And Tangled is a semi-return because I think it was very conscious of wanting this to also be a new breed of musical. I guess Enchanted was the return to the classic styling. That played itself out and I think people wanted more rock-star driven animated things where it was almost like jukebox type of animated films. So we had this early cycle with The Little Mermaid and going all the way through Hercules. I think the animated musical goes through cycles. Menken: Well, I didn’t really take a break. You have been working with Disney for a while now, but you had a bit of a break or a lull. If I was fortunate enough to be nominated again, I’d be thrilled. I’ve been very fortunate as a composer to be involved with projects that have really propelled my scores forward. I mean, to me that is truly extraordinarily impressive. Menken: Alive… but you know, the truth is, let’s face it. You have eight Oscar wins.ĭid you know you have the most Oscars for any person… Mandy had the exact vocal characteristics they were looking for.Ĭollider: So, this is crazy. He had worked with Donna in the past and she brought theatre experience. How did Donna Murphy and Mandy Moore fit in? He started out as a pre-med at NYU, but he always wanted to compose. He states that folk music was the main influence, and Joni Mitchell was a big factorĭid he always have the passion to be a composer? I asked him everything I could think of, and he gives updates on his upcoming projects as well. Right off the bat, I want to say that Menken was a pleasure to talk with and had a calm, grounded demeanor about him. Join me after the break for the full transcript and a few highlights. So, here is my one-on-one with the legendary Alan Menken, who wrote the music for Tangled and worked in the golden age of Disney animation in the early ‘90s. An interview with Alan Menken, the Oscar-winning composer behind TANGLED, an animated film which features the voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi.Īlthough I took a break for Fantastic Fest, I had promised all the interviews from my visit to Walt Disney Animation Studios earlier this month.

Tangled kingdom