I went to the Whitney Houston hologram tour last night – and what I saw blew my mind

When I first heard about the UK concert, I knew it was something I had to see. The next thing I knew, I’d purchased tickets. Then regret started to set in...

When I heard that there was a chance to see Whitney Houston live in concert in the year 2020, I knew I was not going to miss it. This was something I had dreamt about since I was 15. An icon, a legend, one of the most powerful voices ever, I knew it would be phenomenal. But with Whitney’s tragic passing, I didn’t think it would ever be possible.

Fast forward to just two weeks ago, I was sat with my sister and she told me that she had seen a new show being advertised: An Evening With Whitney. At first I thought it was a tribute act – as much as I love a good impersonation, it wasn’t something I got too excited about. But then she showed me the actual clip of Whitney in hologram form and I knew immediately that it was something I had to see. The next thing I knew, I’d purchased tickets.

Not long after, I started to panic a little bit. Regret started to set in. Would the whole experience be a good one? Or would I be left traumatised by a peculiar, bitty, low-res performance? Would it do Whitney justice? Would it look like a sims game? What if it was glitchy and malfunctioned?

This wasn’t just anyone we were talking about. This was Whitney Houston, the Queen of vocals, the best singer ever, as far as I’m concerned. But would this show, which could either be amazing or an absolute nightmare, honour her in the way that she so deserved to be honoured? I was stressed. I was worried. I contemplated whether or not I should even go.

Thanks to Nottingham Theatre Royal, the 11th stop on the UK tour, the fact that I couldn’t resell or get a refund on my tickets also made me pretty firm that I was going, and this wasn’t about to be a waste of money.

I started to think positive thoughts and just knew that however the show was, I was going to enjoy every moment of it, or at least try to. This was a huge chance for us who never got to see Whitney in concert when she was alive. I should be proud to attend. So, I put the worries and negative thoughts to the back of my mind and decided to enjoy every moment of it as much as I could. I’m so glad I did.

I’ve got to admit, typing out statuses on social media like “off to see Whitney!” on the day of the concert on Tuesday felt surreal. I felt like I was in a weird world of time travel. When we finally reached the venue and made our way to our seats, seeing the buzz and anticipation of everyone else in the audience really made me feel that this wasn’t crazy. I mean, it was. But it felt like an honour too. Who’d have thought something like this would be possible five years after her passing?

As soon as the hologram appeared, I knew I’d made the right choice in coming. A mixture of emotions hit me; joy, exhilaration, along with a slight twinge of sadness. The hologram looked so real I could have sworn she was really there. It was different than I had expected. For some odd reason, I thought the hologram was going to be giant, but it wasn’t. She was life-sized, dancing seamlessly, talking and singing smoothly. Her gestures weren’t glitchy and sim-like, they were graceful and perfect. Her facial expressions weren’t robotic, they were absolutely genuine and beautiful.

Dress rehearsal for An Evening With Whitney in Sheffield, 25 February, 2020 (PA)

And the dancers! They were phenomenal. It wasn’t like they were dancing with a hologram, they were dancing with Whitney, like she was right there with them, which was a brilliant touch. Whitney’s vocals were, as to be expected, also stunning. Yet her voice didn’t sound mechanical. This was her, performing live like she was right there in the room with us. She had us dancing, she had us singing along with her, she had us bawling our eyes out at times. She had us stunned with the power of her voice.

I’ll say this now; going to the hologram tour was the best decision I’ve made in a while. I’d go again, and so should anyone who considers themselves a fan. Strange as it may sound, not only is it a great night out, it’s also a privilege to see your favourite artist perform, even when they’re no longer with us.