Calling all Tampa Bay Swifties — get ready to make your friendship bracelets and shake it off.
Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry is making the whole place shimmer on May 15 for the new Digital Dome Theatre's first laser music show.
And you may have guessed, the music of pop icon Taylor Swift will be the star.
The experience begins at 6:30 p.m. in the recently opened Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre, the second-largest planetarium in the country. Tickets are $8 for MOSI members or $10 for nonmembers.
The show is for all ages, and laser visuals are synced with songs from each iconic era, ranging from "You Belong With Me" to "Cruel Summer" and more.
Impact of Digital Dome Theatre
The dome used to hold the IMAX Saunders Planetarium until it closed in 2017, and the old screen was removed last September. The new dome can hold over 300 seats compared to about 46 in the former configuration.
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Since the dome opened to the public April 1, MOSI president and CEO John Graydon Smith said there's been more than a 15% jump in general attendance as well as more than double the number of people adding planetarium shows while there.
"People are coming and seeing multiple shows during a visit because we've got five different shows throughout the day, and so it's exceeded all expectations so far," Smith said.
The plan has always been to bring back laser shows, which were very popular decades ago, Smith said.
So, the first piece of technology that was installed after renovation was the laser system. And the first imagery the dome got to test was the Taylor Swift music show.
More shows coming
Smith said that as a father to two teenage girls who are big Swifties, he's seen the pop star's music light up a car ride, a living room dance party — even an entire stadium.
"Now imagine that energy exploding across the night sky in lasers, light, and surround sound in our Digital Dome Theatre," he said.
Smith described how his daughters were among the first small group to test the system ahead of next week's debut.
"She's [Taylor Swift] certainly still having her moment, and there's no reason MOSI shouldn't jump on that train for a little bit as well," Smith said.
But besides being a popular artist, the songwriter's lyrics connect with imagery to help create a multisensory experience. For example, even in her early music, she alludes to aspects of the universe.
Like in "Mary's Song," she sings, "I looked at you like the stars that shined in the sky, the pretty lights."
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Or in "Mastermind," where the lyrics go: "Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned."
And one of the most apparent callouts of all time with "Snow on the Beach" comes when she sings, "I searched aurora borealis green."
All these lyrics help create strong storytelling when it comes to a laser show.
"And in the Taylor Swift show, especially because her songs are sort of, in many ways, biographical and sort of storytelling, the imagery that goes along with it is really graphical," Smith said.
But Swift isn't the only artist visitors can anticipate — MOSI has about 40 or so music shows it can do and is continuing to add to the catalog.
Some shows they plan to roll out in the near future include classic rock bands Pink Floyd and Queen.
"Pink Floyd never seems to go out of style," Smith explained.
The other shows are more visual, with lights and flashing colors, he stated.
"It's still very cool. It's just different kinds of imagery that go with different songs and different artists," Smith said. "It's a neat experience. It's pretty trippy."
A new era for MOSI
And as Swift leans into and embraces the word "era," so does the museum.
"MOSI's having its new rebirth era, and the Digital Dome [Theatre] has been really the key component to that that we've been working on," Smith said.
He added that the dome has taken the museum to a new level and gives it a chance to grow.
"It gives us the opportunity to expand the audience in terms of the number of folks in a given show, but also to put that many people in a room together gives us the opportunity to do live music, special events, those kinds of things that we haven't been able to do in over a decade," Smith explained.
And although MOSI is continuing to focus on supporting local schools in educating kids, Smith said, it is also in negotiations that could lead to hosting events like weddings.
"There's still a lot to come that we haven't even rolled out yet," Smith said.
But one question remains: Are you ready for it?
MOSI is at 4801 E. Fowler Ave., across from the University of South Florida. To learn more about the Taylor Swift show, click here.
