as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Ashman was only 40 when he died of complications from AIDS in 1991. His life partner, architect Bill Lauch, picked up the posthumous Oscar that Ashman won for Beauty. Jeffrey Katzenberg, then propelling Disney’s animation renaissance, recalls seeing Ashman near the end, having lost his sight and weighing barely 80 pounds. It’s unlikely such a graphic depiction will ever surface on Blu-ray extras for the family-friendly blockbusters that Ashman created with composer Alan Menken — so cheers to Disney+ for presenting the revelatory doc.
- 8/4/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
One of the hidden strengths of Disney Plus — a streaming service whose subtler assets are indeed easily overshadowed by the library of blockbuster movies available — is its collection of entertainments that pay tribute to the history of its parent company. For die-hard fans, “The Imagineering Story” and “Prop Culture” pull back the aperture a bit and allow fans to feel a bit closer to the action, a mission that only really makes sense for a streamer with quite so precisely calibrated a brand identity.
“Howard,” a new documentary directed by longtime Disney producer Don Hahn and launching on the service August 7, is likeliest to appeal to diehards who’ve already familiarized themselves with what else is on offer there. But there’s stuff there to appeal to anyone who’s ever hummed along to “Under the Sea” or “Be Our Guest,” too. Telling the story of Howard Ashman — the lyricist...
“Howard,” a new documentary directed by longtime Disney producer Don Hahn and launching on the service August 7, is likeliest to appeal to diehards who’ve already familiarized themselves with what else is on offer there. But there’s stuff there to appeal to anyone who’s ever hummed along to “Under the Sea” or “Be Our Guest,” too. Telling the story of Howard Ashman — the lyricist...
- 8/3/2020
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar winning lyricist Howard Ashman’s life and work are front and center in the upcoming documentary Howard.
The feature contains interviews with Bill Lauch (Ashman’s partner), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Beauty and the Beast), Sarah Gillespie (Ashman’s sister) are among the interviewees featured in Howard.
“You may not know his name, but you sure know Howard Ashman’s music,” said Howard Director, Writer and Producer [...]
The post Howard Ashman Documentary Lands Disney+ Debut In August appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The feature contains interviews with Bill Lauch (Ashman’s partner), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Beauty and the Beast), Sarah Gillespie (Ashman’s sister) are among the interviewees featured in Howard.
“You may not know his name, but you sure know Howard Ashman’s music,” said Howard Director, Writer and Producer [...]
The post Howard Ashman Documentary Lands Disney+ Debut In August appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 7/20/2020
- by Greg Srisavasdi
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
"Howard and Alan Menken had captured the imagination of a generation..." Disney has released the new official trailer for a documentary titled Howard, made by the acclaimed Disney veteran Don Hahn. The doc film tells the story of songwriter Howard Ashman, who penned the lyrics for the musicals Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, before he died of AIDS at the height of the AIDS crisis in 1991. "You may not know his name, but you sure know Howard Ashman's music," states Hahn. "He's one of the greatest storytellers of the twentieth century who helped to revitalize the American musical and re-energize Disney Animation. He left us a songbook that still lives on in us today, yet his personal story has never been fully told until now." The film features interviews with Ashman's longtime musical collaborator Alan Menken, who also scored the film, Bill Lauch...
- 7/16/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The new documentary “Howard” profiles the life and work of Howard Ashman, the legendary lyricist whose music and words on stage and in Disney films helped inspire a golden age of stories and musicals.
And along with the first trailer for the documentary film which shows behind the scenes footage of Ashman working with the voice actors for “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Disney has unveiled that “Howard” will debut on Disney+ on Aug. 7.
“As a lyricist, the last great place to do musicals is in animation,” Ashman says in a clip in the trailer. “We knew something really special was happening, but what we didn’t know is that in nine months, Howard would be gone,” one of his Disney colleagues adds.
Also Read: Why 'Hamilton' on Disney+ Could Spark More Demand for Filmed Broadway Shows
“Howard” made its debut at the Tribeca Film...
And along with the first trailer for the documentary film which shows behind the scenes footage of Ashman working with the voice actors for “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Disney has unveiled that “Howard” will debut on Disney+ on Aug. 7.
“As a lyricist, the last great place to do musicals is in animation,” Ashman says in a clip in the trailer. “We knew something really special was happening, but what we didn’t know is that in nine months, Howard would be gone,” one of his Disney colleagues adds.
Also Read: Why 'Hamilton' on Disney+ Could Spark More Demand for Filmed Broadway Shows
“Howard” made its debut at the Tribeca Film...
- 7/16/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
In late April, theater lovers devote most of their attention to the clutch of Broadway shows rushing to open before the eligibility cutoff for Tony nominations. But this year fans should be keeping an eye on things downtown too: New projects by or about Broadway talent aren’t onstage. They’re at a film festival — the Tribeca Film Festival (running April 18-29), where Terrence McNally, Howard Ashman, Michael Mayer and Stephen Karam are all in the mix.
Every Act of Life (pictured top)
Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross’ documentary, making its world premiere at the festival, chronicles the life of McNally, the veteran, out-and-proud playwright and four-time Tony winner behind “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Ragtime,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and more. The biopic — which counts Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston among those involved — touches on everything from McNally’s romance with Edward Albee to...
Every Act of Life (pictured top)
Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross’ documentary, making its world premiere at the festival, chronicles the life of McNally, the veteran, out-and-proud playwright and four-time Tony winner behind “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Ragtime,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and more. The biopic — which counts Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston among those involved — touches on everything from McNally’s romance with Edward Albee to...
- 4/10/2018
- by Gordon Cox
- Variety Film + TV
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