Alan Menken, composer of songs on Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” believes that the right combination of music, lyrics and story can lead audiences to “A Whole New” World”.
Currently, Disney has three movies adapted into musicals on tour: “Frozen,” “The Lion King,” and “Aladdin.”
Menken joined CTV’s Your Morning on Monday, to explain how performing songs in film compares with onstage and working with different mediums like a composer.
“In movies, you have close-ups, so you can see what someone is thinking,” Menken said. “On stage, the songs are like close-ups in a way. So there are more song moments in the (stage) musical than there are in a cinematic.”
Along with Disney composer Howard Ashman, who died in 1991, Menken composed several versions of the songs in the animated version of “Aladdin”.
“So there is a rich source to draw from, enriching the story and telling it like a musical on stage,” Menken said.
Disney has also been producing live-action animated movies, including the latest: “The Little Mermaid”.
Menken said making the new films brings back memories of composing songs for the original films and watching them on VHS with his daughter.
“The only safe spaces in the world are these movies,” Menken said. “I definitely feel that we’re contributing something very, very big and powerful.”
To watch the full interview with Menken, click on the video at the top of this article.
