Menken: "ALADDIN, HUNCHBACK coming to B'WAY"

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Menken: "ALADDIN, HUNCHBACK coming to B'WAY"

Post by UmbrellaFish »

http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_EX ... 1115_page1
PC: I was just talking to Don Hahn about all the great cut songs you wrote with Howard for ALADDIN. Could you tell me about those?

AM: We're getting them back!

PC: How so?

AM: We're doing a stage musical of ALADDIN and all those songs are going to be in it.

PC: How wonderful! Tell me everything! Who's doing the adaptation with you?

AM: Chad Beguelin wrote the book. He did a fantastic job. He and I also wrote a new song that will be going in, along with a lot of the cut Howard Ashman songs and some of the cut Tim Rice songs, and a song that I wrote music and lyrics for that was in the theatrical adaptation at California Adventure.

PC: That's quite a team, then - you, Ashman, Rice, Beguelin! Will it be substantially different from the film?

AM: It has more of the feeling of a Hope & Crosby road picture - which is what Howard and I originally wanted for the musical. We are going to try it out, hopefully, next summer.

PC: Do you have a design team in place yet? It will be especially important for a stage ALADDIN, I would think.

AM: No, not yet.

PC: It has such great possibilities. It should be good!

AM: Let's hope so! Knock on wood. You never know, you never know.
PC: Speaking of screen to stage adaptations that take a different tone than before: I loved the James Lapine HUNCHBACK in Germany. Will it ever come to the US?

AM: Thank you. We're bringing that one back, too!

PC: Tell me when/what/where.

AM: Stephen and I and Scott Schwartz - who is directing, so it's a bit of a Schwartz family affair - are doing it.

PC: Is it using the Lapine text?

AM: Yes, we are still using James Lapine's book. It's coming.

PC: It's been coming for a long time now! We're ready.

AM: You're telling me! (Laughs.) We've even added some songs.

PC: So this is a reworked version of the German version?

AM: In the interim, after Berlin, Stephen and I worked on a television musical version of HUNCHBACK with some new songs and things. It didn't happen, but we still have some material from that that we are going to be working into it. We are at the starting gate for that, but we have a pretty good idea of what we want to do.
So that's what, 3 Menken musicals coming to B'way?

I hope this hasn't already been posted in the Tangled thread (I'm not reading it until the movie comes out), because the interview also contains information about that movie and also a little about Enchanted II.
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Post by Disney's Divinity »

I'm excited about the Aladdin musical, just because of the cut Ashman songs. :D I'll be excited for Hunchback, too, as long as they keep the adaptation as serious as the German version (and no kiddy crap like in the movie).

It's still sad that both Mermaid and Tarzan failed on Broadway though. Well, the latter wasn't much of a surprise (I personally liked a lot of the original cast recording), but who'd have guessed they could ruin Mermaid.

I wonder if they'd ever attempt a musical version of a movie before the '90s? They'd have to completely start from scratch though, I guess.
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Post by UmbrellaFish »

Disney's Divinity wrote:I wonder if they'd ever attempt a musical version of a movie before the '90s? They'd have to completely start from scratch though, I guess.
Just recently there was talk about adapting Dumbo for the stage. I don't think it would work, but who knows!

As far as TLM goes, it wasn't exactly a flop was it? It was playing to packed houses but the production itself cost too much, I think. I might be totally wrong about that, but I don't think attendance was a problem. I know it's going on tour next year, so I hope I can get to see it.
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Post by MJW »

That's exciting news, I'd like to see a Disney show on Broadway.

When I first read your topic title I got really excited, I thought it might have said "B'RAY" (Blu-ray) instead of B'WAY (Broadway), lol! :lol:

Still good news though!
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Post by PatrickvD »

I would love to hear the cut Ashman songs in all their glory. And Hunchback finally!!!!! Both of these will kick ass.
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Re: Menken: "ALADDIN, HUNCHBACK coming to B'WAY"

Post by DancingCrab »

UmbrellaFish wrote: So that's what, 3 Menken musicals coming to B'way?
4 Menken musicals!! Leap of Faith, Sister Act, Aladdin and Hunchback. :)
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Post by Prince Edward »

Great news! Alan Menken is a musical genius:)

Pocahontas, Hercules, Enchanted and Tangled next then!;D
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Re: Menken: "ALADDIN, HUNCHBACK coming to B'WAY"

Post by UmbrellaFish »

DancingCrab wrote:
UmbrellaFish wrote: So that's what, 3 Menken musicals coming to B'way?
4 Menken musicals!! Leap of Faith, Sister Act, Aladdin and Hunchback. :)
I should have been clearer- I meant Disney/Menken which are the two above, as well as Newsies. :D
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Post by eralkfang »

Oh, I can't wait for The Hunchback of Notre Dame–it's one of my favorite Disney movies and probably my favorite Menken score, and I've been waiting for Der Glöckner von Notre Dame to come Stateside for a while. I can see them lightening it up a bit, though. (Hopefully not, though–I liked the fact Der Glöckner von Notre Dame literalized the reading that the gargoyles are figments of Quasimodo's imagination.)

And Aladdin is just going to be great fun.
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Post by Cordy_Biddle »

I think the main reason why "Mermaid" closed so quickly was sheer production cost. It just wasn't going to work the way it was being managed. Zambello's concept was heavily criticised as well (Flounder's costume is a yellow T-shirt?).

The expanded score worked well enough; and the cast was amazing (Sierra Boggess especially); but people expected another "Beauty and the Beast", ie: the traditional old fashioned Broadway musical. "Mermaid" could never have been designed in the same way as that.

What probably frustrated Disney was the sad fact that they took out "Beauty and the Beast" to make room for "Mermaid", despite BATB still being a highly profitible box office draw; and in all actuality BATB could still be runnning now if "Mermaid" hadn't opened.
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Post by SmartAleck25 »

Awesome! Here's hoping for hits like BatB and TLK!
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Post by Super Aurora »

I'm curious about one thing with the aladdin musical. He said he putting all of cut song back in if i read that right. two of the songs involve characters that were not in the film at all and actually lead different direction than animated movie. The cut characters i'm talking about are: Aladdin's momma, Omar, Barak, and Kashim. Does this mean they will be in the Broadway play? how will it work? how will they put them in without altering the story of the movie too much?



As for Hunchback....FUCK YEAH!
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Post by DisneyJedi »

eralkfang wrote:Oh, I can't wait for The Hunchback of Notre Dame–it's one of my favorite Disney movies and probably my favorite Menken score, and I've been waiting for Der Glöckner von Notre Dame to come Stateside for a while. I can see them lightening it up a bit, though. (Hopefully not, though–I liked the fact Der Glöckner von Notre Dame literalized the reading that the gargoyles are figments of Quasimodo's imagination.)
Aren't they technically figments of his imagination in the movie?

But anyways, can't wait for Aladdin and HoND. I know I'm gonna get slammed for saying this, but I hope we get the movie's ending for the Broadway version of HoND. The Berlin one's seemed a little..... too dark. :(
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Post by tlc38tlc38 »

When I first seen the topic I thought it said "Blu-ray" instead of "B'way". I got so excited I think I may have peed my pants a little. :)
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Post by ajmrowland »

MJW wrote:That's exciting news, I'd like to see a Disney show on Broadway.

When I first read your topic title I got really excited, I thought it might have said "B'RAY" (Blu-ray) instead of B'WAY (Broadway), lol! :lol:

Still good news though!
same :lol:
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Post by Tristy »

YEAH!!! Hunchback on Broadway in the US!!!! 'Bout time!

Now, if only Disney will give us a better DVD edition of the movie.
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Post by eralkfang »

DisneyJedi wrote:Aren't they technically figments of his imagination in the movie?

But anyways, can't wait for Aladdin and HoND. I know I'm gonna get slammed for saying this, but I hope we get the movie's ending for the Broadway version of HoND. The Berlin one's seemed a little..... too dark. :(
I personally read them as such ( in "A Guy Like You", especially), but they're so involved in the climactic battle that it's hard to think of Quasimodo doing everything by himself. It's ambiguous in the film, but Der Glöckner von Notre Dame makes it very explicit that they're in his head–I believe they repeat each other as if he's bouncing ideas off himself.

While I was impressed Der Glöckner von Notre Dame went quite dark, I doubt they'll keep the darker ending for Broadway–they'll probably remove the death added in the German production. I'll be happy either way; I think that ending makes Quasimodo's character arc a tragedy rather than a triumph.
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Post by Prince Edward »

The Broadway-production of Hunchback could never have the German ending or be as dark as in Germany, Disney would not dare it.
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Post by UmbrellaFish »

Prince Edward wrote:The Broadway-production of Hunchback could never have the German ending or be as dark as in Germany, Disney would not dare it.
I don't know, Hunchback has never been the type of DAC that kids flock around, it's usually better appreciated when your older, and I assume it would be the same regard on stage, so Disney might feel they'd have more leeway with this musical.

And it's not like Disney hasn't "pushed the envelope" on stage before. TLM had swearing and (from what I understand) MP has semi-nude actors playing statues.
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Post by Trumpet Joe »

UmbrellaFish wrote: TLM had swearing and (from what I understand) MP has semi-nude actors playing statues.
Where did TLM musical have swearing in it?
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