Mariah Carey, 'Schitt's Creek' cast perform 'Hero'

Mariah Carey crashed the fictional world of "Schitt's Creek" Sunday when the pop star joined the show's characters to sing "Hero" in appreciation of teachers and students whose graduation ceremonies were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a segment of the more than four-hour, star-studded "Dear Class of 2020" video, the Rose family of the Canadian sitcom — parents Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and Johnny (Eugene Levy) and adult children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — appear individually by remote video. "Moira Rose here, at the behest of Michelle and Barack,” the matriarch cheerfully name drops. "Turns out they enjoy films about murderous crows," alluding to actress Moira's horror movie "The Crows Have Eyes 3: The Crowening."

After more banter, Johnny tells the viewer, "We just wanted to express from the bottom of our hearts just how necessary you all are in shaping young minds." Soon the screen divides to show David's husband, Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid); Rosebud Hotel owner Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire); members of Moira's community choir the Jazzagals (Karen Robinson as Ronnie Lee, Sarah Levy as Twyla Sands and Jennifer Robertson as Jocelyn Schitt), and real estate broker/portrait photographer Ray Butani (Rizwan Manji).

"And what better way to celebrate than through the benefaction of song?" Moira asks. Patrick begins singing Carey's 1993 no. 1 hit and the rest vocalize and occasionally sing in chorus. Toward the end, the Huntington-born and Greenlawn-raised Carey comes on to close things in rousing fashion.

"Moira, darling," Carey explains afterward, "I hope you didn't mind that I jumped in like that. You all sounded so good that I had to get in on it."

"I think I'm having a heart attack!" Carey superfan David squeals.

"To all the teachers and professors, especially the ones who had to deal with students like me, who never really showed up at school on time, you rose to the occasion and helped these students reach the finish line," Carey tells the audience. "And to the students who had to deal with this bleak moment, congratulations on this historic accomplishment. … I just want to say, Class of 2020, you made it! Thank you guys so much."

She then turns her attention to David, as Carey's 9-year-old twins, Roc and Ro, join their mother to serenade him with a snippet of the song. David swoons out of frame and shouts, "I love you!!"