\n<\/p>\n
To illustrate his point, he recalled how his niece would tell him about a young boy in her school who\u2019d gush about The Little Mermaid, which Menken had scored to lyrics by his much-loved collaborator, the late Howard Ashman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This young boy was named Lin-Manuel Miranda, and he grew up to create, among others, the award-winning Broadway musical and pop culture phenomenon Hamilton.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut that passion in what we created was essential to the wonderful artist that (Miranda) has become. And that is universal in the work, whether it\u2019s written for children or adults,\u201d Menken believes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJust write for the characters, write for the story and write for the medium.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n No doubt, it is sound advice, coming from a \u201cDisney Legend\u201d himself. The official title is given to individuals who\u2019ve made a significant impact on the Disney legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n He is also, unsurprisingly, a member of the small group of EGOT winners. These are Hollywood\u2019s creme de la creme who have bagged Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.<\/span><\/p>\n His talent has been recognised time and again, with eight Academy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, 11 Grammy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, among numerous other accolades, to his name.<\/span><\/p>\nA FORMULA TO HIS HALLMARK HEARTFELT SCORES?<\/span><\/h2>\n