Q: So many comic lyrics in this.  I remember ‘Even though you are vermin.’

Stephen Schwartz: It’s always good to be able to use vermin in a song.

Q: Was it an intent to make more of the comedic lyrics?

Stephen Schwartz: Absolutely. And I’m pleased it worked. We were definitely going for – I was looking for jokes. Definitely’

Q: Can you give us a progress report of ‘Mermaid’ on stage?  And did you think it was doable as a theater piece?

Alan Menken: I really hadn’t thought about ‘Mermaid’ for the stage for the challenge of being under the sea. As everyone knows, that was one of the difficulties. And once Francesca Zembello and she’s working with George Sefin and his sets use light in this brilliant way that takes on light to look aquatic or look like the sea, along with all the other stage craft that is available to us, then it became possible. It had actually been in the works for five years though. We’d been working on it in various ways. We had our first preview last night on Broadway. I got emails from a number of people who have all said that it went really, really well. 

Q: How close do they stick to the movie?

Alan Menken: The original songs by Howard Ashman and I are there. Ten new songs, as well with Glen Slater, that’s the name of the lyricist.  And I think it’s quite seamless.  Like ‘Beauty and the Beaty’ it’s going to be a very seamless experience and audiences seem to love it.

Q: We heard there is an Idina song that may be on the DVD but isn’t in the film?

Stephen Schwartz: Yeah, isn’t that so weird? I kept saying to Kevin, ‘You have Idina Menzel in this movie and she’s not going to sing?’ We did have a closing number which in fact was a title song called ‘Enchanted,’ but what happened was that stylistically by the time we got to that point in that film, because she wasn’t an animated character – it didn’t actually work stylistically for her to sing.  So, I actually think Idina is wonderful in the film.

Q: Why not have her sing at the end of the movie in the animated world?

Stephen Schwartz: We talked about it. But the amount of time we would have had to spend with her in the animated world, it didn’t seem justified. There were reasons why practically, tonally and stylistically it didn’t work. And actually, if a different actress was playing the role of Nancy it never would have arisen.  It was just because it was Idina, but Idina is a wonderful actress and I think she’s terrific without singing.

Q: So, there is a title song called ‘Enchanted’?

Stephen Schwartz: Yes.

Alan Menken: There were two songs. Also, there was an alternative to ‘So Close.’ People were like ‘We love the song, but could you…’ So, I wrote another song called ‘Enchanted.’ But that was a ballad.

Q: Aren’t you setting up for a sequel that you have a great singer in the animated world?

Stephen Schwartz: That had never occurred to us, but thank you for suggesting it.  No, truly. The idea of a sequel, I don’t think it ever occurs while doing a film. A film proves popular, those are always business decisions to make a sequel and then you think about it. But actually that hadn’t occurred to me.  But for whatever reason they decide to continue it’s great.

Alan Menken: But maybe someday, if it happens, people will think we had brilliant foresight.

Stephen Schwartz: That’s right.  We’ll take credit for it. ‘That’s why we had Idina in the first place!’

Q: What else do you have on your plate besides ‘Mermaid’?

Alan Menken: Besides ‘Mermaid’? I have a musical ‘Sister Act’ opening in London next fall. And ‘Leap of Faith’ directed by Taylor Hackford going to have a workshop this spring and then open the following season.

Q: They are taking a lot of movies…

Alan Menken: I don’t know why people are surprised by that. Broadway is basically an adaptation medium.  It’s so much and films are a vital part of our culture.

Stephen Schwartz: Also, movies because of the way they are structured, frankly, they lend themselves well to musicalization because there are technical reasons why -- the storytelling, the way it occurs in a movie lends itself well to musicals.

Q: In ‘Leap of Faith’ are there a lot of new gospel songs? Any other styles?

Alan Menken: Yes, very heavily gospel. A little bit of country and a little bit of rock and theater.  By the way, Stephen is working on an Opera.

Stephen Schwartz: I am recklessly and foolishly working on an Opera. I am doing an opera based on, again, a film, based on ‘Scenence in a wet afternoon.’  A film from the ‘60’s that starred Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough. And the premiere is for the Opera company in Santa Barbara, as a matter of fact, for 2009.

Q: How are you changing it?

Stephen Schwartz: Well, they are sining. (Laughs).

Stephen Schwartz: To some extent it’s not. I did make some changes in terms of the story. I brought a character on stage who is referred to in the original, but isn’t in the film. Which is the ghost of the…

Alan Menken: And independent of anything that comes like this Stephen and I are looking for another film projects.

Stephen Schwartz: So, if you have something let us know.

Alan Menken: Well, we have something in mind.

(then they do a poll with all the journalists in the room for what their favorite song in the movie was. They are trying to figure out what to submit for the Oscar’s. The winner was ‘That’s How You Know’)