Alan Menken News & Discussion

[Sotiris]

Any rumblings on this/Menken working on something bigger? Seems strange to do Broadway when they're about to open the cruise ship show... but I just can't think of anything else.

Interesting. There's no way it's Broadway. It's probably the stage adaptation for the Disney Cruise Line which is set to debut this year. Although there were some ramblings of a film spin-off as well.

[Miss Manday]

Oh really? Well a spin-off makes more sense, as the cruise thing has already been announced (and she has since admitted that isn't it.) I thought I had read somewhere that the directors weren't interested in doing a sequel, but a spin-off... One wonders what that could be though. I don't think the Pascal and Maximus movie would sell on it's own.

[Atlantica]

Major yay for more Tangled in any sort of form please !!

[Sotiris]

I wonder who it was they wanted to do it?

I've finally discovered who it was! They wanted James Horner!

Jeffrey Katzenberg had done a lot of work over at Paramount with James Horner who's a wonderful film scorer. He said 'Well, we'd love to have James come in and write the score and co-write the songs but you'll get to co-write the songs'. So, I said 'No. I don't want to do it'. And Howard backed me up. My agent was even saying 'Take it. Take it. It's a good deal'. Sometimes you just have to fight and say 'No, if I'm going to do it, I want to do it.' And to his credit, Jeffrey said 'OK. Do it'.

Source: http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=351537

[Sotiris]

Stephen Schwartz wants to bring Enchanted to the stage.

But despite his penchant for animated films, the next Disney film Schwartz hopes to bring to the stage is the part live-action and part animated film "Enchanted."

"I have a notion of a way to do 'Enchanted.' I've sort of mentioned it to [Disney Theatricals chief Thomas] Schumacher," he said. "I know they're completely obsessed with 'Frozen' now. But someday now I feel there's a lovely and theatrical way to do' Enchanted' live that could things that we weren't able to do in the movie and use theatre in a very interesting way."

Source: http://playbill.com/news/article/hunchb ... -343892/P2


I hope he somehow manages to convince Thomas Schumacher because last time we heard he wasn't too fond of the idea.

Many people have come to us about Enchanted. But Enchanted has a fundamental narrative hook, which is they live in the world of animation and then they step into live action. I've thought about 20 different versions of how to do it, but I don't know what's so fun about that if they're never actually animated.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/d ... zen-740520

[Disney's Divinity]

I hope he manages to get it made eventually. Enchanted's draw is more about how characters from a fairy tale/Disney world act differently from the real world. He's right that some of the impact will be lost without the animated parts, but it could still work overall, imo. Maybe use extra-bright colors and costumes in Giselle's world and then muted colors in the "real" world; Giselle's culture shock and Robert's reactions to Giselle's behavior would still work.

Btw, I didn't quite know where to post this and I doubt many/anyone here might care, but Josh Groban will be singing a cover of "If I Can't Love Her" on his new album Stages (an album covering theatrical songs) to be released in May.

[Miss Manday]

I would be SO happy to see Enchanted hit the stage. That movie is so underrated, and it's perfect for a musical. (When it came out, I found myself trying to figure out where new songs could be added. And Robert wouldn't sing until the second act as he realizes his feelings for Giselle, of course.)

[blackcauldron85]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ar ... tml#page=2

Yet when asked what show in his prolific career has his heart, Menken points to a play that has gone through several readings but has never been produced: a musical adaptation of "The Big Street," based on a dark Damon Runyon story that was made into a 1942 film starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda. It is about a busboy with an unrequited passion for a chorus girl who becomes consigned to a wheelchair after her jealous boyfriend pushes her down the stairs.

That sounds like something I would love. I wonder why it's never been produced?!

Menken says his affinity for losers — including Aladdin, Seymour in "Little Shop," Jack in "Newsies" and Quasimodo in "Hunchback" — is because they are perfect fodder for musicals. "They have somewhere to go," he says. "It's all about overcoming the odds."

I just thought that that was a great quote.

[azul017]

Alan Menken WILL score the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, due out March 17, 2017.

Walt Disney Pictures has announced today that Alan Menken will be providing the score for the upcoming live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. The film will also feature new original songs co-written by the composer and Sir Tim Rice, as well as new recordings of the songs from the 1991 animated classic that Menken penned with Howard Ashman. The live action version will be directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Kinsey, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) and is set to star Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles. Luke Evans will portray Gaston, Emma Thompson will star as Mrs. Potts and Kevin Kline as Belle’s father, Maurice. Josh Gad has been cast to play Lefou. Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) is writing the screenplay. Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman & Todd Lieberman (The Muppets, The Fighter, The Proposal) are producing the project. Menken has received his third and fourth Academy Award for his music for the animated film. Beauty and the Beast is scheduled to be released on March 17, 2017.

This is both exciting and weird. Having a composer score a remake to a film he/she's scored is rare indeed.

[Disney's Divinity]

I'm very glad he'll be involved with the film.

[DisneyFan09]

Wonder if Menken will use the same cues that he already composed from the 1991 version or if he will create a score that is different from it's animated counterpart.

[azul017]

Wonder if Menken will use the same cues that he already composed from the 1991 version or if he will create a score that is different from it's animated counterpart.

It might be a mix of both.

[Prince Edward]

Menken's original Beauty and the Beast score is so beautiful and such a huge part of the movie experience for me, it would be a shame if he/they did not keep what they can of it. Off course some minor alterations and some new material might be needed, but if something is not broken - why fix it?; )

[azul017]

Menken's original Beauty and the Beast score is so beautiful and such a huge part of the movie experience for me, it would be a shame if he/they did not keep what they can of it. Off course some minor alterations and some new material might be needed, but if something is not broken - why fix it?; )

If anything, Condon and Menken should try to keep "Transformation" at the very least. It's one of the most moving pieces Menken's wrote for any film.

[estefan]

I imagine he will use a lot of cues from the Broadway show, while also writing a couple of new pieces for the appropriate places.

I especially like that he's reuniting with Tim Rice. I wonder if one of these new songs will land them another Oscar.

[Disney's Divinity]

I had wondered if that description actually means there will be new songs (as in, never before heard) or if they just meant the songs from the musical/not present in the film ("Home," "IICLH," etc.)? Hard to tell, considering the summary never mentions the musical version at all. Either way, I'd love to hear new material, I just hope it lives up to the rest--and will there be room for everything?

[Sotiris]

Alan Menken wrote two songs with lyricist Lynne Ahrens for the Green World Campaign. The one is called "Tree by Tree by Tree" and the other is "Green Green World". I couldn't find anything about the latter but I found sheet music for the former as well as a sample of the song.

[azul017]

I had wondered if that description actually means there will be new songs (as in, never before heard) or if they just meant the songs from the musical/not present in the film ("Home," "IICLH," etc.)? Hard to tell, considering the summary never mentions the musical version at all. Either way, I'd love to hear new material, I just hope it lives up to the rest--and will there be room for everything?

Probably the songs from the musical. Not everyone is familiar with that, just the animated film or vice versa.

[Sotiris]

Oh really? Well a spin-off makes more sense, as the cruise thing has already been announced (and she has since admitted that isn't it.)

I guess it was the cruise thing after all.

The Magic of "Tangled" Shines Onstage in Brand-New "Tangled: The Musical" Stage Show Aboard Disney Cruise Line
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 60200.html

[DisneyFan09]

I'm glad Menken will have three new songs on the show. I wonder if they'll be the rejected songs from the production of the movie.