The USO Show Troupe, the only official entertainment group chartered by the United States Organization (USO), will perform at the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square on Dec. 31, 2020 to mark the end of a tumultuous year.
Watching the ball drop from Times Square in New York City on New Year’s Eve is a time-honored tradition. This year, however, the fanfare will be a bit less spectacular as organizers plan for the event without a live audience.
The event will be headlined by Andra Day with additional performances by Gloria Gaynor, Pitbull, Anitta, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Jimmie Allen, Machine Gun Kelly, The Waffle Crew, and USO Show Troupe. There will also be activities and special events throughout the broadcast. The broadcast will be hosted by Jonathan Bennet who is known for his role in “Mean Girls” and the host of The Food Networks “Halloween Wars” and “Holiday Wars.”
The USO Show Troupe will perform “Empire State of Mind,” “Stars and Stripes,” and “A Military Salute” at the celebration on New Year’s Eve for audiences who are watching around the world. On their regular show tour, the Troupe provides entertainment at over 200 military and civilian events worldwide each year. Their mission is to “[lift] the spirits of American military, veterans, and their families.” Their eclectic music style includes old hits to modern music including the big band era, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, disco, Motown, country, Broadway, and current Top 40 hits.
The New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, which began 116 years ago, decided to go fully virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although this is the twelfth year that the broadcast has been streamed on the web, this is the first time since 1907 that the event does not have a live audience.
All participants in the event will be masked at all times except when performing, and social distancing rules will apply.
How to watch the NYE ball drop
The festivities for the Times Square ball drop will begin at 6 PM EST. There will be performances, hourly countdowns, and interviews with performers and celebrities until midnight. The event will conclude at 12:15 AM EST on Jan. 1, 2021. Viewers can choose from several camera options to watch the show from the angle in which they choose.
You can stream the event live on the following websites:
Discussion about this post