InTune

Composer Alan Menken is an icon in the world of music, and his works are heard and seen across stage, screen, and television. It would be hard to find someone who has not heard an Alan Menken song, and his musical talents have earned him countless accolades, including the prestigious “EGOT”, having won an Emmy, eleven Grammys, eight Oscars, and a Tony Award.

The Boston Pops’ upcoming spring season opens with The Magical Music of Alan Menken, celebrating Menken’s career. The evening features music from his popular works, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, as well as lesser-known works like King David, brought to life by the Boston Pops, led by Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, and Broadway stars with deep connections to Menken’s work.

Two of the performers, Telly Leung and Alton Fitzgerald White, are bringing the concert to Symphony Hall after having been scheduled to perform the program in the spring of 2020 before it was cancelled due to COVID-19. Audiences will recognize Telly Leung from his roles onstage in Rent and Aladdin, where he played the title character in the Menken-composed musical, as well as his onscreen role in the television show Glee. Broadway star Alton Fitzgerald White was seen in the original Broadway cast of Miss Saigon, and has played Mufasa in The Lion King, and audiences may also know his album Disney My Way.

Both Leung and White have been awaiting this concert’s return, which was originally slated for the spring 2020 season. “The pandemic was the longest intermission ever,” Leung says. “I felt such deep disappointment when we had to postpone this concert for over two years, but in that time I've gained a newfound sense of enthusiasm and gratitude for every opportunity I get to sing live in front of an audience.” White, who has an extensive history with the Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart, whom he knew from Lockhart’s time with the Cincinnati Pops, says that this time around, he has an even deeper level of gratitude. “When I got the call that it was happening, I thought, ‘How cool that there’s another opportunity?’” White explains. “When it was cancelled, and you don’t know if it’s going to come back, when it does come back, it almost feels like magic.”

Long before Leung and White had worked with Alan Menken, they were already fans of his work. White recalls seeing the 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors, which Menken had composed with his longtime collaborator Howard Ashman. “I remember just falling in love with the film, with the style and the music,” White explains. Soon after, he saw The Little Mermaid, giving him yet another glimpse into Menken’s skill. Leung’s introduction to Menken also came at the movies. “I remember going to the movie theater with my dad to see Aladdin when it first came out,” he says, adding that he grew up on the composer’s music.

As the actors’ careers grew, their paths crossed with Menken. Leung played Aladdin in the Broadway musical, which he describes as “a dream come true” and a “full circle moment.” White recalls working with Menken on Disney’s Broadway Hits at the Royal Albert Hall, a 2016 concert conducted by Keith Lockhart available to stream on Disney Plus. White recalls how Menken was before the concert. “I remember him being a little nervous and being surprised,” White says. “Like ‘Wow, this man who has eight Oscars and has created all this incredible music still gets nervous’.” White was struck by how passionate and in the moment Menken was. “Even with all that he’s done,” White adds, “I found it very humbling.”

Leung and White are very excited to share the concert with audiences at Symphony Hall after waiting for so long. And, there are a few surprises that they hope will make for an exciting and memorable evening for both Menken newcomers and lifelong fans. “Songs like ‘Somewhere That's Green’ and ‘A Whole New World’ were written decades ago, but feel as fresh as if they were written yesterday. They stand the test of time,” Leung mentions, and he notes how Menken can “express the complexity of the character's emotions in simple and memorable melodies that become anthems.” White agrees regarding Menken’s abilities, and shares Leung’s admiration. “I think his music is so passionate and detailed,” White explains, “and music is one of those things that connects everybody. You can sit in the room with ten strangers, and everybody will be moved, and moved in a different way.” And, he adds that “because there’s so much passion and feeling and investment of emotion in his music, everyone feels something wonderful.”

As they take to the stage at Symphony Hall, the pair are excited to share Menken’s timeless music and the musical experience with audiences. “There’s nothing like that exchange of energy between the audience and anyone onstage,” White says, noting that even though performers are often looking out into a dark space, they still feel an audience’s investment. “Even before the applause, you can tell when someone’s listening, when someone’s leaning forward and really paying attention to the lyrics. There’s nothing like that. Because the more they lean in, the more the performer wants to give,” White continues, and he cannot deny the healing power of art.

After the concert, both Leung and White hope audiences leave changed. “The music of Alan Menken is timeless,” Leung notes, “and music brings people together.” Leung also hopes adults and children of all ages and backgrounds can come together to relive the musical memories of the past and create new ones. White’s hope is that audiences leave having heard some beautiful storytelling. “I feel like music is what it is. It’s beautiful,” he explains. “But when you add a voice to it, and songs, especially these songs because they’re so passionate, I hope they walk away happy and feeling like they’ve been told some really beautiful stories through song. Because those stories in themselves are healing.”