On Saturday evening, January 5th, the final performance of Laserium was presented at the Griffith Planetarium in Los Angeles. Linda and I cashed in a ton of frequent flier miles in order to make the 36-hour jaunt to Los Angeles and back to Florida for the occasion.

The show closed not because of faltering attendance or any other reason, except that the entire planetarium was to be closed beginning 2 days later until 2005 for extensive renovations. Laserium opened at the Griffith in 1973 and had played continuously since. It was the longest running production of any kind in Los Angeles and unquestionably the longest running laser show anywhere in the world. Insiders in the laser and planetarium community are fully aware of the far-reaching implications of Ivan Dryer's successful endeavor, which opened the floodgates for laser presentations in planetariums and other venues, so I won't rehash those details.

Ivan advised that we should arrive early because of the anticipated crowds. We left our hotel by taxi at about 6:30, (for the 9:45 show!), with assurances that it was only a 5 or 6 minute ride. After sitting in a traffic jam for nearly a half hour at the foot of the hill on which the planetarium is situated, we decided to walk. I'd highly recommend it for anyone wanting a good workout. That's not exactly what we had in mind but at least it got us there by about 7:30. The front lawn of the planetarium was packed. People were lined up by the hundreds and others were milling about. We were fortunate to run into Ivan out front and were invited to see the 7:45 star show. Once in the theater, Ivan suggested that we remain thru all the shows since to exit and attempt reentry would be chaotic. The planetarium lecturer mentioned that the VERY uncomfortable planetarium seats were also scheduled for replacement and we could understand why after just the first show. After enjoying a well-presented feature on Mars and the first laser show, "Dark Side of the Moon", we waited in anticipation for the final show.

As we watched the crowd file in we noticed a number of familiar faces. Ivan had invited laserists from all past Laserium venues as well as production and support staff and others, and a large number were in attendance. Barbara and Seiji Inatsugu, John Tilp, Mitch Hartman, Ron Hipschman, Benjamin Mendelsohn, past and current Griffith staff including Ron Oriti, and representatives from the media among others, were there. After the customary pre-show announcements, Ivan took the mic and welcomed the audience. He gave a brief synopsis of the history of the show, then announced that the final show, "Laser Visions", would open with "The Blue Danube", a selection from the original Laserium show. Laserist Tim Barrett gave an inspired performance to an enthusiastic capacity crowd of over 600!

Following the conclusion of the show and the departure of the general public, the invited guests were told of plans for the next generation of laser entertainment that Dryer has already began working on. A freestanding facility, Cyberdome, will incorporate interactive displays, live performers, lasers, and other innovative forms of stimulating sensory media. He urged all to visit their web site to follow the project as it develops.

Finally, we all adjourned to a nearby pub and restaurant for food, libation, and reminisces of past times. All in all it was an exhausting but thrilling experience.

John Hare