Alan Menken News

A Bronx Tale opens on Broadway Thursday, December 1, at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48thStreet). The new musical, featuring a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, co-directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niroand four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo,began performances on Thursday, November 3.

This holiday season, audiences will journey "Under the Sea" for a spectacular new production and Northwest Premiere of the Broadway musical, Disney's The Little Mermaid. Headstrong Ariel is no longer content to live on the ocean floor under the rule of her father, King Triton.

The Music Hall and the Ogunquit Playhouse have announced the stars of the beloved Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, on stage at The Music Hall's Historic Theater in Portsmouth, November 30 - December 18.

Four-time Tony Award Nominee Judy Kuhn(Fun Home, She Loves Me, Chess, Les Miserables) joins the cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Golde beginning tonight, Tuesday, November 22nd and will play through the show's final performance on Saturday, December 31st at 2:00 pm.  She takes over the role from Jessica Hecht whose final performance was on Sunday, November 20th.

Charles Dickens' timeless classic gets the full Broadway treatment in LOST Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol - The Musical, by the Broadway team of Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid), Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical) and Mike Ockrent (Crazy For You, Me and My Girl).

Showtunes Theatre Company has announced their highly anticipaeted holiday concert musical LEAP OF FAITH. The talented cast of local musical theatre professionals will 'rise up' gospel-style for two performances at Benaroya Hall on December 3 at 8pm and December 4 at 2pm. Louis Hobson, who performed in the original Broadway cast, will star as Jonas. Matt Giles directs with Nathan Young working as the music director.

Dress Circle Publishing will celebrate their new book THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 3 - the latest in a series by acclaimed historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper - with a special event at The Drama Book Shop (250 West 4oth Street in Manhattan) on Thursday, December 1 at 5:30 PM.

Gulfshore Playhouse, Southwest Florida's Premiere Professional theatre, is very excited to announce that 2016 Tony Award-nominee Carmen Cusack will star in the one-woman, world premiere of Do This by Karen Siff Exkorn, which will run from January 7th through the 28th.

This production is a good introduction to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Adults will appreciate the strong voices and engaging story. The littlest patron will be enchanted.

Several weeks ago, in my review of Baldwin Wallace University's production of WEST SIDE STORY I stated, 'BWU's Music Theater program is nationally recognized for its quality, as evidenced by the number of its graduates who have light up the Broadway theater scene and touring productions. Of those in the WEST SIDE STORY cast I stated: 'Broadway bound? Colton Ryan, though not the tall macho leading man type, should find a place on the Great White Way in roles for the young, clean scrubbed type who have big voices.'

In a show of solidarity and support for their fellow artists, however, Broadway took to Twitter to express gratitude to the Hamilton cast and plea anew with Trump to respond to the rise in hate crimes since his election, the truth behind his settlement deal for defrauding thousands of Trump University students, and his plans to appoint known white nationalists—including Jeff Sessions, who, during the 1980s, was deemed too racist to be a federal judge—to his future cabinet.

Broadwayworld.com interviewed Cara Ganski who will play The Ghost of Christmas Past in The Growing Stage production of 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical.' The show is on the Netcong stage through December 18th.

Beauty and the Beast is directed by Mark Burbank, with music direction by Jeannie Cross, and choreography by Stacy Hawking.

California Musical Theatre announces the 2017 lineup for Sacramento Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 67th season for the venerable institution.

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey will celebrate the holidays with last season's hit holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL the Musical from November 18th  through December 18th  with performances Today evenings at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4:00 PM. A CHRISTMAS CAROL the Musical is based on the story by Charles Dickens with music by Alan Menken (Disney's The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Seussical) and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. A CHRISTMAS CAROL the Musical is under the direction of Stephen L. Fredericks, The Growing Stage's Executive Director with choreography by Jillian Petrie and musical direction by Stephen Fox.

The Dramatists Guild Fund presents a screening of the third volume of The Legacy Project documentary series featuring a conversation with Alan Menken and Kristen Anderson-Lopez at The TimesCenter 242 West 41st Street on Saturday, December 3 at 6:00 PM.

A Christmas Carol comes to the Theatre School @ North Coast Repertory Theatre as a fundraiser for The Theatre School. Directed by Benjamin Cole, this production will be a largely festive, musical event with a cast of one adult and 40 student actors!

Hot off the press! As BroadwayWorld reported exclusively in July, Newsies is coming to the big screen! Disney Theatrical Productions and Fathom Events announced today that the Tony Award-winning musical NEWSIES will make its worldwide cinema debut on February 16, 18 and 22, 2017, starring Jeremy Jordan, reprising his Tony Award-nominated performance as 'Jack Kelly.'

The European Premiere of WORKING will open at Southwark Playhouse on 7 June 2017, with previews from 2 June, for a strictly limited season ending 8 July 2017.

Theatre in the Park has announced the shows for its upcoming 2017 Season. See the full season schedule below: