Watch Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach Record ‘Be Our Guest’ in Upcoming Howard Ashman Documentary | Playbill

Film & TV News Watch Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach Record ‘Be Our Guest’ in Upcoming Howard Ashman Documentary The new documentary about the late lyricist and book writer debuts this month at Tribeca Film Festival.

Howard, a documentary that examines the life and work of Oscar-winning lyricist, book writer, and director Howard Ashman, debuts at Tribeca Film Festival April 22. Before then, watch this clip above, capturing Broadway stars Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach performing "Be Our Guest" during a recording session for Beauty and the Beast.

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Howard Ashman

Lansbury voices the role of the motherly housekeeper Mrs. Potts, with Orbach voicing the maître'd-turned-candlestick Lumiere.

The documentary is directed by Don Hahn, producer of such Disney films as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast (Ashman served as executive producer and lyricist on the latter).

The documentary chronicles the late artist's life and work, from his college days writing a musical version of The Snow Queen (a story that would later inspire the Disney film and Broadway musical Frozen) to success Off-Broadway with Little Shop of Horrors and Oscar-winning triumph bringing musical theatre storytelling to Disney animation with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Ashman's life was cut short at the age of 40 due to complications from AIDS in 1991—he did not live to see Beauty completed.

Ashman is best known for his collaborations with composer Alan Menken, which include Off-Broadway's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and Little Shop of Horrors and the Disney films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. He made his Broadway debut with the short-lived 1986 musical Smile, which he wrote with composer Marvin Hamlisch. Since his death, all of his Disney films have been adapted for Broadway, each of which earned Ashman posthumous Tony Award nominations. Little Shop of Horrors also received a Broadway production in 2004.

For more information and tickets, click here.

 
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