The ABC live musical paid tribute to the late Angela Lansbury, who played Mrs. Potts in the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast.
On Thursday, the ABC premiere of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Angela Lansbury.
In Disney’s 1991 animate version of the film, Lansbury voiced Mrs. Potts, the singing teapot.
As Shania Twain, who play Mrs. Potts in this most delinquent revival, finished singing “Beauty and the Beast,” a projection of the animated teapot and Lansbury appeared behind her, with the dates 1925-2022 displayed to honor Lansbury’s 96th birthday.
The London-born actress, well known for her role in Murder, She Wrote, left a legacy that included six Tony Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Life Accomplishment Award, an American National Medal of Arts, a Kennedy Center Honor, an honorary Oscar, and a damehood from Queen Elizabeth in 2014.
“I was honored to be asked to play that role,” Twain, 57, previously told Entertainment Weekly. “Singing the theme song became very emotional for me as a result.
“Performing his own song with him right next to me was such an epic moment in my career,” she said of the touching moment. “It was critical for me to play the part with style and grace.”
“Angela’s charm inspired a sense of humour in me. I was thinking about Angela the entire time “Twain continued.
Along with Twain, H.E.R. played Belle, and Josh Groban played her beast. Martin Short played Lumiére, David Alan Grier played Cogsworth, Joshua Henry played Gaston, Rizwan Manji played LeFou, Jon Jon Briones played Maurice, and Leo Abelo Perry played Chip.
