In the "Ever a Surprise: A Portrait of Howard Ashman" featurette, Lansbury said, "I thought, 'Oh, my goodness. I don't know quite whether I can pull this one off. Although I loved the idea [...] You've got to feel that they're with you, they believe in what you're going to give them, and that what you're going to give them is what they're looking for. [...] Howard certainly gave me that feeling. He trusted me."