Alan Menken
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Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has received numerous accolades including winning eight
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
, eleven
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, seven
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
, 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 (NA ...
. He is one of 21 recipients to have won the competitive EGOT (Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony). He is 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 produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
. Menken's contributions to '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1991), ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (1992), and ''
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
'' (1995) won him two
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
for each film. He also composed the scores and songs for '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (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 Gr ...
'' (1997), '' Home on the Range'' (2004), '' Enchanted'' (2007), '' Tangled'' (2010), '' Disenchanted'' (2022), and '' Spellbound'' (2024), among others. He is also known for his work in musical theater for Broadway winning the Tony Award for Best Original Score for '' Newsies'' (2012). He was Tony-nominated for ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1993), '' The Little Mermaid'' (2008), '' Sister Act'' (2009), and ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (2014). His other stage hits include '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (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. It recounts the ...
'' (1994), ''
Leap of Faith In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of belief, believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason. The phrase is commonly associated with Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Idiomatic usage As an idiom, ''leap of faith'' ca ...
'' (2012), and ''
A Bronx Tale ''A Bronx Tale'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age crime film, crime drama film directed by and starring Robert De Niro in his directorial debut and produced by Jane Rosenthal, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale (p ...
'' (2016). Menken has collaborated with lyricists such as
Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
, Jack Feldman, Tim Rice, Lynn Ahrens,
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin (musical), Pippin'' (1972), and ...
,
David Zippel David Joel Zippel (born May 17, 1954) is an American musical theatre and film lyricist, composer, songwriter, director, and producer. Early life and education Zippel was born on May 17, 1954, in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region ...
, Glenn Slater, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.


Early life and education

Alan Irwin Menken was born on July 22, 1949, at French Hospital in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, 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 (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. 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. 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. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
. A lot of guitar songs – I was composing on piano before that." He attended New Rochelle High School in
New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...
, and graduated in 1967. Menken remembers: "I'd make up my own
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
fugues and
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
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 university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
. Menken graduated in 1972 from University College of Arts and Science at the Heights campus, which is now the College of Arts and Science. After college, he attended the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. 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, and walked into a room with other composers that I knew this was it."


Career


1974–1987: Early career and breakthrough

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 Lehman Engel. 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 Spencer). According to Menken, during this period, he "worked as a ballet and modern dance accompanist, a musical director for club acts, a
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meanings that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
writer, arranger, a songwriter for ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, 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 Worksh ...
'' 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' 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 A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during ...
like ''New York's Back in Town'', ''Big Apple Country'', ''The Present Tense'' (1977), ''Real Life Funnies'' (Off-Broadway, 1981), '' Diamonds'' (Off-Broadway, 1984), and ''
Personals A personal advertisement, sometimes called a contact ad, is a form of classified advertising in which a person seeks to find another person for friendship, romance, marriage, or sexual activity. In British English, it is commonly known as an adve ...
'' (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. 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 (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...
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 Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
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 (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. Menken contributed music for the film ''The Line'' (1980), directed by Robert J. Siegel. Menken finally achieved success as a composer when playwright
Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
chose him and Engel to write the music for his musical adaptation of
Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut ( ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his Satire, satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfict ...
's novel ''
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine'', Kurt Vonnegut's fifth novel, was published on April5, 1965, by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. A piece of Postmodern literature, postmodern satire, it gave context to Vonnegut's following nov ...
''. The musical opened in 1979 at the WPA Theater Gussow, Mel. "Stage: ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'': In Vonnegut Land", ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 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, '' Little Shop of Horrors'', 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 The East Village is a neighborhood on the East Side (Manhattan), East Side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is roughly defined as the area east of the Bowery and Third Avenue, between 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street on the ...
, 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 Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination for the song " Mean Green Mother from Outer Space". 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 novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
novella ''
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. It recounts the ...
'', with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Mike Ockrent, debuted at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
's Paramount Theater in 1994. The show proved successful and was an annual New York holiday event. From 1989 to 1990, Menken and
Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
wrote songs for the popular puppet TV show ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, 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 Worksh ...
''.''
Street Gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...
''. 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''.


1989–2007: Disney Renaissance and Broadway work

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 Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...
fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney films ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'' and ''
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
''. ''The Little Mermaid'' opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called the
Disney Renaissance File:Disney Renaissance Films.jpg, 400px, The ten films considered to make up the Disney Renaissance era rect 0 0 84 118 The Little Mermaid rect 85 0 168 118 The Rescuers Down Under rect 169 0 252 118 Beauty and the Beast rect 253 0 337 118 ...
. The film gave them their first Academy Award win: Best Song for the song " Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Score."Menken Academy Awards"
, Awardsdatabase.oscars.org, accessed February 19, 2016
Critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
declared in his review, he filmcontains some of the best Disney music since the glory days." Menken and Ashman's ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' garnered them three 1991 Academy Award nominations for Best Song, winning for its title song. Menken won another Academy Award for Best Score. The two were working on ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' at the time of Ashman's death in 1991. Ashman wrote only three songs in the film and Menken collaborated with Tim Rice, who was then working on ''
The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'', to write the rest of the songs for the film. The film won an Academy Award in 1992 for Best Song, "
A Whole New World "A Whole New World" is the signature song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin (1992 Disney film), ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers B ...
". Menken also won the Oscar for Best Score. Menken debuted on Broadway with a musical theater adaptation of ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' that opened in 1994 and ran for 13 years before closing in 2007. In 1997, he collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical, ''
King David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...
'', based on the biblical character, which was performed in a concert version 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
Menken's
live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...
musical film '' Newsies'', with lyrics by Jack Feldman, was released in 1992. Three more animated musical films followed. Menken collaborated with
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin (musical), Pippin'' (1972), and ...
for ''
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
'', for which the two won two Academy Awards: 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 David Joel Zippel (born May 17, 1954) is an American musical theatre and film lyricist, composer, songwriter, director, and producer. Early life and education Zippel was born on May 17, 1954, in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region ...
, for his last film in the era, ''
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 Gr ...
''. Menken also wrote the music for the
Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...
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 Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) for which he won a Golden Gl ...
remake of '' The Shaggy Dog'' (2006), '' Enchanted'' (2007), and '' Tangled'' (2010).


2008–2016: Return to Broadway

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'' debuted 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 The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
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 In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of belief, believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason. The phrase is commonly associated with Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Idiomatic usage As an idiom, ''leap of faith'' ca ...
'', which had a brief run on Broadway in 2012. His stage adaptation of ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' 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. In 2015, Menken co-composed the score for the musical television series '' Galavant'' alongside
Christopher Lennertz Christopher Joseph Lennertz (born January 2, 1972) is an American songwriter and composer of film, television, and video game scores. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. His musical scores have appeared in ''Alvin and the Chipm ...
, reuniting him with '' Tangled'' screenwriter
Dan Fogelman Dan Fogelman (born February 19, 1976) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer, whose screenplays include ''Cars (film), Cars'', ''Bolt (2008 film), Bolt'', ''Tangled'', and ''Crazy, Stupid, Love''. He also created the 2012 televi ...
. Menken also co-wrote songs for the series alongside Glenn Slater. The series lasted two seasons, first airing on January 4, 2015, and last airing on January 31, 2016. ''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 ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...
''.


2017–present: Live-Action Disney films

Menken wrote songs for a prospective prequel/spin-off series to 2017's ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' titled '' Little Town'', which would be centered on Gaston and LeFou. The series would be released on Disney's streaming service,
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, and Menken would also be an executive-producer on the series. In February 2022, it was reported that the series would not go forward for now. 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 (film), Gods and Monsters'', ''Chicago (2002 fi ...
and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, 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 Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedy gangster films and large-scale action-adventure films. Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in e ...
. As of 2019, Menken reunites with his ''Newsies'' creators Jack Feldman and
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...
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. 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
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 (NA ...
for Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for the song titled "Waiting in the Wings". Menken again worked with Stephen Schwartz to write new songs for '' Disenchanted'', the sequel to ''Enchanted'', Menken also worked 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 is also working alongside former Disney chief creative officer
John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter ( ; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, a ...
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 collaborated with lyricist Glenn Slater, with whom he worked on ''Home on the Range'' and ''Tangled''. Menken is also reportedly attached to a sequel to ''Aladdin''. Menken was set to work with Schwartz to write new songs for a remake of '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', which Menken would score. However, in May 2023, Menken suggested that the development had been stalled due to the original movie's content and themes. With eight Academy Awards, only composer Alfred Newman (nine wins), art director
Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons (March 23, 1890 – July 26, 1960) was an American Art director#In film, art director for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s. Gibbons de ...
(11 wins) and
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
(22 wins) have received more Academy Awards than Menken. He is tied for fourth place with late costume designer
Edith Head Edith Claire Head (née Posener, October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American film costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Best Costume Design between 1949 and 1973, making he ...
, and currently holds the record for the most wins for a living person.


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 North Salem is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in the northeastern section of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town, incorporated in 1788, is a suburb of New York ...
with their two daughters, Anna and Nora.


Artistry and reception

Menken described his signature style of songwriting as pop and rock music married with a "theatrical sensibility" derived from working with theatre composers Lehman Engel and
Maury Yeston Maury Yeston (born October 23, 1945) is an American composer, lyricist and music theorist. Yeston has written the music and lyrics for several Broadway musicals and is also a classical orchestral and ballet composer. Among his Broadway music ...
. Darryn King of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' observed that Menken's first three Disney films alone demonstrated a wide range of musical genres and styles, namely sea shanties, German cabaret, French music hall,
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
, and "the Harlem grooves of
Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...
and
Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...
". Writing for the same publication, Debbie Cuthbertson identified romance, swelling strings, and humour as trademarks of Menken's songs. Menken said he prefers his compositions to be "hummable", and emphasized the importance of creating infectious melodies and rhythms that elicit desired emotions. Menken described himself as a chameleon in terms of his composing process. When writing for Disney films in particular, he attempts to progress the story in a manner appropriate for each character and dramatic situation by gathering as much information as possible about the project before composing using a piano. His music his also created prior to the scripts and storyboards. Menken records his own
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...
using either a straight piano-vocal or piano-vocal-
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
orchestral arrangement. He maintains that there is little value in writing music that does not elicit strong emotional responses from listeners.
Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
said the composer's work is "Rich with the tones, colors, and textures that help viewers feel those big moments deep in their hearts". Although he rarely orchestrates or conducts his own work, he produces his film's soundtracks and remains in the control room during recording sessions. Menken has written with numerous lyricists throughout his career, his most famous collaboration remaining his songwriting partnership with Ashman, despite having worked together for a relatively short period of time. He initially wrote both music and lyrics and considers himself to be a strong lyricist, but decided to focus on composing upon meeting Ashman. He said he enjoys working with different lyricists because "they reflect different dimensions of my career". Lyricist and frequent collaborator Glenn Slater said Menken is arguably "the greatest melodist that we've had in the theatre and the film world for the past 30 years". Steve Hochman of Grammy.com said Menken "ranks among the top composers in film and theater", writing, "his music is part of the DNA of several generations of children and parents alike". In 2024, Katcy Stephan of ''Variety'' said he "he remains one of the industry’s most sought-after songwriters". ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...
'''s Logan Culwell-Block described Menken as "one of musical theatre’s most prolific composers—but what puts him in an elite class is not the quantity of his output, but its quality". According to Jeff Bond of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Menken is largely responsible for redefining the musical genre for a contemporary audience both in film and on stage, calling him "one of film music’s most versatile craftspeople". Phil Sweetland of ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...
'' credited Menken's work for Disney with preserving musical theater after the genre had fallen into decline following the
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...
of musicals, before its resurgence in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, King observed that, despite his achievements, Menken's work is often overlooked and dismissed due to his affiliation with animation and children's entertainment. Menken himself has said he dislikes writing specifically for children, despite the target audience of much of his best-known projects, and credits Ashman with teaching him not to write directly to children. Menken explained that "I never write for kids ... I write for myself. I want to tell a story. I want to make those kids feel like I felt when I saw those earlier movies". His work has influenced a generation of songwriters across film and stage. Menken has noted his influence on songwriters and musicians such as Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Robert Lopez,
Kristen Anderson-Lopez Kristen Anderson-Lopez (born March 21, 1972) is an American songwriter. She is known for co-writing the songs for the 2013 animated musical film '' Frozen'' and its 2019 sequel '' Frozen II'' with her husband Robert Lopez. The couple won the Aca ...
, Lin-Manuel Miranda,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, and
Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...
, although he maintains he does not have a specific protege. Although Lopez believes Menken can practically do anything, he possesses in particular "a God-given gift for a heartfelt emotional melody that will bring tears to your eyes". Menken is an EGOT winner, having won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony for his work.


Works


Film


Television


Theater

* '' Dear Worthy Editor'' (Off-Broadway, ) *: 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 Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
and Dennis Green *: Based on a 1965 novel by
Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut ( ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his Satire, satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfict ...
* ''The Dream on Royal Street'' (Regional, 1981) *: Lyrics by David Rogers *: Based on Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
* '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (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" and " The Girl Who Was Plugged In" * ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (Broadway, 1994; West End, 1997) *: Lyrics by Ashman and Tim Rice *: Based on the 1991 Disney film * ''
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. It recounts the ...
'' (Madison Square Garden, 1994–2003) *: Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens *: Based on 1843 novella by
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
* ''
King David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...
'' (Broadway, 1997) *: Lyrics by Rice *: Based on the Biblical books of
Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...
,
1 Chronicles The Book of Chronicles ( , "words of the days") is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third section of the Jewish Tan ...
and
Psalm The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of H ...
s * '' Der Glöckner von Notre Dame'' (Berlin, 1999) *: Lyrics by
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin (musical), Pippin'' (1972), and ...
*: Based on the Disney film and the 1831 novel by
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
* '' The Little Mermaid'' (Broadway, 2008) *: Lyrics by Ashman and Glenn Slater *: Based on the Disney film *'' Sister Act'' (West End, 2009; Broadway, 2011) *: Lyrics by Slater *: Based on the 1992 comedy film * ''
Leap of Faith In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of belief, believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason. The phrase is commonly associated with Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Idiomatic usage As an idiom, ''leap of faith'' ca ...
'' (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 * ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (Seattle, 2011; Broadway, 2014) *: Lyric by Ashman, Rice and Chad Beguelin *: 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
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
* '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (Montreal, 2015) *: Lyrics by Spencer *: Based on the 1959 novel by
Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (novel), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and ''Barney's Version (novel), Barney's Versi ...
* '' A Bronx Tale: The Musical'' (Broadway, 2016) *: Lyrics by Slater *: Based on the 1990 autobiographical one-man play by Chazz Palminteri * ''
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 Gr ...
'' (Central Park, 2019) *: Lyrics by David Zippel *: Based on the 1997 Disney film


Other

* '' Aladdin, Jr.'' – 1-act, 7-scene musical adapted from the animated film ''Aladdin'' 1992 * '' Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage'' – Theatrical show at Disney's Hollywood Studios,
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
* '' Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular'' – Theatrical show at
Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California ...
* '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' – Theatrical show at Disney's MGM Studios,
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
* '' The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure'' – Attraction at
Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California ...
* '' Sindbad's Storybook Voyage'' featuring "Compass of Your Heart" – Attraction at
Tokyo DisneySea is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual prope ...
, 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 Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through its first vessel ''Disney Magic,'' and is domiciled in London, Englan ...
(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, U.S. Army Soldier's Chorus and the Boston Pops Orchestra)


Awards and nominations

Alan Menken has received eight
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
(and nineteen nominations), becoming the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman (who has 9 Oscars), eleven
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
(and twenty-four nominations), one
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
(and four nominations), and one
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 (NA ...
. He has also received seven
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
(and sixteen nominations), one
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
(and five nominations), and three Outer Critics Circle Awards. Four of Menken's songs have won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award in a songwriting category (either Song of the Year or Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television). 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 History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
included the title song from the film ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'', 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 "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1991) * " Belle" from ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1991) * "
A Whole New World "A Whole New World" is the signature song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin (1992 Disney film), ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers B ...
" from ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (1992) * " Friend Like Me" from ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (1992) In 2006, AFI listed its 25 greatest movie musicals, with ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1991) ranked 22nd. It is the only animated musical film on the list. Four of his other film musicals were also nominated: * '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) * '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989) * ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' (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 EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, is the designation given to people who have won all four of the major performing art awards in the United States. Respectively, these awards honor outstanding achievements in telev ...
status when he won the
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 (NA ...
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


Further reading


Disney Biography of Menken
* Britannica Book of the Year, 1997. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
Interview with Alan Menken
theartsdesk.com. Posted May 16, 2010.


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 conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American male musicians American film score composers American male film score composers American male musical theatre composers American male television composers American musical theatre composers American people of Russian-Jewish descent 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 Disney Legends Golden Globe Award–winning musicians Grammy Award winners Jewish American film score composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish American television composers Living people Musicians from New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle High School alumni New York University alumni People from North Salem, New York Rocky (franchise) music Skydance Media people Songwriters from New York (state) Tony Award winners Walt Disney Animation Studios people