Alan Menken News

Just in!  BroadwayWorld and The Muny present a first look at Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which is running through August 7, 2015. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, this beloved family classic is directed by Matt Lenz, choreographed by Vince Pesce and music directed by Ben Whiteley.  Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

ALADDIN will officially fly into the West End in Summer 2016.

Take a trip under the sea with Theatre Under The Star's production of Disney's The Little Mermaid! Presented by the New Orleans Theatre Association, this fun-filled, timeless tale will play Sept. 15 - 20 at theSaenger Theatre as part of the East Jefferson General Hospital Broadway in New Orleans 2015 - 2016 season.

Each year The MUNY makes it a point to present a full-blown musical that's aimed at the younger set. This year it's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which was given the patented Disney treatment when adapted for the stage from their own 1991 animated film. So, it retains plenty of the elements that made the film so successful, while also featuring some additional songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, some of which were cut from the movie. There's no denying the appeal of this material, and it's a perfect way to introduce kids to the wonders of live theatre in such a lovely setting, and on such a grand scale.

The Muny's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast begins tonight, July 29, and runs through August 7, 2015. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, this beloved family classic is directed by Matt Lenz, choreographed by Vince Pesce and music directed by Ben Whiteley.

Geva Theatre Center announces that Tony Award Nominee Hunter Foster will play the role of King Arthur, and his wife, Rochester-born Jennifer Cody, will play Arthur's sidekick Patsy in the opening production of the theatre's 43rd Season - the Tony Award-winning hit musical, Monty Python's Spamalot by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, in the Wilson Stage September 9 - October 11.

ALADDIN star Courtney Reed left the warm breezes of Agrabah for the cold winds of Arendelle in an all-new music video she made as a tribute to her sister and nieces.

Theatre by the Sea continues its 2015 season with a colorful and thoroughly enjoyable production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. With ocean breezes only steps from the theater doors, Matunuck's stage is the perfect host for this tale of undersea kingdoms, fairy-tale adventures, and the power of true love.

To prepare for Disney Channel's new TANGLED animated series, arriving in 2017, the network just unveiled an all-emoji version of the classic film. Below, join emoji-fied versions of Rapunzel, Flynn, Mother Gothel, and the rest of the TANGLED cast as they retell the story of Disney's TANGLED!

Theatre By The Sea's production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID runs now through August 15, 2015. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced that single tickets for its groundbreaking 2015-2016 season will go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 3, 2015.  Season subscriptions are already on sale and subscribers can already purchase additional single tickets.  Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org. 

Gyllenhaal chatted about making his musical debut as hapless florist shop worker Seymour Krelborn in the Encores! Off-Center concert production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Last night at the New Amsterdam Theatre, home to Disney's Tony Award®-winning hit musical Aladdin, the show welcomed its one millionth guest since beginning performances on Broadway on February 26, 2014.

HAMILTON's Lin-Manuel Miranda and company honored birthday boy Alan Menken with a tribute to Broadway's NEWSIES during tonight's lottery. Click below to watch them sing and dance (NEWSIES-style) to 'The World Will Know'!

Happy Birthday Alan Menken! For Disney, Menken has scored The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas, each of which won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Enchanted, and Tangled. Menken has collaborated on several occasions with lyricists including Howard Ashman,Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz. On Broadway, Menken has composed for The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors, King David, Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, Leap of Faith, and Newsies. His most recent Broadway project, Aladdin, is currently playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

The Walt Disney Studios offers an exclusive look at its upcoming projects from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm at D23 EXPO 2015, taking place August 14–16 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Bill Hanney's award winning Theatre By The Sea (TBTS) is set to take family audiences on an underwater musical adventure with a spectacular musical production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. This highly anticipated theatrical event starts today, July 22, and plays through Saturday, August 15. Press night is scheduled for Friday, July 24 at 8:00pm.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: Taye Diggs steps into HEDWIG's stilettos, AMERICAN IDIOT and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD open in London, JOHN begins off-Broadway, Valerie Harper returns to the stage, and more!

Take a trip under the sea with Theatre Under The Stars' production of Disney's The Little Mermaid. This fun-filled, timeless tale makes its Minneapolis debut at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre (910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis) October 8-18, 2015, as part of the 2015-2016 Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin Season. Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased in person (no service fees) at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Center.

This week at 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.