BWW Reviews: Awestruck! BLUE MAN GROUP Astounds at The McCallum Theatre

I will admit, from the start, that I was not racing to the theatre to see BLUE MAN GROUP. Having only seen them once or twice on television, and never being blown away by what I saw, I was more attending the show to fulfill my obligation of covering all of the Broadway offerings at The McCallum Theatre than anything else. I assumed I might be mildly entertained. I was way off base in my assumption. The easiest way to write a review of BLUE MAN GROUP would be to head straight to the Thesaurus and find all of the superlatives that sound great in print. And they would all be true. To choose just one - BLUE MAN GROUP was astounding!

BLUE MAN GROUP is a cerebral sensation at every turn. It is rock concert and comedy circuit and technological science experiment all rolled into one and -- dare I use the most highly over-used word in our modern American lexicon - was truly A-MAZING! The more than ninety-minute production is all but sensory overload and, from the very clever pre-show to the encore, there is never a dull moment. Bit after bit is funnier than the one before and as fast-paced as is 21^st century technology BLUE MAN GROUP seems to be one step ahead of the curve. It is both simplistic and highly intellectual in nature and appeals to every member of the audience at whatever level they choose to take it all in.

I don't think it would be possible to describe any particular sequence in the show and adequately translate the cleverness or the humor or the awe inspired by it - in fact it is likely futile. To attempt to describe comedic bits involving Captain Crunch or slamming a man covered in paint into a canvas to create artwork or a song centered around every possible word for the rear-end only sounds sophomoric - and yet, in these capable hands, it is almost the antithesis. It is truly a "you had to be there" kind of evening and one not to be missed. I will also say (without any description to follow) that they made the best use of "audience participation", which usually makes me cringe, that I have ever seen. It was comic genius.

Incredible. Remarkable. Unbelievable. Breathtaking. I will let you go to your own Thesaurus if you feel you need more words to describe the show.

BLUE MAN GROUP has one more performance, tonight, at the McCallum. This is one of those rare "run, don't walk to the box office" events and I would strongly encourage purchasing any last remaining seats! Tickets are available online at www.mccallumtheatre.com, or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787