Alan Menken News

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, began performances at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre on February 26th, 2014 for a March 20 opening. In anticipation of the big Broadway opening, we're getting acquainted with the company. In the video below, meet composer Alan Menken!

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents a thrilling afternoon of song with Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre on Sunday, March 30 at 2:00pm at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center.

"Depression is just status quo" for the residents of Skid Row, until flower shop clerk Seymour Krelborn discovers a strange and unusual plant of unknown origin. Written by the award-winning team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), this rock musical is a classic deal-with-the-devil tale with a horrifically horticultural twist.

The Brand Signature Series at Aurora Theatre continues with The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown by New York's best young composers, Kait Kerrigan and Brain Lowdermilk. The show runs tonight, March 13 through April 6, 2014.

Disney's Aladdin, a new musical comedy based on the Academy Award®-winning animated film, is currently in previews at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, prior to opening on March 20th. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award® and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and two-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). In the video below, go behind the scenes of the Broadway sitzprobe with the cast!

NETworks production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast , the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to Fox Cities Performing Arts Center April 11-13 for five performances only.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is proud to announce its ninth season of showcasing Broadway's greatest hits in the Ziff Ballet Opera House with a five-show subscription package that is power-packed with musical blockbusters. The Broadway in Miami 2014-2015 season presented by Bank of America includes The Book of Mormon. From the creators of South Park and winner of nine Tony® Awards, The Book of Mormon will play a limited two-week engagement (December 2 - 14, 2014).

Brandon O'Neill, currently starring in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway as one of the title character's sidekicks Kassim, will perform the national anthem tonight when the New York Knicks take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Tip off is at 7:30pm.

Broadway stars might boast the biggest fan-bases, but without their directors, the vehicle driving their talents could easily swerve off the tracks. Keeping the runaway train at bay are season's bold Broadway 'conductors'. Scroll down to learn more about this season's intrepid and imaginative leaders!

Celebrate the end of winter with Anne Bobby as she shares stories never told and brings songs rarely (or barely) heard out of deep freeze, in her solo cabaret debut, The Songs That Came In From the Cold, tonight, March 4 at 7:00 PM at 54 Below.

Broadway In Chicago has announced the upcoming 2014 fall season line-up. Broadway In Chicago's 2013 fall season will include BUYER & CELLAR, Emerald City Theatre's CHARLOTTE'S WEB, the World Premiere of AMAZING GRACE, the World Premiere of DEE SNIDER'S ROCK AND ROLL CHRISTMAS TALE, ANNIE, NEWSIES and RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway in Columbus (BIC) today announced the 2014-15 PNC Broadway in Columbus season. Kicking off the five-show season will be a return engagement of the stunning musical sensation, Disney's The Lion King, followed by four Columbus premieres-Disney's Newsies, Anything Goes, Sister Act, and Once.

Academy Award-winning actor and screenwriter Matt Damon recently revealed a heretofore unknown passion for not only karaoke, but a certain animated movie musical mermaid he particularly enjoys paying tribute to in doing so - none other than the classic Oscar-winning score for THE LITTLE MERMAID, penned by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

The national tour of SISTER ACT comes to Hershey Theatre with a heady mix of nunsense and the sound of Philadelphia as filtered through Alan Menken. The music -- and the Mother Superior -- are worth the trip.

Sister Act, the family friendly, over the top spectacle with nuns that rock, opens at Detroit's Fisher Theatre on April 22 for a limited engagement! The Broadway In Detroit show will run through May 4, 2014. Tickets will go on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.broadwayindetroit.com on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. and at the Fisher Theatre box office on Monday, March 10, 2014 at 10 a.m.

Celebrate the end of winter with Anne Bobby as she shares stories never told and brings songs rarely (or barely) heard out of deep freeze, in her solo cabaret debut, The Songs That Came In From the Cold, on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00 PM at 54 Below (254 W. 54th St., Cellar, 646-476-3551).

The tradition continues! Each year Paper Mill Playhouse sends out five images that hold small clues as to the upcoming season titles. Check out the images above, and then let us know your best guesses for the 2014-15 lineup!

The original Broadway cast recording of the brand new stage edition of Disney's classic animated movie musical ALADDIN is now available for pre-order according to a new listing on the official site.