A host of local dignitaries gathered outside the planetarium before making their way inside to experience the immersive, 360-degree blend of lights and sounds that combines the music of Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist James Hood with an ethereal, hypnotic montage of computer-generated art. Described as an experience that will “transcend time, relax, soothe, and stimulate your mind,” the seven-minute preview of “Mesmerica” provided to the event’s guests and members of the media offered a brief glimpse at the hour-long show that will run through the fall. It also offered a taste of the newly-upgraded facility’s potential as a visual theater space.
A preview of the Mesmerica show at Schenectady's miSci, with our Rick Marshall. A showcase of sound and visuals that relies on spectacle instead of story, “Mesmerica” isn’t a traditional film. It’s a shifting, evolving blend of colors, light and dreamy, percussion-heavy music that fills all 360 degrees of the overhead screen.
Audiences are invited to lie back in their seats and lose themselves in a journey through fractal imagery, alien landscapes and meditative beats. “That alchemy of music and sound and image that surrounds you puts you in this beautiful brain state where you can relax and unpack all the stuff that you brought in with you and end up feeling great when the show's over,” explained Michael Daut, VP of Venue Engagement for Worlds, the company behind “Mesmerica.” The improvements i.