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July 25, 2019 -- New York, NY -- BuzzFeed’s Internet Live took New York City by storm with star-studded performances, comedic sketches, and timely interviews live at Webster Hall. Encompassing all the best of meme-culture, Lil Nas X, Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray, JoJo Siwa, Heidi Gardner, Snooki, JWOWW and more brought the best of the Internet to life on one stage.
Just like scrolling through your social timeline, Internet Live featured bite-sized, must-watch live segments that reflect what’s trending online today and tributes to nostalgic memes.
Internet Live will premiere across the BuzzFeed Network, including on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and BuzzFeed.com on Sunday, August 4th. Highlights from Thursday night’s show at Webster Hall included:
• Lil Nas X opened the show with a performance of his latest hit “Panini,” and the Internet’s favorite song - his viral, record-breaking “Old Town Road.”
• Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray sat down with BuzzFeed News Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith, and challenged President Donald Trump to sit down in New York City for a presidential debate hosted by BuzzFeed. He added that the President isn’t welcome back in New York City following his term.
• JoJo Siwa brought three rounds of “JoJo Juice,” pouring marinara sauce, cold milk and neon blue paint all over herself in front of a roaring crowd.
• The cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” (Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, Deena Nicole Cortese, and Angelina Pivarnick) took on a BuzzFeed Tasty “Giant Food” challenge to create the best six-foot sub. Drinking wine, Deena Cortese’s giant Italian sub was dubbed the Tasty favorite by chef Alvin Zhou.`
• Comedian Heidi Gardner of “Saturday Night Live” fame surprised Webster Hall with a new character “Didi Vendramini,” the mother of the young man from the Distracted Boyfriend meme.
• Sam Primack of Dear Evan Hansen performed a stirring rendition of “Waving Through a Window,” a track that has made waves beyond Broadway to resonate with online audiences.
• BuzzFeed inducted Ava Ryan, Zoe Roth, Daniel Lara and Jason Holz into the first-ever “Internet Hall of Fame” for their lasting contributions to online culture.
• “Waitress” star Shoshana Bean led Camp Broadway onstage in a stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace” in tribute to memes of Internet-past in “Meme-oriam,” which evolved into a classic Internet Rickroll with a performance of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
The full lineup included top-artist and meme-generator Lil Nas X; Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa; NYC Mayor and Presidential Candidate Bill de Blasio and First Lady of New York Chirlane McCray; “Saturday Night Live” star Heidi Gardner; Comedy Central’s Eva Victor; Nicole ‘‘Snooki” Polizzi, Jenny “JWOWW” Farley, Deena Nicole Cortese and Angelina Pivarnick of MTV’s “Jersey Shore Family Vacation”; YouTube phenomenon Jason Nash; child comedian Ava Ryan; “Disaster Girl” Zoe Roth; Broadway star Shoshana Bean; sensational dancer Donte Colley; Sam Primack of “Dear Evan Hanson”; climate activist Alexandria Villaseñor; viral pianist Charles Cornell; Daniel Lara and Josh Holzz of the “Damn Daniel” duo; Camp Broadway, and resident DJ Anthony Obi “Fat Tony.”
Internet Live is a new model variety show where BuzzFeed showcases the truth and joy from the Internet and takes it IRL. Internet Live was produced by BuzzFeed and Show Shop.
ABOUT BUZZFEED:
BuzzFeed is the world’s leading tech-powered media company, with a cross-platform news and entertainment network that reaches hundreds of millions of people globally. The company produces articles, lists, quizzes, videos, original series; lifestyle content through brands including Tasty, the world’s largest social food network; original reporting and investigative journalism through BuzzFeed News; strategic partnerships, licensing and product development through BuzzFeed Marketing; and original productions across broadcast, cable, SVOD, film and digital platforms for BuzzFeed Studios.
ABOUT SHOW SHOP:
Led by award-winning producing partners ALEX COLETTI and FRANK GARRITANO, Show Shop specializes in world-class specials, live event broadcasting and digital programming. Garritano has produced large-scale music specials such Netflix’s Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids, MTV's broadcast of Legally Blonde: The Musical and HBO's Concert for Valor. Coletti has produced and directed series such as the Sundance's Spectacle: Elvis Costello With, MTV's Unplugged, VH1's Storytellers, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards and NBA All-Star Halftime shows.
Show Shop produces the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO) and has most recently produced the forthcoming Game of Thrones farewell special, hosted by Conan O’Brien, Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman film, Notes From the Field (HBO), David Cross: Making America Great Again! (Netflix), and Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special (IFC).
PRESS CONTACTS:
Shira Mahler
412-818-6920
shira.mahler@buzzfeed.com