Alan Menken
Also Known As: Alan Irwin Menken
Biography: Alan Irwin Menken (born July 12, 1949) is an American composer, pianist, music director, and record producer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Menken's music for The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995) has each won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores and songs for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Newsies (1992), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Home on the Range (2004), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010), and Disenchanted (2022), among others. His accolades include winning eight Academy Awards — becoming the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman (who has 9 Oscars), a Tony Award, eleven Grammy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Daytime Emmy Award. Menken is one of nineteen people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony ("an EGOT").
Department: Sound
Place of Birth: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Birthday: July 22, 1949
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Known For:
Listen to Her Heart: The Life and Music of Laurie Beechman
Overview: Documentary on the actress & singer.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-03-31
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Waking Sleeping Beauty
Overview: By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-09-05
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Disney 100: A Century of Dreams – A Special Edition of 20/20
Overview: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the entertainment company with interviews, rare footage and photos, and never-before-heard stories from those who built the Disney legend; a look inside Disney's newest attraction.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2023-12-14
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Diamond in the Rough: The Making of Aladdin
Overview: The making of Disney's Aladdin
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-10-05
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Hollywood in Vienna 2022: A Celebration of Disney Classics - Featuring Alan Menken
Overview: A CELEBRATION OF DISNEY CLASSICS - FEATURING ALAN MENKEN In 1989, THE LITTLE MERMAID marked Disney’s glorious return to the genre of the grand fairy tale musical. Music was more important than ever for these big screen masterpieces, breathing life into the skillfully animated fairy tale worlds. One name shaped the films of the so-called "Golden 90s" and beyond like no other: Alan Menken. Besides THE LITTLE MERMAID, the composer wrote scores and songs for the modern Disney classics BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, POCAHONTAS, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and many more and lend the Disney's dream worlds their unmistakable sound.
Genres: Music
Original Language: de
Release Date: 2022-10-09
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Disney's Broadway Hits at London's Royal Albert Hall
Overview: Experience the Disney on Broadway songs you know and love in a whole new way from the comfort of your home. Disney's Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall is now available on demand!
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-12-21
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Beyond Beauty: The Untold Stories Behind the Making of Beauty and the Beast
Overview: An interactive, feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary teeming with worthwhile bonus content all its own.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-10-05
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The Disney Family Singalong
Overview: Ryan Seacrest hosts a nationwide singalong event featuring celebrities and their families as they take on their favorite Disney tunes from their homes; onscreen lyrics allow viewers to sing along.
Genres: Family Fantasy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2020-04-16
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The Making of Aladdin: A Whole New World
Overview: Hosted by John Rhys-Davies, a made-for-TV documentary details the work that went into the production of Aladdin, Disney's musical rendition of the classic Arabian Nights' tale. Animation fans are treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this family favorite, as well as to interviews with the director and cast members, who give their insights into the inspirations for the various characterizations and effects of the film, and also the efforts that were needed to bring this project to completion.
Genres: Documentary Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1992-11-25
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Howard
Overview: Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
Genres: Documentary Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-04-22
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The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
Overview: The troubled fraternal relationship between songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar and Grammy-winning Sherman Brothers, famous for the iconic hits they wrote for Disney.
Genres: Documentary Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-04-24
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Behind the Magic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Overview: The story of the rocky road that Walt Disney took to get his interpretation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937) to the silver screen.
Genres: Animation Documentary Family Fantasy History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-12-13
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An Evening with Alan Menken
Overview: The Walt Disney Family Museum is delighted to host Oscar®-, Grammy®-, Tony®-, and Golden Globe®-winning composer and songwriter Alan Menken for an intimate evening of music and storytelling. Streamed live on Thursday, August 6th, 2020. A free performance by Menken, showcasing some of his legendary Disney songs, “Under the Sea,” “A Whole New World,” and “Be Our Guest,” and other celebrated classics from his films and Broadway musicals. During the live performance, Menken will be joined by his friend and acclaimed composer and actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, with whom he is currently writing new music for a liveaction reimagining of The Little Mermaid.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2020-08-06
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Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'
Overview: Find out how the spectacular music inspired the animation, and learn more about the development of the characters—such as how Ursula ended up being a big octopus—and how the memorable song "Part of Your World" almost got cut from the film.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-10-03
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