"In early 1991, the composer Alan Menken took a keyboard to St Vincent's hospital in New York to visit his friend and creative partner, the lyricist Howard Ashman. Ashman was in the final stages of Aids-related illness, but was determined to finish his work on Disney's Aladdin."
"Menken and Ashman had already collaborated on Disney's hit 1989 animated musical The Little Mermaid; in the winter of 1991, they were putting the finishing touches on Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast simultaneously."
"Ashman died before Aladdin was completed. He didn't witness the movie's astounding success, topping the US box office in 1992, and he wasn't there to accept his Oscar for best original song for Beauty and the Beast at the Academy Awards that year."
In early 1991, Alan Menken visited Howard Ashman in the hospital, where they collaborated on the song 'Prince Ali' for Aladdin. Ashman was battling AIDS but remained committed to completing their projects, including Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. Menken was unaware of Ashman's illness until after they won an Oscar for 'Under the Sea.' Ashman passed away before Aladdin's release and did not witness its success or receive his Oscar for 'Beauty and the Beast.' Menken shares this story in his solo show, highlighting their creative partnership.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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