Whitney Houston - Hologram Tour

If you’re happy with it, don’t feel ripped off (and can afford it without running up a massive card debt) then good luck to you, I’ve seen some truly terrible tribute acts over the last few years that would struggle to make it into Stars In Their Eyes and would have preferred to have seen holograms or just video clips on a big screen rather than what I got to see : I wouldn’t want to go somewhere the size of the O2 to see a hologram show but I’d be open to seeing something in a far more moderately sized venue.

I can understand why people are against them at the moment, because the way they’re being presented is basically as a cash grab - especially where Whitney is concerned, knowing that she has no living descendants to benefit from this.

However the technology itself is interesting and shouldn’t just be dismissed. Sometime in the future I’d like to see the technology used to re-create concerts that people want to re-live or ‘experience’ in person. Take Madonna for example - The Blond Ambition Tour is one of the most revered pop concerts of all time: imagine if this technology could be used to put a 1990 version of Madonna back on stage doing the exact same show? Then there’s Michael Jackson - imagine if the technology develops to the point they can finally stage his This Is It show?

I think there is more merit in recreating something that was culturally significant, rather than inventing a new show. At least that way they could even use the live vocals that were recorded at the time, rather than album tracks.

Extending the concept out, would we go and see a theatre performance generated in such a way? I don’t mean a 12 month run of a holographic Olivier doing a show he was never in, but I’d imagine the technology could eventually be developed to a point where AI could take existing footage (such as the NT archive material) and repurpose it in a ‘3D’ way somehow - be it for commercial or academic gain.

Instinctively I find it exploitative, dishonest and rather ghoulish- like a mass self-deception to pretend the dead star is really there- otherwise why not just watch a music video?

The artist has not given consent for her image/ identity to be used in this way- whereas she did consent to appear in the videos and tribute acts are actual people, who can be applauded for their own skills in live performance.

If this is where the future of "live" performance is going, I won't be partaking.

I caught the Buddy Holly/Roy Oberon hologram tour in Brighton. I’m not a massive fan of either but could not resist a gander (especially after being offered very good seats for a very good price).

It’s an odd night out and not completely unsuccessful. The creatives haven’t got it quite right (no in between songs natter, noencore) but the songs do carry the evening and u soon get caught up in the weird gig.

It works least when they move around so this will be fine for WH and all the band and and backing singers are real people so it’s not completely soulless

I agree this format would work best with the Jacksons and Madonna’s best of all, however the technology isn’t there yet and it looks odd as hell when they move around.

I think it’s totally worth going if u a) get seats within the first 8 rows b) have more money than sense c) get great seats at really REALLY cheap prices

I saw the Cirque Jacko show where they use it and I thought it was really clever and quite moving because it was of him as a child. But then it was only for like half a song, I don't know if I could last a whole concert of it.

The entire music industry is pretty much based around exploiting people so this really shouldn't come as a surprise.

It is a bit ghoulish but hey people pay money to see much worse and more offensive stuff.

Yes, I believe their calling them "Abbatars"

On another Forum there's a current discussion of a Maria Callas Hologram tour doing the rounds in the States. Same issues.

Conclusion its not for true fans or sceptics. But for a new audience who want to see what the fuss was about, it seems to work OK.

This is how the technology worked for that tour.

"The visual part of the Callas hologram is created through the acting of a “body double” who imitates the style of Callas. Facial features and other aspects of the performance are later changed through the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI)."

Honestly I'd rather they do this with beloved singers than go through anymore jukebox musicals...

Will Gompertz’s review on the Beeb is very entertaining in a biting and sarcastic way....apparently some of the crowd in Sheffield took offence at the announcement at the top of the show about it being a live experience by Whitney (!) and then resorted to shouting out such things as ‘blow me a kiss’ and ‘get off!’ etc at the hologram...oh dear! He says that most of the entertainment was provided by the affronted crowd rather than the bizarre and detached hologrammy-thing on stage.The irony of this entire venture is quite mind-boggling.People are choosing to pay up to £70 for this?
As a side-note,I’ve only ever been to Sheffield once,but remember a comedy stand-up many years ago describing it as the kind of place where the locals still stop in the street,point at the sky and exclaim in astonishment - ‘Look,a plane!’

Can’t be true,surely?😂

Thanks brexiteer for those kind words. Sharing my memories is about all I can manage to do these days as the physical decline of old age sets in, but it is always a pleasure to post something on Theatre Board. I presume you have seen what I had to say recently about going to Glyndebourne, and I have put in my two penneth about productions of Wagner's Ring cycle. I mentioned nothing specific about the Ring but I can say that my first Ring cycle was at Covent Garden in 1960 conducted by Rudolf Kempe and it was the musical experience I still remember vividly rather than the theatrical or dramatic one, which I think I found serviceable but nothing remarkable.