Less than a month after the first Disney Family Singalong on ABC, the network returned for an encore on Sunday night (May 10).
This time, the hour-long special treated fans to performances from Halsey, Katy Perry, Keke Palmer and, of course, welcomed the return of Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert and Julianne Hough for another high-energy, visually stunning clip. And while the singalong aimed to offer kids — and their parents — a much needed distraction, it also honored all the moms at home and on the front lines doing what they do best amidst the ongoing pandemic: taking care of everyone.
The show kicked off with a special introduction from Kermit, who dialed in Seth Rogan. Rogan told everyone’s favorite frog: “I’m kind of getting a little lonely. I just can’t stop thinking about how much fun it would be to all hang out…” to which Kermit replied, “Well, don’t worry, Seth… sometimes wishes do come true.”
Suddenly, the two started to duet for an introductory song as more Muppets and superstar vocalists joined in via video, offering a quick tease of all to come. Ryan Seacrest, who returned to host, then appeared on screen from his Disney-decorated kitchen to declare that the first round was so successful that “we just knew we had to do it again.”
Following a quick vocal warm-up courtesy of Titus Burgess, the show did in fact go on. Here are the best moments from the Disney Family Singalong: Volume 2.
Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover and Walter Russell III — “Hakuna Matata”
Seth Rogan quickly returned to the screen for this Lion King classic. In the 2019 live-action remake of the film, Rogan voiced Pumba, Eichner took the role of Timon and Glover played Simba. As for Russell III, he brings young Simba to life in Lion King on Broadway. Together, all four harmonized — with intermittent banter, courtesy of Rogan and Eichner — to deliver a calming reminder of a problem-free philosophy that’s needed now more than ever.
Disney on Broadway — “You’ll Be In My Heart”
For a special Mother’s Day tribute, a handful of Disney on Broadway cast members joined forces for a moving rendition of this Tarzan hit. Complete with footage of the cast members with their mothers and own children (in one case, two cast members performed their final notes with their baby on their laps), this performance delivered a perfect gift to all the moms watching.
Keke Palmer — “Zero to Hero”
Wearing a blue one-shoulder ball gown, channeling the film’s muses, Keke Palmer delivered one of the most energetic and soaring performances of the night. Accompanied by some of the Dancing With the Stars cast, plus a cameo from two of the dancers’ dogs, this clip kept viewers engaged from start to finish — but it wasn’t over that easily. After Palmer sang her last note, she picked up her phone to reveal that she was FaceTiming with her mom, who said: “That was great, but let’s run through it one more time before you do it for real.”
Idina Menzel and Ben Platt — “A Whole New World”
The pairing of these two unparalleled vocalists and good friends made for one of the most pleasing duets of the night. After Idina Menzel revealed that she has been singing this song from Aladdin her whole life, recalling her pre-Broadway days as a wedding and bar mitzvah singer, she was joined onscreen by Platt wearing a Disneyland shirt. Standing in front of green screens that turned to starry skies, these two took this magical song to new heights.
Halsey — “Part of Your World”
It’s no surprise that Halsey went all in for her Disney performance, which she completed with long red tresses in honor of her favorite little mermaid, Ariel. Though her performance didn’t incorporate any green screens, dancers or special effects, she was arguably better off without them as her vocals deserved to be front and center. In fact, she belted her notes so naturally that a future gig on Broadway wouldn’t seem that far off.
Katy Perry — “Baby Mine”
Katy Perry easily delivered the most humorous performance of the night, choosing a loving track from Dumbo. As she previously teased on Instagram, Perry sang dressed in an elephant costume as Mrs. Jumbo while holding her adorable poodle Nugget, who was dressed as baby elephant Dumbo. All the while, her soothing vocals soundtracked a montage of moving mother moments from various Disney films like Mulan, Moana, The Lion King, Moana and more. It was a touching choice of song for the mother-to-be, who perhaps next year can repeat this performance with her own child standing in for Nugget (sorry, pup).
John Legend and Jennifer Hudson — “Beauty and the Beast”
This musical dream team set a high bar for what a virtual duet can sound like. Legend both sang and played piano — the top of it had transformed into a screen, showing iconic scenes from Beauty and the Beast — while Hudson focused on her sky-high vocals, which she delivered from the bottom of a decadent, winding staircase.
Shakira — “Try Everything”
Shakira transformed into her Zootopia character of Gazelle and created a music video-worthy performance for tonight’s special. She started off in front a drum set with vivid colored lights flashing as she danced, though it wasn’t long before she took a seat behind the kit to drum and sing while footage from the film — particularly Gazelle’s celebratory concert — played alongside her.
Miguel and Christina Aguilera — “Remember Me”
Miguel started this duet seated in front of fireplace surrounded by scattered flowers, and was soon virtually joined by an all-women mariachi band. They weren’t the only guests, though, as Christina Aguilera — who performed on the first Disney Singalong last month — surprised fans by singing her verse in Spanish. Holding what appeared to be the same flower as the one Miguel was clutching moments ago, the two performances felt seamless — and now, there’s yet another heart-warming rendition of this award-winning theme song from Coco.
Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert and Julianne Hough — “Step In Time” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
The trio of Derek, Hayley and Julianne opened the first Disney Singalong with a mind-bending performance that left viewers stunned — and wanting more. Well, this time they returned — with even more committed costumes — and managed to deliver intensive choreography and special effects that rivaled that of their first clip. Derek and Erbert started things off with a fast-paced, high-energy version of “Step In Time” complete with at least four Dereks dancing side-by-side. Then, Julianne — or should we say Marry Poppins herself — joined from her backyard accompanied by animated penguins for “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” And before anyone was visibly out of breath, the three closed out their medley by disappearing into Mary Poppins’ magic bag, of course.
Via: Billboard
