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 in miSci’s planetarium and performance space were evident from the opening moments of the “Mesmerica” preview, as the demanding visuals filling the dome-shaped screen showed little signs of straining the digital video projector.
The theater’s sound system was also up to the task, comfortably transitioning between soul-shaking bass and quieter, meditative musical cues. Museum of Innovation and Science President Gina Gould and NYS Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (center) join local dignitaries to cut a ribbon commemorating the reopening of the museum's refurbished Suits-Bueche Planetarium in Schenectady. The first few scheduled showings of “Mesmerica” have already sold out, per miSci staff, so local audiences will soon find out for themselves whether the full screening of “Mesmerica” delivers on the transcendental experience it promises.
But for one local official in attendance, “Mesmerica” — and miSci’s upgraded planetarium — more than lived up to the hype. “It was only a preview but it really was mesmerizing,” said state Assembly member Angelo Santabarbara, who represents portions of Schenectady and Montgomery counties, and has been one of the museum’s most vocal advocates in state government. In April, Santabarbara announced that he had secured $10 million in state funding for interior and exterior infrastructure improvements at miSci.
“I felt like I was actually floating into the screen,” he continued. “I think it’s very unique [and] the music was a perfect match to the images. You forget the screen is even there.
And you do feel relaxed. It's almost like a stress reliever. “It's a big step for miSci [and] a big win for Schenectady to have this show here.
” Tickets for "Mesmerica" and information about the film are available online at Mesmerica.com ..
