In 2012, Menken won a Tony Award for Best Score for his musical adaptation of "Newsies", which ran until 2014. He also wrote the music for "Leap of Faith", which had a brief run on Broadway in 2012. His stage adaptation of "Aladdin" opened on Broadway in 2014, earning him another Tony nomination for Best Score. In 2013, he was a guest at the annual Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, and was honored with the Junior Theater Festival Award. He gave a concert there, including music that was cut from various productions, while talking about his creative process.