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Howard Ashman: "Aladdin"

 "Aladdin" is a strange hybrid, a Frankenstein's monster. There are three Howard Ashman songs; they're the good ones. Then Ashman dies, and Tim Rice writes three additional songs; they're the bad ones.


Ashman cared more about "Aladdin" than about "Beauty and the Beast"; "Beast" was just a favor he contributed to Disney, while he worried about "Aladdin."

One intriguing issue with "Aladdin" is that the villain does not get his own big number. He just does a reprise of "Prince Ali." I can't help but imagine that Ashman would object to this decision.

Another thing: Ashman had not written a major, splashy work for a male protagonist since "Little Shop of Horrors." Ariel and Belle were women, and they were fabulous right away. Aladdin--in Ashman's daydream--was more like Seymour from "Little Shop."

Poor. All my life I've always been poor.
I keep asking God what I'm for--
And he tells me, gee, I'm not sure.
Sweep that floor, kid.

Seymour sort of hates himself. Describing his mentor, Seymour concedes, "Mushnik treats me like dirt--calls me a slob--which I am. So I live downtown. That's your home address--you live downtown, when your life's a mess...."

Compare this with "Proud of Your Boy," which was (inexplicably) deleted from "Aladdin."

I've been one rotten kid.
Some son--some pride and some joy.
But I'll get over these lousin' up--
Messin' up--screwin' up times.....

This Aladdin is more soulful and more interesting than the one who appears in the Tim Rice film.

As Ashman's Aladdin rallies, we can't help but hear traces of Seymour-at-his-most-hopeful. ("Lift up your head....Wash off your mascara....") Aladdin has his own set of commands:

Water flows under the bridge--
Let it pass. Let it go.
There's no good reason that you should believe me--
Not yet, I know, but--
Someday and soon--
I'll make you proud of your boy....

I just want to describe exactly the sort of loss that Disney suffered when Howard Ashman died.

I'll be away for a few days. See you soon.
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