends, D23.com, accessed February 19, 2016
51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 "Alan Menken", Internet Broadway Database, accessed February 17, 2016
52. ↑ "2011 Tony Nominations Announced!" BroadwayWorld.com, May 3, 2011
53. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Alan Menken to Be Honored with Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame" Archived 2010-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, *Playbill*, November 8, 2010
54. ↑ "*Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!* for December 18, 2010", NPR.org, accessed February 18, 2016
55. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "2013 Junior Theater Festival to Feature Newsies Cast, Alan Menken, Thomas Schumacher, Jeff Calhoun and More", *Playbill*, January 7, 2013
56. ↑ "Patrick Page, Michael Arden, Ciara Renee & More to Lead *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* at La Jolla Playhouse!". *BroadwayWorld.com*. September 4, 2014.
57. ↑ "Paper Mill Season Will Feature Can-Can, Hunchback, Ever After, Vanya and Sonia and More". playbill.com. February 26, 2014. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
58. ↑ The Verdict: Critics Review 'Bronx Tale: The Musical'", *Playbill*, February 17, 2016
59. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Alan Menken Writing *Corinna, Corinna* Musical for Audra McDonald", *Playbill*, December 11, 2014
60. ↑ "Shoshana Bean, Bonnie Milligan, Terrance Mann, Nancy Opel Lead Reading of *Greetings From Niagara Falls* From The Creative Team Of Newsies" broadwayworld.com, January 22, 2019
61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 *Street Gang*. Michael Davis. New York, Penguin Group. 2008. p. 269
62. ↑ Alan Menken Scores Galavant with Christopher Lennertz
63. ↑ Lloyd, Robert (January 3, 2015). "'Galavant' musical comedy on ABC is worth the short journey". *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
64. ↑ Galavant canceled by ABC after two seasons
65. ↑ Max Evry (March 8, 2016). "Tangled: Before Ever After Adds Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Tambor & More". *Coming Soon*. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
66. ↑ "Today marks the end of a wonderful journey. @tangledseriestv just aired it's last episode"
67. ↑ Daytime Emmys [@DaytimeEmmys] (July 26, 2020). "The #DaytimeEmmys Award in Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program goes to...Waiting in the Wings @tangledseries @DisneyChannel @SlaterLyrics @AIMenken" (Tweet). Retrieved July 27, 2020 – via Twitter.
68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 Drew Taylor (July 31, 2020). "Alan Menken Accidentally Reveals the Title of the Disney+ Gaston Show". *Collider*. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
69. ↑ "Westchester Fall Arts Preview: Theater" westchestermagazine.com, Retrieved 2014-10-02.
70. ↑ "Dan Lund Animates 'Aria for a Cow' | Animation World Network". *Awn.com*. 2013-11-22. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
71. ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (January 16, 2019). "Disney Rings 'Hunchback' Bell: David Henry Hwang To Script Live Action Musical, Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz Writing Music". *Deadline*. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
72. ↑ "Tangled: Before Ever After Adds More Voice Cast". 8 March 2016.
73. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "De Niro and Zaks Pick Jason Gotay, Nick Cordero, Richard H. Blake to Star in 'Bronx Tale: The Musical'", *Playbill*, December 18, 2015
74. ↑ Geier, Thom (September 2, 2019). "'Hercules' Theater Review: Can Disney's Animated Hero Go the Distance to Broadway?". *The Wrap*. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
75. ↑ "AFI's GREATEST MOVIE MUSICALS" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-02-23.
76. ↑ *Alan Menken Humbly Accepts His Razzie!*, retrieved 2020-03-21
77. ↑ "The Razzies!". *The Razzies!*. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
78. ↑ Montgomery, Daniel (July 26, 2020). "Alan Menken is 16th person to achieve EGOT with his Daytime Emmy win for 'Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure'". *Gold Derby*. Retrieved July 27, 2020.

## Further reading

* Disney Biography of Menken
* Menken, Alan. at the Wayback Machine (archived October 19, 2007) Britannica Book of the Year, 1997. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
* Interview with Alan Menken, theartsdesk.com. Posted May 16, 2010.

## External links

* Alan Menken at the Internet Broadway Database
* Internet Off-Broadway database Listing
* MusicalTalk interview with Alan Menken
* Alan Menken on IMDb
* The Whole New World of Alan Menken
* Alan Menken: "Beauty and the Beast captures the magic of Disney animations and brings it to the stage"  Alan Menken in Barcelona's Beauty and the Beast

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