Alan Menken | |
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.jpg) Menken in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Alan Irwin Menken[1] (1949-07-22)July 22, 1949 (age 76) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
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| Years active | 1972–present |
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Spouse | |
| Website | alanmenken-live |
Alan Irwin Menken[1] (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has receivednumerous accolades including winning eightAcademy Awards, aTony Award, elevenGrammy Awards, sevenGolden Globe Awards, and aDaytime Emmy Award. He is one of 21 recipients to have won the competitiveEGOT (Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony).[2]
He is best known for his scores and songs for films produced byWalt Disney Animation Studios. Menken's contributions toThe Little Mermaid (1989),Beauty and the Beast (1991),Aladdin (1992), andPocahontas (1995) won him twoAcademy Awards for each film. He also composed the scores and songs forLittle Shop of Horrors (1986),Newsies (1992),The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996),Hercules (1997),Home on the Range (2004),Enchanted (2007),Tangled (2010),Disenchanted (2022), andSpellbound (2024), among others.
He is also known for his work in musical theater forBroadway winning theTony Award for Best Original Score forNewsies (2012). He was Tony-nominated forBeauty and the Beast (1993),The Little Mermaid (2008),Sister Act (2009), andAladdin (2014). His other stage hits includeLittle Shop of Horrors (1982),A Christmas Carol (1994),Leap of Faith (2012), andA Bronx Tale (2016).
Menken has collaborated with lyricists such asHoward Ashman,Jack Feldman,Tim Rice,Lynn Ahrens,Stephen Schwartz,David Zippel,Glenn Slater,Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, andLin-Manuel Miranda.
Alan Irwin Menken was born on July 22, 1949, atFrench Hospital inManhattan, to Judith and Norman Menken. His father was a boogie-woogie piano-playing dentist, and his mother was an actress, dancer and playwright.[3] His family wasJewish.[4] Menken developed an interest in music at an early age, taking piano and violin lessons. He began to compose at an early age.[5] 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 nextBob Dylan. A lot of guitar songs – I was composing on piano before that."[6]
He attendedNew Rochelle High School inNew Rochelle, New York, and graduated in 1967. Menken remembers: "I'd make up my ownBach fugues andBeethoven sonatas because I was bored with the piano and I didn't want to practice; so I'd go off on tangents".[7] He then enrolled atNew York University.[8] Menken graduated in 1972 from University College of Arts and Science at the Heights campus, which is now theCollege of Arts and Science.[9] After college, he attended theBMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.[10]
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 ... underLehman Engel, and walked into a room with other composers that I knew this was it."[7]
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 byLehman Engel.[10] From 1974 to 1978, he showcased various BMI workshop works, such asMidnight,Apartment House (lyric by Muriel Robinson),Conversations with Pierre,[10] Harry the Rat andMessiah on Mott Street (lyrics by David Spencer).[citation needed] According to Menken, during this period, he "worked as a ballet and modern dance accompanist, a musical director for club acts, ajingle writer, arranger, a songwriter forSesame Street and a vocal coach". He performed his material at clubs like The Ballroom, Reno Sweeny and Tramps.[11]
In 1976, John Wilson reported forThe New York Times 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."[12] 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."[13]
Menken contributed material torevues likeNew York's Back in Town,Big Apple Country,The Present Tense (1977),[14]Real Life Funnies (Off-Broadway, 1981),[15]Diamonds (Off-Broadway, 1984), andPersonals (Off-Off-Broadway, 1985).[16] His revuePatch, Patch, Patch ran at the West Bank Cafe in New York City in 1979 and featuredChip Zien. TheNew York Times reviewerMel Gussow wrote: "The title song ... refers to a life's passage. According to Alan Menken ... after age 30 it is a downhill plunge."[17] Menken wrote several shows that were not produced, includingAtina, Evil Queen of the Galaxy (1980), with lyrics by Steve Brown. He also wroteThe Thorn with lyrics by Brown, which was commissioned byDivine in 1980. This was a parody of the filmThe Rose, but they could not raise the money to have it produced.[18] He collaborated withHoward Ashman in an uncompleted musical calledBabe (c. 1981),[19][20] withTom Eyen inKicks: The Showgirl Musical (1984),[21] and with David Rogers inThe Dream in Royal Street (c. 1981), which was an adaptation ofA Midsummer Night's Dream.[20] Menken contributed music for the filmThe Line (1980), directed by Robert J. Siegel.[22]
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Menken finally achieved success as a composer when playwrightHoward Ashman chose him and Engel to write the music for hismusical adaptation ofKurt Vonnegut's novelGod Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The musical opened in 1979 at the WPA Theater[23] to excellent reviews[23] and modest box office. It transferred after several months to the Off-BroadwayEntermedia Theater, where it ran for an additional six weeks.[24][25][26][27] 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 filmThe Little Shop of Horrors. It opened at WPA Theater in 1982 to warm reviews. It moved to the Off BroadwayOrpheum Theatre in theEast 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 starringRick Moranis that earned Menken and Ashman their firstOscar nomination for the song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space".[28] For his body of work in musical theatre, he was awarded the BMI Career Achievement Award in 1983.[3]
In 1987, Menken and lyricist David Spencer's adaptationThe Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, based on the 1959novel of the same name, was produced in Philadelphia. After substantial re-writes, it was produced in 2015 in Montreal.[29][30] In 1992, the WPA Theatre produced Menken'sWeird Romance, also with lyrics by Spencer.[31]Menken's musical based on theCharles Dickens novellaA Christmas Carol, with lyrics byLynn Ahrens and book byMike Ockrent, debuted atMadison Square Garden's Paramount Theater in 1994.[32] The show proved successful and was an annual New York holiday event.[33] From 1989 to 1990, Menken andHoward Ashman wrote songs for the popular puppet TV showSesame Street.[34] In 2008, Menken said that his work onSesame Street was "pathetic money, but it still had some prestige to it. It was on the air and [he] was getting some royalties".[34] The duo also wrote a song titled "Wonderful Ways to Say No" for the 1990 animated anti-drug specialCartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.
On the strength of the success ofLittle Shop of Horrors, Menken and Ashman were hired byWalt Disney Studios to write the music forThe Little Mermaid (1989). The challenge was to create an animated musical film of thisHans Christian Andersen fairy tale that could sit alongside the Disney filmsSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs andCinderella.The Little Mermaid opened to critical and commercial success and signaled a new Disney era called theDisney Renaissance.[35] The film gave them their first Academy Award win:Best Song for the song "Under the Sea". Menken also won the 1989 Academy Award forBest Score.[8][36] CriticRoger Ebert declared in his review, [the film] contains some of the best Disney music since the glory days."[37]
Menken and Ashman'sBeauty and the Beast garnered them three 1991 Academy Award nominations for Best Song, winning forits title song.[36] Menken won another Academy Award for Best Score. The two were working onAladdin at the time of Ashman's death in 1991. Ashman wrote only three songs in the film and Menken collaborated withTim Rice, who was then working onThe Lion King, 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".[36] Menken also won the Oscar for Best Score. Menken debuted on Broadway with a musical theater adaptation ofBeauty and the Beast that opened in 1994 and ran for 13 years before closing in 2007. In 1997, he collaborated with lyricistTim Rice on a musical,King David, based on the biblical character, which was performed in aconcert version on Broadway at theNew Amsterdam Theatre.Little Shop of Horrors played on Broadway from 2003 to 2004.[38]
Menken'slive-action musical filmNewsies, with lyrics byJack Feldman, was released in 1992. Three more animated musical films followed. Menken collaborated withStephen Schwartz forPocahontas, for which the two won two Academy Awards: Best Song andBest Musical or Comedy Score. In 1996, the same musical team created the songs, and Menken, the score, forThe Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 1997, Menken reunited with his early collaborator,David Zippel, for his last film in the era,Hercules.[39] Menken also wrote the music for theMichael J. Fox vehicleLife with Mikey (1993),[40] the holiday filmNoel (2004)[41] andMirror Mirror (2012).[42] His other film scores for Disney have includedHome on the Range (2004), theTim Allen remake ofThe Shaggy Dog (2006),Enchanted (2007), andTangled (2010).
He next created the stage version ofThe Little Mermaid, which played on Broadway from 2008 to 2009 and for which he received a nomination for aTony Award for Best Score.[38] Menken's stage adaptation ofSister Act debuted in London in 2009, and opened on Broadway in 2011. He was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Score.[43] Menken received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.[44] In December 2010, he was a guest on theNPR quiz showWait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.[45] In 2012, Menken won a Tony Award for Best Score for his musical adaptation ofNewsies, which ran until 2014. He also wrote the music forLeap of Faith, which had a brief run on Broadway in 2012. His stage adaptation ofAladdin opened on Broadway in 2014, earning him another Tony nomination for Best Score.[38] In 2013, he was a guest at the annual Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and was honored with the Junior Theater Festival Award.[46] He gave a concert there, including music that was cut from various productions, while talking about his creative process.[citation needed]
Menken's stage adaptation ofThe Hunchback of Notre Dame played atLa Jolla Playhouse, California, in 2014.[47][48] In 2015, Menken co-composed the score for the musical television seriesGalavant alongsideChristopher Lennertz, reuniting him withTangled screenwriterDan Fogelman.[49] Menken also co-wrote songs for the series alongsideGlenn Slater.[50] The series lasted two seasons, first airing on January 4, 2015, and last airing on January 31, 2016.[51]The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was revived in Montreal in 2015,[29][30] andA Bronx Tale: The Musical played at thePaper Mill Playhouse in 2016.[52] Menken is currently working on stage musical adaptations ofNight at the Museum[53] andAnimal Farm.[54]
Menken wrote songs for a prospective prequel/spin-off series to 2017'sBeauty and the Beast titledLittle Town, which would be centered onGaston and LeFou.[53] The series would be released on Disney's streaming service,Disney+,[53][55] and Menken would also be an executive-producer on the series.[56] In February 2022, it was reported that the series would not go forward for now.[57] In March 2017, Disney released alive-action adaptation ofBeauty and the Beast, directed byBill Condon and starringEmma Watson andDan Stevens, with the songs from the 1991 film and new material by Menken and Rice.[58] Menken collaborated withBenj Pasek and Justin Paul on writing new songs for the 2019live-action version ofAladdin, directed byGuy Ritchie.[59]
As of 2019, Menken reunites with hisNewsies creatorsJack Feldman andHarvey Fierstein to develop a new musical calledGreetings from Niagara Falls. A reading was held in January 2019; however, there is no word on future plans for the project at this time.[60] In 2017, Menken and Slater returned to write songs for the animated seriesRapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which is set after the events ofTangled.[61] The series ended in 2020, after three seasons. On July 26, 2020, Menken and Slater won theDaytime Emmy Award for Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for the song titled "Waiting in the Wings".[2][62]
Menken again worked with Stephen Schwartz to write new songs forDisenchanted, the sequel toEnchanted.[63] Menken also worked on new music for alive-action film adaptation ofThe Little Mermaid, directed byRob Marshall, with longtimeThe Little Mermaid fanLin-Manuel Miranda,[64] whom Menken knew since the former's childhood, as Miranda went to the same school as Menken's niece.[65] Menken is also working alongside former Disney chief creative officerJohn Lasseter on a project atSkydance Animation.[53] On May 20, 2020, the project was revealed to beVicky Jenson'sSpellbound.[66] Menken will co-write songs forSpellbound alongside collaborated with lyricistGlenn Slater, with whom he worked onHome on the Range andTangled.[66] Menken is also reportedly attached to a sequel toAladdin.[67] Menken was set to work with Schwartz to write new songs for a remake ofThe Hunchback of Notre Dame, which Menken would score.[68] However, in May 2023, Menken suggested that the development had been stalled due to the original movie's content and themes.[69]
With eight Academy Awards, only composerAlfred Newman (nine wins), art directorCedric Gibbons (11 wins) andWalt Disney (22 wins) have received more Academy Awards than Menken. He is tied for fourth place with late costume designerEdith Head, and currently holds the record forthe most wins for a living person.[citation needed][70]
Menken was introduced to ballet dancer Janis Roswick while working with the Downtown Ballet Company. They have been married since November 1972 and live inNorth Salem, New York with their two daughters, Anna and Nora.[71][failed verification]
Menken described his signature style of songwriting as pop and rock music married with a "theatrical sensibility" derived from working with theatre composersLehman Engel andMaury Yeston.[72] Darryn King ofThe Sydney Morning Herald observed that Menken's first three Disney films alone demonstrated a wide range of musical genres and styles, namelysea shanties,German cabaret, French music hall,Mozartoperetta, and "the Harlem grooves ofFats Waller andCab Calloway".[73] Writing for the same publication, Debbie Cuthbertson identified romance, swelling strings, and humour as trademarks of Menken's songs.[74] Menken said he prefers his compositions to be "hummable", and emphasized the importance of creating infectious melodies and rhythms that elicit desired emotions.[75]
Menken described himself as a chameleon in terms of his composing process.[76] 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.[75] His music is also created prior to the scripts and storyboards.[77] Menken records his owndemos using either a straight piano-vocal or piano-vocal-MIDI orchestral arrangement.[76] He maintains that there is little value in writing music that does not elicit strong emotional responses from listeners.[73]Apple Music said the composer's work is "Rich with the tones, colors, and textures that help viewers feel those big moments deep in their hearts".[78] Although he rarely orchestrates or conducts his own work, he produces his film's soundtracks and remains in the control room during recording sessions.[76] 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.[79] He initially wrote both music and lyrics and considers himself to be a strong lyricist, but decided to focus on composing upon meeting Ashman.[72] He said he enjoys working with different lyricists because "they reflect different dimensions of my career".[76] Lyricist and frequent collaboratorGlenn Slater said Menken is arguably "the greatest melodist that we've had in the theatre and the film world for the past 30 years".[73]
Steve Hochman ofGrammy.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".[80] In 2024, Katcy Stephan ofVariety said of Menken "he remains one of the industry’s most sought-after songwriters".[72]Playbill'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".[81] According to Jeff Bond ofThe Hollywood Reporter, 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".[82] Phil Sweetland ofAmerican Songwriter credited Menken's work for Disney with preserving musical theater after the genre had fallen into decline following theGolden Age of musicals, before its resurgence in the 1990s and early 2000s.[76] 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.[73] 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.[81] 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".[76] His work has influenced a generation of songwriters across film and stage.[79] Menken has noted his influence on songwriters and musicians such asBenj Pasek,Justin Paul,Robert Lopez,Kristen Anderson-Lopez,Lin-Manuel Miranda,Elton John, andSara Bareilles, although he maintains he does not have a specific protege.[79] 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".[73]
Menken is an EGOT winner, having won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony for his work.[83]
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Credited as | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Songwriter | Score producer | Actor | ||||
| 1972 | A Dancer's Life | William Richert | No | No | No | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1986 | Little Shop of Horrors | Frank Oz | No | Yes | No | No | Composed original and new songs with lyrics byHoward Ashman; score byMiles Goodman |
| 1989 | The Little Mermaid | John Musker Ron Clements | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | First score for an animated film Composed songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman |
| 1990 | Rocky V | John G. Avildsen | No | Yes | No | No | Composed song "Measure of a Man"; score byBill Conti |
| 1991 | Beauty and the Beast | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman |
| 1992 | Newsies | Kenny Ortega | No | Yes | No | No | Composed songs with lyrics byJack Feldman; score byJ.A.C. Redford |
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | Chris Columbus | No | Yes | No | No | Composed song "My Christmas Tree" with lyrics by Jack Feldman; score byJohn Williams | |
| Aladdin | John Musker Ron Clements | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman &Tim Rice | |
| 1993 | Life with Mikey | James Lapine | Yes | Yes | No | No | Composed songs "Cold Enough to Snow" and "Life with Mikey Theme" with lyrics byStephen Schwartz & Jack Feldman |
| 1995 | Pocahontas | Mike Gabriel Eric Goldberg | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed songs with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz |
| 1996 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Gary Trousdale Kirk Wise | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1997 | Hercules | John Musker Ron Clements | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed songs with lyrics byDavid Zippel |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Will Finn John Sanford | Yes | Yes | No | No | Composed songs with lyrics byGlenn Slater |
| Noel | Chazz Palminteri | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed song "Winter Light" with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz | |
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Brian Robbins | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2007 | Enchanted | Kevin Lima | Yes | Yes | No | No | Composed songs with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz |
| 2010 | Tangled | Byron Howard Nathan Greno | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater |
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Joe Johnston | No | Yes | No | No | Composed "Star Spangled Man" with lyrics by David Zippel; score byAlan Silvestri |
| Jock the Hero Dog | Duncan MacNeillie | No | Yes | No | No | Composed song "Howling at the moon" with lyrics by Tim Rice; score byKlaus Badelt andIan Honeyman | |
| 2012 | Mirror Mirror | Tarsem Singh | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2016 | Sausage Party | Conrad Vernon Greg Tiernan | Yes | Yes | No | No | Co-composer withChristopher Lennertz; Composed song "The Great Beyond" with lyrics by Glenn Slater,Seth Rogen,Evan Goldberg, Ariel Shaffir and Kyle Hunter |
| Aria for a Cow | Dan Lund | Yes | Yes | No | No | Short film; Composed song "Aria" with lyrics by Howard Ashman[84] | |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Bill Condon | Yes | Yes | No | No | Returned from the 1991 animated film Composed original songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman; Composed new songs with Tim Rice |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Rich Moore Phil Johnston | No | Yes | No | No | Composed songs "In This Place" and "A Place Called Slaughter Race" with lyrics byPhil Johnston & Tom MacDougall; score byHenry Jackman |
| Holmes & Watson | Etan Cohen | No | Yes | No | No | Composed song "Strange Sensation" with lyrics by Glenn Slater; score byMark Mothersbaugh | |
| Howard | Don Hahn | Yes | No | No | Yes | Documentary film Disney+ original film Limited theatrical run in 2018; official release in 2020 | |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Guy Ritchie | Yes | Yes | No | No | Returned to score from the 1992 animated film Composed original songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice; Composed new songs with lyrics byBenj Pasek & Justin Paul |
| 2022 | Disenchanted | Adam Shankman | Yes | Yes | No | No | Disney+ original film Returned from the 2007 film Composed songs with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz[85] |
| 2023 | The Little Mermaid | Rob Marshall | Yes | Yes | No | No | Returned to score from the 1989 animated film Composed original songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman; Composed new songs with lyrics byLin-Manuel Miranda |
| 2024 | Spellbound[66] | Vicky Jenson | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Netflix original film Composed songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater |
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Songwriter | Score producer | Executive producer | Actor | |||
| 1989–1990 | Sesame Street | No | Yes | No | No | No | Composed "Grouchelot", "What is Friend?", "It's Gonna Get Dirty Again," "Snuffle Friends," "Martian Family (Yip Yip Song)," "Monster Up and Down", "Pond Full of Fish" and "Todos un Pueblo" |
| 1989 | Polly | No | Yes | No | No | No | Television film Composed song "By Your Side" with lyrics by Jack Feldman; score byJoel McNeely |
| 1990 | Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue | No | Yes | No | No | No | TV special Composed "Wonderful Ways to Say No" with lyrics by Howard Ashman; score byRichard Kosinski,Sam Winans,Paul Buckmaster,Bill Reichenbach, Bob Mann andGuy Moon |
| 1992 | Lincoln | Yes | No | No | No | No | Television film |
| 2004 | A Christmas Carol | No | Yes | No | No | No | Television film Composed songs with lyrics byLynn Ahrens; score by Michael Kosarin |
| 2013 | The Neighbors | No | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: "Sing Like a Larry Bird" Composed "More or Less The Kind of Thing You May or May Not Possibly See on Broadway", "Giselle", "More or Less The Kind of Thing You May or May Not Possibly See on Broadway" (Reprise) |
| 2015–2016 | Galavant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Composed complete soundtrack, score co-composed withChristopher Lennertz |
| 2017 | Tangled: Before Ever After | No | Yes | No | No | No | Television film Disney Channeloriginal film Composed songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater; score by Kevin Kliesch |
| 2017–2020 | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure[86] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Composed complete soundtrack, score composed by Kevin Kliesch |
| 2019 | The Little Mermaid Live! | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | TV special Composed original songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman; Composed new songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater |
| 2020 | Central Park | No | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: "Dog Spray Afternoon" Composed song "Spoiler Alert" with lyrics by Glenn Slater |
| 2021 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | No | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: "The Star-Spangled Man" Composed "Star Spangled Man" with lyrics by David Zippel forCaptain America: The First Avenger; score by Henry Jackman |
| 2022 | Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | TV special Composed original songs with lyrics by Howard Ashman; Composed "Evermore" with lyrics by Tim Rice |
| 2024-Present | Sausage Party: Foodtopia | No | No | Yes | No | No | "The Great Beyond Score Theme" several episodes |
Alan Menken has received eightAcademy Awards (and nineteen nominations), becoming the second most prolificOscar winner in the music categories afterAlfred Newman (who has 9 Oscars), elevenGrammy Awards (and twenty-four nominations), oneTony Award (and four nominations), and oneDaytime Emmy Award. He has also received sevenGolden Globe Awards (and sixteen nominations), oneDrama Desk Award (and five nominations), and threeOuter Critics Circle Awards. Four of Menken's songs have won both the Academy Award forBest Original Song and a Grammy Award in a songwriting category (eitherSong of the Year orBest Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television).[89]
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.
TheAmerican Film Institute includedthe title song from the filmBeauty and the Beast, in theAFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. Five other songs from his Disney films were nominated:
In 2006, AFI listed its25 greatest movie musicals, withBeauty 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:[90]
In 2019, Menken finally accepted theRazzie Award forWorst Original Song he won at the13th Golden Raspberry Awards (1993) for "High Times, Hard Times" fromNewsies (1992), becoming the first person to win a Razzie and Oscar in the same year.[91][92] Menken wrote the music for the song, and shared the award with lyricistJack Feldman.
In 2020, Menken reachedEGOT status when he won theDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song in a Children's, Young Adult or Animated Program for co-writing the song "Waiting in the Wings" forRapunzel's Tangled Adventure.[2][93]
As planned right now, there's more singing and dancing than there was in the first one, and it's all original music, with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz coming back to do it.
