Ever since a 2Pac Shakur hologram graced the stage to perform at Coachella in 2012, many have speculated that a rise of digital-age posthumous tours was all but inevitable. It would appear that reality has landed on our doorstop. Should they be so inclined, fans of Whitney Houston can catch her performing onstage during a slew of European tour dates– albeit as a hologram. In order to fully build on the no-doubt surreal experience, immersion is set to be intensified by the presence of a live backing band and accompanying dancers.
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Speaking on the decision to embark on such an ambitious tour, sister-in-law Pat Houston declared it to be “the right time” to bring the vision to life. And thus, “An Evening With Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour,” was born. Apparently, the hologram was created using hours of motion-capture body double, with CEO of BASE Hologram Marty Tudor likening the process to that of Carrie Fisher’s Rise Of Skywalker scenes. “It’s lengthy, it’s tedious, it’s a big, complicated process, but I think it worked.”
Should you be interested in catching the concert, which will find Houston’s digital avatar performing a slew of her classic hits, the first show is set to kick off on February 25th in England. From there, it will continue in Europe until April, with North American dates reportedly set to follow. As Pat Houston tells it, the entire experience of bringing this one to life has been an emotional roller coaster. “I get very emotional watching this, because it is so, so close to what she wanted,” she explained. “The only thing missing is her, physically.”