Augmented reality-infused production of Wagner’s `Parsifal’ opens Bayreuth Festival
By RONALD BLUM
Associated Press
BAYREUTH, Germany (AP) — Director Jay Scheib’s augmented reality-infused production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” premiered in the the theater the composer conceived of in the late 1880s. Scheib, an MIT professor, created a stage where real and virtual mixed, seen through AR goggles by 330 of the 1,925 people in the audience. At the end of a six-hour performance filled with fantastical images, an audience that included former German Chancellor Angela Merkel applauded for 15 minutes, though a small segment booed the production team. There are six additional performances through Aug. 27.
