Alan Menken News

Voting opened on May 3, 2012 and runs through June 4, 2012 for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/27 with just 7 days to go in voting! (more...)

Today, as a sideline to this weekend’s extensive, exhaustive and exclusive InDepth InterView Tony Awards Edition: Jeff Calhoun, we are shining a special spotlight on the career of Calhoun on the Great White Way thus far with an electrifying collection of clips beginning with his collaborations with master director/choreographer Tommy Tune on THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES - today’s 2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown dedicatee - and BUSKER ALLEY, through to his directorial debut with GREASE and his subsequent work on ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, BELLS ARE RINGING, TABOO, GREY GARDENS, BIG RIVER, NINE-TO-FIVE and this year’s twofer of new musicals that he directed and choreographed, the recently-closed BONNIE & CLYDE and the still-running mega-hit NEWSIES. As a performer, Calhoun appeared in Tune productions like MY ONE AND ONLY and THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS - as well as the montage film ARIA - but, unquestionably, he is most well-known and best-loved by Broadway babies for his visionary work on so many new and original musicals, as well as some stupendous revivals along the way, as well. Cowboys to call girls to Pink Ladies; Boy George to Huck Finn to Edie Beale - this collection has it all! (more...)

Voting opened on May 3, 2012 and runs through June 4, 2012 for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/25 with just 9 days to go in voting! (more...)

Today we are kicking off the 2012 InDepth InterView Tony Awards Series with the director/choreographer of the hottest hit of the 2011-2012 theatrical season, NEWSIES, that was recently awarded with a boatload of Tony Award nominations, in addition to a short-running show that has a very vocal group of advocates and supporters that also received a handful of Tony noms, BONNIE & CLYDE - the passionate and visionary Jeff Calhoun. Discussing all aspects of his mega-hit with Disney’s NEWSIES and his success d’estime with Frank Wildhorn’s BONNIE & CLYDE, as well as all about his years spent developing both, Calhoun illustrates his process and sheds some light on many aspects of the creation of the wildly different vehicles, as well as his opinions on the theatrical environment of today. Additionally, Calhoun outlines his experiences working with NEWIES and BONNIE & CLYDE breakout stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes - both Tony nominees - as well as his many years spent as an associate choreographer for legendary Tony-winning master director Tommy Tune creating many remarkable musicals such as GRAND HOTEL and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES. Plus, Calhoun conveys his infectious enthusiasm for his craft and discusses what drives him to create while also sharing his humbled appreciation for the recognition of both his new musicals this season by the Tony Award committee and reflecting on his vast multitude of experiences in the theatre so far in his career - everything from starring in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and MY ONE & ONLY on Broadway to choreographing THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and BUSKER ALLEY with Tommy Tune and transitioning into directing/choreographing with the hit revivals of GREASE, BIG RIVER, PIPPIN, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (with Graciele Daniele), BELLS ARE RINGING, as well as GREY GARDENS and the rest. All of that and much, much more in this career-spanning conversation with one of Broadway’s best! (more...)

Whoopi Goldberg, who previously hosted the cast of NEWSIES on THE VIEW, attended the May 23 evening performance of the new Broadway musical. In the photo below, Goldberg poses with the young boys who alternate the role of Les. Check it out below! (more...)

Today we are kicking off the 2012 InDepth InterView Tony Awards Series with the director/choreographer of the hottest hit of the 2011-2012 theatrical season, NEWSIES, that was recently awarded with a boatload of Tony Award nominations, in addition to a short-running show that has a very vocal group of advocates and supporters that also received a handful of Tony noms, BONNIE & CLYDE - the passionate and visionary Jeff Calhoun. Discussing all aspects of his mega-hit with Disney’s NEWSIES and his success d’estime with Frank Wildhorn’s BONNIE & CLYDE, as well as all about his years spent developing both, Calhoun illustrates his process and sheds some light on many aspects of the creation of the wildly different vehicles, as well as his opinions on the theatrical environment of today. Additionally, Calhoun outlines his experiences working with NEWIES and BONNIE & CLYDE breakout stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes - both Tony nominees - as well as his many years spent as an associate choreographer for legendary Tony-winning master director Tommy Tune creating many remarkable musicals such as GRAND HOTEL and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES. Plus, Calhoun conveys his infectious enthusiasm for his craft and discusses what drives him to create while also sharing his humbled appreciation for the recognition of both his new musicals this season by the Tony Award committee and reflecting on his vast multitude of experiences in the theatre so far in his career - everything from starring in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and MY ONE & ONLY on Broadway to choreographing THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and BUSKER ALLEY with Tommy Tune and transitioning into directing/choreographing with the hit revivals of GREASE, BIG RIVER, PIPPIN, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (with Graciele Daniele), BELLS ARE RINGING, as well as GREY GARDENS and the rest. All of that and much, much more in this career-spanning conversation with one of Broadway’s best! (more...)

Earlier this month, the 2012 Tony Awards Nominations were announced by Tony winning actress Kristin Chenoweth and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Jim Parsons. The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from the Beacon Theatre, on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 10, 2012. BroadwayWorld was there for this year's official Tony Brunch, and got a chance to chat with this year's nominees! Today we bring you Jack Feldman, nominee for Best Score for NEWSIES. (more...)

Whoopi Goldberg, who previously hosted the cast of NEWSIES on THE VIEW, attended the May 23 evening performance of the new Broadway musical. In the photo below, Goldberg poses with leading lady Kara Lindsay, and the show’s Tony-nominated star, Jeremy Jordan. (more...)

Tony Award winning actress/singer Victoria Clark is currently co-starring in Follies at the Ahmanson in the complex role of Sally Durant Plummer. In our chat, she talks about Follies, Sondheim and some of her other favorite roles. (more...)

Inspired by the blockbuster 1960 Roger Corman film, the monster musical hit LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS comes to Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, July 12 through August 19. One of the longest-running musicals Off-Broadway, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS features a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney's "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and The Beast" and "Aladdin"). Theatre at the Center’s production, boasting glorious refurbishments of the plants from the original New York production, will be directed and choreographed by Stacey Flaster. (more...)

Voting opened on May 3, 2012 and runs through June 4, 2012 for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/23 with just 11 days to go in voting! (more...)

Voting opened on May 3, 2012 and runs through June 4, 2012 for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/22 with just 12 days to go in voting! (more...)

NEWSIES is now in previews at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre. The musical, featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman, and a book by four-time Tony Award® winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), will open on March 29th. In the video below, meet one of the characters from the show- Katherine, played by Kara Lindsay! (more...)

Voting opened on May 3, 2012 and runs through June 4, 2012 for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards! Here are the current standings as of 5/21 with just 13 days to go in voting! (more...)

Our focus is "Newsies," the crowd-pleasing musical nominated for 8 Tony Awards. Joining us at our grand piano are the show's composer Alan Menken, and librettist Harvey Fierstein (both also nominated for Tony Awards), who describe the popular show's incubation period, and perform several of the show's best songs, plus a couple of others that didn't make the cut. Menken also shares a tune from the score of the original 1992 movie of "Newsies," which won him that year's "Razzie "Award for Worst Song. (more...)

Richard Ridge continues his interviews with honorary co-chairs Christine Lahti, Rosemary Harris and Christian Borle, nominees Blair Underwood (A Streetcar Named Desire), Jeremy Shamos (Clybourne Park), Michael Cristofer (The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism), Mary Testa (Queen of the Mist), Alan Menken (Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award), Capathia Jenkins and Kara Lindsay, Ben Fankhauser, John Dossett, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Harvey Fierstein and Jack Feldman (Distinguished Production of a Musical - Newsies), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Bonnie and Clyde), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Peter and the Starcatcher), Santino Fontana (Sons of the Prophet), Jessie Mueller (On A Clear Day You Can See Forever), Leslie Odom Jr (Leap of Faith), Annaleigh Ashford (RENT), Tracie Bennett (End of the Rainbow) and more! (more...)

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, May 20, 2012 - Sunday, May 20, 2012. (more...)

Happy Birthday, Judy Kuhn! Kuhn made her Broadway debut was in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She then played Cosette in the 1987 multiple award winning Broadway production of Les Misérables brought her the first Tony Award nomination. The following year, Kuhn took on a transfer from London's West End, playing one of the main roles (Florence Vassy) in the Trevor Nunn-directed Chess, with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA) and lyrics by Tim Rice. Later in 1993, Kuhn played the role of Betty Schaefer in the U.S premier production of Sunset Boulevard at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Kuhn sang the title role in the 1995 Disney animated film, Pocahontas, the film included her rendition of the song Colors of the Wind, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for its composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. On October 23, 2007, Kuhn returned to the Broadway Production of Les Misérables after 20 years, but this time assuming the role of Fantine. (more...)

As a follow-up to their very first "Lazy Sunday" SNL Digital Short, Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell have revealed "Lazy Sunday 2" in which they visit Broadway's SISTER ACT. Watch the video below! (more...)

The Drama League announced yesterday, May 18, the winners for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photos of the gentlemen who gathered for the ceremony. See below for photos of Matthew Broderick, Ricky Martin, Blair Underwood, Andrew Garfield, John Lithgow, Christian Borle, Roger Rees, Steve Kazee, Harvey Fierstein, Michael Cerveris and more! (more...)