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Kristen Bell, Debra Messing and more perform 'What the World Needs Now is Love' at DNC

By Wade Sheridan
Celebrities and Broadway stars perform "What the World Needs Now" for delegates during day three of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on July 27, 2016. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
1 of 4 | Celebrities and Broadway stars perform "What the World Needs Now" for delegates during day three of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on July 27, 2016. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

PHILADELPHIA, July 28 (UPI) -- Kristen Bell, Debra Messing and a collection of more than 40 celebrities and Broadway stars brought the Democratic National Convention together with a unifying performance of "What the World Needs Now is Love."

The performance, highlighted by stars Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rosie Perez, and Darren Criss, featured the performers passing along a microphone to sing segments of the song together.

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The audience of delegates and Hillary Clinton supporters were brought to their feet as they sang along to the lyrics as well. As the song concluded, a "Love trumps hate" chant broke out from the crowd.

Recently, Broadway stars got together to record a cover of "What the World Needs Now is Love" to help raise money for victims of the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando.

"The Broadway community was so terribly shaken and devastated by the horrific tragedy in Orlando. Everyone wanted to do something as quickly as possible that would truly make a difference," SiriusXM Radio host Seth Rudetsky said of the recording to Entertainment Weekly.

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"My husband [producer James Wesley] ... suggested we rally our friends and colleagues to do a 'We Are the World'-type recording and raise money for the victims and their families. We started making calls, and suddenly we had tons of theater actors along with an orchestra and the services of a fully-staffed recording studio, all willing to donating their time and talent."

Also during the third day of the Democratic National Convention, filmmaker Lee Daniels advocated for more gun control laws alongside two survivors of the Pulse nightclub attack and a mother of one of the victims.

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