Netflix's Leo Premiere Party
One of the best things about being a Los Angeles DJ is having the opportunity to perform for premiere events of all kinds — for instance, those that celebrate singing lizards who mentor elementary school children. And that’s exactly what I had the pleasure of doing at the Netflix Leo Premiere on November 19, 2023.
Leo, Adam Sandler’s latest gem, is a heartwarming albeit hilarious tale of an elderly lizard who leans into the mentorship of a fifth-grade classroom. When the classroom teacher goes on maternity leave, and the long-term substitute is a less-than-ideal replacement, Leo the lizard steps in to bestow words of wisdom to each child in the class during their respective turns caring for him over the weekend. In classic Sandler fashion, Leo is full of wisecracks, slapstick (of the reptile variety), and, of course, silly songs. It’s just the sort of new-age, coming-of-age flick that kids and parents alike can get on board with.
To celebrate the not-so-lean, green, adolescent advice-giving machine, MKG threw the Netflix original one heck of a party at the historic Regency Village Theatre in Westwood. In a genius move, the premiere was held mid-day on a Sunday — to include families, of course, but also to include local teachers, who were personally invited to the event by Netflix. Cast and crew, including Adam Sandler and his family, Bill Burr and Allison Strong, along with these guests of honor, walked the “green carpet” before a special screening of the movie.
Afterward, all were treated to super fun and creative experiential moments like a friendship bracelet station, an arcade claw game full of Leo stuffies, and yummy favors like cupcakes and candy. MKG also killed it with photo ops, providing a ton of creatively cute cameos where Leo could sneak his way into the pics.
Not only did I have the pleasure of DJing for guests at the green carpet event, but I was also thrilled to play during the afterparty. The DJ Tessa booth was along for the whole ride that day!
One of my all-time favorite parts of being a premiere event DJ is seeing the guests catch a vibe, and this event, in particular, was so cute in that regard because of the kids. They LOVE Taylor Swift (obviously - who doesn’t?), and their requests were almost exclusively T Swift tracks. And you already know they had dance routines ready for every single one. “Anti-Hero,” “Cruel Summer,” and “Look What You Made Me Do” seemed to be the most popular tunes. Aside from Taylor’s discography, “Starships” by Nicki Minaj was an absolute banger for the kids, which was a super fun and happy surprise.
As for the curated playlist, I really wanted to keep the vibe very light-hearted, feel-good, and upbeat. Happy pop tunes from artists like Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Jung Kook (and lots of it), Charlie Puth, Fifty Fifty, New Jeans, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, and, you guessed it, lots and lots of Taylor Swift.
The Netflix Leo premiere was quite a memorable occasion, and I’m so proud to have represented PRISM DJs that day. I’m so grateful to Netflix and MKG for inviting me to be part of Leo’s journey!
You can watch Leo on Netflix now!
