ENCANTO
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionThere’s nothing like the magic of live theater, and no one translates that magic to the Broadway stage quite like Disney.
Ever since the curtain raised on the stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast back in 1994, the House of Mouse has dominated the Great White Way with family-friendly hits like 1997’s The Lion King, 2012’s Newsies and 2014’s Aladdin.
All in all, there have been 17 Disney musicals that have made it to Broadway (no, Hamilton doesn’t count just because it was filmed for Disney+), though at the current moment, only The Lion King — the highest-grossing show in Broadway history — and Aladdin are playing in the Minskoff Theater and New Amsterdam Theatre, respectively. Meanwhile, 2018’s Frozen was sadly the first Broadway show to fold due to the pandemic, though its national tour is currently playing in regional theaters across the country.
This week, Lin-Manuel Miranda hinted that he could see his latest hit Encanto making the leap from screen to stage — he even has a seven-minute Act II finale number ready in his back pocket — but we want to know what you think. Which untapped Disney film should get the Broadway treatment?
Of course, there are plenty of memorable movie musicals to choose from, chief among them 2010’s much-loved Tangled and 2017’s Coco. Miranda himself questions how the oceans of Moana could be translated onto the Broadway stage, and maybe you think Disney should give that a shot! After all, “How Far I’ll Go” did just hit one billion streams on YouTube…
While pandemic-era hit Luca isn’t technically a musical, its themes and sweet storyline are practically begging for original music. And with the coming release of Disenchanted coming sometime late this year, fans who loved Princess Giselle are about to get the perfect reminder of how much fun it would be to hear the songs from 2007’s Enchanted — looking at you, “That’s How You Know” and “So Close” — live in a Midtown theater.
Cast your vote and wish upon a star in Billboard‘s latest poll.
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
