Still mourning “Stranger Things?” Rowan University’s Edelman Planetarium, located in the Science Hall on campus, is offering a laser light show for fans who aren’t ready to let go of the hit Netflix series. The immersive experience combines music, visuals, and storytelling inspired by the show’s signature 80s aesthetic.
The show provided to the Edelman Planetarium by Laser Fantasy, a company known for producing laser shows accompanied by music, walks the audience through five chapters: “Darkness,” “Youth,” “Friends Don’t Lie,” “Battle,” and “The End?” Each chapter showcases different themes from the series by combining laser visuals and iconic tunes from the 1980s.
The soundtrack for the show featured songs including “Girls on Film” by Duran Duran, “Whip It” by Devo, Peter Gabriel’s cover of “Heroes,” as well as tracks from “Stranger Things'” original soundtrack.
The Laser “Stranger Things” show is showing from Jan. 2 to Mar. 27 on Fridays at 7 p.m. and has a one-hour runtime.
“When Taylor Swift was doing her Eras Tour, we were running a hugely successful Laser Taylor Swift program, and with the release of the final season of ‘Stranger Things,’ we thought it was time to bring back our Laser ‘Stranger Things’ show,” said Amy Barraclough, Director of Edelman Planetarium.
While this show specifically draws in fans of the Netflix series, the Edelman Planetarium offers a wide range of programs throughout the year. The planetarium offers many other shows for different audiences. There are family shows, shows for school field trips, shows for music lovers, and shows for those who just want to try a new way of stargazing.
Many students are drawn to the planetarium for its variety of music shows.
“The Dark Side of the Moon Show is probably my favorite,” said Michelle Goodman, a sophomore physics and math major at Rowan.
Whether looking to gain more knowledge about the night sky or just wanting to enjoy a cool light show, the Edelman Planetarium has something for everyone.
“I think the main point of the music shows is to have a good time, just enjoy a nice show, and listen to good music,” said Troy Menzis, a junior math major at Rowan. “With our educational shows, to be able to go outside and see the real thing, and be able to know something new about it, is a very powerful emotion. It’s one that I feel a lot working here.”
In 2024, the planetarium received a $100,000 donation from Ric and Jean Edelman. These funds were used to purchase three new shows, including two that are currently running: “JWST: The Story Unfolds” and “Spark: The Universe in Us”. The planetarium also used this donation to build the scale model of an Apollo Lunar Lander in front of the Science Hall.
“A second spacecraft and some exhibit panels explaining the story of the models will be added later this year,” said Barraclough.
The Edelman Planetarium has a wide range of shows for everyone and is one of the many attractions that Rowan University has to offer its community.
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