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Howard Ashman

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Howard Ashman was an American playwright, lyricist and director, born on 17 May 1950 in Baltimore. He began in children's theatre, studied theatre at Goddard College and took a master's degree at Indiana University in 1974. He then worked in New York as an editor and in 1977 became artistic director of the WPA Theater. At a BMI workshop he met the composer Alan Menken. With him he wrote the musical God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater in 1979, and then Little Shop of Horrors, for which Ashman was director, lyricist and librettist. That show became a cult success Off-Broadway and won a Drama Desk Award for best lyrics.

Music and breakthrough

In 1986 Ashman wrote the screenplay for the film version of Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Frank Oz, with two new songs, of which Mean Green Mother from Outer Space received an Oscar nomination. With Menken he then wrote the songs for The Little Mermaid in 1989, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is regarded as one of the driving forces behind the Disney Renaissance. In 1992, more than a year after his death, he won the Oscar together with Menken for the song Beauty and the Beast. He died on 14 March 1991 of complications from AIDS.

Influence

Ashman brought the dramatic structure of the Broadway musical to the animated film: each song tells you something about what a character wants. That model still determines how many children's films sound.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid. Notice how the lyrics are almost a stage number: the song persuades Ariel with arguments, full of rhymes and jokes.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

Categories: ArtistsDisney Renaissance