Alan Menken News

On October 25, at 8pm, the Brooklyn Academy of Music is presenting a sing-along screening of The Little Shop of Horrors. Rick Moranis, who brought the role of Seymour Krelborn to life in the film, will make a special appearance at the screening.

Direct from Broadway, SISTER ACT, the hilarious, five-time Tony-nominated musical smash, is coming to New Orleans for a limited one-week engagement. SISTER ACT opens at The Saenger Theatre, December 17 - 22.

Anna Rose is a rare breed: graceful yet forceful, always in command. Whether she's shredding licks straight out of rock and roll's heyday or dialing it down for the kind of direct pop song that wins over the masses today, she's always authentically herself, always soulful.

After a rocky start this musical rose to heavenly heights!

'Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to St. Louis, Mo. as part of the U.S. Bank Broadway series. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Fabulous Fox Theatre November 1-3.

Today CEC is shining our spotlight on long-time writing partners Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk. Their song 'Last Week's Alcohol' was performed by Matt Doyle, talented star of stage and screen, at our concert at the Canal Room. We are thrilled to share it with all of you on Broadwayworld!

On Monday, July 30, 2013, The New York Innovative Theatre Awards (IT Awards), the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, announced the 2013 award recipients at the ninth Annual IT Awards Ceremony at Mason Hall at the Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York. The Dramatists Guild Fund was awarded the 2013 Ellen Stewart Award, presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership. Playwright Tina Howe presented the award to both Gretchen Cryer, President of the Dramatists Guild Fund, and Rachel Routh, Executive Director of the Dramatists Guild Fund.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the national tour of Sister Act for two weeks in the Kennedy Center Opera House from October 29 to November 10, 2013. Nominated for five 2011 Tony Awards, Sister Act features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy, and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaidand Enchanted), lyrics by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid), and a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner ("Cheers") with additional book material by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed).Directed on Broadway by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing…Forum, Smokey Joe's Cafe), the production features choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams) and is based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture Sister Act written by Joseph Howard. Press opening night is Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Disney's Aladdin Jr. will be presented at The Historic North Theatre in Danville, VA tonight, October 4th (8:00pm), Saturday, October 5th (8:00pm) and Sunday, October 6th (3:00pm Matinee).

November is the month for entertainment at Centenary Stage Company. Audiences can find opportunities for music, theatre and family fun at every turn this fall. With a different show each weekend, there's no need to leave the coziness of the theatre.

Today in 2003, Little Shop of Horrors opened at the Virginia THeatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 372 performances. Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy horror rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, 'Skid Row (Downtown)', 'Somewhere That's Green', and 'Suddenly, Seymour'.

Producers Whoopi Goldberg, Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment have announced that the North American Tour of the five-time Tony Award nominated musical SISTER ACT will begin its second year of performances. The tour opened on October 2, 2012 at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre and is still rocking the rafters across the country. SISTER ACT opened to stellar reviews and continues to receive them across the country.

After his spin with composing a song for ABC's comedy THE NEIGHBORS, Deadline reports that the network has ordered an off-cycle pilot for a fairytale musical comedy from Menken, lyricist Glenn Slater, and NEIGHBORS creator Dan Fogelman.

Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story starring Kurt Jenkins as Buddy Holly returns by popular demand to rock the Ogunquit Playhouse's season to a close from tonight, October 2 to October 20. If you saw this record-breaking show last year, come see it again. For those of you who missed it now is your chance to see one of the most popular shows in Playhouse history!

Announcing SBCT's 2014 Season - a year filled with incredible stories all played out live on stage. Stories to make you laugh with joy, cry in pain, shudder in terror, and smile in wonder. 2014 offers some new and rare opportunities to experience theatre in exciting ways:

Today we are talking to a recognizable and well-known character actor who has appeared in a number of notable stage and screen properties over the course of his fifty-year career, Shakespeare to COCO to CITY OF ANGELS to STAR TREK and galaxies far, far beyond - Rene Auberjonois. Detailing the finer points of his participation in a number of wildly different stage properties - from his Broadway debut in Lee J. Cobb's Lincoln Center KING LEAR through to COCO opposite Katharine Hepburn, a starring role in CITY OF ANGELS, as well as the infamous DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and Larry Gelbart's SLY FOX this century, and many more - Auberjonois paints a vivid picture of the working actor throughout the decades. Additionally, Auberjonois also outlines his favorite moments in participating in a number of Robert Altman's most memorable movies - MASH and MCCABE & MRS. MILLER among them - and shares stories from the sets of many of his best-known and best-remembered film appearances - THE EYES OF LAURA MARS and many more included. Plus, Auberjonois also comments on some of his favorite TV parts to date, including his enduring STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE legacy and his most recent projects such as the animated series POUND PUPPIES and ARCHER. Most importantly, Auberjonois offers insight into his indelible participation in the enduring Disney animated family favorite THE LITTLE MERMAID, including how the recent 3D re-release and this week's special features-packed Blu-ray has introduced his famous voice and theatricality to a whole new generation. All of that, thoughts on Broadway now versus the Golden Age, his continued patronage in supporting renown charity Doctors Without Borders, working on Stephen Schwartz's GEPPETTO for Disney and much, much more awaits in this uniquely compelling career-spanning conversation with a stage and screen stalwart.

Bristol Riverside Theatre continues its season with Jon Jory's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's beloved novel. Running October 29-November 24, the production, directed by BRT's Artistic Director Keith Baker, features the ensemble cast ofJessica Bedford, Grant Chapman, Rose Fairley, Michael Gamache, Jessica Gruver, Michael Halling, Hannah Kahn, Samantha Kuhl, Mark LeVasseur, Robert Ian Mackenzie, Topher Mikels, Erin Mulgrew, Mary Elizabeth Scallen, and Jo Twiss.

Welcome to BWW's exclusive talk show, BACKSTAGE WITH Richard Ridge. Follow Richard as he visits the theater's best and brightest in their dressing rooms, on their stages and favorite hang outs to talk about their lives, careers and all of the things you don't know, but want to know. In the special interview below, the creative masterminds behind NEWSIES, director Jeff Calhoun and choreographer Christopher Gattelli, chat about giving the show life on stage, their past and future projects and so much more! Click below to check out the full interview!