Ashman/Menken

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 12:37am

Back when Beauty was first released in cinemas a newspaper in Australia run a interview with both Alan and Howard talking about Beauty as well Little Shop.

Towards the end of the interview they where asked what they where up to next and the answer was we are working on a new Broadway musical, that will change the face of Broadway for ever.

Does anyone know what this show was, from what i remember it was in it's early stages.

any help would be great.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 11:18am

No one, someone, anyone!

[Josephine2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 12:04pm

Unfortunately, I don't even have an educated guess. You have piqued my interest, however, as to what this project could be. I know that Ashman passed away before the completion of the "Aladdin" film. I wonder if they were considering turning that into a stage production.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 12:58pm

it was probably a joke.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:20pm

It was far from a joke, it was a orignal musical they where talking about. But have never been able to find anything about it since.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:41pm

How I miss Ashman.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:50pm

I'm pretty sure they were working on a few shows. Debbie Gravitte sings some of the songs that they wrote for different Broadway shows that never saw the light on her Alan Menken album. I wonder what happened with their show KICKS, I love Karen Ziemba's fantastic performance during "I Wanna Be a Rockette" in the MY FAVORITE BROADWAY DVD.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:54pm

Fatty Goes to the Opera?

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:55pm

Babe?

[Julian2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:56pm

I have said it before and I will say it again, I really would love it if we could investigate and bring forth some of Ashman's old stuff. I want to hear more of what he wrote before he died that never "made it". Hence my search for the Rosewater demo. If they ever do Alladin on the stage, I would love it could be done with Ashman's original drafts. He is genius who died before his time, so lets see what he made with the time he had.

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 06:56 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:56pm

"How I miss Ashman."


BFB---You took the words right out of my mouth.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:04pm

I met his sister before. There are quite a few trunk songs. He did some really cool things for television too.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:06pm

He was a genius, and I don't throw that word around lightly.

[sondhead]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:12pm

He really was, or at least I believe he was, the best book writer of his time and an excellent lyricist to boot. Unfortunately, with his tragic untimely death he may never receive the widespread acclaim that his talents deserve.

Smile is fantastic and needs to be revived. His two Disney movies should both be studied for their story structure, something I wasn't even aware that Ashman was responsible for until watching the special features on the DVDs.

But most of all.. and it's often written off being the silly comedy that it is.. but I think "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of the few musicals that has not a note nor word misplaced, and when it's done with an able cast it is wonderful. The recent Broadway revival which, in my opinion, made every wrong choice that it could made was still immensely entertaining which speaks volumes for the show. I have always been fascinated at its ability to tell a completely bizarre and off-the-wall story that still manages to make us feel legitimate feelings of sorrow for the main characters by the end.. and even laugh WHILE we're feeling it. Brilliant writing.

My life dream is actually to write a book about Ashman. If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of obsessed with him.

[Julian2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:15pm

"If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of obsessed with him."

Your not the only one. And if you ever write that book sondhead, I will help catalogue research. I was just thinking about how I would just love to do some sort of "Howard Ashman Project" where his papers were studied, and things were recorded and published.

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 07:15 PM

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:31pm

Howard had such a way with words. I've grown such a respect for him watching all the bonus features on the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin DVDs. Is there a recording of Smile anywhere, or at least a plot syopsis? I've heard so much about it, I would love to hear the music, it seems like such a good concept for a show.
Updated On: 7/9/07 at 07:31 PM

[Julian2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 8:08pm

Smile Studio Recording: http://littlebroadwaycorner.blogspot.com/2007/02/smile.html
Smile Libretto: http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/2958

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 08:08 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 10:14pm

Such an amazing pair. I also wish I could see more of their work. I would REALLY kill to see God Bless You Mr. Rosewatter.

Ashman was one of the cleverest lyricists who ever was. Menken's still awesome, but has never really been the same...

[sondhead]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 10:36pm

While we're talking about it.. let me bring this up because I was wondering about it the other day.

Does anyone know if Ashman contributed to the "Ashman sound" deliberately or is it something that lives in his lyrics? I recently got hold of one or two demos from the Hamlisch / Leigh score to Smile and was surprised at how polar opposite they are musically to the Hamlisch / Ashman score. In fact, the Hamlisch / Ashman score sounds rather unlike Chorus Line, They're Playing Our Song or Sweet Smell (other than that Hamlisch piano pattern featured in "Shine" and just about everything else he ever wrote). It sounds, to me, a lot like Alan Menken's work with Ashman when they weren't going for a more classic music theatre style (the Disney works). It makes me wonder if Ashman kind of poked his head into the composing side as well in his collaborations.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 10:39pm

Of course, the many lives that were taken due to AIDS are all great tragedies, but the death of Mr. Ashman was perhaps the most devistating AIDS death for the musical theatre next to Michael Bennett's. Oh the things he could have done for the musical!

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 11:57pm

Howard is also credited for the renaissance of feature animation. He made quite an impact on the entire industry. So much so they gave him that beautiful title on Beauty at a time when having AIDS was not accepted.

I saw Rosewater, it's cute, it would be really nice to mount that off-Broadway.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:23am

Try to hunt down a copy of the " The Music behind the Magic" a great 4 disc set released by Disney in the 90's

[jv92]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:48am

Yes, I believe he was the first person who died of AIDS to win an Oscar or something of that sort. He did make a rather large impact on the film industry at that time.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:48am

Double post. Updated On: 7/10/07 at 10:48 AM

[jtt206]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:58pm

Howard Ashman's sister (who controls his estate) wouldn't authorize a creative biography of Howard, even after the author was introduced by both Thomas Schumacher and Peter Franklin (the WMA agent for the Ashman estate).

Yes, it is a great loss.