After moving last year from its longtime New York base to L.A., Cyndi Lauper’s annual benefit for homeless LGBTQ youth has found a new home for these holidays, and it’s online, of course. Taking her 10th annual “Home for the Holidays” special to a webcast format will allow for an even broader array of talent than usual — with Cher, Phoebe Bridgers, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Adam Lambert and Jackson Browne all sharing a virtual stage for the first time, it’s safe to say.
A number of major stars have also signed on for non-performing appearances on this weekend’s show, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, LL Cool J, Bette Midler and Henry Rollins.
The premiere is a staggered one, by platform. “Home for the Holidays” will stream on TikTok first, at 8 p.m. ET/5 PT Friday. On Sunday night, it’ll appear again, this time on both YouTube and Facebook, with the same 8 p.m. eastern start time.
“The good news is Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ is back,” Lauper said in a social media announcement. “The other good news is, pants are optional.”
Others lined up to sing a holiday or non-holiday number or add a spot of comedy include multiple Grammy nominee Brittany Howard, Boy George, the duo of Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Billy Porter, King Princess, Kim Petras, Judy Gold, Meg Myers, Shea Diamond and the cast of Lauper’s stage musical, “Kinky Boots.” Additional guests include Carson Kressley, Harvey Fierstein, Justin Tranter, Sharon Osbourne, Whoopi Goldberg and the “True Colors” songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg.
“This show just keeps us going,” Lauper said in a teaser video. “It’s to help the LGBTQ youth that are experiencing homelessness. This is a fixable problem. And nine years ago, we said, they’re only homeless because they’re LGBTQ. We can fix this.”
The show, which is free in its virtual edition this year, earmarks 100% of proceeds for True Colors United, the charity Lauper founded 12 years ago to assist gay, lesbian and transgender youths who’ve taken to the streets due to hostility or abuse on the home front. Donation stickers will pop up on the TikTok, Facebook and YouTube streams; viewers can also donate via text (by texting TrueColors to 24365) or at the org’s website.