Part 2 features Menken discussing how he finished working on “Aladdin” alongside British lyricist Tim Rice. A musical partner and friend, Ashman had completed the music and lyrical work, but died shortly before winning a posthumous best original song Oscar for “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast.” Menken also shares a story about collaborating with Ashman on “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” simultaneously, unaware Ashman was battling AIDS. “Howard would really educate the animators, and sit and talk to them about how songs should drive a story.” “Howard had very strong feelings about making sure that we were always driving story forward, and always stylistically rooted in a world,” says Menken. In a two-part special, Menken speaks with host - and Variety contributor - Jon Burlingame about meeting fellow composer and songwriter Howard Ashman on an off-Broadway hit (“Little Shop of Horrors”).
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