BASE Hologram's own page calls Roy Orbison's show a projection

What you see

Theatre and arena audiences at 'In Dreams – Roy Orbison in Concert' watch a projected digital performer resembling Roy Orbison sing a 16-song set backed by a full live orchestra, according to BASE Hologram's own production page. The company's own press release describes the figure performing 'newly recorded, never-before-heard, digitally remastered arrangements,' framed as a seated concert rather than a walk-around exhibit; no headset or glasses are needed. The North American run opened 1 October 2018 in Oakland, following what the release calls a sold-out European leg earlier that year.

How it works

BASE Hologram's production page states plainly that 'the digital and laser projection is breathtaking,' and its press release similarly calls the technique 'cutting edge holographic laser imaging,' language that points to a projected image rather than a captured optical hologram of Orbison, who died in 1988. The audio, per the company's own materials, is 'digitally remastered' archival and newly arranged material paired with a live orchestra, while the visual figure is built and projected by the production company rather than recorded from any performance Orbison himself gave. Neither page names a specific screen or foil brand, but 'laser projection' indicates a light-based image rather than a physical scanned recreation.

Viewing conditions and limits

The press release lists a run of North American theatre dates through 19 November 2018, and separately announces a planned dedicated 'hologram residency' at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, beginning in spring 2019, alongside a note that an Australian date was 'Coming in 2019.' Neither page publishes screen brightness, size or viewing-angle figures, so those production details remain unconfirmed by the sources opened here. This was, per BASE's own release, the company's debut touring production, with a second show featuring Maria Callas announced the same year.

What it is not

Despite the 'hologram' branding throughout BASE's own materials, the company's own language of 'digital and laser projection' and 'holographic laser imaging' describes a projected image rather than a laser-recorded interference hologram, and neither page claims Orbison's original performance was captured in three dimensions during his lifetime for this purpose. This is closer to a remastered-audio concert paired with a purpose-built projected visual than to an archival recording brought back to life optically. BASE's own materials treat 'hologram' as a product category name rather than a technical claim about how the image was recorded.

• Ask whether a touring 'hologram' show's own materials name the projection technique, as these do, or only use the word 'hologram' without elaboration.
• Ask how much of the audio is original recordings versus new arrangements built around them.
• Ask whether a fixed venue residency, like the one announced for Branson, uses the same technical setup as the touring version.

BASE Hologram's own materials for this show are unusually specific about tour dates, venues and format, making them a useful baseline for comparing the company's later, less document-rich announcements for other artists.