On that chaotic church day in the 90s
"Alright, everyone gather 'round!" Patrick Warburton boomed, a wide grin stretching across his face as he held up his phone, Cathy standing by his side and giggling. The younger generation of voice actors—including Brandon Rogers, who was recording all of this for posterity—immediately leaned in, intrigued.
"So, guess what Cathy and I found in the archives?" Patrick asked, dramatically tapping the screen.
The room quieted in anticipation.
Bryce Pinkham (Stolas): "Ooh, is this from the 90s? Please tell me it's embarrassing."
Patrick Warburton (Brabantio Schiaparelli): "Brace yourselves. This is the time Steve Harvey took the roasting band to church on Easter Sunday."
He pressed play on a video, and immediate chaos erupted.
Clips from the video played:
• Michael Jackson, expertly disguised as a church grandma in a massive purple hat, was deep in the throes of a spirited "praise break," his dance moves suspiciously professional.
• Eddie Murphy led a spontaneous conga line down the aisle, the rest of the crew—including a surprisingly enthusiastic Keith David and James Earl Jones—following his lead while the rest of the congregation cheered them on.
• Parrish Todd was visible in the background, a camera slung around her neck, passing out subs like a seasoned usher.
Back in the present, the younger cast members were in hysterics:
Brandon Rogers (Various): "Oh my god, Michael's hat! Did anyone even recognize him?"
Patrick Warburton: "Nope! Not a soul recognized the King of Pop dressed as an elderly church lady! The only people who knew were us and the pastor!"
Clips from the photos scrolled across the screen:
• A photo of Steve Harvey looking incredibly proud of his chaotic friends.
• A shot of Robin Williams and Eddie rolling on the floor with laughter in the middle of the aisle.
Vivienne Medrano (Creator): "This is gold! Absolute gold! The Schiaparellis have nothing on this level of drama!"
Cathy Jennings (Cathy): "And the best part? While all of that was happening, Jeremy Irons was off at a Shakespeare reading in London with Sarah Brightman and Rowan Atkinson."
• A video of the lunch at Neverland Ranch, where the entire crew was doubled over laughing, describing how nobody recognized Michael.
Bryce Pinkham (Stolas): "My headcanon is that young Stolas was on a spy mission with Vassago nearby in their bird forms, observing this entire spectacle and questioning the sanity of the mortal realm."
Georgina Leahy (Stella): "Oh absolutely! Stella would have been horrified yet unable to look away."
Brandon Rogers (Blitzo): "Man, the 90s really were something else."
Patrick Warburton: "Indeed they were, Rogers. The Princess Brigade called us after we sent them the footage. They were so mad they missed it. Said we had the best Easter service that year."
Cathy Jennings: "Parrish got some incredible shots that day. We really put the 'roasting' in the 'roasting band'."
On the church event itself....
In the mid-90s, the "Roasting Band" was infamous around the Disney lot for its ability to find humor in anything, and Easter Sunday was no exception. Steve Harvey, leading the charge, decided they were all going to church, much to the amusement of Tress MacNeille, Parrish Todd, and Cathy Jennings.
As Parrish would later recount in her photo captions: "Steve took us all to a bustling black church in Los Angeles. The plan was simple: attend service. The execution was chaos."
Their first hurdle was Michael Jackson, who insisted on an elaborate disguise. Eddie Murphy walked him in, introducing "Great Auntie Edna" to anyone who asked. No one suspected a thing.
Inside, they found unexpected company: the venerable voices of the "Coffee Book Club," Keith David and James Earl Jones with his wife, Cecilia Hart. They exchanged surprised, silent nods. The service began, a vibrant, soulful affair that ran for three hours. Rob Paulsen and Parrish spent most of the time discreetly passing sandwiches down the pews to the perpetually hungry comedians.
But the true spectacle began when the praise break hit. The music swelled, the congregation erupted in joyous dance, and the "Roasting Band" instantly found their rhythm. Chris Tucker started doing the running man, Robin Williams was a blur of interpretive dance, and Eddie Murphy led a spontaneous conga line down the aisle.
To everyone’s astonishment, the dignified James Earl Jones, Keith David, and Cecilia Hart shed their reserve and joined in with surprising gusto. Parrish captured every moment with her camera, documenting the unscripted merriment.
A few days later, when those British actors returned....
"Right then, let's see these 'Easter Sunday' photos," Jeremy Irons drawled, adjusting the brim of a rather fetching fedora he’d acquired in Covent Garden. [2]
"They’re glorious, darlings! Absolutely glorious!" Sarah Brightman trilled, passing around a stack of Parrish Todd's glossy photos showing Bette Midler attempting a split mid-conga line, with Keith David and James Earl Jones providing an impeccably deep-voiced rhythm section. [2]
Rowan Atkinson, mid-chew on a scone, pointed at one image with a twinkle in his eye. "Is... is that Michael in a wig?"
Tony Jay peered over his spectacles, a Shakespeare anthology tucked under his arm. "Indeed. A most convincing octogenarian great-aunt getup, I must say. The commitment to character is commendable."
"Steve Harvey led that charge, apparently," Sinead Cusack informed them, setting down a box of fancy British tea bags. [2] "Parrish captioned this one: 'And the Lord said, Let there be Praise Break!'"
"Oh, the absolute cheek!" Jeremy chuckled, leaning against a production desk at the Disney studios, which was currently abuzz with the returning "Princess Brigade" and "Mouse Crew" converging to hear the London tales. [2]
"You missed out, honestly, Jer," James Woods piped up from the nearby 'Peanut Gallery' table, sliding over a packet of M&Ms to Gilbert Gottfried. "They even had renaissance popcorn, according to Rob Paulsen." [2]
"We had Hamlet," Tony replied snootily, though his eyes were glued to a photo of Patrick Warburton looking utterly bewildered yet committed as the conga line snaked past the pulpit. [2]
"And we were absolutely furious we missed the spontaneous Disney-Roasting Band-Coffee Book Club dance-off," Liz Callaway lamented, looking over Sarah's shoulder.
"Next time they go to church, we're all going," Judy Kuhn declared, while Lea Salonga shook her head in fond disbelief at the pure, unadulterated chaos captured in the photographs. "Only this crew could turn a three-hour service into a Neverland afterparty."
