Ashman, Howard, 1950-1991

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Biographical Note

  • 1950, May 17: Born, Baltimore, Maryland to Shirley and Raymond Ashman
  • 1973: MFA, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
  • 1976: The Confirmation, a play by Ashman, produced at Princeton's McCarter Theater
  • 1977: Became artistic director, WPA Theatre, New York, N.Y.
  • 1979: Adapted and directed Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, his first collaboration with Alan Menken
  • 1982: Premiere of Little Shop of Horrors, book, lyrics, and direction by Ashman and music by Menken
  • 1983: Won New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Lyrics, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off Broadway Musical for Little Shop of Horrors
  • 1984 Feb.: Met life partner William Lauch
  • 1986: Premiere of Smile, with book, lyrics, and direction by Ashman and music by Marvin Hamlisch Film version of Little Shop of Horrors released, with screenplay by Ashman
  • 1988: Oliver & Company released; Ashman contributed lyrics to "Once Upon a Time in New York City" with music by Barry Mann; his first collaboration with Disney
  • 1989 Nov.: The Little Mermaid released, with lyrics by Ashman and music by Menken
  • 1990: Received Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid
  • 1991 Feb.: Received Grammys for Best Recording for Children for The Little Mermaid and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television for "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid
  • 1991, Mar. 14: Died from complications from AIDS, New York City
  • 1991 Nov.: Beauty and the Beast released, with lyrics by Ashman and music by Menken
  • 1992: Received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast Aladdin released, with lyrics by Ashman and Tim Rice, music by Menken
  • 1993 Feb.: Received Grammys for Best Album for Children for Beauty and the Beast and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television for "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast
  • 1994 Apr.: Premiere of staged musical Beauty and the Beast
  • 2001: Named a Disney Legend
  • 2003, Oct. 2: Little Shop of Horrors revival opened
  • 2008: Premiere of staged musical The Little Mermaid Howard Sings Ashman released on PS Classics

From the guide to the Howard Ashman Papers, 1973-2010, (bulk 1982-1991), (Music Division Library of Congress)
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Little shop of horrors / book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken ; based on the film by Roger Corman ; screenplay by Charles Griffith ; technical drawings by William Schmuck, 1994. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Malamet, Marsha. Dreamstuff : the musical Tempest / music by Marsha Malamet ; lyrics by Dennis Green ; book by Howard Ashman ; from Shakespeare's play, 1975. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives. Little Shop of Horrors / by Howard Ashman ; designed by William Schmuck, 1994 - set model. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Woolverton, Linda. Beauty and the beast : production 0254 / by Linda Woolverton ; lyrics by Howard Ashman. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Beauty and the Beast / music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, originally directed by Robert Jess Roth, originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions ; directed by Susan Ferley, 2006 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Little Shop of Horrors / book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken ; based on the film by Roger Corman ; screenplay by Charles Griffith ; directed by Valerie Moore, 2003 - performance file. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Moody, Richard, 1911-1996. Moody mss. : papers, 1934-1990. Indiana University
creatorOf Menken, Alan. Under the sea [music] / [music by] Alan Menken ; [lyrics by] Howard Ashman ; arr. [Kevin] Hocking. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Howard Ashman Papers, 1973-2010, (bulk 1982-1991) Library of Congress. Music Division
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Little shop of horrors / book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken ; based on the film by Roger Corman ; screenplay by Charles Griffith, 1994 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Menken, Alan. Beauty and the beast / [words by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken] ; arr. by Wayne Senior. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Beauty and the Beast / music by Alan Menkin, lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, choreographed by Gino Berti, music directed by Charles Cozens ; directed by Alex Mustakas, 2005 - House Program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Clements, Ron. The little mermaid : an animated feature : screenplay, 1987 Mar. 12 / by Ron Clements and John Musker ; songs by Howard Ashman amd Alan Menken. Ohio State University Libraries
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Beauty and the beast / music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton originally directed by Robert Jess Ross, originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, choreographed by Gino Berti, music directed Charles Cozens ; directed by Alex Mustakas, 2005 - performance files. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph). Little Shop of Horrors / book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken ; based on the film by Roger Corman ; screenplay by Charles Griffith ; directed by Valerie Moore, 2003 - house program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Menken, Alan. Somewhere that's green [music] / [lyric by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken] ; arr. T. Fitzgerald. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Beauty and the beast / music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton originally directed by Robert Jess Ross, originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, choreographed by Gino Berti, music directed Charles Cozens ; directed by Alex Mustakas, 2005 - production photos. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Clements, Ron. The little mermaid : an animated feature : screenplay / by Ron Clements and John Musker ; songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. University of Michigan
creatorOf Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph). Little shop of horrors / book and lyrics by Howard Ashman ; music by Alan Menken ; based on the film by Roger Corman ; screenplay by Charles Griffith ; directed by Peter Mandia, 1994 - performance file. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Menken, Alan. Disney's The little mermaid / music by Alan Menken ; lyrics by Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater ; book, Doug Wright ; based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, and the Disney film produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker, and written & directed by John Musker & Ron Clements , 2009. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Menken, Alan. Disney's beauty and the beast : the musical, typescript, 1997, December. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Clements, Ron. The little mermaid : [screenplay / by Ron Clements and John Musker ; songs by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken] University of Michigan
Role Title Holding Repository

Filters:

Connection Graph Radial Graph
Relation Name
associatedWith Clements, Ron. person
correspondedWith Gillespie, Sarah Ashman person
associatedWith Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Grand Theatre Collection (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Hamlisch, Marvin. person
associatedWith Hamlisch, Marvin. Smile. person
associatedWith Malamet, Marsha. person
associatedWith Mann, Barry. person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. Aladdin. person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. Beauty and the beast (Motion picture music) person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. God bless you, Mr. Rosewater. person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. Little mermaid (Motion picture music) person
associatedWith Menken, Alan. Little shop of horrors. person
associatedWith Moody, Richard, 1911-1996. person
associatedWith Sheffer, Jonathan. person
associatedWith Theatre Aquarius Archives. corporateBody
associatedWith Theatre Aquarius Archives (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Walt Disney Company. corporateBody
associatedWith WPA Theater. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Animated films
Occupation
Librettists
Lyricists
Activity

Person

Birth 1950-05-17

Death 1991-03-14

Birth 1950

Death 1991

Male

Americans

English

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