The inarguable two most prolific living Disney songwriters will hold a concert at the D23 Expo on August 10 in Anaheim.
Alan Menken and Richard Sherman will be spotlighted in “The Disney Songbook,” an appropriate name for the event given the resume the two have between each other. This post would become several fullscreen scrolls long if I listed every crowning achievement penned by Menken or Sherman.
Menken, perhaps best known for working with the late Howard Ashman, is the man behind the songs of the Disney Renaissance: from The Little Mermaid to Beauty and the Beast to Aladdin, his hand was in it all. More recently, he collaborated with Stephen Schwartz for Enchanted in 2007 and with his current writing partner Glenn Slater for Tangled in 2010.
Richard Sherman wrote songs for dozens of projects with his late brother, Robert. Among the gems with their credits are Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Tigger Movie, and many Disney theme park attractions. (Yes, you have them to thank for “It’s a Small World.”)
The Disney Songbook is part of an entire weekend of events catered to those who love all things Disney. D23, the official Disney fan club, will have its every-other-year fanfest August 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, a few minutes away from Disneyland. While D23 has hosted both Menken and Sherman at separate events before (like last year’s Destination D, at which Menken performed), this is the first time that both Disney Legends have shared one concert.
This once-in-a-lifetime event is included with admission to the D23 Expo. Tickets for the entire Expo can be purchased here. (Tickets for just The Disney Songbook without other events is not an option, though a one-day ticket is available. But if you’re going and love Disney… well, based on past Expos, you’ll want to be there for the whole thing.)
