True Colors was an annual music event created by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper. The concerts were headlined by Lauper and featured various music and comedy acts. Beginning in 2007, the trek supported the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Other local and private LGBT charities and foundations were supported as the event grew. The tour began with 16 shows in 2007 expanding to 25 shows in 2008. Lauper's set during the 2008 tour was basically the North American leg of her worldwide Bring Ya to the Brink Tour that year. An outing in 2009 was planned and later cancelled. In lieu of the tour, Lauper partnered with Broadway Impact to create the True Colors Cabaret. The show began September 28, 2009 and ran once a month at Feinstein's at Loews Regency. It featured performances from Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Karen Olivo, Melinda Doolittle, and Broadway Inspirational Voices. The shows ran until February 2010.
Background Logo TV was one of the partnering sponsors for the music festival. The channel aired a half-hour special on June 21, 2007 titled Shining Through: Behind the Scenes of True Colors. The special was hosted by Cho at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the special, Lauper explained the purpose of the True Colors Tour:
The HRC received $1 from each ticket sold throughout the tour.The HRC receives proceeds from each ticket sold for the True Colors Tour .www.truecolorstour.com The theme of the tour was about eliminating hate, specifically about getting the Matthew Shepard Act passed by the U.S. Senate. In October 2007, the US Congress approved the Matthew Shepard Act, accomplishing one of the goals of the tour. In 2008 True Colors tour visited 23 cities across North America with a cast of acts that was even more impressive than the previous year. The shows featured up to eight marquee names per night with several collaborations and an encore featuring every act on stage together.
Line up
2007 Headliners Cyndi Lauper Debbie Harry Erasure
Support acts Cazwell Amanda Lepore Rosie O'Donnell The B-52's The Dresden Dolls Diana Yanez Rufus Wainwright The Gossip The Cliks Indigo Girls
Hosted by Margaret Cho
2008 Headliners Cyndi Lauper The B-52's Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Support acts
Indigo Girls Andy Bell Girl in a Coma Regina Spektor Tegan and Sara Colton Ford Kat DeLuna The White Tie Affair DJ Paul V Joan Armatrading
Deborah Cox The Cliks The Puppini Sisters Nona Hendryx Sarah McLachlan Lili Haydn Margaret Cho Rosie O'Donnell Wanda Sykes Kate Clinton
Hosted by Carson Kressley
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenue2007 North American legJune 8, 2007Las VegasUnited StatesMGM Grand Garden ArenaJune 9, 2007West Valley CityUSANA AmphitheatreJune 10, 2007MorrisonRed Rocks AmphitheatreJune 12, 2007ChicagoAuditorium TheatreJune 13, 2007 Columbus Value City ArenaJune 15, 2007Atlantic City Borgata Event CenterJune 16, 2007 Boston Bank of America PavilionJune 17, 2007Columbia Merriweather Post PavilionJune 18, 2007 New York CityRadio City Music HallJune 19, 2007 TorontoCanadaMolson AmphitheatreJune 21, 2007 AtlantaUnited StatesChastain Park AmphitheaterJune 23, 2007 DallasSmirnoff Music Centre June 24, 2007The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionJune 27, 2007 San DiegoSDSU Open Air TheatreJune 29, 2007 BerkeleyHearst Greek TheatreJune 30, 2007 Los AngelesGreek Theatre2008 North American legMay 31, 2008BostonUnited StatesBank of America PavilionJune 1, 2008WantaghNikon at Jones Beach TheaterJune 3, 2008New York CityRadio City Music HallJune 4, 2008TorontoCanadaMolson AmphitheatreJune 6, 2008Ledyard United StatesMGM Grand TheaterJune 7, 2008Washington, D.C.DAR Constitution HallJune 9, 2008MinneapolisU.S. Bank TheaterJune 10, 2008ChicagoChicago TheatreJune 11, 2008ClarkstonDTE Energy Music TheatreJune 13, 2008Atlantic City Borgata Event CenterJune 14, 2008BethelBethel Woods Center for the ArtsJune 16, 2008AtlantaChastain Park AmphitheaterJune 17, 2008June 18, 2008 ClearwaterRuth Eckerd HallJune 19, 2008 SunriseFrank Sinatra TheatreJune 21, 2008The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionJune 22, 2008DallasSuperpages.com CenterJune 25, 2008PhoenixDodge TheatreJune 27, 2008AlpineThe Park at Viejas OutletsJune 28, 2008Los AngelesGreek TheatreJune 29, 2008BerkeleyHearst Greek TheatreJuly 1, 2008 SeattleWaMu TheaterJuly 2, 2008BurnabyCanadaDeer Lake ParkJuly 4, 2008West Valley CityUnited StatesUSANA AmphitheatreJuly 5, 2008MorrisonRed Rocks Amphitheatre
Box office score data VenueCityTickets sold / availableGross revenueAuditorium TheatreChicago2,684 / 3,448 (78%)$325,261Radio City Music HallNew York City5,959 / 5,959 (100%)$590,113Hearst Greek TheatreBerkeley7,418 / 7,418 (100%)$498,325Bank of America PavilionBoston 3,584 / 5,166 (69%)$219,576Nikon at Jones Beach TheaterWantagh 6,663 / 13,514 (49%)$245,295Molson AmphitheatreToronto 7,775 / 8,500 (91%)$198,200Chicago TheatreChicago 2,072 / 3,136 (66%)$226,985Cynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionThe Woodlands 6,077 / 15,685 (39%)$258,711Superpages.com CenterDallas 7,589 / 19,878 (38%)$179,639Dodge TheatrePhoenix 3,044 / 4,861 (63%)$201,147TOTAL55,865 / 87,565 (60%)$2,943,252
Broadcasts and recordings
A True Colors commemorative album was released on June 12, 2007 through Tommy Boy Records.TommyBoy Entertainment Album Page Physical copies were for sale at the concerts and the album was also available online from the iTunes Store. A reissue commemorative album was again released through the iTunes Store and was available for free download by concert attendees..www.itunes.com
References
External links The New York Times review of the show at the Radio City Music Hall on June 18, 2007