Broadway is joining the Beltway in offering 360 degree access to content.
To promote his upcoming musical School of Rock (based on the movie), composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has released a 360 degree interactive music video for the song “You’re In The Band.” The video features star Alex Brightman (in the Jack Black role) and a cast of talented kids shredding in the classroom:
There are several dramatic flourishes in the clip, including a fog machine. But there are also some fun inside jokes for theater geeks—the blackboard in the classroom features drawings of characters from Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, two of Mr. Lloyd Webber’s other musicals. And if you want to play along with the kids, the chords for the song are drawn on the classroom ceiling.
You can get the full effect of the virtual reality experience by rotating the video screen for a full 360 degree view. The YouTube mobile app also supports the immersive experience.
The show’s official Twitter account shared an image of Mr. Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowes, the show’s book writer, rocking along wearing VR glasses:
.@OfficialALW and #JulianFellowes view their newest music video for #SchoolOfRock using VR gear. #Oculus #360Video pic.twitter.com/CKiIWjDfUW
— School of Rock (@SoRmusical) October 14, 2015
School of Rock opens at the Winter Garden Theatre on December 6.
