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View Winners → Pasadena TV Game Show Heads to Hollywood Fringe Festival: Buzz’d Out Live!
Arts May 23, 2018
Dr. Robert Nafie dedicated 39 years of his life to Clairbourn School. Courtesy Photo
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Theaters across Hollywood are buzzing with creativity and passion in eager anticipation of the Hollywood Fringe Festival coming in June. Popular Fringe venue Studio/StageLA is offering a first of the festival’s kind: an interactive game show “Buzz’d Out Live!” hosted by accomplished magician and mind reader Ben Benjamins.
“It’s a crazy live game show that’s wacky and a ton of fun,” Benjamins explains, “anyone who’s always wanted to be on a messy, fun, and wild game show, this is their chance.”
Benjamins has been a resident of Pasadena for almost a decade and with his partner, Roe Moore, created the game show with the assistance of Pasadena Media. “Buzz’d Out!” is clever, entertaining, and just a plain wild TV game show that airs on The Arroyo Channel, a Pasadena’s local cable access channel. Benjamins’ inspiration to create the show lies in two words: Double Dare.
“For me, that show really inspired me to think about game shows in a way that was different. All the game shows up to that point were very interview-like, very talking-heads,” shares Benjamins. “I think it led to the creation of reality-based challenge shows like Survivor and Amazing Race. It all started with those physical challenge game shows.”
Like Double Dare, the show pairs crazy challenges with mindboggling trivia. In each round contestants must buzz in to answer trivia questions on a variety of topics but the buzzers aren’t always the most obvious. Sometimes they’re a physical challenge, like hitting a target with a pool noodle dart. Other times, they’re ridiculous like touching a dead fish with your face. The TV version has already built a following through the show’s partnership with Pasadena Media, including local corporate sponsors like Pizza Press-Pasadena offering prizes for the winning contestants.
This live version of “Buzz’d Out!” will have new challenges, new questions, and new contestants with each performance. Attending audiences will also have an opportunity to take part in the show either as a contestant or assisting contestants on stage to complete the challenges. And before hesitating on attending, know that Benjamins has taken careful consideration that the live version be done different from the TV show based on his experiences attending live game shows.
“I felt something got lost when game shows went from the TV version to the live version — it was really boring when they played the games exactly like they do on TV,” Benjamins explains. “I don’t think we’ll have as much of an issue because the best part is that the audience becomes part of this crazy TV game show brought to life on stage.”
The reason the show is taking a chance on the Hollywood Fringe Festival is to gain exposure and interest to take the project to the next professional level. Hollywood Fringe allows independent artists an opportunity to put their work up and have audiences that would never have considered seeing the work a chance to see it.
“The big picture would be to produce this show on a professional level for a network and a wider audience,” Roe Moore explains, “We’d love to partner with Hulu, Netflix, YouTube Red, or the other New Media networks because our show is different.”
“Buzz’d Out Live!” Opens June 2nd and runs through June 23rd with the Hollywood Fringe. Tickets are currently on sale. For more information, be sure to check out www.BuzzdOut.com and check out the promo video.
