Alan Menken News

The Hollywood Bowl will go under the sea this summer! According to Billboard, Sara Bareilles and Rebel Wilson will lead The Little Mermaid as Ariel and Ursula respectively. Other cast members will include John Stamos as Chef Louis, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian and Darren Criss as Prince Eric.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein will welcome the four-time Tony Award nominee, Judy Kuhn, to Feinstein's at the Nikko for two performances of her acclaimed show, Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel, on Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 4 at 7 p.m.

Casting has been announced for the Seattle engagement of Disney's NEWSIES.   The Tony Award-winning production will begin performances at The Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, April 26 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 1.

Grammy Award winning Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records - the premiere force in theater music and cast recordings - have added a slew of new performers to its all-star concert to celebrate the label's landmark "Sweet 16" Birthday on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 PM.

Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel today announced casting for the Encores! production of Do I Hear a Waltz?, the romantic, rarely-seen 1965 musical that marked the only collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim. Do I Hear a Waltz? will star Claybourne Elder, Melissa Errico, Sarah Hunt, Zachary Infante, Cass Morgan, Richard Poe, Michael Rosen, Sarah Stiles, and Richard Troxell. The ensemble includes Kristine Bendul, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Jenny Laroche, Jennifer Locke, Nathan Madden, Skye Mattox, Devin Roberts, Manny Stark, and Alex Wong.

Paper Mill Playhouse is hosting its largest fundraising event of the year, the Paper Mill Playhouse Gala on Friday, May 6, at the renowned Hilton Short Hills. The reception and silent auction begin at 6:00pm followed by dinner and dancing featuring The Eddie Bruce Band. 

Disney's Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical, will convert its in-person lottery into a digital lottery for a limited number of $30 tickets to every performance via AladdinTheMusical.com/lottery.

Sanctuary! BroadwayWorld has confirmed La Mirada Theatre's 2016-17 lineup, kicking off with THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

The Sacramento premiere of Disney's NEWSIES opens Tuesday, April 12 at 8:00 PM at the Community Center Theater for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 17. In Sacramento, NEWSIES will play Tuesday and Wednesday at 8:00 PM; Thursday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM; Friday at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM; and Sunday at 2:00 PM.

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway in Columbus (BIC) today announced the 2016-17 PNC Broadway in Columbus season. The five-show season boasts four productions never before seen in Columbus including Tony Award-winning Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Bodyguard, and the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. The 2016-17 lineup also includes a brand new, Tony Award-winning production of Roundabout Theatre Company's Cabaret.

Music Theatre of Connecticut MainStage, Fairfield County's award-winning professional theatre company, concludes its 2015/2016 season with the Drama Desk Award winning  'The Last Five Years' by Jason Robert Brown. Performances are April 8-24, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm, at Music Theatre of Connecticut, 509 Westport Avenue (behind Nine West) in Norwalk, CT. Tickets range from $35-$55 and are available by calling 203.454.3883 or visiting www.musictheatreofct.com

Audiences at tonight's preview of WAITRESS got to see a very special performance when part of the set for the diner stopped working. While the show was paused so that the crew could make the necessary adjustments - the show's Grammy nominated composer/lyricist Sara Bareilles got on stage to sing a cut song from the show as well as 'Part of Your World' - a Disney classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

Theatreworks USA will continue its 2016 weekend family performance series this Sunday April 3rd, with Henry and Mudge? was adapted by bookwriter/lyricist Kait Kerrigan and composer/lyricist Brian Lowdermilk (Jonathan Larson Award-winners) and is based on the best-selling books by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. Henry and Mudge premiered Off-Broadway in July 2006 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. This 60-minute musical is recommended for ages 4 and up.

Casting has been announced for the San Jose engagement of Disney's NEWSIES. The Tony Award-winning production will begin performances at the Center for the Performing Arts (255 Almaden Blvd.) on Tuesday, May 10 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 15.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) presents Sister Act, Broadway's feel-good musical comedy at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center April 8-24.  Based on the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg hit film, written by Joseph Howard, the five-time Tony nominated Broadway sensation features an award winning creative team with original score and music by composer Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Newsies, Little Shop Of Horrors), lyrics by Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Tangled), book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (Cheers), additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed ).  The reinvented musical adaptation is filled with heavenly music with a disco beat, outrageous dancing and a truly moving story that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!  Tickets are now on sale at www.musical.org or by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4.  Tickets start at $20.

Below, check out Natalie and Al's preparation for their Broadway debuts as well as video from the actual performance!

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway in Columbus (BIC) today announced the 2016-17 PNC Broadway in Columbus season. The five-show season boasts four productions never before seen in Columbus including Tony® Award-winning Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Bodyguard, and the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. The 2016-17 lineup also includes a brand new, Tony® Award-winning production of Roundabout Theatre Company's Cabaret.

Dive on in with the dazzling cast of Dallas Summer Musicals' production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID! The fun-filled, timeless tale will play at the Music Hall at Fair Park March 11-27, 2016, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. This colorful production will make its Fort Worth debut at Bass Performance Hall March 29 - April 3, 2016, presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth.

Disney's Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical, is now in its third smash year on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street). Adam Sandler attended the musical over Easter weekend and posed for a picture backstage with stars Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart (Genie). Check it out below!

Academy Award nominated actor, screenwriter and producer, Chazz Palminteri, will be joining Broadway Theatre Project's 2016 season for the first time as a guest artist. Gianna Palminteri, Chazz' wife, writer, actor, producer and vocal technique teacher, will also be joining Broadway Theatre Project.