Alan Menken News

It all starts very simple. A steady piano, a lilting flute. A young woman descending a staircase in the ballgown of every little girl's dreams, meeting her intended at the base. They beam at one another; she curtsies, he bows. As the iconic voice of Angela Lansbury enters the equation through an enchanted teapot, infusing the sequence with warmth and wisdom, the woman and her very unlikely suitor enter the ballroom. Finally having learned to ignore their differences, the two sway and twirl their way into happily ever after.

After a special evening, where Lansbury performed the titular classic 'Beauty and the Beast' with Alan Menken accompanying her on the piano, she sat down with BroadwayWorld to chat about the impact of the film. 

American Theatre magazine, published by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), has released its annual October Season Preview issue, which includes lists of the Top 10 Most-Produced Plays and Top 20 Most-Produced Playwrights for the coming season. Robert Askins' Hand to God will be the most-produced play, with 13 total productions, and August Wilson will be the most-produced playwright, with 18 total productions.

Little Shop of Horrors at Playhouse on Park will present an exclusive Tuesday matinee with specially priced seating on Tuesday, September 27 at 2pm.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of 'Beauty and the Beast,' Walt Disney Studios and the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented an exclusive screening of the beloved animated classic at Alice Tully Hall. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you interviews with original stars Angela Lansbury, Paige O'Hara and more, composer Alan Menken, and fellow musical theatre writers Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez!

John Barrowman has been confirmed as the performing emcee for the European premiere of Disney's Broadway Hits at the Royal Albert Hall next month, as a small number of extra tickets are released for this hugely popular show.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT opened the first show of its 2016-2017 season, the Los Angeles premiere production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Peter Parnell, musical direction by Dennis Castellano, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Glenn Casale.  THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is running through Sunday, October 9, 2016 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.   BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the opening night celebration below!

Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to give you a sneak peek of the new book, with a look at: The Edison Theatre...

Portland Center Stage at The Armory's 2016-2017 season kicks off with the hilarious and rockin' sci-fi musical, Little Shop of Horrors, based on the film by Roger Corman, with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. The demonic plant opens on September 16; and performances run through October 16. Bill Fennelly directs a cast featuring Nick Cearley, Gina Milo, Jamison Stern, Chaz Rose, David Meyers, Ebony Blake, Johari Nandi and Alexis Tidwell.

Just announced, four-time Tony Award Nominee Judy Kuhn (Fun Home, She Loves Me, Chess, Les Miserables) will join the cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Golde.

One of the biggest thrills I get as a theatre reviewer is to experience a show that I love in a new light, and to discover things about it that I never noticed before, no matter how many times I may have seen it. This was my experience viewing the first production in Playhouse on Park's eighth season, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

EMMY host Jimmy Kimmel and surprise guest Matt Damon continued their long-running on-air feud on last night's live broadcast just moments after it was announced that Kimmel would not be the recipient of the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Series. 

Below, check out the complete list of wins by program and network, including the Creative Arts Awards

Victor Hugo's monumental romantic/gothic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published in 1831, centers in, around and on top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. So does the new musical of the same name written by Peter Parnell, Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, which received its U.S. premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in 2014 and is currently receiving its Los Angeles premiere at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Stephen Gifford's set replete with stained glass windows, balcony and overhanging bells is scaled down from the original but still impressive and pulls you in effectively to another world, the ethereal realm of a higher power. Catholic boy that I am, every kyrie eleison exuded by the resounding chorus moved me to tears.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, September 18, 2016 - Sunday, September 18, 2016.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of 'Beauty and the Beast,' The Walt Disney Studios and the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented an exclusive screening of the beloved animated classic at Alice Tully Hall. It was here, in September 1991, that a work-in-progress version of 'Beauty and the Beast' was first screened at the New York Film Festival -- and received a standing ovation. This 'tale as old as time' went on to break ground as the first animated feature film to receive an Academy Award® nomination, and twenty-five years later audiences of all ages continue to fall in love with this enchanting tale, its captivating characters and unforgettable, award-winning music score and original song, 'Beauty and the Beast.'

Today's big news: Laura Benanti, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Andrew Rannells and more gather for Honest Accomplice Theatre's celebrity game night benefit!

Tonight, The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Disney presented a 25th anniversary screening of Disney's award-winning animated film BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Below, watch video of legendary actress Lansbury performing the film's title song at the event, accompanied by the song's composer, Alan Menken.

It took several different cars, a limo, and even a dragon to get Jimmy Kimmel to his hosting gig at the 68th Annual Emmy Awards, but with help from the likes of James Corden, Jeb! Bush, and Khaleesi herself, the comedian finally made it to work in one piece.