Musical Laser Shows to Light Up UMaine’s Jordan Planetarium
Contact: Alan Davenport, 581-1341; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — The University of Maine Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium will host several specially choreographed musical laser shows in February, featuring iconic musical selections from over the decades, and selected through an online voting process by the public.
Planetarium director Alan Davenport says the show Feb. 15-21 will be different but no less spectacular than the more traditional planetarium programs on celestial wonders of space and planets.
Brilliant laser and music shows featuring musical hits and classics by bands ranging from Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, U2 and Pink Floyd to more recent hits from the likes of N’Sync, Pink, Metallica and 3 Doors Down.
While the colorful lasers creating characters, cartoons and patterns on the domed planetarium ceiling will be impressive, says Davenport, “I think the music is what’s going to attract our audience,” he adds. “Kids today live for their music, if they think they’re going to get loud music and the music they like.”
UMaine students have been voting online through the planetarium website (www.galaxymaine.com) for several weeks, and the results have been tallied to become the schedule of 12 showings and 9 different music sets.
A complete song listing of each program is posted on the Planetarium web site, GalaxyMaine.com. The shows will likely appeal to audiences from area elementary school groups through high school and college age, or older, including people who grew up with the Who, Black Sabbath or the Edgar Winters Group. These shows, Davenport explains, are not video. “It’s high resolution laser imagery so you get the brightness and the rich colors of two laser beams mixing and scanning the dome at blinding speed mixed with stars and other effects.”
The schedule is:
Sunday, Feb. 15
1 p.m., Laser Beatles
7 p.m., Laser Dark Side of the Moon
Monday, Feb. 16
7 p.m., Laser Zeppelin
Tuesday, Feb. 17
1 p.m., Fright Light
7 p.m., Pink Floyd’s The Wall
Wednesday, Feb. 18
1 p.m., Laser Magic
7 p.m., Laser Dark Side of the Moon
Thursday, Feb. 19
1 p.m., Laser Zeppelin
7 p.m., Laser Beatles
Friday, Feb. 20
1 p.m., Laser Pop
Saturday, Feb. 21
11 a.m., Laser U2
1 p.m., Laser Metallica
A nominal admission of $3 will be charged to defray the cost of producing the shows. Seating is limited so advance ticket purchase is recommended. For further information, Davenport can be reached at 581-1341.