"The Happiest Place on Earth" indeed brought magic and joy into the (weary) hearts of those at home. Last night (April 16), the star-studded line-up of artists gathered virtually for the "The Disney Family Singalong." Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, and many others swooned and danced to favorite and most-loved Disney hits.
The much-awaited homecoming of the "High School Musical" finally happened. The biggest surprise of the night - Beyonce joined the fun. Queen B was personally asked by Disney Executive Chairman, Bob Iger to participate - at the last minute.
The hour-long special, with over 20 performances, was hosted by Ryan Seacrest from his kitchen at home. "The Disney Family Singalong" show hoped to raise funds to benefit Feeding America in supporting aggravated families due to the COVID-19 crisis.
True to its title, viewers at home had a chance to sing along with the stars while Mickey's head bobbed on the on-screen lyrics. Dancing With the Stars dancer and choreographer Derek Hough called it "a giant karaoke for America of Disney music."
Here is a recap of some memorable performances from that night:
Ariana Grande became Megara of the movie "Hercules" and sang "I Won't Say I'm In Love" with her mesmerizing voice. Grande also did the harmony of the five muses. Scooter Braun, her manager, later tweeted that it was a one-woman production by the pop star herself. With her iPhone, she shot all the sequences and mixed them for one day only. Watch her performance here -
Dancer Derek Hough with his girlfriend, Hayley Erbert, came up with a highly entertaining performance of "Be Our Guest" from the classic movie "The Beauty and the Beast." The enchanting choreography became spectacular as they wore Beast and Belle's costumes. Derek's sister, Julianne Hough, joined in through FaceTime as she became Cinderella in her blue house dress.
From the movie "Lion King," Christina Aguilera took on a very comfy atmosphere with her rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." She was wrapped on a Mickey Mouse blanket while she hit the high notes of the love song.
Moana's hymn, "How Far I'll Go," was brought to life again by Auli'i Cravalho. The singer in her chat with Seacrest said the song is very timely and inspiring in the present situation.
The huge surprise of the night came into the form of Beyonce. She was not previously announced to be part of the line-up. Her soulful interpretation of "When You Wish Upon a Star" from the movie "Pinocchio" was dedicated to all the health care workers working tirelessly. A piano background accompanied her. Beyonce gave a message of hope saying, "we will all get through this."
Demi Lovato and Michael Buble scored a duet with Cinderella's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes". It capped the special for the evening with flashes of different people holding placards of thank you's to those in the frontlines working hard during the pandemic.
The reunion of "High School Musical" cast came into full force. Zac Efron introduced the segment then passed it to director Kenny Ortega. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel, and Monique Coleman joined him for "We're All In This Together." Other Disney stars and TikTok sensation Charli D'Amelio sang and danced away with the rest. The iconic rally song was the perfect pitch to cap the night of "The Disney Family Singalong."
