Alan MenkenAmerican Musical Theatre Composer

Alan Menken

• Born July 22, 1949 in New Rochelle, New York

• Composer, singer-songwriter, musician

• Musical theatre, classical, jazz, rock, pop, latin, country, and folk

• Never stuck with just one style of music, known for having diversity in his musical and movie compositions

• Mostly known for compositions and productions of songs in musical theatre and in Walt Disney movies.

Education and Early Career

Degree in music from New York University

After graduating, he volunteered at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and then later got a job there.

Performed frequently in local clubs and worked as a composer of jingles and songs

In 1979, he met Howard Ashman, an artistic director, at the BMI Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and Howard asked him to help him direct a musical. Which came to be, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. This was his first time writing music for a major Broadway musical.

Little Shop of Horrors1982

• Since God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater was a success, Howard Ashman invited Menken to write all the songs for his next production

• His most famous musical

• It was after this musical that people really gained knowledge of him and his compositions

• After this musical was released, many doors were opened for him which lead him to have a successful career

MoviesWrote the songs for the following Walt Disney

movies:• The Little Mermaid

• Beauty and The Beast

• Aladdin

• Hercules

• Pocahontas

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

• Home On The Range

• The Shaggy Dog

• Tangled

• Enchanted

• Mirror Mirror

• Newsies

MusicalsWrote the songs for the following musicals:

• God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

• Little Shop of Horrors (Film and Musical)

• Weird Romance

• Aladdin, The Musical

• Beauty and The Beast, The Musical

• A Christmas Carol

• King David

• The Little Mermaid, The Musical

• Sister Act

• Leap of Faith

• Newsies

AwardsHe won awards from the following films:

Academy and Golden Globe Awards

The Little Mermaid

Aladdin

Beauty and the Beast

Pocahontas

11 Grammy Awards

8 Oscars

Examples

Little Shop of Horrors

Intro Song

“Little Shop of Horrors”

Listen for: ballad, high vocals, chorus, steady beat,

cries, calls, and hollers

Type of ballad because they’re introducing the story

of the musical

Bass, drums, keyboard

http://youtu.be/EOdqriSeY7k

Examples

Hercules

“The Gospel Truth”

Listen for: ballad, high vocals, long meter,

verse and chorus form

Keyboard, piano, electric guitar, bass,

percussion

http://youtu.be/RPSGRd3eLuA

Sources

Menken, Alan. "The Whole New World of Alan Menken - HOME." The Whole New World of Alan Menken - HOME. N.p., 17 Feb. 2000. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

"Alan Menken." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

"Alan Menken." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

Menken, Alan. "Alan Menken." Alan Menken Biography Comments. N.p., Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.