Beloved composer Alan Menken was one of many celebrities who joined Rosie O’Donnell on Sunday for the one-night-only return of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” a benefit to raise money for The Actors Fund to provide relief for members of the entertainment industry affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The benefit raised $600,000 for the fund and is still accepting donations.
And Menken’s offering to those who tuned in to the special — recorded remotely by O’Donnell and her guests, who are all on lockdown in different locations due to the COVID-19 outbreak — was a delightful medley of some of his classic Disney songs, along with a little bit of “Little Shop of Horrors” thrown in for good measure.
You can watch Menken’s performance via the video above, in which he plays bits of “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid,” “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Suddenly Seymour” from “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Colors of the Wind” from “Pocahontas,” “King of New York” from “Newsies,” “Never Had a Friend Like Me” from “Aladdin,” “Go the Distance” from “Hercules,” “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” “That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted,” “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” from the movie of the same name, and “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin.”
Menken also offers a bit of an update on the now-halted live-action “Little Mermaid” movie.
Per the fundraiser’s description, “The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. The Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance.”
You can watch the full special here.