Post by anthony40 on Aug 10, 2020 19:51:11 GMT
So I watched this deeply moving documentary last night about Howard Ashman.
Along with Alan Menkin, he wrote the lyrics for the off-Broadway smash musical Little Shop of Horrors and Disney's Animated classics The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and (parts of) Aladdin.
It's a 90 minute documentary about his life as a creative young boy, to a young adult in amateur theatrical events and eventually as a gay young man throwing himself into his work.
He moved to New York and entered into a relationship where he wanted a stable, domestic living arrangement. However is partner was sexually promiscuous and threw himself into everything the early 70's New York gay scene has to offer.
There's an extremely touching sequence at the beginning narrated by his sister where as a child he took her into his room where he had draped tea towels across lamps so the shadows of his toy cowboys and indians covered in glitter would be 'characters' in his world.
It showed how he resisted the temptation of moving Little Shop of Horrors to Broadway, especially after the success of the film.
He also worked on a musical called Smile that did wonders, again, off-Broadway but flopped disasterly when it transferred. It was on this show that he met Jodie Benson (Ariel).
At this stage the AIDS crisis started. When word broke that his previous partner was seriously ill, Howard refused an HIV test for fear of loosing his insurance. He did agree however to have a blood test to measure if T-Cell count.
And then the call came from Disney. He had entered into a new relationship- the man he would be with till the end and then he and Alan Menkin flew to L.A. However because animation had not done so well for Disney for a while, the whole animation department was moved too a series of sheds about 4 miles off the Disney lot.
And then work stated on The Little Mermaid. For about two years he was able to keep his health problems a secret, fearing that if they found out, Disney would fire him.
They show him working with Josie Benson, coaching her to sing 'Part of Your World' and how when the studio bosses decided the song should be cut, he fought for it to remain. This was the right decision.
Sebastian the crab being Caribbean; that was his idea. A thought that no one at Disney had considered. They also showed the importance of Under The Sea and Kiss The Girl.
Ursula and her look; again, that was him. Their original design was for a tall, thin Joan Collins figure and when various cartoon images were shown, he chose the voluptuous image that we know, based upon the drag artist, Divine.
Under the Sea went on to win an Academy Award for best song.
Work then started on Aladdin however, for various creative differences, it was shelved whilst work began on Beauty and the Beast. You see rare footage of Paige O'Hara (Belle) singing the title song, with a full orchestra and both Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury singing 'Be Our Guest' without any of them knowing how sick he was and that nine months later, he would be gone.
When it became apparent that his health was in such rapid decide he had to pull Alan mention aside and make him aware as to how sick he was and then ensure that Alan and his family were financially secure.
While he was aware that Beauty and the Beast as a film was a hit, he was gone before it's true success was known. If fact it was his surviving partner that had to accept the Academy Award on his behalf, acknowledging that despite his passing, they were recognising and awarding an openly gay man.
And then there were the remaining lyrics that he provided for Aladdin.
In fact so important was his contribution and as word started to spread outside the inner circle, Disney came to him, packing up the storyboards and travelling to New Youk
He never got to see the accolades that Beauty and the Beast received, including the Academy Award nomination for Best Film- the first for an animated feature. The remakes. The stage adaptations.
It was just as he reached his reached his creative stride, that he was taken away.
A truly moving piece.
If you can watch it, it's on Disney+
Along with Alan Menkin, he wrote the lyrics for the off-Broadway smash musical Little Shop of Horrors and Disney's Animated classics The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and (parts of) Aladdin.
It's a 90 minute documentary about his life as a creative young boy, to a young adult in amateur theatrical events and eventually as a gay young man throwing himself into his work.
He moved to New York and entered into a relationship where he wanted a stable, domestic living arrangement. However is partner was sexually promiscuous and threw himself into everything the early 70's New York gay scene has to offer.
There's an extremely touching sequence at the beginning narrated by his sister where as a child he took her into his room where he had draped tea towels across lamps so the shadows of his toy cowboys and indians covered in glitter would be 'characters' in his world.
It showed how he resisted the temptation of moving Little Shop of Horrors to Broadway, especially after the success of the film.
He also worked on a musical called Smile that did wonders, again, off-Broadway but flopped disasterly when it transferred. It was on this show that he met Jodie Benson (Ariel).
At this stage the AIDS crisis started. When word broke that his previous partner was seriously ill, Howard refused an HIV test for fear of loosing his insurance. He did agree however to have a blood test to measure if T-Cell count.
And then the call came from Disney. He had entered into a new relationship- the man he would be with till the end and then he and Alan Menkin flew to L.A. However because animation had not done so well for Disney for a while, the whole animation department was moved too a series of sheds about 4 miles off the Disney lot.
And then work stated on The Little Mermaid. For about two years he was able to keep his health problems a secret, fearing that if they found out, Disney would fire him.
They show him working with Josie Benson, coaching her to sing 'Part of Your World' and how when the studio bosses decided the song should be cut, he fought for it to remain. This was the right decision.
Sebastian the crab being Caribbean; that was his idea. A thought that no one at Disney had considered. They also showed the importance of Under The Sea and Kiss The Girl.
Ursula and her look; again, that was him. Their original design was for a tall, thin Joan Collins figure and when various cartoon images were shown, he chose the voluptuous image that we know, based upon the drag artist, Divine.
Under the Sea went on to win an Academy Award for best song.
Work then started on Aladdin however, for various creative differences, it was shelved whilst work began on Beauty and the Beast. You see rare footage of Paige O'Hara (Belle) singing the title song, with a full orchestra and both Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury singing 'Be Our Guest' without any of them knowing how sick he was and that nine months later, he would be gone.
When it became apparent that his health was in such rapid decide he had to pull Alan mention aside and make him aware as to how sick he was and then ensure that Alan and his family were financially secure.
While he was aware that Beauty and the Beast as a film was a hit, he was gone before it's true success was known. If fact it was his surviving partner that had to accept the Academy Award on his behalf, acknowledging that despite his passing, they were recognising and awarding an openly gay man.
And then there were the remaining lyrics that he provided for Aladdin.
In fact so important was his contribution and as word started to spread outside the inner circle, Disney came to him, packing up the storyboards and travelling to New Youk
He never got to see the accolades that Beauty and the Beast received, including the Academy Award nomination for Best Film- the first for an animated feature. The remakes. The stage adaptations.
It was just as he reached his reached his creative stride, that he was taken away.
A truly moving piece.
If you can watch it, it's on Disney+
