Angela Lansbury enchanted on any stage

Angela Lansbury could sing. This being a music column, I feel it's necessary to get that out of the way. Lansbury was one of the best actresses of her era, or any era. She also served as something of a connection point between the formative years of film and the present The fact that she could do it was a testament not only to her long life — Lansbury died last week at the age of 96 — but also to the ease with which she took on various roles. In her first film role in 1944, an 18-year-old Lansbury starred in a film called "Gaslight." One of her costars in the film was an aging English actress named May Whitty. Whitty made her first film appearance in 1914, and was born in 1865. Some four decades later, Lansbury appeared in an episode of her charming and long-running television series "Murder, She Wrote" with a little-known 26-year-old actor who was about seven years away from his big break: George Clooney. Lansbury was at ease with any actor, any script, any role. In the 1961 Elvis Presley vehicle "Blue Hawaii," she played Presley's pushy, but cheerful, mother. A year later, Lansbury took on what might have been her best role, as the murderous and manipulative Eleanor Iselin, the wife of a senator and mother of a brainwashed soldier. It should be noted that despite often playing mothers and older characters, Lansbury was rarely that much older than the men who played her children. She had less than a decade on Elvis, and Laurence Harvey — her son in "The Manchurian Candidate — was only three years younger. Yet Lansbury was so captivating and believable in the roles that few would have had any idea she wasn't really as old as the characters she portrayed. I mentioned earlier that Lansbury could sing. She lent her singing voice to numerous musicals on stage and screen, yet most from my generation probably know her singing best from the Disney animated film "Beauty and the Beast" where she played Mrs. Potts, who for most of the film is a singing teapot. Lansbury's performances in the title song, as well as the memorable "Be Our Guest" continue to resonate more than 30 years later. Just a few months ago I noticed my nieces — ages 11 and 9 — smiling and singing along. And yet, I can't write about Angela Lansbury without mentioning my Aunt Marilyn. My aunt never cared much for television. She wasn't up on television shows or the top stars of the day. And yet, one of my earliest memories of her is seeing her running toward her living room because "Murder, She Wrote" was on. "I have to see who the killer is!," she said. Her fascination with the show confused me for years. Then I started watching some re-runs. The plots themselves are pedestrian, and often lackluster, especially when compared to some of the grittier TV today. And yet, Lansbury is so good — so committed to each performance — that the show is elevated. It's way better than it had any right to be. And Lansbury connected to viewers. It's probably why the show ran for more than a decade. I actually called my aunt once to talk about the show, and essentially apologize for not understanding the program's appeal. Lansbury had hooked me, just as she's hooked my aunt. My aunt passed away in January. Lansbury's passing brought back some wonderful memories. Lansbury could do it all on the stage. Her voice — whether acting or singing — will continue to awe and delight.