Remembering the time Angela Lansbury sang ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for the film’s 25th anniversary

12 October 2022, 11:59 | Updated: 12 October 2022, 12:15

The late 96-year-old actress voiced the character of Mrs Potts in the original 1991 film, ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

Dame Angela Lansbury, the beloved Irish-British-American actress best remembered for her role in the crime drama, Murder, She Wrote, has died at the age of 96.

The legendary performer was also a musical theatre icon, appearing on Broadway and the West End in numerous productions. During her 75-year-long career, Lansbury received seven Tony Award nominations, of which she won five, and earlier this year received the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.

Lending her singing voice to the big screen, Lansbury portrayed the main character in the 1971 musical fantasy film, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and 20 years later became a household name voicing the animated piece of porcelain, ‘Mrs Potts’ in the original 1991 film, Beauty and the Beast.

25 years after the Disney classic’s release, the then 90-year-old Lansbury graced the stage of New York’s Lincoln Center to perform the film’s title song, ‘Beauty and the Beast’. And there was not a dry eye in the house.

Read more: Lang Lang performs nostalgic piano rendition of Mary Poppins song against Disney Castle backdrop

Beauty and the Beast | Angela Lansbury Live Performance

Lansbury reportedly considered her role in the Disney film, as a gift to her three grandchildren. The character of Mrs Potts is a motherly figure, and appears in most scenes with her on-screen son, a teacup called ‘Chip’.

The late actress was highly acclaimed for her rendition of the film’s title song, which was written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken. The lyrics of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ describe the growing relationship between the film’s two title characters, Belle and the Beast, and the song underscores a prominent scene in the film where the two dance together in a ballroom.

The titular tune went on to win multiple awards including the Oscar for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, and the Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture.

Lansbury’s Lincoln Center performance, which took place 25 years after the award-winning film’s release, finished with her reciting a loving line from the Disney musical: “Run along and get in the cupboard, Chip.

“Time you was in bed. Night love!”.