Beauty and the Beast anniversary special pays tribute to Angela Lansbury

Sakes alive, well I'll be blessed!

We were all blessed by the existence of singular screen and stage talent Angela Lansbury, who in 1991 endeared herself to a new generation when she lent her voice to the maternal teapot Mrs. Potts in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

ABC/Christopher Willard; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

The performance was so memorable it earned Lansbury a moment of tribute in ABC's Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on Thursday evening. Shania Twain, who plays Mrs. Potts in this live musical celebration, delivered her own rendition of "Beauty and the Beast," accompanied by original composer Alan Menken on piano.

As she closed out the song, a projection of Lansbury and the animated version of Mrs. Potts, along with the dates 1925-2022, appeared behind Twain. Lansbury died at the age of 96 this past October.

Everett Collection

She was the last surviving member of the core trio of the Beast's enchanted servants. Jerry Orbach, who voiced Lumiere, died in 2004, and David Ogden Stiers, who played Cogsworth, died in 2018.

With her passing being so recent, Lansbury's memory loomed large throughout the special. Particularly for Twain.

"I was only more honored to be asked to play that role," she previously told EW. "It made singing the theme song very emotional for me. But Alan Menken was on stage with me playing the piano, and that comforted me a great deal. It was such an epic moment in my career to perform his own song with him there next to me. It was important to me to play the role with style and grace. A sense of humor, inspired by Angela's charm. I kept Angela in mind the whole time."

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will be available on Disney+ beginning Friday.

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