'Glee' Season 6 Cast, Spoilers & Air Date: Darren Criss Celebrates Disney on Broadway with Sir Elton John Toni Braxton, Whoopi Goldberg
Broadway alum and "Glee" star Darren Criss is returning to his theatrical roots by joining a stellar lineup for the celebration of Disney Theatrical Productions' 20 years on Broadway.
According to Playbill.com, stage star and beloved "Modern Family" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson will host the one-hour special, which will take viewers on a journey through the creation of Disney's eight Broadway musicals: "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "AIDA," "Tarzan," "The Little Mermaid," "Mary Poppins," "Newsies" and "Aladdin."
The fun-filled broadcast will feature music from the Disney on Broadway catalog, including special musical performances from Sir Elton John, Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen ("Nashville"), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and Darren Criss ("Glee").
The musical goodness doesn't stop there. Vocal powerhouse Toni Braxton, "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg and actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell will also make appearances and take a walk down memory lane, reflecting on Disney's history on Broadway.
"Backstage with Disney on Broadway: Celebrating 20 Years" will air on ABC on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. ET.
In other news, Criss, the 27-year-old crooner, will also host the NewNowNext Awards on Dec. 7, which will also feature a performance from "Glee" alum and Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth, People reports.
The awards show, which kicks off Art Basel Miami 2014 at Kimpton's Surfcomber hotel on Miami's South Beach, will also feature the legendary Cyndi Lauper as narrator and Joe Jonas as celebrity DJ.
"Glee" returns on Jan. 9, 2015, with a two-hour premiere starting at 8/7c on FOX.