Beauty and the Beast: Martin Short as Lumière, Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts Among 6 Additions to ABC Special

Two iconic staples of Beauty and the Beast‘s dining room are coming to life at ABC.

Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building) and country music vet Shania Twain are among six cast additions to the network’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast anniversary special, TVLine has learned.

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Short will play the French candlestick Lumière in the special, while Twain will appear as the beloved teapot Mrs. Potts, a role originally held by the late Angela Lansbury. They’ll be joined by David Alan Grier (The Cool Kids) as clock Cogsworth, Rizwan Manji (The Magicians) as Gaston’s sidekick LeFou, Jon Jon Briones (Ratched) as Belle’s father Maurice and newcomer Leo Abelo Perry as Mrs. Potts’ son Chip.

As previously reported, musicians H.E.R. and Josh Groban will fill the title roles of Belle and the Beast, with Tony nominee Joshua Henry (Broadway’s Carousel) and showbiz icon Rita Moreno rounding out the cast as Gaston and the special’s narrator, respectively.

Airing Thursday, Dec. 15 at 8/7c, ABC’s Beauty and the Beast production will interweave live-action musical performances with scenes from the animated film, as the network previously did with its Little Mermaid tribute in November 2019. The event will commemorate 30 years since Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film to earn a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. It ultimately lost to The Silence of the Lambs, but the movie did pick up a trophy for Best Original Song (“Beauty and the Beast”) that year.

How do you feel about these latest Beauty and the Beast castings? Tell us below!

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