‘Aladdin’ Review Rubs Reader Wrong Way

I join Times film critic Kenneth Turan in the sentiments he expressed in his review of “Aladdin” regarding the void left in the musical theater by the death of Howard Ashman. As a student and fan of the genre, I recognize that few lyricists have the style and power with words that Ashman so deftly and consistently displayed.

That being said, I must take umbrage with Turan’s criticisms of “Aladdin’s” co-lyricist, Tim Rice. In an otherwise glowing review of Disney’s latest gem (“The 1,001 Delights of ‘Aladdin,’ ” Calendar, Nov. 11), Turan’s only disparaging words were leveled at Rice’s contribution: “Ashman’s wickedly clever lyrics are easily told from Rice’s bland, saccharine ones. . . .”

I feel for Rice. It must be grand to be called the only lump of coal in an otherwise perfect Christmas present.

I think Rice showed well for himself with his work on “Aladdin.” His lyrics were witty and clever when they needed to be; simple and sentimental when required. Turan should remember that this was a movie aimed primarily toward children and not a venue for a Sondheim-esque score exploring the dark underbelly of love.

On the bright side, Rice should take heart in the fact that there was probably no way he was going to get a good review for his work. Why? The answer, to risk sounding cold, is because Howard Ashman died.

I think we, as a society, have a tendency to lionize our celebrities and artists who die young. We remember them for what they did but we build their legends on what we imagine they would have done.

We speak of John Kennedy in hushed and reverent tones. We seem to forget that he defeated Richard Nixon by less than 100,000 votes and, had he fallen under the scrutiny of today’s journalists, might not have made it out of the New Hampshire primary.

Had John Belushi not died those many years ago, would he still be revered as a comic genius or would he be languishing in mediocre films like his friends Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd?

Had James Dean not been killed in a car accident in 1955, would “Entertainment Tonight” still find it necessary to run a week of stories chronicling the day he learned to tie his shoes?

It seems to me that Turan detoured from his rave for “Aladdin” specifically to let us know that Tim Rice was not Howard Ashman. Did he need to be? Rice’s job was not to be better than Ashman. It was not to be more wickedly clever than Ashman. His commission was to finish the work that Ashman was tragically unable to complete. For any artist to have to blend his or her own style into that of another so that the end-product is without seams is a challenging task at any level.

Had Turan concluded that Rice picked up where Ashman left off without missing a beat, would he be guilty of trivializing Ashman’s accomplishments? Because someone could step in and ably fill his shoes, are Ashman’s talent and craft any less worthy of our praise and fond memory? The answer, of course, is no. To give Tim Rice a pat on the back is not a betrayal of Howard Ashman.

Ashman will never write another song for the theater. Unfortunately, neither will Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II nor Alan Jay Lerner. There will come a day (which I have already come to regret) that we will have to say the same of Stephen Sondheim. All art forms eventually lose the ones that mean the most to them--the ones who challenged themselves to see new ways of achieving the same end.

A year from now, Disney will release its next animated film, “The King of the Jungle.” With that film, Tim Rice and Elton John have responsibility for the entire score. Let us judge that score on its own merits and, second, decide if it maintains the quality and integrity that Ashman and Alan Menken managed in their work.

When the final chapter on the history of musical theater is written, I’m sure that Howard Ashman will be spoken of in terms more lofty than those allowed Tim Rice. This reverence will be based not only on the songs he wrote, but also on the songs he would have written.

For now, let us remember Ashman for the talent that he was, and long for the songs we will never get to hear. But let us also thank Tim Rice for his contribution to “Aladdin.” All of the artists associated with this wonderfully imagined and executed film are deserving of our praise.