By William Keck “To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.” This dedication in the closing credits of Beauty and the Beast pays homage to the film’s lyricist, Howard Ashman, who never lived to see the final print. Were only real life as just …
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By Alexander Rannie In hindsight it seems a no-brainer that Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s 30th animated feature, would have begun life as a musical. But as many folks know, this wasn’t the case. Songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, fresh off their success with The Little Mermaid, immediately began working on songs for Aladdin. …
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By Jim Fanning A beastly leading man, a bookworm princess, a brittle brood of supporting characters in a story confined to a dark castle. These unlikely elements make up one of the most well-known yet unlikely fairy tales ever—and only the magic of Disney animation could bring it to the screen with such unforgettable enchantment. …
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By William Keck One of the greatest challenges facing the creative team behind Beauty and the Beast was convincing their audience that a lovely young French maiden with her head buried in books could fall in love with a monstrous buffalo-headed creature sporting a lion’s mane, wolf’s tail and the tusks of a boar. Not …
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Every few seconds, a pastel-colored clamshell glides into a melodious room of spinning starfish, dancing crustaceans, and instrument-playing sea dwellers in Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid at Walt Disney World. More than 20 years after The Little Mermaid’s film release, timeless Alan Menken songs (“Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” …
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Disney Legend Alan Menken talks to D23 about bringing ABC’s comedic songfest to life and his rich Disney legacy.
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See an exclusive video behind the scenes of Walt Disney Records’ The Legacy Collection with Disney Legend Alan Menken.
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While there have been many moments of Oscar magic, here are some of our favorites.
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