Alan Menken News

This July and August, 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

Disney's Aladdin, the Tony Award-winning new musical comedy based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, is now in its second smash year on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street). Heidi Klum and Adam Lambert visited Aladdin over PRIDE weekend! Scroll down for photos of them backstage with the cast!

Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), the global leader in music rights management, has announced that the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is now accepting applications for its first year composer/lyricist class. The August 1, 2015, deadline is quickly approaching and applicants are asked to send in the requested materials as soon as possible. The Workshop begins mid-September 2015, and runs through June 2016. A recipient of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre Award, the Lehman Engel Musical Workshop consists of approximately 250 composers, lyricists and book writers who are actively writing new works for the musical theatre.

Producer with Broadway in Branson, Justin Tranchita, announced that Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, has been cancelled abruptly.  It was scheduled to run through the end of September at The Whitehouse Theatre.  

A lot may seem familiar in Disney's Broadway musical NEWSIES now on tour in Boston, but the dancing chorus of a dozen or so able-bodied newsboys makes this production soar.

Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT) is proud to be one of the first regional theatres to present the feel-amazing musical comedy smash SISTER ACT, running June 24 - July 11, 2015.

The Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is proud to present its 34th Main Stage Season:

The men of Disney's hit Broadway musicals Aladdin and The Lion King were photographed exclusively for OUT, modeling summer's sexiest swimwear - go behind the scenes of the shoot below!

"This season is going to be an adventure set to music," says Vicki Richards, Executive Artistic Director of Paradise Theatre, Gig Harbor's only live theater and performing arts education center, "as we launch an entire season of musicals along with our capital campaign, 'Act Local'.  

Prince Ali has found his London home! The Daily Mail reports that Broadway's Aladdin, originally in talks to open at the London Palladium or the Dominion, has finally secured the West End's Prince Edward Theatre.

NEWSIES book writer Harvey Fierstein just posted a clip with behind-the-scenes footage of the musical's Italian cast in rehearsals. Check it out below!

Get glam ALADDIN-style!

Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT) is proud to be one of the first regional theatres to present the feel-amazing musical comedy smash SISTER ACT, running tonight, June 24 - July 11, 2015.

Today, BroadwayWorld kicks off a brand new interview series titled HOW I GOT THE JOB shining a special solo spotlight on a performer in which they share candid recollections and revisit the point at which they became involved with a particular project on their resume, whether it be stage piece, film or TV project... To kick off the series, we are talking to an internationally recognized stage and screen star CELEBRATED for her iconic originating role in the popular stage musical and subsequent feature film adaptation of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, the fiercely idiosyncratic Ellen Greene. Opening up about her experiences in landing that unforgettable part, Greene also previews what audiences can expect from her return to the stage as art of the hotly anticipated Encores! Off-Center mounting of the musical co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal at City Center later this week. Additionally, Greene reflects on some of her other standout appearances over the years, such as the acclaimed 1976 New York Shakespeare Festival production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA and David Rabe's IN THE BOOM BOOM ROOM at the Public Theater, not to mention the legendary cult musical RACHAEL LILY ROSENBLOOM (AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT), plus her notable ongoing collaboration with TV mastermind Bryan Fuller on HEROES, PUSHING DAISIES and HANNIBAL and much more.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Paulus, began rehearsals today (pictured, left) for the world premiere musical Waitress. Based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly the new musical has a book by Jessie Nelson, music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, direction by Diane Paulus, and choreography by Chase Brock.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is delighted to announce seven new performances to its world premiere production of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical, based on the novel by Mordecai Richler, with book and lyrics by David Spencer and an original music by eight-time Oscar winning composer Alan Menken.

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: The Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre is awarded today, Shakespeare's 'MIDSUMMER' fantasy play hits theaters across the country, and more!

Tragic news broke today that performer Danny McNie has passed away, and his friends have been posting their memories of the actor on social media all day. Broadway actress Eden Espinosa (WICKED) took to Instagram to pay tribute to her friend. Check out the photo below!