Howard Ashman: "Beauty and the Beast"

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a kind of rehearsal for "Beauty and the Beast," in the sense that both stories are about love rivalries.

In "Little Shop," the cartoonish wrong choice is Orin, the dentist. He morphs into Gaston, the villain from "Beast." Both characters get show-stopping numbers; both tend to use rather simple syntax. "Shut up. Open wide. Here I come." "It's a beast! He's got fangs. Razor sharp ones. Massive paws! Killer claws for the feast. Hear him roar. See him foam..." (I wonder if Howard Ashman studied Count Carl-Magnus, from "A Little Night Music.")

In another corner, we have Seymour/Audrey II, and we have the Beast. These are essentially the same character. Seymour understands what he really should do. "This nightmare must come to an end; there's only so far you can bend. You've got no alternatives, Seymour, old boy, though it means you'll be broke again and unemployed. It's the only solution; it can't be avoided....The vegetable must be destroyed." At the same time, Seymour's rapacious id, represented by the alien plant, sings its *own* song:

Feed me, Seymour.

Feed me all night long.

You know the kinda eats--

The kinda red hot treats--

The kinda icky, licky sweets I crave....

In a similar way, Ashman depicts a struggle within Disney's Beast; Ashman uses brilliant lines.

She glanced this way--

I thought I saw.

And, for once, she didn't shudder at my paw.

No, it can't be.

I'll just ignore...

But, then, she never looked at me that way before....

Ashman respects the audience. He doesn't include winky tiresome faux-jokes (a staple for many other Disney writers who are essentially spitting on Ashman's grave). Ashman gets to the point, and he finds ways to dramatize internal struggles through song. I don't know where this gift came from. I still think it's so inspiring.

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