Ariana Grande, Beyonce and more amazing performances from Disney's celeb-studded singalong
It was a musical night on Thursday as Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Luke Evans, Beyoncé and other artists came together to entertain families across the country for "The Disney Family Singalong."
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, performers used minimal equipment and "a whole lot of harmony" to encourage everyone watching to "join in on the top of their lungs ... even your dad." To make the singalong easier, lyrics to some of Disney's most popular songs were displayed at the bottom of the screen as a golden Mickey helpfully bounced on top of each word.
The most emotional moment of the night came at the end as Lovato, joined by Michael Bublé, sang "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Disney's "Cinderella." Interwoven throughout the performance were various heartfelt messages thanking first responders, from medical staff to grocery store workers.
Children, parents and many others held up signs encouraging and celebrating those working on the front line, making sure to give a shout-out to every industry that has been deemed essential.
Aguilera's emotional rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" from "The Lion King" also served as a reminder to all that even in the bleakest of times, millions are still banding together to help in the face of the crisis. She also had a sidekick for her song, with her very sleepy lab snuggling close to her on the couch as she performed.
Unity was the overarching theme of "The Disney Family Singalong," with Beyoncé also dedicating a soulful rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" to all the workers and, at the end, sweetly promised that "we'll get through this."
Another standout performance came from the cast of "High School Musical" — Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel — who joined forces with the cast of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," "Descendants," "That's So Raven," "Zombies" and more to remind the country that "We're All in This Together." The song has become somewhat of an anthem in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even Zac Efron dropped in despite weathering a bad connection to introduce the performance and remark on the song's newfound popularity and new meaning.
Other acts of the night chose to go all out for their songs, with Ariana Grande making the most of her performance when she belted out "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from "Hercules," which she revealed was her No. 1 favorite Disney movie. Completely unhindered by flying solo, Grande sang as Megara and the Muses to show off her impressive harmonizing skills and even acting out key moments of the song with props.
The hour-long event also featured Josh Groban, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Donny Osmond, Tori Kelly, Auli'i Cravalho, Amber Riley, Darren Criss, Kristen Chenoweth, Josh Gad and many more.
The show ended with various celebrities from the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Elizabeth Olsen and Jeff Goldblum expressing gratitude to first responders, truck drivers, those in the foodservice industry and medical staff.
On top of saluting those working the front line, Seacrest also shouted out Feeding America, a nonprofit that is working to make sure no one in the country goes hungry during this unprecedented time.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."=
