Review: BLUE MAN GROUP is A Party Not To Be Missed

BLUE MAN GROUP is not your average stage show. BLUE MAN GROUP is a strange, zany, comical, and surreal experience. How does one describe the indescribable? Its not a musical, its not a play... its an experience. While performance art comes closest to categorizing them, what an audience experiences is really a unique communal party. Formed in 1991, BLUE MAN GROUP is best known for their creative stage productions around the world.

BLUE MAN GROUP currently has productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, New York City and Berlin, along with this American Tour. Along with the theatre show, they have toured the globe with their rock concert parody: "Megastar World Tour", appeared on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship The Epic, released five albums, contributed to a number of film scores, performed with orchestras around the world, and appeared in some prominent advertising campaigns.

BLUE MAN GROUP grew out of a collaboration between three close friends: Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The Blue Man character emerged from small "happenings" on the streets of the city, growing into small shows at downtown clubs, and eventually becoming a full performance at the Astor Place Theatre. BLUE MAN GROUP has now been seen by more than 17 Million people.

The first clue that you are in for something different comes the moment you're seated and look up on the stage. The stage has a quotation about the act of creativity, accredited to Nora Epenephrine and Sarah Tonin. Monitors are flashing announcements about "no cob wombling", asking the audience to speak (not sing) "Happy Birthday" to an audience member, or harassing an audience member for posting a status update on Facebook. Don't show up late, like the three unfortunate souls at our performance, because they will literally stop whatever they are doing, put the spotlight on you and broadcast you on the big screen while they sing "You're Late...". A slow walk of shame ensues while the entire audience laughs at you.

The humor is both primal and sophisticated in nature and other than the announcer voice there are no spoken words. Key bits in the performance include: throwing marshmallows and paint balls into each others mouths and then turning it into "art"; a moment where they turn an audience member into a human paintbrush; a comment on technology and cell phones where they use a giant tablet device or "GiPad" to show how modern communications have impacted our logical thinking ability... just to hit the highlights.

There's also an interactive segment where they teach the audience the steps to being a rock concert audience: the wave your hands like you just don't care, the raise the roof, etc... all done with the stick figure of sign fame come to life. By the end, you will become part of a rave audience batting gigantic color-changing balls in the air as paper streamers blow out on you... and loving it.

The tour cast features: Kalen Allmandinger, Daniel Carter, Ethan Golub, Meridian, Patrick Newton, Michael Rahhal, Scott Speiser and Steven Wendt. The tech, which is spectacular, must be credited to Joel Moritz (Production/Lighting Design), Caryl Glaab (Video Design) and Matt Koening (Sound Design). The production's design is surreally beautiful and the seamless blending of animation, video and sound makes the experience even more stunning. The experience ends in an explosion of color with gigantic color changing balls, paper streamers, silly string and crowd up on their feet, shaking their "money makers", just like they were instructed. And I still covet the experience of the guy who got to be the human paint brush... he got to take home the art that was created using his body. Talk about a conversation piece!!

BLUE MAN GROUP - Created, Written and Directed by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink.

BLUE MAN GROUP, played Dell Hall in The Long Center December 26-27.

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