Roy Orbison resurrected as hologram at Dr. Phillips Center
Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first: Roy Orbison died in 1988. So if the idea of a new concert from the Texan seems confusing, just remember that it’s all smoke and mirrors.
Actually, BASE Hologram Productions executive Gary Shoefield doesn’t like to give away the details of exactly how the Roy Orbison hologram gets on stage. “It loses some of the wow factor when you know how it’s done,” Shoefield said.
“In Dreams: Roy Orbison in Concert” will put a hologram the classic crooner on stage at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center with a backing performance by a live orchestra. Orbison is best known for his early rock-and-roll hits such as “Only the Lonely,” “Crying” and “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Shoefield said mixing the live orchestra with the hologram gives the performance a more authentic feel.
“When people see the hologram nodding to the orchestra and reacting to the audience, it makes everything feel more real,” he said.
Orbison is just one of the artists in BASE’s stable of holograms. There is another tour for legendary singer Maria Callas. And the entertainment company recently acquired the rights to do an Amy Winehouse show.
Tickets, $44 and up, are currently on sale for the In Dreams tour. Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16. Visit drphillipscenter.org for details.