Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – HOWARD is a moving documentary about the man behind LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, and more

• By drediman
• August 10, 2020
• No Comments

A scene from “Howard”, a new documentary about the life and contributions of Howard Ashman (pictured, second in from the left).

Some of the most indelible memories of my childhood involve watching and re-watching, ad nauseam, a trio of Disney animated feature films from the late 1980s and early 1990s – The Little Mermaid (1989), and Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992). The success of these films singlehandedly turned the fortunes of Disney’s animation department around, ushering in a new golden age for the studio’s animated films (paving the way for animated features like The Lion King). Arguably the driving creative force behind the original trifecta was Howard Ashman (in collaboration with composer Alan Menken), who tragically passed away at the age of 40 due to AIDS-related complications after having worked on the aforementioned films. Mr. Ashman’s life and contributions to musical theater and, more importantly, Disney are the topics of Howard, the moving new documentary that premiered last week on Disney Plus.

As with most biographical documentaries, Howard begins with Mr. Ashman’s childhood, depicting an immensely imaginative and stage-struck boy, the kind who rounds up the local kids to partake in his neighborhood shows. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Ashman subsequently studied theater and eventually landed in the gritty New York City of the 1970s, where he established his own theater company (WPA Theater). He greatest stage successes came from working with Mr. Menken via intimate, character-driven Off-Broadway musicals (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and, more significantly, Little Shop of Horrors). It was also during this time that he met his longtime partner Bill Lauch; thankfully, the documentary doesn’t shy away from Mr. Ashman’s homosexuality, nor from discussing the AIDS epidemic that was starting to ravage the gay community. Unfortunately, his experience on Broadway (Smile, which he co-wrote with Marvin Hamlisch) wasn’t nearly as rosy as his slam dunk with Little Shop of Horrors. Disillusioned with the New York theater scene, Mr. Ashman packed up and ventured west to California at Disney’s beckoning.

The latter half of the documentary chronicles his time with Disney, and it’s both heartbreaking and inspiring. In the span of just a handful of years, Mr. Ashman established the prototype for a new generation of movie musicals. That they were cartoons was besides the point. In creating The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, he brought his wit and impeccable first-hand knowledge of the craft of musical theater to the film industry. Indeed, these movies were created in the mold of the modern musical, from the construction of their opening musical numbers (“Belle”), to the incorporation of the “I want” ballads (“Part of Your World”) and dazzling showstoppers (“Be Our Guest”, “Friend Like Me”). Indeed, each of these films eventually made the leap from screen to the Broadway stage with relative ease. It’s a formula that continues to be used to this day in such blockbusters as Frozen. Having tested positive for H.I.V., his efforts on Beauty and the Beast and especially Aladdin (Tim Rice took over as lyricist and completed the latter project) were increasingly burdened by his sickness and the secrecy he maintained about his health status. Luckily for us, he fought to the bitter end, leaving us with indisputable classics that continue to inspire.

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HOWARD
Film / Documentary
1 hour, 30 minutes
Available for streaming on Disney Plus