Alan Menken Essays

  • Alan Menken Research Paper

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Menken is a musical composer for Disney and Broadway. He was born July 22, 1949 to Judy Menken and Norman Menken, along with 2 sisters, Faye and Leah. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He lived in a house filled with music, theater, comedy and drama. He started working on Broadway in 1982, then started working for Disney in 1988. He composed 10 movies for Disney so far. His work has touched countless lives of children and adults. Alan Menken has made an impact on all little children around

  • Set in a Failing Floral Shop, the Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy musical written by Howard Ashman and composed by Alan Menken. It follows the story of a failing floral shop, Mushnik's Skid Row Florists, in the midst of an extremely poor and under thriving Skid Row. In the middle of the owner and employees lamenting over their misfortunes of no costumers and the woes of living on Skid Row, the owner, Mr. Mushnik, decides to close down the shop. Upon hearing this, an employee, Seymour Krelborn, unveils a plant he has been working

  • Comparing Hercules by Walt Disney and Creating the Myth by Linda Seger

    849 Words  | 2 Pages

    death experience, the road back, the reborn) that he or she need to overcome to be transformed into a hero. However, these obstacles play a very important role in the hero’s stage of initiation. The movie “Hercules” by Walt Disney and the creator Alan Menken, we encounter the characters of the movie which are Hercules of course, Philoctetes the trainer, Pegasus the horse, loyal companion, Megera the love of Hercules and Hades the villain. All these characters connect strongly with Hercules because

  • Summary of Disney´s The Little Mermaid

    1654 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the timeline in The Little Mermaid, the makers of The Little Mermaid use their imagination and Disney house style to visualize Andersen’s story and develop The Little Mermaid characters into modern people. In addition, the composers, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, created witty songs that fully enhanced the movie. The fascinating story begins at sea, depicting the underwater kingdom, and the glimmering lights reflecting on the water. Ariel, who is dissatisfied with her life as a mermaid

  • Tangled: The Intersection of Commerce, Gender, and Genre

    2030 Words  | 5 Pages

    storytelling archetypes of the early Disney princess movie-musicals and a modern reinvention of these stereotypes in order to create a harmonious blend between the two. However, both “When Will my Life Begin?” and “I Have a Dream,” with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, employ diverse musical references and techniques that nevertheless starkly challenge the construction of the typical Disney animated musical genre, and that mold musical conventions to be more marketable to a far-reaching

  • The Disney Design Of Mirror Face Reality

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Disney Design of Mirror Face Condition Disney has been a household name for a number of generations since its humble start in a cartoon studio in the 1920s. Since then they have brought forward the animation classics of childhood for the majority of the world. In recent years however, new social movements such and feminism and others searching for equality have led to Disney being under scrutiny for what it has been producing. Animation student Jessica Kendrick noticed there was something up

  • Sexual Inequality in Disney Movies

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    We live in a world that is surrounded with beauty. Amazing skyscrapers, tall, strong buildings. A world that is now equal in all aspects in life, racially, sexually, physically. However, it can be said that this is not the case in the media. Beautiful women were portrayed weak while hideous women were characterized as evil. This essay will explore the sexual inequality in the disney movies Little Mermaid, Tangled and Cinderella . Little Mermaid, a disney filmed created in the 1950’s. A story based

  • The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and The Beast

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    A fairytale is a fictional fantasy fable that passes through generations of children as source of interest to them. Though used for the intent of entertainment, fairytales often indirectly advocate a moral or message to readers (whom are usually children), in hopes that they will grow up to apply these ethics and lead a righteous life. This criteria, however, often originates from the occurrence of a magical transformation; it is this paranormality that introduces the characters of the story to

  • Alan Alexander Milne ( A. A. Milne)

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alan Alexander Milne ( A. A. Milne) When reminiscing on past memories of favorite books, cartoons, songs and stuffed animals, many people will think about Winnie the Pooh. The man behind all of your fun filled childhood adventured with Christopher Robin and his bear friend Pooh is Alan Alexander Milne, more commonly known as A. A. Milne. Besides his creation of Winnie the Pooh short story and poetry books he was a very accomplished man through out his whole life. He showed great affection to

  • Attila the Hun

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Attila the Hun Although he reigned no more than 20 years as king of the Huns, the image of Attila in history and in the popular imagination is based upon two aggressive military campaigns in the last two years of his life which threatened to dramatically redirect the development of Western Europe. Attila and his brother succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434, with Attila in the junior position until his brother’s death 12 years later. History has it that Attila killed him or

  • Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge A prospective reader casually thumbing through the pages of Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge: Science, Philosophy, and Education, would probably expect the book to explore how science and the philosophy of science should inform educational practices and pedagogy. Indeed such an exploration takes place, but the reader might be surprised to find that it is in the form of a vehement crusade Cromer wages against constructivism with science and a scientific habit

  • Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton is a novel inspired by the industrial revolution. Paton describes in detail the conditions in which the Africans were living during this time period, 1946. This story tells about a Zulu pastor who goes into the city in search of his son and siblings who left in search of a better life. The pastor sees this immense city where a ruling white group is oppressing the black population. This novel is more than just a story, but it depicts the effects imperialism and

  • Attila The Hun: One Of Historys Great Leaders

    2503 Words  | 6 Pages

    Barbarian is defined as, "a rude, coarse or brutal person"(Funk & Wagnalls 50). When one hears the name, Attila the Hun, one tends to think of him in such a negative way. Contrary to this popular belief, Attila the Hun was not a barbarian, but one of history's great leaders. The Hun kingdom was in modern-day Hungry. The Huns were a Turkish-speaking nomadic people. Attila and his brother Belda succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434 A.D. Attila was in the junior role, until his brother's

  • Homeboyz by Alan Sitomer

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Sitomer’s newest fast paced novel Homeboyz is a hardcore suspense story that will immediately put readers on the edge and leave them breathless in the end. Sitomer’s character, Teddy ‘T-Bear’ Anderson is an aloof seventeen year old that doesn’t care for anything other than to avenge his innocent fourteen year old sister Tina’s death, by targeting the infamous gang members of his city. As Teddy’s family mourns and his mother falls into a deep depression, his father Mr. Anderson, also known as

  • Alan Freed:History Of Rock Music

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Freed Alan Freed was born December 16, 1922 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was considered the most the most famous Disc Jockey(DJ) in rock 'n roll history, however, controversy encircled the man and he recieved lots of criticism especially from white adults during his career. I think that Alan Freed greatly helped shape the sound of music today and further advanced the progression of rock music. He is the person who coined the term "Rock & Roll" and also put up with a lot of nonsense regarding

  • Alan Bennett's A Cream Cracker Under the Settee

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alan Bennett's A Cream Cracker Under the Settee How does Alan Bennett reveal Doris’ character, life and attitude in the dramatic monologue “a cream cracker under the settee”? Many of Bennett's characters are unfortunate and downtrodden, as in the Talking Heads series of monologues that was first performed at the Comedy Theatre in London in 1992, and then transferred to television. This was a sextet of poignantly comic pieces, each of which portrayed several stages in the character's decline

  • Rorschach In Alan Moore's The Watchmen

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the character Rorshach, The Watchmen explores the issues of nature verses nurture for him. Moore adds that a super hero, can be a psychological argument. A super hero is neither born nor shaped by environment, it is the creation of an alter ego to suppress childhood conflicting inner issues. Rorshach dealt with issues as a young child that rationalized in his mind to hide behind a costume and a mask in order to live. The first character the book introduces to the reader to is Rorschach

  • Alan Turning: A Sad Mystery

    1970 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alan Turning: A Sad Mystery “The original question, ‘Can machines think?’ I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion. Nevertheless I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted…. The popular view that scientists proceed inexorably from well-established fact to well-established fact, never being influenced by any improved conjecture

  • George Bush vs. John Kerry

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    For the 2004 presidential election, Republican president George W. Bush is attempting to defend his post and reassure the American people that his political choices are the best for our country. His opponent, Democratic senator John Kerry believes that his political ideas will be better for a changing America. Four main topics debated on by the candidates are: Homeland Security, Civil Rights, Education (no child left behind), and the Economy. The two candidates have differing views on most of these

  • Isolated and Marginalized Characters of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Isolated and Marginalized Characters of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads All the pieces in Alan Bennett’s collection deal in some way with people who are isolated or marginalized, either because of circumstances or because of their own idiosyncrasies. Every character is, in some way inadequate. Graham is a mother's boy, whose dubious sexuality seems to have caused him severe mental stress. Susan, the vicar's wife, is an alcoholic woman, trapped in a loveless marriage, whose caustic intolerance of