Alan Menken Knows He Wrote the ‘Soundtrack to Your Childhood’

As I delve into the captivating tale of Alan Menken, a man whose melodies have been the soundtrack to countless childhoods and emotional journeys, I am truly moved by his resilience and passion. Born during the tumultuous era of the 1940s, he found solace in music during the AIDS crisis, creating an escape for himself and millions who listened to his enchanting tunes.

Alan Menken is a true romantic. Just ask him how he met his wife of 52 years, Janis.

He states, “As this dancer enters the room, it’s instantly clear to me who she is, for I’ve seen her in my dreams,” he smiles broadly from a seat at a rooftop breakfast table in Beverly Hills.

It’s hardly surprising that the creator of enchanting love ballads such as “A Whole New World” and “I See the Light,” known for his tender, gentle demeanor, has become a legend (and EGOT recipient) throughout his five-decade career. Alan Menken, with eight Oscars to his name (more than any living person), has earned all of them from his work on films during Disney’s “Renaissance” era, between 1989 and 1999, a period that produced some of the studio’s most cherished animated movies. To this day, he remains one of the most sought-after songwriters in the industry, having recently composed the music for Skydance’s upcoming film “Spellbound,” set to release in 2024.

However, before composing hits like “Part of Your World” and “Colors of the Wind,” Menken initially aspired towards a different career path. As he put it, “Most men in my family were dentists.” Yet, the budding composer harbored more ambitious aspirations. “I simply wanted to sit and create music,” he shared with his father, who viewed this ambition as a path to failure, predicting that such a choice would lead to becoming a shoe salesman.

Menken’s need to fit in had a significant impact on his health. He said, “At the age of 11, I suffered from a peptic ulcer, primarily due to the stress of dealing with the contrast between my desires and societal expectations.

Menken aimed to impress his family, excel academically, and study pre-med at NYU. However, this didn’t last too long. “I only managed to attend one biology class,” he chuckles, “but don’t let that fool you, I’m not just a regular student.” Despite being renowned for creating child-friendly hits, Menken was far from conventional in the late ’60s. “Instead, I spent four years composing music and experimenting with marijuana. No more ulcers, but my parents were definitely anxious!

To satisfy their expectations, Menken enrolled in the BMI musical theater workshop led by renowned composer Lehman Engel. Simultaneously, he was penning tunes for “Sesame Street” and crafty jingles to sustain himself. Originally aspiring to be a rock star (“just like Billy Joel or Elton John!”), Menken’s time with Engel and his associates at BMI, including the composer of “Nine”, Maury Yeston, instilled in him an unexpected theatrical sensibility.

Menken explains, “That’s where my pop and rock writing style blended with other elements, ultimately becoming unique to me.” He adds, “The variety of storylines, characters, and genres you can explore keeps it interesting, and collaboration plays a big role in maintaining this freshness.

Menken’s knack for teamwork has been the hidden ingredient behind his most cherished creations – and it all started with lyricist Howard Ashman. At first, I was composing music and lyrics, and I was quite a competent lyricist, even now! But with Howard, I decided to step back from that, because he had his own theater and the rights to a show called ‘God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.’ (This version maintains the original’s informal tone while making the text more accessible to a wider audience.)

The stage adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel was a major success when it premiered in 1979, eventually moving to Off-Broadway. However, as Menken points out, it struggled with longevity due to its large cast. So for their next collaboration, Menken and Ashman opted for a more focused approach, creating a musical based on the 1960 black comedy “Little Shop of Horrors,” which featured a smaller cast of only nine performers.

Menken remarks that ‘Little Shop’ took off spectacularly in 1982 as an Off-Broadway hit about a determined florist encountering a carnivorous alien plant. Given his professional background, it makes sense that Menken was tailor-made to compose a tune centered around a dentist, although this one had a dark side. The musical subsequently inspired a movie version in 1986, featuring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Steve Martin.

Menken and Ashman’s first-ever Oscar-nominated song, titled “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space,” a powerful villain rap from their movie, contained explicit lyrics (“You can keep The Thing, keep The It, / Keep The Creature, they don’t mean shit!”). Despite the profanity, Disney recognized their talent and took notice.

David Geffen played a significant role in introducing us to Disney, but it was primarily through Howard that this connection was made. Howard was an incredibly rare individual who knew how to effectively utilize music within a dramatic context, according to Menken with admiration. For me, the most exciting part about Disney approaching us for ‘The Little Mermaid’ was the prospect of collaborating with Howard once again!

The 1989 version adapted by Hans Christian Andersen doesn’t visually resemble “Little Shop of Horrors,” but composer Menken considers them spiritually related. Ariel yearns for life on land, just as Audrey and Seymour desire a world beyond the harsh Skid Row streets. Laughing, he recalls that they used to joke about calling “Part of Your World” as “Somewhere That’s Dry,” referencing the famous ballad from “Little Shop” titled “Somewhere That’s Green.

Menken describes the film as a fusion of raw talent from the theater scene into Disney and animation. Critics, audiences, and award voters all took an instant liking to it. You could feel the longing for traditional Disney animation. Our contribution added a fresh, innovative twist from contemporary musical theater. It was a powerful blend of old and new.

Indeed, Disney yearned for even greater accomplishments. Meanwhile, Menken and Ashman were tasked with developing not one but two masterpieces – “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”. Simultaneously, Menken was also composing music for “Newsies” in collaboration with lyricist Jack Feldman.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, it’s no secret that “The Little Mermaid” marked the beginning of Disney’s incredible Renaissance. Despite Alan Menken’s modest attempts to downplay his role during this unparalleled phase of success, he openly acknowledges that he always sensed something extraordinary about this project. “I believe deep down I knew it all along,” he reminisces, “Our collaboration was truly unique. I had honed my skills as a songwriter over time.” He reflects on his partnership with Ashman, adding, “My particular musical style fit perfectly with this medium. I felt that I possessed a unique voice, capable of paying tribute to various music styles and rejuvenating them.

It turned out that the period Menken treasured, where he worked closely with Ashman, wouldn’t last much longer.

In a heartfelt tone, I confess that Howard concealed the fact he was living with HIV from everyone, giving no hint of his struggle. Back then, being diagnosed felt like a death sentence, and it truly was a horrifying time. We saw vibrant, healthy individuals, mostly young men, wasting away before our eyes, succumbing to this relentless disease.

Despite successfully completing their work on “Beauty and the Beast,” Howard Ashman unfortunately passed away in 1991 prior to the movie’s release. Menken reminisces, “The day Howard died, I had a dream where I visited him in the hospital. He said, ‘Help me up.’ I supported him under his back, but there was no weight. He tumbled to the floor like a Raggedy Ann doll. I picked him up, and he was no longer wearing a hospital gown; instead, he was dressed in a black robe. When I woke up, I remember checking the time.

The following day, Menken discovered the news in numerous messages left on his voicemail. “He was gone. It happened precisely when I’d been dreaming.

Menken fell quiet for a brief spell, then stated, “Everything since has been driven by it. I assumed the role of guarding us both.

Menken collaborated with “Jesus Christ Superstar” lyricist Tim Rice on the project “Aladdin,” expressing initial worries that the level of success he previously shared with Ashman might not be attainable again. However, these apprehensions were alleviated when they won an Oscar for their composition “A Whole New World,” which was the first song from “Aladdin” penned without Ashman.

The conductor beamed with delight, saying, “It was Howard who convinced me, more like persuaded me forcefully, to compose these films’ scores – a blessing it turned out to be. The uniqueness lies in the fact that I write the melodies and arrange them for the movies, which creates a distinct genre of work. Truly, I am grateful for this opportunity.

For a considerable period afterward, he maintained his productive collaboration with Disney, crafting melodies for films such as “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Hercules,” “Enchanted,” and “Tangled,” along with several other titles.

Despite the widespread admiration for Menken’s work, the Disney Princess franchise has been subject to significant critique due to how it presents young women. Critics often point out that the franchise’s leading ladies seem to have the sole purpose of seeking romantic relationships.

Menken unequivocally dismisses such assertions. “Consider Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine,” he remarks. “I’m struggling to find a single character who hasn’t been empowered among ours.” He continues, “These female leads are incredibly modern and powerful. Ariel is multidimensional and relatable, Belle is intelligent, curious, passionate, and strong-willed, Jasmine breaks free and defines herself, Pocahontas is unique as she is portrayed. In my view, our role is to craft a tale with the right depth and structure. Within that framework, we want characters that resonate, that evolve. There may be instances where a character doesn’t align perfectly with our ideal, but that’s part of storytelling.

Menken’s work has proven durable, as Disney chose to reimagine several films from its Renaissance period using live-action. He has relished the opportunity to reinvent his creations for this fresh format and discover innovative methods to add dimension to these towering characters. One instance he is particularly proud of is Jasmine’s empowering ballad “Speechless” in Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film, which stands as a significant moment of empowerment for him.

In the upcoming 2023 version of “The Little Mermaid” featuring Halle Bailey, Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian character sings revised lyrics for “Kiss the Girl,” penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Instead of the original lines from 1989 that read, “There is one way to ask her / It don’t take a word / Not a single word / Go on and kiss the girl,” Diggs sings, “Use your words boy and ask her / If the time is right / And the time is tonight / Go on and kiss the girl.” This change was made to avoid any implication of coercion in Prince Eric’s actions towards Ariel.

He advises against suppressing our emotions in favor of reason alone. He believes that humans aren’t machines, but complex beings who need passion to thrive, and it’s not about being correct all the time.” (Rolling his eyes implied a bit of exasperation or frustration, so I tried to capture that sentiment with the word “advises” and “exasperated tone.”)

Despite his concern, he’s managing to keep a calm mind about it, expressing that everyone makes concessions in their beliefs. He suggests that we must find a way to function as a single community, stating that at the core, our fundamental feelings, motivations, and aspirations remain unchanged.

Menken plans to infuse the same distinctive emotional touch into all his ongoing projects, including “Hercules” on the West End stage, as well as upcoming musicals inspired by the Nancy Drew collection and George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.

Menken shares that he no longer feels compelled to work for financial reasons, but rather due to emotional motivations, as he continues to stay busy at 75. He attributes his success to being predictable enough to enjoy repeating the same activities daily. This is what he enjoys and what he loves doing – it’s not something that can be fabricated or manufactured.

It’s heartwarming for him that his music is frequently associated with significant periods in people’s lives, and he seldom goes a day without someone telling him, “Your songs were the soundtrack to my childhood.” Although he’s unsure why that specific phrase resonates so deeply, he appreciates helping countless individuals navigate their most formative years. As a romantic at heart, he finds this validation particularly meaningful.

During the AIDS epidemic, my child was born. It was an incredibly scary period; people were losing their lives at an alarming rate. The situation was heart-wrenching and unbearable to witness on the news. It was all too painful and raw for me,” he recounts. However, he found solace. “I’d turn on ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Snow White’, ‘Cinderella’, or ‘Peter Pan’. Those stories transported me back to my childhood days when I felt secure. I take pride in being a part of that.

Regardless of the fact that the kids who grew up with his tunes are now adults, Menken continues to view them just as he did back then.

He reflects with a grin, noting that we’re all like kids at heart. It’s our inner child – the one that recalls the times when feelings were strongest, when life felt brand new, and exploration was exhilarating – that responds to music.

2024-12-20 21:47

Alan Menken Knows He Wrote the ‘Soundtrack to Your Childhood’

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