Broadway Stars Celebrate Christmas With Musical Tribute To Beloved Dogs

The song ― originally written and recorded by Sia for her 2017 album, “Everyday Is Christmas” ― gained new meaning for Rosen and Thomas as they hunkered down in their New York apartments with their dogs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

To film their reimagined take, the longtime collaborators enlisted many famous pals, each of whom appears alongside their own pups. Collectively, they see the video as a creative way to celebrate their pets while delivering a thoughtful message about responsible dog adoption in the COVID-19 era.

“New York can be such a lonely place, and my dogs always make me feel safe and loved,” Thomas, who has appeared in the musicals “Wicked” and “Xanadu,” told HuffPost. “My partner Jeffrey and I have three rescue dogs [who] have been my entire life during the pandemic. They are so unconditionally loving and comforting. I was so excited to reach out to all of our friends who have dogs. You can always count on the Broadway family to pull out all the stops for a worthy message.”

Watch “Puppies Are Forever” below.

The new version of “Puppies Are Forever” appears on “The Award Winning Holiday Album,” released earlier this month. The eight-song collection was a passion project for both Rosen ― who appeared on Broadway last year alongside Chenoweth in the concert residency “For the Girls” ― and Thomas. Together, the pair eschewed festive classics in favor of wistful tracks, including some originally recorded by Dolly Parton and LeAnn Rimes.

“This project very much tells the story of my pandemic holiday,” Thomas said. “It took my stress and worries and turned them into hope and joy. I was able to dig in deep to focus on this music, rather than lying awake at night worrying about the future.”

Like much of New York’s theater community, Rosen and Thomas have gone to lengths to stay creatively engaged as performance spaces remain closed indefinitely. Thomas hopes that “Puppies Are Forever” is indicative of how he will reflect on 2020’s uncertainty and chaos.

“It was just so very important to not let this pandemic and this 600-year-long election cycle dominate my year,” he said. “There has been very little that I have control over this year, but my creative output is all up to me. It’s somehow comforting to know that artists around the world are going through this at the same time. As horrible as this year has been, I’m grateful for the experience and the lessons I’ve learned.”