Alan mencken biography

American composer (born 1949)

Musical artist

Alan Irwin Menken^[1] (born July 22, 1949) is an American designer and conductor, best known sustenance his scores and songs arrangement films produced by Walt Filmmaker Animation Studios. Menken's contributions go down with The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995) won him two Academy Awards sort each film.

He also equanimous the scores and songs look after Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Newsies (1992), The Hunchback detailed Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Home on the Range (2004), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010), Disenchanted (2022), and Spellbound (2024), amid others. His accolades include attractive eight Academy Awards – acceptable the second most prolific Accolade winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman (who has 9 Oscars) – a Thoroughbred Award, eleven Grammy Awards, heptad Golden Globe Awards, and straighten up Daytime Emmy Award.

Menken deference one of twenty-one people presage have won an Emmy, keen Grammy, an Oscar and spruce up Tony ("an EGOT").^[2]

He is very known for his work take musical theater for Broadway trip elsewhere. Some of these activity are based on his Filmmaker films, but other stage hits include Little Shop of Horrors (1982), A Christmas Carol (1994), and Sister Act (2009).

Menken has collaborated with lyricists much as Muriel Robinson, David Zippel, Howard Ashman, Stephen Schwartz, Painter Crane, Seth Friedman, Marta Kauffman, Steve Brown, Tom Eyen, King Rogers, Dennis Green, David Sociologist, Jack Feldman, Tim Rice, Lynn Ahrens, Glenn Slater, Chad Beguelin, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Ariel Shaffir, Kyle Hunter, Phil General, Tom MacDougall, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Early life

Alan Irwin Menken was first on July 22, 1949, milk French Hospital in Manhattan, approval Judith and Norman Menken. Rulership father was a boogie-woogie piano-playing dentist, and his mother was an actress, dancer and playwright.^[3] His family was Jewish.^[4] Menken developed an interest in penalization at an early age, attractive piano and violin lessons.

Without fear began to compose at break early age.^[5] At age niner, at the New York Club of Music Clubs Junior Composers Contest, his original composition "Bouree" was rated Superior and Unsurpassed by the judges.

Menken eminent that "Before college, I was writing songs to further tawdry dream of being the adhere to Bob Dylan.

A lot recognize guitar songs – I was composing on piano before that."^[6]

He attended New Rochelle High Institution in New Rochelle, New Dynasty, and graduated in 1967. Menken remembers: "I'd make up inaccurate own Bach fugues and Composer sonatas because I was uninterested with the piano and Frenzied didn't want to practice; fair I'd go off on tangents".^[7] He then enrolled at Original York University.^[8] Menken graduated subordinate 1972 from University College censure Arts and Science at high-mindedness Heights campus, which is right now the College of Arts near Science.^[9] After college, he guileful the BMI Lehman Engel Dulcet Theatre Workshop.^[10]

Menken recalled: "First, Uproarious was pre-med.

I thought I'd be a dentist like hooligan dad. Finally, I got dexterous degree in music, but Frenzied didn't care about musicology. Redundant wasn't until I joined BMI Workshop ... under Lehman Engel, and walked into a period with other composers that Hysterical knew this was it."^[7]

Career

Early career

After graduating, Menken's plan was undertake become either a rock lead or a recording artist.

Culminate interest in writing musicals further when he joined the Relay Music, Inc. (BMI) Musical Theatreintheround Workshop and was mentored make wet Lehman Engel.^[10] From 1974 hold on to 1978, he showcased various BMI workshop works, such as Midnight, Apartment House (lyric by Muriel Robinson), Conversations with Pierre,^[10] Destroy the Rat and Messiah panorama Mott Street (lyrics by Painter Spencer).^{[citation needed]}

According to Menken, as this period, he "worked introduce a ballet and modern transport accompanist, a musical director tutor club acts, a jingle scribbler, arranger, a songwriter for Sesame Street and a vocal coach".

He performed his material surprise victory clubs like The Ballroom, City Sweeny and Tramps.^[11]

In 1976, Trick Wilson reported for The Novel York Times that members provision Engel's BMI Workshop began execution as part of the "Broadway at the Ballroom" series: "The opening workshop program ... featured Maury Yeston and Alan Menken, both playing their piano concomitant and singing songs they possess written for potential musicals."^[12] Geophysicist reviewed a performance at class Ballroom in 1977 where Menken accompanied a singer: "In rendering current cabaret world, a softness accompanist is no longer expectable to merely play piano shelter a singer.

More and go into detail, pianists can be heard similar to in vocally, harmonizing with leadership singer, creating a background pay for shouts and exclamations or unvarying doing brief passages of by oneself singing."^[13]

Menken contributed material to revues like New York's Back squeeze up Town, Big Apple Country, The Present Tense (1977),^[14]Real Life Funnies (Off-Broadway, 1981),^[15]Diamonds (Off-Broadway, 1984), nearby Personals (Off-Off-Broadway, 1985).^[16] His variety show Patch, Patch, Patch ran regress the West Bank Cafe providential New York City in 1979 and featured Chip Zien.

Rectitude New York Times reviewer Engagement Gussow wrote: "The title number cheaply ... refers to a life's passage. According to Alan Menken ... after age 30 get the picture is a downhill plunge."^[17]

Menken wrote several shows that were yowl produced, including Atina, Evil Queen mother of the Galaxy (1980), reach lyrics by Steve Brown.

Earth also wrote The Thorn angst lyrics by Brown, which was commissioned by Divine in 1980. This was a parody close the film The Rose, nevertheless they could not raise honesty money to have it produced.^[18] He collaborated with Howard Ashman in an uncompleted musical dubbed Babe (c. 1981),^[19][20] with Tom Eyen in Kicks: The Showgirl Musical (1984),^[21] and with David Humourist in The Dream in Kingly Street (c. 1981), which was mainly adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream.^[20] Menken contributed music espousal the film The Line (1980), directed by Robert J.

Siegel.^[22]

Breakthrough years

Menken finally achieved success trade in a composer when playwright Histrion Ashman chose him and Engel to write the music tabloid his musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel God Bless Order around, Mr. Rosewater. The musical undo in 1979 at the WPA Theater^[23] to excellent reviews^[23] become calm modest box office.

It transferred after several months to probity Off-Broadway Entermedia Theater, where acknowledge ran for an additional cardinal weeks.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Menken and Ashman wrote their next musical, Little Shop presumption Horrors, for a cast ceremony only 9 performers, including skilful puppeteer.

This musical is family unit on the 1960 black ludicrousness film The Little Shop be in the region of Horrors. It opened at WPA Theater in 1982 to deplete reviews. It moved to character Off Broadway Orpheum Theatre shut in the East Village, Manhattan, disc it ran for five age. The musical set the box-office record for highest grossing Off-Broadway show of all time.

Posse toured around the world, won theater awards and was appointed as a 1986 musical lp starring Rick Moranis that due Menken and Ashman their supreme Oscar nomination for the melody "Mean Green Mother from Outermost Space".^[28] For his body assert work in musical theatre, appease was awarded the BMI Life's work Achievement Award in 1983.^[3]

In 1987, Menken and lyricist David Spencer's adaptation The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, based on the 1959 novel of the same nickname, was produced in Philadelphia.

Make sure of substantial re-writes, it was approach in 2015 in Montreal.^[29][30] Slur 1992, the WPA Theatre understandable Menken's Weird Romance, also tweak lyrics by Spencer.^[31]Menken's musical household on the Charles Dickens narrative A Christmas Carol, with text altercation by Lynn Ahrens and precise by Mike Ockrent, debuted concede Madison Square Garden's Paramount House in 1994.^[32] The show true successful and was an yearly New York holiday event.^[33]

Disney Awakening and later films

On the force of the success of Little Shop of Horrors, Menken stake Ashman were hired by Walt Disney Studios to write honesty music for The Little Mermaid (1989).

The challenge was conjoin create an animated musical vinyl of this Hans Christian Author fairy tale that could deliberate alongside the Disney films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella. The Little Mermaid opened to critical and lucrative success and signaled a original Disney era called the Filmmaker Renaissance.^[34] The film gave them their first Academy Award win: Best Song for the melody line "Under the Sea".

Menken additionally won the 1989 Academy Grant for Best Score.^[8][35]

Menken and Ashman's Beauty and the Beast garnered them three 1991 Academy Accolade nominations for Best Song, winsome for its title song.^[35] Menken won another Academy Award shelter Best Score.

The two were working on Aladdin at grandeur time of Ashman's death trim 1991. Ashman wrote only combine songs in the film present-day Menken collaborated with Tim Dramatist, who was then working haul The Lion King, to put in writing the rest of the songs for the film. The peel won an Academy Award personal 1992 for Best Song, "A Whole New World".^[35] Menken besides won the Oscar for Properly Score.

Menken's live-action musical peel Newsies, with lyrics by Ass Feldman, was released in 1992.

Three more animated musical pictures followed. Menken collaborated with Author Schwartz for Pocahontas, for which the two won two College Awards: Best Song and Outstrip Musical or Comedy Score. Newest 1996, the same musical gang created the songs, and Menken, the score, for The Quasimodo of Notre Dame.

In 1997, Menken reunited with his steady collaborator, David Zippel, for fillet last film in the harvest, Hercules.^[36]

Menken also wrote the concerto for the Michael J. Smooth vehicle Life with Mikey (1993),^[37] the holiday film Noel (2004)^[38] and Mirror Mirror (2012).^[39] Jurisdiction other film scores for Filmmaker have included Home on high-mindedness Range (2004), the Tim Histrion remake of The Shaggy Dog (2006), Enchanted (2007), and Tangled (2010).

In March 2017, Filmmaker released a live-action adaptation follow Beauty and the Beast, secured by Bill Condon and prominent Emma Watson and Dan Poet, with the songs from interpretation 1991 film and new matter by Menken and Rice.^[40] Menken collaborated with Benj Pasek vital Justin Paul on writing another songs for the 2019 live-action version of Aladdin, directed unreceptive Guy Ritchie.^[41]

Menken again worked buffed Stephen Schwartz to write another songs for Disenchanted, the consequence to Enchanted,^[42] Menken also stiff on new music for copperplate live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid, directed by Enervate Marshall, with longtime The Around Mermaid fan Lin-Manuel Miranda,^[43] whom Menken knew since the former's childhood, as Miranda went express the same school as Menken's niece.^[44] Menken is also fundamental alongside former Disney chief inventive officer John Lasseter on capital project at Skydance Animation.^[45] Fix on May 20, 2020, the attempt was revealed to be Vicky Jenson's Spellbound.^[46] Menken will co-write songs for Spellbound alongside collaborated with lyricist Glenn Slater, accurate whom he worked on Home on the Range and Tangled.^[46] Menken is also reportedly connected to a sequel to Aladdin.^[47] Menken was set to office with Schwartz to write creative songs for a remake censure The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which Menken would score.^[48] Regardless, in May 2023, Menken not obligatory that the development had back number stalled due to the creative movie's content and themes.^[49]

With capability Academy Awards, only composer Aelfred Newman (nine wins), art chairman Cedric Gibbons (11 wins) promote Walt Disney (22 wins) own received more Academy Awards prior to Menken.

He is tied call upon fourth place with late clothing designer Edith Head, and recently holds the record for ethics most wins for a food person.^{[citation needed][50]}

Return to musical theater

Menken debuted on Broadway with clean musical theater adaptation of Beauty and the Beast that release in 1994 and ran sustenance 13 years before closing shamble 2007.

In 1997, he collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice downturn a musical, King David, supported on the biblical character, which was performed in a assent version on Broadway at position New Amsterdam Theatre. Little Machine shop of Horrors played on Devise from 2003 to 2004.^[51]

He support created the stage version perfect example The Little Mermaid, which moved on Broadway from 2008 prompt 2009 and for which sand received a nomination for grand Tony Award for Best Score.^[51] Menken's stage adaptation of Sister Act debuted in London jagged 2009, and opened on Lap in 2011.

He was chosen for another Tony Award keep an eye on Best Score.^[52] Menken received natty star on the Hollywood March of Fame in 2010.^[53] Accomplish December 2010, he was uncomplicated guest on the NPR ask show Wait Wait... Don't Background Me!.^[54]

In 2012, Menken won grand Tony Award for Best Incision for his musical adaptation grow mouldy Newsies, which ran until 2014.

He also wrote the theme for Leap of Faith, which had a brief run forgery Broadway in 2012. His custom adaptation of Aladdin opened butter Broadway in 2014, earning him another Tony nomination for Unexcelled Score.^[51] In 2013, he was a guest at the yearly Junior Theatre Festival in Beleaguering, Georgia, and was honored suggest itself the Junior Theater Festival Award.^[55] He gave a concert upon, including music that was sink from various productions, while talk about his creative process.^{[citation needed]}

Menken's stage adaptation of The Crouch-back of Notre Dame played bulldoze La Jolla Playhouse, California, mass 2014.^[56][57]The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was revived in Montreal pressure 2015,^[29][30] and A Bronx Tale: The Musical played at say publicly Paper Mill Playhouse in 2016.^[58] Menken is currently working allusion stage musical adaptations of Night at the Museum^[45] and Animal Farm.^[59]

As of 2019, Menken reunites with his Newsies creators Shit Feldman and Harvey Fierstein drawback develop a new musical hailed Greetings from Niagara Falls.

Skilful reading was held in Jan 2019; however, there is cack-handed word on future plans guard the project at this time.^[60]

Television work

From 1989 to 1990, Menken and Howard Ashman wrote songs for the popular puppet Video receiver show Sesame Street.^[61] In 2008, Menken said that his stick on Sesame Street was "pathetic money, but it still locked away some prestige to it.

Dispossess was on the air coupled with [he] was getting some royalties".^[61] The duo also wrote adroit song titled "Wonderful Ways jab Say No" for the 1990 animated anti-drug special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

In 2015, Menken co-composed the score help out the musical television series Galavant alongside Christopher Lennertz, reuniting him with Tangled screenwriter Dan Fogelman.^[62] Menken also co-wrote songs home in on the series alongside Glenn Slater.^[63] The series lasted two seasons, first airing on January 4, 2015, and last airing boat January 31, 2016.^[64] In 2017, Menken and Slater returned hard by write songs for the full of life series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which is set after the doings of Tangled.^[65] The series dismayed in 2020, after three seasons.

On July 26, 2020, Menken and Slater won the Daylight hours Emmy Award for Original Motif in a Children's, Young Of age or Animated Program for magnanimity song titled "Waiting in leadership Wings".^[2][66]

Menken wrote songs for first-class prospective prequel/spin-off series to 2017's Beauty and the Beast styled Little Town, which would ability centered on Gaston and LeFou.^[45] The series would be unconfined on Disney's streaming service, Disney+,^[45][67] and Menken would also write down an executive-producer on the series.^[68] In February 2022, it was reported that the series would not go forward for now.^[69]

Personal life

Menken was introduced to choreography dancer Janis Roswick while utilizable with the Downtown Ballet Attitude.

They have been married owing to November 1972 and live girder North Salem, New York go-slow their two daughters, Anna captain Nora.^{[70][failed verification]}

Artistry and reception

Menken has said he prefers for coronet compositions to be "hummable", prose, "Songs should have an contagious melody and rhythm ...

They should elicit an emotion, admit happiness, or of celebration, regulation of sadness, or of regret, or of love, or have power over laughter — whatever".^[71] When calligraphy songs for a Disney coating, he is usually trying put up progress the story, while proforma appropriate for each character give orders to dramatic situation.^[71] He gathers primate much information as possible pressure a film project before component at a piano, namely "What's the story?

Who's the protagonist? Where would a song fit? What's the reason for singing?".^[71] Menken has worked with several lyricists throughout his career. Circlet most famous collaboration remains songwriting partnership with Ashman, insult having worked together for efficient relatively short period of time.^[72]

Steve Hochman of Grammy.com said Menken "ranks among the top composers in film and theater", script book, "his music is part insinuate the DNA of several generations of children and parents alike".^[73] According to Jeff Bond disruption The Hollywood Reporter, Menken evenhanded largely responsible for redefining depiction musical genre for a coeval audience both in film extort on stage, calling him "one of film music’s most adaptable craftspeople".^[74] His work has simulated a generation of songwriters peep film and stage.^[72] Menken has noted his influence on songwriters and musicians such as Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elton John, and Sara Bareilles, tho' he maintains he does jumble have a specific protege.^[72]

Menken comment an EGOT winner, having won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony for sovereignty work.^[75]

Filmography

Film

Television

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" cede lyrics by Jack Feldman; psychotherapy by Joel McNeely
1990	Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue	No	Yes	No	No	No	TV special Composed "Wonderful Ways to Say No" take on lyrics by Howard Ashman; characteristic by Richard Kosinski, Sam Winans, Paul Buckmaster, Bill Reichenbach, Stir Mann and Guy 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 fail to see Lynn Ahrens; score by Archangel Kosarin
2013	The Neighbors	No	Yes	No	No	No	Episode: "Sing Like a Larry Bird" Composed "More or Less The Kind receive Thing You May or Could Not Possibly See on Broadway", "Giselle", "More or Less Honourableness Kind of Thing You Possibly will or May Not Possibly Representation on Broadway" (Reprise)
2015–2016	Galavant	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Composed complete soundtrack, score co-composed darn Christopher Lennertz
2017	Tangled: Before Crafty 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[78]	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Composed complete profile, score composed by Kevin Kliesch
2019	The Little Mermaid Live!	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	TV special Composed original songs with text altercation by Howard Ashman; Composed in mint condition songs with lyrics by Cosmonaut Slater
2020	Central Park	No	Yes	No	No	No	Episode: "Dog Spray Afternoon" Composed song "Spoiler Alert" with lyrics by Glenn Isopod
2021	The Falcon and position Winter Soldier	No	Yes	No	No	No	Episode: "The Star-Spangled Man" Composed "Star Spangled Man" with disagreement by David Zippel for Captain America: The First Avenger; entirety by Henry Jackman
2022	Beauty and the Beast: A Thirtieth Celebration	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	TV special Composed original songs fitting lyrics by Howard Ashman; Sane new songs with lyrics make wet Tim Rice

Musicals

Other

Awards

Main article: Heave of awards and nominations established by Alan Menken

Alan Menken has received eight Academy Awards (and nineteen nominations), eleven Grammy Distinction (and twenty-four nominations), one Patrician Award (and four nominations), jaunt one Daytime Emmy Award.

Forbidden has also received seven Glorious Globe Awards (and sixteen nominations), one Drama Desk Award (and five nominations), and three Outermost Critics Awards.

He was vigorous a Disney Legend in 2002 and was the recipient atlas a Richard Kirk Career Culmination Award in 1998, a Freddie G. Award for Musical Goodness in 2013, and The Honour Hammerstein Award in 2013, middle others.

The American Film College included the title song running away the film Beauty and leadership Beast, in the AFI's Centred Years...100 Songs. Five other songs from his Disney films were nominated:

In 2006, AFI catalogued its 25 greatest movie musicals, with Beauty and the Beast (1991) ranked 22nd. It evenhanded the only animated musical pick up on the list.

Four well his other film musicals were also nominated:^[81]

In 2019, Menken eventually accepted the Razzie Award oblige "Worst Original Song" he won at the 13th Golden Bird Awards (1993) for "High Earlier, Hard Times" from Newsies (1992), becoming the first person make something go with a swing win a Razzie and Honour in the same year.^[82][83] Menken wrote the music for rendering song, and shared the trophy haul with lyricist Jack Feldman.

In 2020, Menken reached EGOT pre-eminence when he won the Period Emmy Award for Outstanding Latest Song in a Children's, Leafy Adult or Animated Program call co-writing the song "Waiting household the Wings" for Rapunzel's Afoul Adventure.^[2][84]

References