Howard Ashman News

I love horror movies, especially the kind of cheesy stuff from the 1950's and 1960's that director Roger Corman was famous for. It's been said that he shot the cult favorite, The LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, in four days, and it certainly has a look that would suggest as much. But, underneath its filthy veneer is a bizarre black comedy that deserved a far better fate than the faded copies that clog up discount DVD bins. So, Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) dusted off the basic premise of this crazy little film, and crafted a clever and funny off-Broadway musical which, in turn, spawned a motion picture. Stray Dog Theatre closes their tenth season on a high note with a very imaginative and well cast production of this creepy classic.

Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID will grace the Starlight stage, today, July 23-28. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's famous and timeless tale, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID is a family musical that features classic songs: 'Part of Your World,' 'Kiss the Girl,' and the Academy Award-winning 'Under the Sea.'

Happy Birthday Alan Menken! For Disney, Menken has scored The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas, each of which won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Enchanted, and Tangled. Menken has collaborated on several occasions with lyricists includingHoward Ashman,Tim RiceandStephen Schwartz. On Broadway, Menken has composed for The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors, King David, Beauty and the Beast and, now, Sister Act.

After receiving critical acclaim and box office sellouts earlier this season for Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music Box Musicals will round out its inaugural season with an up-close-and-personal presentation of the cult classic Little Shop of Horrors at The Music Box Theater, 2623 Colquitt, Houston, TX., August 8 through August 31, 2013. For show times and more information on the cast and production, visit Facebook.com/MusicBoxMusicals.

Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID will grace the Starlight stage, July 23-28. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's famous and timeless tale, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID is a family musical that features classic songs: "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl," and the Academy Award-winning "Under the Sea."

BroadwayWorld took time to talk to Alan Menken about vying for the fabled EGOT, writing for television, and the possibility of creating a new musical series for ABC. Plus, Menken discusses ALADDIN opening in Toronto and on Broadway, redeveloping THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME for the stage with Stephen Schwartz, and new projects with Douglas Carter Beane, David Zippel and Harvey Fierstein, as well as seeing his work spread across the globe.

Hale Center Theater Orem presents Disney's Aladdin Jr. beginning tonight, featuring Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by Jim Luigs, Music Adapted and Arranged by Bryan Louiselle, and based on the 1992 Disney film Aladdin.

The Otterbein University Theater Department's decision to use a black box theater arraignment for its summer lineup gave its season finale, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, its own set of advantages and one major disadvantage.

Piedmont Players Theatre introduces the cast of THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR.

Hale Center Theater Orem will present Disney's Aladdin Jr., featuring Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by Jim Luigs, Music Adapted and Arranged by Bryan Louiselle, and based on the 1992 Disney film Aladdin.

Monsters Inc. and Monsters University stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman, technology visionary Steve Jobs, television icon Dick Clark and other beloved contributors to the Disney legacy will be named and honored as official Disney Legends

Kentwood Players welcomes Joshua Eli Kranz as Musical Director for its production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS opening this September.

The Devil has undergone many facelifts in pop culture. He's been a slick salesman (Mr. Applegate in DAMN YANKEES), a sleazy lawyer (John Milton in THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE) and even a sexy female (BEDAZZLED).

Disney's The Little Mermaid will bring the beloved fairy tale to life onstage in its Pittsburgh premiere at the Benedum Center, tonight, July 9-21. Audiences of all ages are sure to fall in love with this underwater spectacular. Jessica Grove and Nick Adams star as Ariel and Prince Eric and are accompanied by a dazzling cast to make this enchanted 'Under the Sea' love story a hit.

Columbus Children's Theatre will present Disney's The Little Mermaid, Jr. August 7-18, 2013 at the Park Street Theatre located at 512 N Park Street. The 2013 Youth Performance Company is comprised of students 10 - 15 years of age. This production is directed by Ryan Scarlata. Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, Book by Doug Wright, based on the Hans Christian Anderson Story and the Disney Film, Music adapted and Arranged by David Weinstein. This production is generously sponsored by kidslinked.com.

For the 2012-2013 season, every cast member and technical designer for each show of the season (The Miracle Worker - Doubt, a Parable - Scream Queens, The Musical - Fortinbras - The 39 Steps - Ragtime) was nominated for a Marcom Masque Award in appropriate categories. This year's Marcom Masque Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday, June 29 at the Westchester Playhouse, home of the Kentwood Players.

Disney's The Little Mermaid will bring the beloved fairy tale to life onstage in its Pittsburgh premiere at the Benedum Center, July 9-21. Audiences of all ages are sure to fall in love with this underwater spectacular. Jessica Grove and Nick Adams star as Ariel and Prince Eric and are accompanied by a dazzling cast to make this enchanted 'Under the Sea' love story a hit.

Following their critically acclaimed inaugural production of Spring Awakening in April this year, Assembled Junk Productions announce their next project, a three week professional fringe production of Alan Menkin and Howard Ashman's cult classic musical Little Shop of Horrors. The production will be running Tuesday 3rd - Sunday 22nd of December 2013, with press night set for 5th December at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the Toronto premiere of Disney's Aladdin, a new musical based on the Academy Award winning animated film, will go on sale to the public today, June 10th at 9AM online, by phone and in person.

By Disney standards the year and a half run of the original Broadway production of The Little Mermaid was a bit of a disappointment.  In theory, a competently created musical based on the hit animated film would probably run for a year and a half based on the title recognition alone.  My opinion of that show was higher than most of my colleagues.  I enjoyed it, but mostly for the vaudevillian pleasure of seeing a cast of terrific Broadway performers each getting a star turn or two.  But after some script revisions and a whole new visual concept, director Glenn Casale's production of the new Mermaid that just opened at Paper Mill is a well-crafted, delightfully designed and performed charmer.