The news yesterday morning of Orbach's death was such a shock because he was such a dependable, energetic presence. He died at age 69 of prostate cancer Tuesday night in Manhattan.

Orbach was continuing his role as Briscoe on the upcoming "Trial by Jury," another spin-off of "Law & Order."

"I'm immensely saddened by the passing not only of a friend and colleague, but a legendary figure of 20th-century show business," "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf said in a statement. "He was one of the most-honored performers of his generation. His loss is irreplaceable."

That is not hyperbole. Many "Law & Order" fans might not realize that the Bronx-born Orbach was one of Broadway's great song-and-dance men. He won the Tony for the musical "Promises, Promises."

He also starred in "Carnival" and "42nd Street." He created the role of the shady lawyer in "Chicago," a part that Richard Gere assumed in the Oscar-winning film.

Orbach appeared as the narrator in the original cast of "The Fantasticks," a musical that ran for more than 40 years in New York.

In the movies, Orbach provided the voice of Lumiere the candelabrum in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." His other film credits included "Dirty Dancing," "Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."

But his role as Briscoe brought him his greatest fame, as well as long-sought security.

"All my life, since I was 16, I've been wondering where that next job was gonna come from," he told the Associated Press in 2000. "Now I take the summer off, relax, and I know that at the end of July we're gonna start another season."

He played the role on the original "Law & Order" for 12 seasons, starting in 1992. He was a generous colleague in assessing the series' success.

"There is integrity in the writing," he said in a 1994 interview. "We don't stoop to the lowest common denominator."