Alan Menken News

Disney's newest musical stage show called Wishes debuted on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, following a trio of graduating high school students on a magical ride through Disney animated films. Seen here is a scenes from the film Tangled, starring Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, and the gang of thugs in the Snuggly Duckling. Alan Menken wrote the music for the original film. His song I've Got a Dream is featured in the video from Inside the Magic below!

The Farmington Players stage now resembles a Little Shop of Horrors, as one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows in history comes to the Barn, April 27th-May 19th. Tickets are available at farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.

La-Z-Boy has released a new commercial featuring two Broadway leading ladies - Orfeh and Brooke Shields - meeting for lunch. Check it out below!

Meet Mike Faist, playing Morris Delancey in Disney's newest Broadway production, NEWSIES, in the video below!

Performances for LEAP OF FAITH began on Tuesday, April 3, at The St. James Theatre. Four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza leads the company along with Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom, Jr., Krystal Joy Brown and Talon Ackerman. Opening night is Thursday, April 26. Check out this exclusive video below, in which the first audience members react to the show's first preview performance!

Tennessee Repertory Theatre will present the America cult classic musical Little Shop of Horrors, music and lyrics by Alan Menken and book by Howard Ashman. Little Shop of Horrors runs April 28 - May 19 at TPAC's Johnson Theater (with preview performances April 26 - 27).

Check out this behind-the-scenes video from NEWSIES, hosted by Andrew Keenan-Bolger who plays Crutchie in the show. It shows Broadway opening night traditions including the Gypsy Robe, plus amazing footage of the danced curtain call and the opening night party featuring Submissions Only's Kate Wetherhead and other stars.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Broadway In Chicago's upcoming season, 'The Boy Scout Musical,' 'Faustus,' a rare 'Leader Of The Pack,' death of Etel Billig, a Southside 'Dreamgirls' and much more....

J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), is pleased to announce PPAC's 35th Anniversary Broadway Season and welcomes Taco/The White Family Foundation as the NEW Broadway Series sponsor. The seven-show 2012/2013 Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series includes the launch of the national tours of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and ELF, along with MEMPHIS, JEKYLL & HYDE, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, SISTER ACT, and WAR HORSE.

The Drama League has announced that this year's 78th Annual Drama League Awards will be hosted by Tony Award winners Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities) and John Larroquette (Gore Vidal's The Best Man). The awards ceremony is set for Friday afternoon, May 18th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) at Noon. This year's Drama League Award Nominees will be announced Tuesday morning, April 24th at Sardi's.

Broadway's LEAP OF FAITH begins performances tonight and announces their student ticket policy. They will be $27.00 each, available in person at the St. James Box Office beginning at 10:00 AM daily. The offer is limited to two tickets per valid student I.D., subject to availability and payable by cash only.

Newsies opened March 29th, at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre for a limited run following its critically-hailed stint at Paper Mill Playhouse last fall. The musical, featuring a score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Fierstein, played its first Broadway preview on March 15th; the final performance is scheduled for August 19th. Newsies, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, is directed by Jeff Calhoun and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Check out the new trailer for the show below!

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and PNC Broadway Across America - Pittsburgh announce NETworks Presentations, LLC will bring the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, Disney'sBeauty and the Beast to Heinz Hall from April 3 through April 8, 2012. This is a presentation of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

Loch Raven High School has announced its annual spring musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken is to be performed March 1, 2, and 3 at 7pm.

LEAP OF FAITH, the new musical based on the motion picture "Leap of Faith," produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and written by Janus Cercone, begins previews today at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street).

Broadway In Chicago has just announced the complete 2012-2013 subscription series. The upcoming season will include I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE, KINKY BOOTS, SISTER ACT, DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL, WAR HORSE and PETER PAN. Off-season specials include STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG, ROCK OF AGES, RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES and LES MISÉRABLES. The 2012-2013 Season Series emphasizes Broadway In Chicago's long-standing commitment of bringing the best of Broadway to Chicago. The complete season line-up, including performances dates and venues, is as follows:

A long-standing opening night tradition on the Great White Way, the fabled Gypsy Robe is bestowed upon a veteran Broadway chorus member for each opening production. In what has now become a theatrical ritual, originating on Broadway 60 years ago, the latest receipient was NEWSIES cast member Aaron J. Albano at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City.

Broadway in Indianapolis announces its 2012-13 season. The season will leap into play with the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, an inspirational story, with music by Elton John, of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Two other new titles join the series: SISTER ACT, a comedy with glorious music and even greater heart, and Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT, which has boldly taken the American musical where it's never gone before. JERSEY BOYS will be making its way back to Indianapolis after an engagement in June of 2010, telling the tale of The Four Seasons' road to stardom. Finally, this series will conclude with WEST SIDE STORY, the story of forbidden love with the legendary score by Bernstein and Sondheim.