Alan Menken News

Chicagoland audiences will rejoice with The Marriott Theatre's first mainstage production of their 2016 Subscription Season, the heavenly Broadway musical comedy, SISTER ACT, previewing February 10, opening February 17 and running through April 3 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire.  Featuring a sparkling score by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winner Alan Menken, with lyrics by Grammy Award-winner Glenn Slater, the hilarious and joyful musical is based on the hit Whoopi Goldberg film of the same name. Director Don Stephenson (Titanic at Lincoln Center, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and Lend Me A Tenor at Paper Mill Playhouse, Guys And Dolls at Goodspeed Opera House) makes his Marriott Theatre directorial debut with the five-time Tony-nominated musical, featuring choreography by Melissa Zaremba (Marriott's La Cage aux Folles) and musical direction by Jeff Award-winner Doug Peck (Marriott's Dreamgirls and Fiddler on the Roof).

Disney's Tony Award-winning smash hit musical NEWSIES is coming to Omaha's Orpheum Theater Tuesday, February 16, for a limited engagement of six days through Sunday, February 21. NEWSIES is presented by Omaha Performing Arts as part of its Broadway series. Tickets start at $40 each and are available at the Ticket Omaha Box Office inside the Holland Performing Arts Center, 12th and Douglas streets, online at TicketOmaha.com; or by phone 402.345.0606. Group orders may be placed by calling 402.661.8516.

Just in!  A BroadwayWorld Exclusive!  We have a first look at Cleveland Play House's (CPH)humorous and heartfelt production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hearkening back to its very first productions in 1915 that featured sophisticated marionettes, CPH is bringing the cheeky and blood-thirsty plant Audrey II to life in a production that will be every vocal coach's dream - and every hemophobic's worst nightmare!  Check out the cast in action below!

Ben Vereen, Debbie Gravitte, and Scott Coulter celebrate the incredible songbook of a legendary Broadway composer and lyricist in Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu on February 2 at 8 p.m.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, January 10, 2016 - Sunday, January 10, 2016.

A Pulitzer Prize award-winning classic musical, a suspenseful stage adaptation from the story that inspired a legendary Hitchcock film, the hysterical recipient of the 2013 Tony award for Best Play, and one of the most popular musical comedies ever written make up the 2016 Huron Playhouse season.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal will present KIDS SING THE DARNDEST THINGS on January 17, 2016.

Squeals of delight and blood-curdling screams of fright will fill the Allen Theatre as Cleveland Play House's (CPH) Centennial Season continues with a humorous and heartfelt production of Little Shop of Horrors. Hearkening back to its very first productions in 1915 that featured sophisticated marionettes, CPH is bringing the cheeky and blood-thirsty plant Audrey II to life in a production that will be every vocal coach's dream - and every hemophobic's worst nightmare!

Broadway Star Adam Jacobs was part of an epic new medley featuring the Broadway casts of ALADDIN and THE LION KING.

New Musicals at 54 is a series presented by Feinstein's/ 54 Below Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Some of the 10 new and diverse musicals by a selection of today's most talented writers have had out-of-town productions, some have had workshops... now's your chance to be first to see them in NYC! Join us at New Musicals at 54 for one-night-only concerts celebrating each new show with songs, behind-the-scenes stories, and all-star casts!

Broadway in Indianapolis, presenting Disney's NEWSIES at Clowes Memorial Hall March 15-20, and IndyStar have partnered to create a unique student journalism contest.  The top three winners will have the chance to interview cast members of NEWISES before the March 15 opening, attend a journalism "story pitch and editing" session with IndyStar arts reporter Wei-Huan Chen and other Star reporters and editors, get their work published in the IndyStar and/or IndyStar.com, and receive tickets to opening night on March 15 and have a chance to meet cast. 

The cast of Broadway's The Lion King and ALADDIN joined forces on this morning's Good Morning America to perform an epic brand new medley. Check out the appearance in full below!

California Musical Theatre and BroadwayWorld bring you the 2016 lineup for Sacramento Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 66th season for the venerable institution. The season includes four shows that have never been produced at Music Circus: The smash hit musical comedy Legally Blonde, based on the hilarious film starring Reese Witherspoon; the family favorite Seussical, a journey through the witty and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss; Nice Work If You Can Get It, the song-and-dance spectacular filled with the music of George and Ira Gershwin; and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a brand new musical exploring the dark themes of the epic novel while featuring the beautiful music of the animated Disney film. The 2016 Music Circus season will also feature two shows that are all-time patron favorites, the irresistible musical theatre gem Hello, Dolly! and the Tony-winning Kander and Ebb classic Cabaret.

Jamie Wilson is delighted to announce that Alexandra Burke will star as 'Deloris Van Cartier' in the national tour of Curve's all new production of the hit musical comedy SISTER ACT, directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood with musical supervision and arrangements by Tony award-winning Sarah Travis. SISTER ACT will open at Curve on Saturday 30 July 2016. Tour schedule below with further dates and full casting to be announced shortly. Check out a sneak peek below!

Broadway is appearing all over morning shows this season, and we love it! Catch Disney's hit Broadway productions of ALADDIN and THE LION KING performing a brand new medley of songs from both shows on 'Good Morning America' tomorrow, Friday, January 8th, 2016. Be sure to set your DVR, and BWW will bring you clips as soon as we have them!

Today in 2008, The Little Mermaid opened at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 685 performances. The Little Mermaid is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The musical's book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman (written for the film) and new lyrics by Glenn Slater. The musical had a pre-Broadway tryout in Denver, Colorado in July through early September 2007. The original cast featured Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternate as Flounder, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and John Treacy Egan as Chef Louis.

The Milwaukee engagement of Disney's NEWSIES begins performances at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts tonight, January 5 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 10.

Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre is proud to present Disney's The Little Mermaid with Book by Doug Wright, Music by  Alan Menken, and Lyrics by  Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, January 3, 2016 - Sunday, January 3, 2016.

No one is ever going to confuse ABC's medieval song and dance event GALAVANT for top-notch musical comedy, but after a promising, yet uneven, first season, this delightfully silly show has hit its stride in Season 2 capitalizing on what made it a modest, surprise success in 2015. The second season, which premieres tonight at 8:00pm ET, seems to have found a far more consistent sense of humor allowing it to fully realize the RIDICULOUSNESS that each character and actor is capable of bringing to the table. For the next five weeks, ABC will air two 30-minute episodes every Sunday, each featuring original songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. While this is not exactly the typical Sunday night prestige programming, it is a delightful diversion before TV gets back to being serious for February Sweeps.