Disney Holiday Special Sparkles in Holiday Splendor
Last night, the magic of Disney dazzled on ABC during “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.” The special featured a number of glitzy performances by superstars Gwen Stefani, Kristen Chenoweth, Chance the Rapper and many more. The show was hosted by Derek and Julianne Hough alongside Ariana DeBose.
Not only did she perform and host, DeBose also featured prominently in the night’s special sneak peak of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” which opens in theatres on December 10th. After roles in the original cast of “Hamilton” and the leading role in “Summer: The Donna Summers Musical,” which earned her a Tony nomination, DeBose now takes on the pivotal role of Maria’s close friend, Anita.
Magical Holiday Performances
Tony Award winner Kristen Chenoweth truly sparkled as she performed a holiday mash-up that included “(Everyone’s Waitin’ For) The Man with the Bag.” Along with talking about the magic that is the holiday season, Chenoweth also commented on the excitement surrounding her recent big announcement: She is engaged (to fellow musician Josh Bryant)!
Pop star Gwen Stefani brought a solid dose of holiday cheer to Disneyland in not one but two performances during the special, including one performed while riding on the classic Mad Tea Party attraction.
tonight! i’ll be performing “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” & “Jingle Bells” on the @disneyland stage for the #disneyholidaycelebration 🎄
catch it on @ABCNetwork at 4pm pt/7pm et 💋 gx pic.twitter.com/dPRfuR6PQW
— Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) November 28, 2021
“Muppets Haunted Mansion” star Darren Criss took to the Walt Disney World stage to perform during the special as well after performing late last week in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (and celebrating a big win for his alma mater this weekend).
#ICYMI : Yesterday we performed on “The Wonderful World of @Disney : Magical Holiday Celebration” with @realjoeyfatone @IamCKirkpatrick on @ABCNetwork ! Go Stream it Now on @hulu ‼️ https://t.co/aWp7tOet8p pic.twitter.com/PLyw6axRud
— Boyz II Men (@BoyzIIMen) November 29, 2021
Members of Boyz II Men, including Wayna Morris and N’Sync, including Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone, belted out their holiday favorites as well to celebrate their boy band legacies. Jimmie Allen, Chance the Rapper, Brett Eldridge, Norah Jones, Switchfoot and NeedtoBreathe also performed to delightful holiday crowds.
One of the most unique performances of the night was from Sebastian Yatra, who introduced audiences to “Dos Oruguitas” from the brand-new animated film, Encanto.
Celebrate the holidays with the Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration! Join Sebastian Yatra from #Encanto TOMORROW on @ABCNetwork for a magical evening and stream next day on Hulu! ✨#DisneyHolidayCelebration @WaltDisneyWorld @Disneyland https://t.co/j0ph8WgoHp pic.twitter.com/l0dwGUddue
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) November 27, 2021
Check out the special on Hulu as it is now available for streaming. Derek and Julianne Hough appear again on Christmas Day with the much-anticipated return to host the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade on ABC.
Feature Image Credit: ABC