How Ryan Seacrest is getting ready for unprecedented 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' with no Times Square crowd

Despite the pandemic, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" with Ryan Seacrest rolls on, live from New York's Times Square Thursday night on ABC. But even without a massive crowd, Seacrest and his co-hosts Lucy Hale and Billy Porter will still bring the energy throughout the broadcast.

"We will not pack in a million people, obviously, but we will have the performances like we always do, we will have the stage built like we always have," Seacrest told ABC Audio. "And I think it's important that we do bring in fun and ... this theme of celebration and this theme of moving forward and moving on from this year."

And it's not like Times Square will be completely empty: Essential and front-line workers and their families -- who Hale called "the real heroes of 2020" -- will be joining Seacrest and company during the celebration.

"It'll be nice to have some people there and really be honoring them," Hale noted.

In addition to interviewing those workers, Seacrest will be speaking to President-elect Joe Biden and his wife about "what's to come in the new year, hope and unity."

Also joining the party: Jennifer Lopez, who'll be performing right before the ball drops. J-Lo, who last appeared on the ABC special 10 years ago, "really felt it was important to come back as a local from the New York area to celebrate," said Seacrest, adding, "We'll also have Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper performing together, which is kind of special."

And because folks won't be out partying this year, Seacrest is hoping "there'll be more people watching than ever before."

He says, "Our hope is that they turn the TV on, and even if it's just the background for their very small gathering ... we'll be a part of it."