A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF ALAN MENKEN Debuts at Segerstrom Center Tonight

Disney aficionados, film buffs and musical theater lovers can expect an evening like no other when eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts performing his own music and sharing entertaining anecdotes about his unrivaled career. His songs and music have thrilled audiences around the world, and now they will thrill Orange County audiences during the world premiere of his exciting new one-man-show, A Whole New World of Alan Menken, tonight, September 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Menken has garnered 19 Academy Award nominations, 11 Grammy Awards, seven Golden Globes and a Tony Award. He has been credited for introducing a whole new generation to musicals through such box office hits as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid , Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Enchanted and Tangled as well as the Broadway shows Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act, Newsies and television's Galavant.

Tickets to A Whole New World of Alan Menken start at $49 and go on sale Sunday, August 21 at 10 a.m. and will be available online at SCFTA.org, by calling (714) 556-2787 and at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, please call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236.

Alan Menken's music and lyrics have become an integral part of the fabric of our lives since his first works were produced nearly 40 years ago. His stage musicals include God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, Atina: Evil Queen of the Galaxy, Real Life Funnies, Little Shop of Horrors, Kicks, The Dream on Royal Street, Beauty and The Beast, A Christmas Carol, Weird Romance, King David, The Little Mermaid, Sister Act, Leap of Faith, Newsies, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.

Song and score credits for film musicals include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Newsies, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, The Shaggy Dog, Home on the Range, Enchanted, Tangled and Mirror Mirror. Individual songs for film include Rocky V - "The Measure of a Man," Home Alone 2: Lost in New York - "My Christmas Tree," Life With Mikey - "Cold Enough to Snow," Noel - "Winter Light" and Captain America: First Avenger - "Star Spangled Man."

Television credits include writing songs for Sesame Street, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, the ABC mini-series Lincoln, the Hallmark TV special A Christmas Carol, a musical episode of The Neighbors and the ABC series Galavant. His chart topping songs have included "Beauty and the Beast," "A Whole New World," "Colors of the Wind" and "Go the Distance." Winner of the 2012 Tony and Drama Desk awards for his score for Newsies, he has won more Academy Awards than any other living individual, including eight Oscars with four for Best Score and four for Best Song; 11 Grammy Awards (including Song of the Year for "A Whole New World"); seven Golden Globes; London's Evening Standard Award; the Olivier Award; the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award.

Other notable achievements include induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Billboard's number one single ("A Whole New World") and number one album (Pocahontas). In 2001, he received the distinction of being named a Disney Legend. He's been awarded two doctorates in Fine Arts from New York University and the North Carolina School of the Arts. In 2010, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Menken's upcoming works include a stage production of A Bronx Tale, a City Center's Encores series production of God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, a live-action film adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, a Sony animated movie titled Sausage Party, an as-yet-untitled film musical project at Universal Pictures.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution and as well as a beautiful multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School, where students ages 3 - 14 are taught by acclaimed teachers utilizing the renowned ABT National Training Curriculum in studios utilized by the world's greatest dancers and choreographers.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.

The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

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