David Bowie’s Lazarus had two short, completely sold out runs in New York and London. If you missed it, you’re kind of SOL. But, if you’re willing to settle for experiencing it in virtual reality, instead of real reality, you’ve got a second chance to see it at London’s V&A Museum. The musical will be given a second life as part an exhibition called From VHS to VR, during the museum’s Performance Festival on April 30th. Visitors will be able to strap on a headset and drop themselves into a 360-degree recording of Lazarus recorded during its King’s Cross Theatre run.
Of course, this is hardly the first dalliance between David Bowie, his estate and the world of high technology. The classic Brian Eno collaboration Heroes was the subject of a dance sequence presented using both Gear VR and Hololens at Sundance, and a tribute concert for the late musician was streamed around the world via Skype. Plus, you know, he was a pioneer that blended synthesizers and advanced music production techniques with traditional pop music.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear as if Lazarus VR will be available outside of the festival for now. Hopefully that will change (cue music).
Source: V&A Museum (PDF)