Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by

Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fr ...

. His scores and songs for '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989), '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part o ...

'' (1992), and '' Pocahontas'' (1995) have each won him two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. He also composed the scores and songs for ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * ''The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptati ...

'' (1986), '' Newsies'' (1992), '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1996), ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'' (1997), '' Home on the Range'' (2004), '' Enchanted'' (2007), '' Tangled'' (2010), and '' Disenchanted'' (2022), among others. His accolades include eight

, becoming the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after

Alfred Newman Alfred Newman (March 17, 1900 – February 17, 1970) was an American composer, arranger, and conductor of film music. From his start as a music prodigy, he came to be regarded as a respected figure in the history of film music. He won nine Aca ...

(who has 9 Oscars) a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, eleven

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

. Menken is one of seventeen people to have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony ("an EGOT"). He is the only person to have won a Razzie, an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony ("REGOT"). He is also known for his work in musical theater for Broadway and elsewhere. Some of these are based on his Disney films, but other stage hits include ''

'' (1982), ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...

'' (1994), and '' Sister Act'' (2009). Menken has collaborated with such lyricists as

Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle ...

, Howard Ashman, Jack Feldman,

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

Glenn Slater Glenn Slater (born January 28, 1968) is an American lyricist for musical theatre. He has collaborated with Alan Menken, Christopher Lennertz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, among other composers. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Original ...

, Stephen Schwartz, and David Zippel.

Early life

Alan Irwin Menken was born on July 22, 1949, at French Hospital in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, to Judith and Norman Menken. His father was a boogie-woogie piano-playing dentist, and his mother was an actress, dancer and playwright."Timeline. Official Site"
, Alanmenken.com, accessed February 19, 2016 His family was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. Menken developed an interest in music at an early age, taking piano and violin lessons. He began to compose at an early age. At age nine, at the New York Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composers Contest, his original composition "Bouree" was rated Superior and Excellent by the judges. He attended New Rochelle High School in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state o ...

, and graduated in 1967. Menken remembers: "I'd make up my own Bach fugues and

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

sonatas because I was bored with the piano and I didn't want to practice; so I'd go off on tangents". He then enrolled at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

. He graduated with a degree in musicology in 1971 from the university's

Steinhardt School The New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (commonly referred to as Steinhardt) is the secondary liberal arts and education school of New York University. It is one of the only schools in the world of ...

. Menken recalled: "First, I was pre-med. I thought I'd be a dentist like my dad. Finally, I got a degree in music, but I didn't care about musicology. It wasn't until I joined BMI Workshop ... under

Lehman Engel A. Lehman Engel (born September 14, 1910, Jackson, Mississippi - died August 29, 1982, New York City) was an American composer and conductor of Broadway musicals, television and film. Work in theatre, television and films Engel worked in a varie ...

, and walked into a room with other composers that I knew this was it." Menken noted that "Before college, I was writing songs to further my dream of being the next

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

. A lot of guitar songs – I was composing on piano before that." After college, he attended the

BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

Career

Early career

After graduating, Menken's plan was to become either a rock star or a recording artist. His interest in writing musicals increased when he joined the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Musical Theatre Workshop and was mentored by

. From 1974 to 1978, he showcased various BMI workshop works, such as ''Midnight'', ''Apartment House'' (lyric by Muriel Robinson), ''Conversations with Pierre'','' Harry the Rat'' and ''Messiah on Mott Street'' (lyrics by David Zippel). According to Menken, during this period, he "worked as a ballet and modern dance accompanist, a musical director for club acts, a jingle writer, arranger, a songwriter for ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' and a vocal coach". He performed his material at clubs like The Ballroom, Reno Sweeny and Tramps. In 1976, John Wilson reported for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' that members of Engel's BMI Workshop began performing as part of the "Broadway at the Ballroom" series: "The opening workshop program ... featured Maury Yeston and Alan Menken, both playing their piano accompaniment and singing songs they have written for potential musicals." Wilson reviewed a performance at the Ballroom in 1977 where Menken accompanied a singer: "In the current cabaret world, a piano accompanist is no longer expected to merely play piano for a singer. More and more, pianists can be heard joining in vocally, harmonizing with the singer, creating a background of shouts and exclamations or even doing brief passages of solo singing." Menken contributed material to revues like ''New York's Back in Town'', ''Big Apple Country'', ''The Present Tense'' (1977), ''Real Life Funnies'' (Off-Broadway, 1981), ''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

'' (Off-Broadway, 1984), and '' Personals'' (Off-Off-Broadway, 1985). His revue ''Patch, Patch, Patch'' ran at the West Bank Cafe in New York City in 1979 and featured

Chip Zien Jerome Herbert "Chip" Zien (born March 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of the Baker in the original Broadway production of ''Into the Woods'' by Stephen Sondheim. He has appeared in all of the "Marvin ...

. The ''New York Times'' reviewer

Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for '' The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...

wrote: "The title song ... refers to a life's passage. According to Alan Menken ... after age 30 it is a downhill plunge." Menken wrote several shows that were not produced, including ''Atina, Evil Queen of the Galaxy'' (1980), with lyrics by Steve Brown. He also wrote ''The Thorn'' with lyrics by Brown, which was commissioned by

Divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

in 1980. This was a parody of the film '' The Rose'', but they could not raise the money to have it produced. He collaborated with Howard Ashman in an uncompleted musical called ''Babe'' (), with Tom Eyen in ''Kicks: The Showgirl Musical'' (1984), and with David Rogers in ''The Dream in Royal Street'' (), which was an adaptation of ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...

''. Menken contributed music for the film ''The Line'' (1980), directed by Robert J. Siegel.

Breakthrough years

Menken finally achieved success as a composer when playwright Howard Ashman chose him and Engel to write the music for his musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel '' God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater''. The musical opened in 1979 at the WPA Theater Gussow, Mel. "Stage: ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'': In Vonnegut Land", ''

'', May 21, 1979, p. C14 to excellent reviews and modest box office. It transferred after several months to the Off-Broadway Entermedia Theater, where it ran for an additional six weeks. Menken and Ashman wrote their next musical, ''

'', for a cast of only 9 performers, including a puppeteer. This musical is based on the 1960 black comedy film '' The Little Shop of Horrors''. It opened at WPA Theater in 1982 to warm reviews. It moved to the Off Broadway Orpheum Theatre in the East Village, Manhattan, where it ran for five years. The musical set the box-office record for highest grossing Off-Broadway show of all time. It toured around the world, won theater awards and was adapted as a 1986 musical film starring Rick Moranis that earned Menken and Ashman their first Oscar nomination for the song "

Mean Green Mother from Outer Space "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" is a rock n' roll song from the 1986 American horror comedy musical film '' Little Shop of Horrors'', an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of a 1960 film of the s ...

". For his body of work in musical theatre, he was awarded the BMI Career Achievement Award in 1983. In 1987, Menken and lyricist David Spencer's adaptation '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'', based on the 1959 novel of the same name, was produced in Philadelphia. After substantial re-writes, it was produced in 2015 in Montreal. In 1992, the WPA Theatre produced Menken's ''Weird Romance'', also with lyrics by Spencer. Menken's musical based on the

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

novella ''

'', with lyrics by

and book by

Mike Ockrent Michael Robert Ockrent (18 June 1946 – 2 December 1999) was a British stage director, well-known both for his Broadway musicals and smaller niche plays. He was educated at Highgate School. Through directing ''Educating Rita'', '' The Nerd'' an ...

, debuted at Madison Square Garden's Paramount Theater in 1994. The show proved successful and was an annual New York holiday event.

Disney Renaissance and later films

On the strength of the success of ''Little Shop of Horrors'', Menken and Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write the music for '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989). The challenge was to create an animated musical film of this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney films ''

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...

'' and '' Cinderella''. ''The Little Mermaid'' opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called the Disney Renaissance. The film gave them their first Oscar win: Best Song for the song " Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Oscar for Best Score."Menken Academy Awards"
, Awardsdatabase.oscars.org, accessed February 19, 2016 Menken and Ashman's '' Beauty and the Beast'' garnered them three 1991 Oscar nominations for Best Song, winning for its title song. Menken won another Oscar for Best Score. The two were working on ''

'' at the time of Ashman's death in 1991. Ashman wrote only three songs in the film and Menken collaborated with

, who was then working on ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

'', to write the rest of the songs for the film. The film won an Oscar in 1992 for Best Song, " A Whole New World". Menken also won the Oscar for Best Score. Menken's live action musical film '' Newsies'', with lyrics by Jack Feldman, was released in 1992. Three more animated musical films followed. Menken collaborated with Stephen Schwartz for '' Pocahontas'', for which the two won two Oscars: Best Song and Best Musical or Comedy Score. In 1996, the same musical team created the songs, and Menken, the score, for '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame''. In 1997, Menken reunited with his early collaborator, David Zippel, for his last film in the era, ''

''. Menken also wrote the music for the Michael J. Fox vehicle '' Life with Mikey'' (1993), the holiday film '' Noel'' (2004) and '' Mirror Mirror'' (2012). His other film scores for Disney have included '' Home on the Range'' (2004), the Tim Allen remake of '' The Shaggy Dog'' (2006), '' Enchanted'' (2007), and '' Tangled'' (2010). In March 2017, Disney released a live-action adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast'', directed by

Bill Condon William Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American director and screenwriter. Condon is known for writing and/or directing numerous successful and acclaimed films including '' Gods and Monsters'', '' Chicago'', '' Kinsey'', ''Dreamgirls'', ...

, with the songs from the 1991 film and new material by Menken and Rice. Menken collaborated with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on writing new songs for the 2019 live-action version of ''Aladdin'', directed by Guy Ritchie. Menken is also working on new music for a live-action film adaptation of ''The Little Mermaid'', directed by Rob Marshall, with longtime ''The Little Mermaid'' fan Lin-Manuel Miranda, whom Menken knew since the former's childhood, as Miranda went to the same school as Menken's niece. Menken will also once again be working with Stephen Schwartz to write new songs for '' Disenchanted'', the sequel to ''Enchanted'', and for a remake of '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', which Menken will score. Menken is also working alongside former Disney chief creative officer John Lasseter on a project at Skydance Animation. On May 20, 2020, the project was revealed to be Vicky Jenson's '' Spellbound''. Menken will co-write songs for ''Spellbound'' alongside

, with whom he worked on ''Home on the Range'' and ''Tangled''. Menken is also reportedly attached to a sequel to ''Aladdin''. With eight Academy Awards, only composer

(nine wins), art director Cedric Gibbons (11 wins) and

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

(22 wins) have received more Oscars than Menken. He is tied for fourth place with late costume designer Edith Head, and currently holds the record for the most wins for a living person.

Return to musical theatre

Menken debuted on Broadway with a musical theatre adaptation of '' Beauty and the Beast'' that opened in 1994 and ran for 13 years before closing in 2007. In 1997, he collaborated with lyricist

on a musical, ''

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

'', based on the biblical character, which was performed in a

concert version A concert performance or concert version is a performance of a musical theater or opera in concert form, without set design or costumes, and mostly without theatrical interaction between singers. Concert performances are commonly presented in co ...

on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. ''Little Shop of Horrors'' played on Broadway from 2003 to 2004."Alan Menken"
Internet Broadway Database, accessed February 17, 2016 He next created the stage version of '' The Little Mermaid'', which played on Broadway from 2008 to 2009 and for which he received a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Score. Menken's stage adaptation of '' Sister Act'' premiered in London in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011. He was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Score. Menken received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. In December 2010, he was a guest on the NPR quiz show '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!''. In 2012, Menken won a Tony Award for Best Score for his musical adaptation of '' Newsies'', which ran until 2014. He also wrote the music for '' Leap of Faith'', which had a brief run on Broadway in 2012. His stage adaptation of ''

'' opened on Broadway in 2014, earning him another Tony nomination for Best Score. In 2013, he was a guest at the annual Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and was honored with the Junior Theater Festival Award. He gave a concert there, including music that was cut from various productions, while talking about his creative process. Menken's stage adaptation of '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' played at La Jolla Playhouse, California, in 2014. ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' was revived in Montreal in 2015,Viagas, Robert
"Alan Menken-David Spencer Musical ''Duddy Kravitz'' Will Get Another Chance in Montreal"
''Playbill'', March 28, 2014"Cast Set for World Premiere of Alan Menken Musical ''Duddy Kravitz'' in Montreal"
BroadwayWorld.com, March 10, 2015 and '' A Bronx Tale: The Musical'' played at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2016. Menken is currently working on stage musical adaptations of '' Night at the Museum'' and '' Animal Farm''. As of 2019, Menken is reuniting with his ''Newsies'' creators Jack Feldman and Harvey Fierstein to develop a new musical called ''Greetings from Niagara Falls''. A reading was held in January 2019; however, there is no word on future plans for the project at this time.

Television work

From 1989 to 1990, Menken and Howard Ashman wrote songs for the popular puppet TV show ''

''.'' Street Gang''. Michael Davis. New York, Penguin Group. 2008. p. 269 In 2008, Menken said that his work on ''Sesame Street'' was "pathetic money, but it still had some prestige to it. It was on the air and ewas getting some royalties". The duo also wrote a song titled "Wonderful Ways to Say No" for the 1990 animated anti-drug special '' Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue''. In 2015, Menken co-composed the score for the musical television series '' Galavant'' alongside Christopher Lennertz, reuniting him with '' Tangled'' screenwriter Dan Fogelman. Menken also co-wrote songs for the series alongside

. The series lasted two seasons, first airing on January 4, 2015, and last airing on January 31, 2016. In 2017, Menken and Slater returned to write songs for the animated series '' Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure'', which is set after the events of ''Tangled''. The series ended in 2020, after three seasons. On July 26, 2020, Menken and Slater won the

for Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for the song titled "Waiting in the Wings". Menken wrote songs for a prospective prequel/spin-off series to 2017's '' Beauty and the Beast'' titled '' Little Town'', which would be centered on

Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) *Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) * Gaston ...

and LeFou. The series would be released on Disney's streaming service,

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

, and Menken would also be an executive-producer on the series.'Beauty and the Beast' Prequel Series Greenlighted By Disney+; Briana Middleton Joins Josh Gad & Luke Evans
/ref> In February 2022, it was reported that the series would not go forward for now.

Personal life

Menken was introduced to ballet dancer Janis Roswick while working with the Downtown Ballet Company. They have been married since November 1972 and live in North Salem, New York. They have two daughters, Anna Menken and Nora Menken.

Filmography

Film

Television

Musicals

* '' Dear Worthy Editor'' (Off-Broadway, c.1974) *: Book by Judy Menken *:Based on the letters-to-the-editor of Jewish-American newspaper Daily Jewish Forward * '' Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'' (Off-Broadway, 1979) *: Lyrics by Howard Ashman *: Based on a 1965 novel by Kurt Vonnegut * ''

'' (Off-Broadway, 1982; West End, 1983; Broadway, 2003) *: Lyrics by Ashman *: Based on the 1960 black comedy film * ''Weird Romance'' (Off-Broadway, 1992)Gussow, Mel
"Review/Theater; Nearby Science Fiction In a Musical of 2 Parts"
''The New York Times'', June 23, 1992 *: Lyrics by David Spencer *: Two one-act musical: Based on "

Her Pilgrim Soul "Her Pilgrim Soul" is the first segment of the twelfth episode from the first season (1985–86) of the television series ''The Twilight Zone''. It is about a scientist named Kevin whose holographic projector manifests a newborn and rapidly aging ...

" and "

The Girl Who Was Plugged In "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" is a science fiction novella by American writer James Tiptree, Jr. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1974. Plot summary The story takes place in a dystopian future where the world is controlled by a capitali ...

" * '' Beauty and the Beast'' (Broadway, 1994; West End, 1997) *: Lyrics by Ashman and

*: Based on the 1991 Disney film * ''

'' (Madison Square Garden, 1994–2003) *: Lyrics by

*: Based on 1843 novella by

* ''

'' (Broadway, 1997) *: Lyrics by Rice *: Based on the Biblical books of Samuel, 1 Chronicles and Psalms * '' Der Glöckner von Notre Dame'' (Berlin, 1999) *: Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz *: Based on the Disney film and the 1831 novel by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

* '' The Little Mermaid'' (Broadway, 2008) *: Lyrics by Ashman and

*: Based on the Disney film *'' Sister Act'' (West End, 2009; Broadway, 2011) *: Lyrics by Slater *: Based on the 1992 comedy film * '' Leap of Faith'' (Broadway, 2012) *: Lyrics by Slater *: Based on the 1992 film * '' Newsies'' (Paper Mill Playhouse, 2011; Broadway, 2012) *: Lyrics by Jack Feldman *: Based on the 1992 film * ''

'' (Seattle, 2011; Broadway, 2014) *: Lyric by Ashman, Rice and

Chad Beguelin Chad Beguelin (born September 24, 1969) is an American playwright and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book for '' The Prom''. He also wrote the book for Disney's ''Aladdin'', as well as additional lyrics for the score. He was nom ...

*: Based on the 1992 film * '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''(La Jolla Playhouse, 2014) *: Lyrics by Schwartz *: Based on the 1996 film and the 1831 novel by

* '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (Montreal, 2015) *: Lyrics by Spencer *: Based on the 1959 novel by Mordecai Richler * '' A Bronx Tale: The Musical'' (Broadway, 2016) *: Lyrics by Slater *: Based on the 1990 autobiographical one-man play by

Chazz Palminteri Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952)
Chazzpalminteri.net. Retrieved on November 19, 2013. is an American ...

* ''

'' (Central Park, 2019) *: Lyrics by David Zippel *: Based on the 1997 Disney film

Other

* ''

Aladdin, Jr. ''Aladdin Jr.'' is a one-act, eleven-scene theatre musical adapted from the 1992 Walt Disney Animation Studios film ''Aladdin'' which is an adaptation of the folk tale ''Aladdin''. The production runs between 60 and 80 minutes and includes five fe ...

'' – 1-act, 7-scene musical adapted from the animated film ''Aladdin'' 1992 * ''

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage ''Beauty and the Beast'': Live on Stage is a Broadway-style musical at the Theater of the Stars, on Sunset Boulevard, at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World. It is based on the 1991 animated film ''Beauty and the Beast'' and opened o ...

'' – Theatrical show at Disney's Hollywood Studios,

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

* '' Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular'' – Theatrical show at

Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Park ...

* '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' – Theatrical show at Disney's MGM Studios,

* '' The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure'' – Attraction at

* ''

Sindbad's Storybook Voyage Sindbad's Storybook Voyage is a boat voyage dark ride at Tokyo DisneySea, inspired by the story of Sindbad the Sailor. The attraction features the song "''Compass of Your Heart''" composed by Alan Menken and sung by Kenji Sakamoto. Originally t ...

'' featuring "Compass of Your Heart" – Attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disney Resort * Dramatists Guild of America YouTube Channel music video featuring "Someone Wrote That Song" * ''Tangled: The Musical'' – Theatrical show on the Disney Cruise Line (starting November 2015) * Dubai Parks and Resorts's official theme song "All the Wonders of the Universe" (opening October 2016) * Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular 2017 celebration featuring the world premiere of "The Sum of Us" (lyrics by Jack Feldman) for soloist, chorus, and orchestra (

Brian Stokes Mitchell Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000 f ...

, U.S. Army Soldier's Chorus and the Boston Pops Orchestra)

Awards

Alan Menken has received eight Academy Awards (and nineteen nominations), eleven Grammy Awards (and twenty-four nominations), one Tony Award (and four nominations), and one Daytime Emmy Award. He has also received seven Golden Globe Awards (and sixteen nominations), one Drama Desk Award (and five nominations), and three Outer Critics Awards. He was made a Disney Legend in 2002 and was the recipient of a Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award in 1998, a Freddie G. Award for Musical Excellence in 2013, and The Oscar Hammerstein Award in 2013, among others. The

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

included the title song from the film '' Beauty and the Beast'', in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. Five other songs from his Disney films were nominated: * " Under the Sea" from '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989) * " Be Our Guest" from '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) * " Belle" from '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) * " A Whole New World" from ''

'' (1992) * " Friend Like Me" from ''

'' (1992) In 2006, AFI listed its 25 greatest movie musicals, with '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991) ranked 22nd. It is the only animated musical film on the list. Four of his other film musicals were also nominated: * ''

'' (1986) * '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989) * ''

'' (1992) * '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1996) In 2019, Menken finally accepted the Razzie Award for "Worst Original Song" he won at the 13th Golden Raspberry Awards (1993) for "High Times, Hard Times" from '' Newsies'' (1992), becoming the first person to win a Razzie and Oscar in the same year. Menken wrote the music for the song, and shared the award with lyricist Jack Feldman. In 2020, Menken reached EGOT status when he won the

for Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for co-writing the song "Waiting in the Wings" for '' Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure''.

References

External links

*
Internet Off-Broadway database Listing
with Alan Menken *
The Whole New World of Alan Menken

Alan Menken: "Beauty and the Beast captures the magic of Disney animations and brings it to the stage"
Alan Menken in Barcelona's Beauty and the Beast {{DEFAULTSORT:Menken, Alan 1949 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American composers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male musicians American film score composers American male film score composers American musical theatre composers American television composers Animated film score composers Annie Award winners Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Broadway composers and lyricists Daytime Emmy Award winners Golden Globe Award-winning musicians Grammy Award winners Jewish American film score composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish American television composers Living people Male musical theatre composers Male television composers Musicians from New Rochelle, New York People from North Salem, New York Rocky (film series) music Songwriters from New York (state) Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni Tony Award winners Walt Disney Animation Studios people New Rochelle High School alumni

Early life

Career

Early career

Breakthrough years

Disney Renaissance and later films

Return to musical theatre

Television work

Personal life

Filmography

Film

Television

Musicals

Other

Awards

References

Further reading

External links