It is the 25th anniversary of Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast , and the world is preparing for a live-action adaptation due out next year. While the anticipation for the new movie is high, many will never forget the iconic animated film, and that includes those who were a part of it. A special screening for the re-release of Disney’s hit film recently took place, and it included Angela Lansbury singing the title song in fantastic form.
For those who are fans of Beauty and the Beast or simply new to the party, you might as well just take a moment to enjoy this.
Video: Disney Legend Angela Lansbury on what it was like to voice the precious Mrs. Potts: https://t.co/m6jbEesGRk pic.twitter.com/vVwo5eO4yh
— Angela Lansbury News (@_AngelaLansbury) September 19, 2016
As reported by the Wall Street Journal , the Film Society of Lincoln Center had a special screening for the 25th anniversary of Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast . A great number of stars who provided the voices for the legendary characters were on hand to discuss the film and share some memories.
In attendance for the screening were many of the original voice members, and that included Angela Lansbury who voiced Mrs. Potts. Along with her was Paige O’Hara (Belle), Richard White (Gaston), Robby Benson (Beast), and producer Don Hahn.
The original animated film rolled for the audience and once the credits were up, there was more to be done. A piano was wheeled out onto the stage and composer Alan Menken came out to sit at it and thrill the crowd with some of his songs from Disney movies such as Hercules , Aladdin , and The Little Mermaid .
After that, it was time for the biggest surprise of the evening as Angela Lansbury joined him on stage and sang a rendition of Beauty and the Beast . Of course, many cameras were brought out to record the moment, and it’s incredible.
There it is, complete with her going full Mrs. Potts and telling Chip (the teacup) to run along and get in the cupboard.
It was back in 1991 that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast premiered at the New York Film Festival and went on to be the first feature-length animated film with an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Overall, it received six Academy Award nominations and brought in $145.9 million at the domestic box office, as reported by ABC News .
As Disney is doing with a number of its animated classics, the studio is turning them into live-action films. Cinderella and The Jungle Book have already had tremendous success and a number of others are on the horizon with Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and hitting theaters on March 17, 2017.
Watson and others have their work cut out for them in making the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast as incredible as the animated film. Angela Lansbury knows that the original from 1991 has everlasting life and will be enjoyed by countless audiences for many years.
“When I think of the history of this film, and the young children who fell in love with it as little toddlers and grew up and still continue to watch it and tell me about it — it’s so interesting, they will tell me about scenes in the film as if I hadn’t been anywhere near it.”
Beauty and the Beast is one of those movies that people seem to forget is animated or a cartoon, as it is just so good. The film has withstood the test of time, and a big reason for that is the iconic music, which is typical for a Disney release. Angela Lansbury simply showed that the classics never truly die and continue to grow as its audiences will always grow with new generations. That’s exactly what can be said for Beauty and the Beast .
[Featured Image by Neilson Bernard/Getty Images]