Synopsis
Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
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Cast
- Howard AshmanSelf / Various character scratch singing (archive footage)
- Alan MenkenSelf / Various character scratch singing
- Bill LauchSelf
- Don HahnSelf
- Sarah GillespieSelf
- Shirley AshmanSelf
- Kyle RenickSelf
- Nancy ParentSelf
- Dennis GreenSelf
- Jodi BensonSelf / Ariel (voice) / Doria Hudson
Recommendations
- 88
Chicago Tribune
Howard does a fine, loving job tracing who he was as a gay Jewish boy growing up in Baltimore; as an aspiring playwright and theatrical impresario, schooled at Boston University, Goddard College in Vermont, the summer theater program at Tufts University, and a graduate student at Indiana University; and as a hungry young New York City transplant, eager to make his mark. - 88
RogerEbert.com
Most of all, this film is a tribute to the imagination and dedication that goes into the innumerable tiny decisions that make the difference between the beautifully drawn but listless "Black Cauldron," and the timeless, heartwarming appeal of the Ashman-era films. - 88
Chicago Tribune
Howard does a fine, loving job tracing who he was as a gay Jewish boy growing up in Baltimore; as an aspiring playwright and theatrical impresario, schooled at Boston University, Goddard College in Vermont, the summer theater program at Tufts University, and a graduate student at Indiana University; and as a hungry young New York City transplant, eager to make his mark. - 88
RogerEbert.com
Most of all, this film is a tribute to the imagination and dedication that goes into the innumerable tiny decisions that make the difference between the beautifully drawn but listless "Black Cauldron," and the timeless, heartwarming appeal of the Ashman-era films. - 80
The Guardian
There’s something exciting about a film that immerses you in the life of a creative artist, and so it proves with this documentary about Howard Ashman. - 80
Variety
At 94 minutes, Howard is not and does not try to be a plumbing search through the generation of talent lost to HIV and AIDS; what it is trying to do, appealingly narrowly, is illuminate one life and the work done therein. - 80
Rolling Stone
Blunt honesty and rare introspection sets Howard apart from the usual cut-and-paste trips down memory lane. - 80
Slashfilm
Howard feels like an in-memoriam tribute from a friend: made with a rosy sense of nostalgia, and perhaps a few too many photo montages, but with love.
