Disney films composer Alan Menken will bring his ‘Whole New World’ to Segerstrom Center
The phone rang.
Sylvester Stallone was on the line, calling Alan Menken. The movie star requested that the famed film composer write the end credits for “Rocky V.”
Elton John would help perform the song, Stallone explained.
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For the Record
Sept. 26: An earlier version of this story reported that Elton John co-wrote “Rocky V” song “The Measure of a Man” with Alan Menken. The two did not collaborate on that possibility.
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The musicians met in London for the collaboration. There, in the recording studio, while writing the track, “The Measure of a Man,” John grew curious about a movie Menken had just completed and was eager to learn more.
That Disney animated feature film was 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” and Menken wrote the Academy Award-winning score, working with lyricist Howard Ashman on the songs.
“All he wanted to talk about was ‘The Little Mermaid’ and Disney animation, and he says to me, ‘I wonder if I can do something like that,’” Menken says, calling from his studio in Westchester County, N.Y.
“Next thing I know, ‘The Lion King’ happens,” he says.
That anecdote is just one of the many Menken plans on sharing with audiences during the Sept. 30 world premiere of “A Whole New World of Alan Menken,” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Menken, winner of 11 Grammys, seven Golden Globes and a Tony Award, not to mention the recipient of 19 Academy Award nominations, says he’s planning an intimate concert, despite the Costa Mesa venue seating more than 1,000 guests.
He’ll sit at the piano, where he’ll play songs from his career that range anywhere from his early material to pieces he’s currently working on for upcoming musicals. A projector screen will spotlight videotapes and footage showcasing Broadway shows and rehearsal pictures.
Before hitting the beginning notes of scores for which he’s best known, such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Little Mermaid,” Menken will talk about the genesis of the song or a memorable moment during the songwriting process.
“There are tons of stories on all sides, and some are funny and others are heartbreaking,” he says. “I just want an evening where people can understand what my journey has been.”
There are the amusing ones, like going on a cattle drive for comedic Western “Home on the Range.”
“That one is the turkey of my musicals,” he says. “It was a flop, and we joke about it now, but Disney is still saying ‘Sorry.”
And then there are the happy ones juxtaposed in a sad setting.
Menken, who partnered with Ashman on several works for several Disney feature films, including, “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” began working together again on Ashman’s pitch for an adaptation of “Aladdin.”
Ashman, who had been diagnosed as HIV positive, continued to focus on “Aladdin,” though his health began to decline. Menken remembered sitting on Ashman’s hospital bed, where they wrote a celebratory number for the musical.
After his death, a few of Ashman’s songs were included in the film.
“There are a million stories behind the songs,” Menken says. “I enjoy sharing my material with audiences and I want everyone to have a nice evening. It’s fun to do these things but I also ask myself, ‘Do I enjoy this? ‘Do I want more of this?’ and if that’s a yes, then I’ll take it around the world.”
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If You Go
What: “A Whole New World of Alan Menken”
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 30
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Tickets start at $49
Information: (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org.
Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
