Alan Menken on the way forward for Movie Musicals

Eight Academy awards plus 10 Grammy Honours and seven Golden Globes equals one illustrious career for composer and lyricist Alan Menken, 62, whose musical canon includes such beloved animated fare as "The Small Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Twisted," together with the classic "Little Shop of Disasters" and the latest screen-to-stage adaptation, "Sister Act."After two-and-a-half decades in the commercial, he remains an in-demand music guy with heart, soul along with a very sturdy trophy cabinet, soon to include another towards the collection: the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Maestro Award, to become presented March. 24 at our 2011 Film & TV Music Conference.The Hollywood Reporter: What's the condition from the movie musical today? Alan Menken: Musicals are tough. There's no industry or pipeline by which new movie musicals come -- there's not stars that people recognize musical theater, nor can there be a recognised audience that's large enough only for a movie musical. As we did "Twisted," there is really no movement to complete more. Basically, you are reinventing the wheel any time you perform a film musical, and I have been fortunate which i reach try.THR: Even though it compensated off for those parties ultimately, you voiced frustration within the way "Twisted" was promoted. What have you take problem with? Menken: It wasn't charged like a musical. Within the trailers, the tunes were hidden -- they used a Pink song rather -- because I believe Disney felt the easiest method to market the film was like a type of boy-oriented action adventure. However I was hired to create a musical according to Rapunzel. So sometimes it's frustrating, however in the situation of "Twisted," there are here maybe they understood something simply because they transformed the title, designed a serious effort to promote it inside a certain way and also the movie did perfectly. It exercised all right. THR: Was there a period it did not? Menken: "Home around the Range" -- which was a little of the creative train wreck where lots of great work went into something which wasn't smartly created. Everyone was not in the same location, which happens a great deal, particularly with musicals, where one can get drawn in 2 or 3 directions. It may be harrowing also it can fail, and often, much for your surprise, it may succeed. THR: Are you currently amazed at the effective return of "The Lion King"? Menken: Go figure! It's amazing in the end this time around. But "The Lion King" is an extremely beloved animated musical -- extremely so. THR: It is possible to movie executive nobody will get music? Menken: Chris Montan. He began like a music supervisor initially when i first found Disney, and 26 years later he's there as [leader of Wally Disney Music]. There's never been anybody more influential on me like a composer than Chris, but when it comes to Jeffrey Katzenberg or Michael Eisner, who Sometimes with, their heads aren't along the way. What they are searching at may be the result, and i provide them with the end result they need while hanging onto my integrity like a composer.THR: You've resided within the NY area all of your existence and done Broadway off and on for many years. That which was it like watching the "Spider-Guy: Switch Off the Dark" drama in the sidelines? Menken: For individuals people who understand what it's prefer to open a Broadway show, there's great empathy for Julie Taymor and those who stuck their necks out. And there is a particular amount of schadenfreude because we have all become our rear finishes started through the experts and writers. We are all acrobats. You are watching somebody consider using a particularly difficult dismount. What Julie did really was courageous. But it is also about getting the background music of U2 to the level. A primary reason we won lots of best song Academy awards could it have been did not seem like somebody just include a trunk song. In each and every situation, these were completely honed towards the project. The Hollywood Reporter