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Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American actor, film composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer, who was the former front man of the new wave band Oingo Boingo between 1976 and 1995, and is well-known for creating the theme song of the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is also known particularly for his collaborations with filmmaker Tim Burton, composing the score to The Nightmare Before Christmas, in which he stars as the singing voice of Jack Skellington.

Other Disney work[]

In 1986, his band Oingo Boingo performed at Videopolis as part of Grad Nite. It was not the first time the band performed on the stage, as the stage had previously been used for Steve Wozniak's US Festivals, in which Oingo Boingo performed in both September 1982 and May 1983. The stage was moved to Disneyland in 1985 as part of the Videopolis night club, which has since been re-themed to the Fantasyland Theatre.

In 2002, Elfman's score for The Nightmare Before Christmas was adapted and rearranged by John Debney for the Haunted Mansion Holiday attraction overlay at Disneyland. The seasonal overlay first premiered the previous year, but utilized an original score composed by Gordon Goodwin, who did not utilize Elfman's score from the film. In 2013, Elfman would score Mystic Manor for Hong Kong Disneyland and provide vocals for the singing helmets and tikis.

Elfman appears in a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed episode of the Disney+ original documentary series Prop Culture, sharing from his personal collection a Jack Skellington puppet used in the film, as well as providing backstory to his role in the creation and characterization of Jack. The episode uses much of Elfman's score from the film, as well as several songs from his former band, Oingo Boingo.

In addition to his work with Burton, Elfman has also worked frequently with director Sam Raimi, and his film scores are often orchestrated by Oingo Boingo bandmate and composer Steve Bartek.

Filmography[]

Films[]

Year Film Director Studio Notes
1990 Dick Tracy Warren Beatty Touchstone Pictures
1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas Henry Selick Voice actor of
Jack Skellington (singing),
Barrel, and Clown with the Tear-Away Face
1995 Dead Presidents Albert Hughes
Allen Hughes
Hollywood Pictures
1997 Flubber Les Mayfield Walt Disney Pictures
1998 A Civil Action Steven Zaillian Touchstone Pictures
Paramount Pictures
1999 Instinct Jon Turteltaub Touchstone Pictures
Spyglass Entertainment
1999 My Favorite Martian Donald Petrie Walt Disney Pictures "Uncle Martin Arrives" only
2007 Meet the Robinsons Stephen J. Anderson Walt Disney Animation Studios
2010 Alice in Wonderland Tim Burton Walt Disney Pictures
2012 Frankenweenie
2013 Oz the Great and Powerful Sam Raimi
2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron Joss Whedon Marvel Studios with Brian Tyler
2016 Alice Through the Looking Glass Tim Burton Walt Disney Pictures
2019 Dumbo
2021 The Woman in the Window Joe Wright 20th Century Studios
2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Sam Raimi Marvel Studios

Television[]

Year Film Studio Original network Notes
2004 Desperate Housewives Touchstone Television (2004–2007)
ABC Studios (2007–2012)
ABC Theme music only
2020 Prop Culture ABC Signature Disney+ Episode: "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
various songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Oingo Boingo

Theme park attractions[]

Year Attraction Park Notes
2002 Haunted Mansion Holiday Disneyland (2002–2019)
Tokyo Disneyland (2004–2019)
Adapted score by John Debney using Elfman's compositions from The Nightmare Before Christmas
2013 Mystic Manor Hong Kong Disneyland Elfman's likeness also appears in the attraction as S.E.A. member Maestro D'Elfman

Gallery[]

Video[]

External links[]

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