Howard Ashman News

Upcoming MTI Shows - 12/19 for Toronto

According to Deadline.com, Alan Menken and David Zippel are joining forces with Marco Pennette to create a new musical comedy for ABC. The untitled project is one of three new musical series in development at ABC for next season.

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Miami as part of the BROADWAY IN MIAMI 2010 2011 season, presented by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Broadway Across America-Miami and presenting sponsor Bank of America. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on the stage of the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center from December 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011, with a special New Year's Eve performance on December 30 at 6:30 p.m.

What has made Season Two of GLEE must-see TV above all else? Who is the newest star soon to soar to the loftiest heights? Who has 'it' in a cast of ver-it-able all-consuming it-itis? Clue A: In just two performances and a handful of scenes in a couple of appearances he has made his star power shine, and on last night's especially strong episode of the wildly inconsistent second season of GLEE it is now safe to say that by any measure whatsoever a blazing star has been born, by any measure of Broadway, Hollywood, or anywhere else. Clue B: Find out what his name is, what songs to download, and some recent glimpses of his sure-to-be meteoric rise to global fame in the very near future in the content below. Clue C: 'Teenage Dream' and 'Hey, Soul Sister' are merely the humble beginnings of... Darren Criss, Superstar.

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST celebrated 15 years in Japan on Wednesday, November 24th with a special curtain call in Tokyo at the Shiki Natsu Theatre.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center November 16 - 21. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage in Segerstrom Hall for a one-week-only engagement.

Linda Lane Smith performs 'From Cows to Cadenzas' at The Triad Theatre 158 West 72nd Street (bet. Broadway & Columbus) NYC this Wednesday, November 10th at 7:00 pm. The musical director is Phil Hall.

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Miami as part of the BROADWAY IN MIAMI 2010-2011 season, presented by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Broadway Across America-Miami and presenting sponsor Bank of America. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on the stage of the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center from December 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011, with a special New Year's Eve performance on December 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Based on the 1991 hit movie musical masterpiece--the first animated feature film to ever score a Best Picture Oscar® nomination--Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST went on to become a hit stage musical as well, ushering a new, successful theatrical arm for the studio. That original 1994 Broadway production eventually garnered nine Tony Award nominations and played on for more than 5,000 performances before finally closing in 2007. Now revived in a newer, noticeably less extravagant touring production mounted by NETworks Presentations (on stage this week at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through November 21), the show's latest incarnation, despite its lively characters and still memorable music, feels less magical than its more Disney-esque origins.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center November 16 - 21. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage in Segerstrom Hall for a one-week-only engagement.

El compositor ganador de 8 Óscar, autor de La Bella y la Bestia y la Sirenita nos cuenta novedades sobre los films TANGLED y ENCHANTED 2 y las versiones teatrales de ALADDIN y HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

This weekend I spoke to multi-Academy Award-winning composer and Broadway tunesmith Alan Menken about everything from his early stage work with lyricist and director Howard Ashman on LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS to their tenure virtually re-inventing the movie musical with their string of stirring scores for Disney animated films starting with THE LITTLE MERMAID in 1989, through to BEAUTY & THE BEAST, ALADDIN and, following Ashman's death, working with Stephen Schwartz on THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, POCAHANTAS and, most recently, ENCHANTED. Menken has also participated in adapting almost all of those projects to the stage in the intervening years, oftentimes composing several new songs. His newest stage projects to reach Broadway will be this season's SISTER ACT and the recent out of town tryout eyeing Broadway, LEAP OF FAITH. In this exciting conversation, we touch upon nearly all of these projects, plus discuss casting possibilities for his new Broadway shows and the projects on the horizon - among them, stage adaptations of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, NEWSIES and ALADDIN - and, at some point soon, ENCHANTED 2! Plus, will Angela Lansbury reunite with her BEAUTY & THE BEAST Academy Award-garnering collaborator to do SISTER ACT on Broadway? Over the course of our discussion, the Mouse Maestro - this melodic mastermind known as Menken - proved himself to be as easily enjoyable and affably likeable as his many multi-award-winning melodies for those marvelous film and stage musicals - for many of us born in the eighties, our very first introduction to musical theatre.

Imagination Players Production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr. begins Saturday, September 18 and runs eight weeks. There may be an audition day Saturday, September 11. Performance dates are November 11-14. Call your rep at KD Studio to sign up for this amazing show (214-638-0484).

BLUE HILL TROUPE PRESENTS LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS TO BENEFIT THE CARTER BURDEN CENTER FOR THE AGING November 12-20, 2010 at Theatre at St. Clement's When Seymour, a down-and-out floral assistant, discovers a mysterious man-eating plant, he names it after the girl he loves and offers up her sadistic ex-boyfriend as its first meal. The plant tempts Seymour with fame and fortune, but before long, it grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore bent on world domination. Can Seymour save his girlfriend? Can he save himself? Can he save the world from the inexorable appetite of 'Audrey II'? One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a household name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, Little Shop of Horrors never fails to entertain.

Imagination Players will conclude its season with Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr., playing November 11-14. This musical retelling of the 'Beauty and the Beast' fairy tale was Disney's first Broadway show and recreated the magical world of the animated film in a live theatrical production. The show opened in New York in 1994, is still attracting sell-out audiences, and is already one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time. Written by Linda Woolverton with music by Alan Menken and memorable songs by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Disney's Beauty and the Beast tells a heart-warming 'tale as old as time' about love conquering all.

Imagination Players Production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr. begins Saturday, September 18 and runs eight weeks. There may be an audition day Saturday, September 11. Performance dates are November 11-14. Call your rep at KD Studio to sign up for this amazing show (214-638-0484).

Broadway composer Alan Menken, who has created the music for such shows as Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Leap of Faith and Sister Act, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the category of Motion Pictures..

Broadway composer Alan Menken, who has created the music for such shows as Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Sister Act, will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the category of Motion Pictures. A ceremony will be held at 11:30 AM on November 10, at El Caitan Theatre. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler will emcee the event and Richard Sherman will be a guest speaker.

Broadway composer Alan Menken, who has created the music for such shows as Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Sister Act, will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the category of Motion Pictures. A ceremony will be held at 11:30 AM on November 10, at El Caitan Theatre. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler will emcee the event and Richard Sherman will be a guest speaker.

During the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST tour's recent stop in San Diego, 21 deserving Tijuana orphans were given the opportunity to see the show and meet with the cast.