Eight-Time Academy Award(R) Winning Composer Alan Menken Signs Multi-Picture

Deal With Disney/Touchstone Pictures to Score Non-Animated Films and Compose

Live-Action Musical Projects

BURBANK, Calif., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight-time Academy
Award(R)-winning composer Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty
and the Beast," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre
Dame") has signed a non-exclusive, multi-picture deal with Walt
Disney/Touchstone Pictures to score non-animated films and compose for
live-action projects, it was announced today by Mitchell Leib,
President of music and soundtracks for Walt Disney Pictures &
Television/Buena Vista Music Group. For his first assignment under
this new deal, Menken will score as well as write five original songs
for Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming romantic musical-fantasy,
"Enchanted," which is being directed by Kevin Lima ("Tarzan," "102
Dalmatians"). For that project, Menken will reunite with Tony and
Oscar(R)-winning lyricist Stephen Schwartz, his collaborator on
"Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Menken recently
completed scoring Disney's upcoming live-action comedy, "The Shaggy
Dog," due in theaters on March 10th.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060301/LAW022)

Under the terms of this new arrangement, Menken is expanding his role
from within other divisions of The Walt Disney Company. For Disney
Theatrical Productions, he is currently in preproduction on the stage
version of "The Little Mermaid." Menken is also developing a new
animated musical, "The Frog Princess" for Walt Disney Feature
Animation. For Disney Creative Entertainment, he is creating a stage
musical of "The Snow Queen" set to debut at Tokyo DisneySea with Amon
Miyamoto directing and John Weidman as the bookwriter and Glen Slater
the lyricist. He is also writing music for a Sinbad attraction in
Japan for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Menken's current slate of projects also includes composing an original
score for the stage musical adaptation of "Sister Act" (based on the
hit Touchstone Pictures' film) premiering this October at the Pasadena
Playhouse.

Commenting on Menken's new expanded role, Leib said, "Alan is one of
the greatest music composers and songwriters of all time, bar none.
There is simply no one like him. The only reason he hasn't done more
work for us in live-action to date is because the rest of Disney keeps
him so busy working on animated films, theatrical stage plays, and
theme park attractions. I feel very fortunate to now have him working
on our live action films too."

Chris Montan, president of Walt Disney Music, added, "Alan became part
of our world with 'The Little Mermaid' and has been making beautiful
music for us ever since. He was an important part of our animation
renaissance here at Disney and continues to be one of the most
exciting, original, and prolific composer/songwriters of our times.
We're thrilled to be working with him on such a wide variety of
projects, and look forward to seeing him stretch his talents in new
and innovative ways."

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said, "Everyone is
familiar with Alan's incredible talents when it comes to writing songs
for animated projects and theatrical productions, but he is also a
great film composer in his own right. He has written a terrific score
for 'The Shaggy Dog' and has expressed interest in writing music for
other live-action films. Alan is a true Disney legend, and his music
has enriched so many of our films."

Menken is best known for his hit animated musicals including "The
Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas," "Hercules," "The Hunchback
of Notre Dame" and "Beauty and the Beast" as well as the stage version
on the latter which has the distinction of being the longest running
American musical. Menken is also known for the stage and film version
of "Little Shop of Horrors."

His deal with Disney was brokered by Richard Kraft of Kraft-Engel
Management. SOURCE The Walt Disney Studios