Eight years after the tragic passing of Whitney Houston , the pop icon is set to make a return to the stage in 2020. However, this time Houston will perform via the ethereal form of a hologram. The digitized singer will kick off “An Evening with Whitney” tour in the United Kingdom on February 25. North American dates for the live spectacle are expected to follow soon.
The Metro reports that Houston’s hologram will be accompanied by a full cohort of backing singers and dancers, as well as a live band. The developers for the show utilized a body double, countless hours of Houston performances, and CGI imaging to create the hologram. The show’s set will feature the star’s biggest hits, including “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know,” and “I Will Always Love You.” A handful of special renditions will also be performed, including a version of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” which Houston recorded 30 years ago, Billboard reports.
According to The Metro , when the tour was first revealed last year, it received criticism from fans who were worried about protecting the star’s legacy. In contrast, other Whitney Houston fans were overjoyed at the prospect of seeing her songs performed in a live setting again.
In a bid to allay the fears surrounding a digital version of a much-loved singer, Fatima Robinson, the director and choreographer of the show, told The Metro that she wished to reassure fans that she gave the project great consideration before signing on. Ms. Robinson vowed that great measures had been taken to pay tribute to Whitney’s legacy.
“What we are doing is paying the biggest respect and homage to her legacy so that’s what my focus is is just creating a show that I hope that she would completely love… I’m doing my damndest [sic] to create something that we’re going to be proud of and that I’m going to be proud of.”
The singer’s family have also given their seal of approval to “An Evening with Whitney.” Pat Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law, executor of her estate, and former manager, believes it’s the right time to launch the holographic tour.
Pat Houston, who is producing the show with BASE Hologram, told Billboard that it felt right.
“In the spirit of Whitney, I know we’re doing all the right things right now.”
In January, The Inquisitr reported that Whitney Houston will be included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2020 inductees alongside Notorious B.I.G. and Nine Inch Nails.