The lights went down, the room went quiet, and then Adam Lambert stepped out—and everything changed. He stood there, dressed to stun, flashing that confident look that says he knows exactly what he’s about to do to the room. The second the first notes of “Acid Queen” hit the air at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre, it was clear this wasn’t just another song—it was a takeover. Taking on a Tina Turner classic is risky, but Lambert didn’t play it safe. He grabbed it, twisted it, and made it his own. His voice was bold, dangerous, and full of fire, sliding from smooth and seductive to loud and fearless in seconds.

Watch Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club star Adam Lambert perform “Acid Queen” from The Who’s Tommy at Broadway Backwards. The annual Broadway Cares/Equit Fights AIDS event celebrates LGBTQ+ love, the strength of community and the boundless power of hope.

The event also featured Jordan Fisher, Joy Woods, Kelli O’Hara, Ryan Vasquez, and more. See more video from the event here and photos from the concert here.

The show raised a record-shattering $1,111,788 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) in New York City. The one-night-only event is produced by Broadway Cares.

By transforming show tunes into queer stories, Broadway Backwards stands as the only annual event on Broadway custom-made for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies. This elevated evening brings to life the stories audiences long to see onstage in fresh, unexpected and deeply moving ways.

About Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert (Emcee) is a GRAMMY-nominated music artist, actor, producer, philanthropist, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer. The first openly gay male artist to reach No. 1  on the Billboard 200, Lambert has released five studio albums to date, selling more than three million albums worldwide. He can currently be seen as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club through March 29.

After blowing everyone away on the eighth season of “American Idol,” Lambert went on to become GRAMMY-nominated for his platinum certified single “Whataya Want From Me” from his debut album For Your Entertainment and has amassed an impressive catalog featuring five Top 10s on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart and hit songs such as “If I Had You” (For Your Entertainment), “Never Close Our Eyes” (Trespassing), “Ghost Town” (The Original High), “Superpower” (VELVET), “and “Holding Out for a Hero” (High Drama).