Cyndi Lauper is the subject of a forthcoming career-retrospective documentary titled Let the Canary Sing. It’s directed by Alison Ellwood, who also oversaw the 2019 Go-Go’s documentary and a two-part documentary about the Laurel Canyon scene for Epix in 2020. The project does not yet have a release date, but is in production via Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division.
According to a press release, Let the Canary Sing will cover the pop star’s ascent from her Queens upbringing to the top of the pop charts in the 1980s and beyond. Ellwood shared a statement about the project:
Like many people, I assumed when Cyndi Lauper burst onto the music scene in the early 80’s, that she was another young star experiencing a meteoric rise to fame and success thanks to MTV. Her music videos were wild and colorful, her songs like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” were infectious. But as it turns out, her story is one of hard knocks, hard work and dogged determination. Cyndi wanted her voice not just to be listened to, but a voice to be heard. The documentary will be a full portrait of Cyndi Lauper – her “True Colors” shining through.
Along with her music career, Lauper has been an active advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusive causes. The United Nations Human Rights Council and the High Note Global Initiative honored her for her work with the High Note Global Prize Laureate award in 2019.
