BWW Interviews: Kalen Allmandinger and Patrick Newton of BLUE MAN GROUP at Tennessee Performing Arts Center

BWW Interviews: Patrick Newton and Kalen Allmandinger ... Two Behind the Blue

Whether or not you are a sports fan for either of the professional Nashville sports teams, I'd like to be the first to prepare you for a possible sighting of a man or two performing off-Broadway with blue paint on their faces. However, these blue men aren't playing by the same rules. Let me just state the obvious, the Tennessee Titans have absolutely nothing on the Blue Man Group (BMG) returning to Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center with a new theatrical touring production. For this week only, the entirely new, high-impact visual performance will wow Nashvillians like never before in Andrew Jackson Hall. Here at BroadwayWorld Nashville, we had the chance to interview not one but two touring Blue Man professionals.

To preface, I must admit right off the bat that I have never seen a Blue Man Group performance in person to date. I have only been told stories via my wife; someone who actually went on tour with the Blue Man Group during The Complex Rock Tour about a decade ago as a personal assistant for the Nashville band Venus Hum. I had the chance to interview Kalen Allmandinger, a BMG performer who was on The Complex Rock Tour and who is on the list to fill-in for this current tour if called upon, and Patrick Newton, a BMG performer coming to town this week.

BWW Nashville: First of all, thank you both for taking the time to answer a few questions for all the readers in the BroadwayWorld.com Nashville region.

How did you first find out about Blue Man Group and get involved?

Patrick Newton: The first time I saw Blue Man Group was on a high school band trip to Chicago. As a young drummer and a hopeful actor, I was blown away. It wasn't until my senior year in college, though that I finally submitted my information to be considered for casting. I came back to Chicago for my first audition, and the rest is history!

Kalen Allmandinger: I was a freshman at the Chicago College of Performing Arts studying theater when a friend of mine who had seen the show in New York told me that I should go to the upcoming auditions for the Chicago show, which hadn't yet opened. I went and they told me to finish school and to contact them when I did if I was still interested. After I graduated, I gave them a call and set up another audition and that's when I was hired.

BWW Nashville: My wife has told me some amazing stories about the cast and performances from The Complex Rock Tour with Blue Man Group and various musical acts. What are some of the main differences between the varied Blue Man performances and tours, from an audience and participant perspective?

Patrick Newton: BMG is great at recognizing the different theaters they have (all over the world) and changing each show to make it specific and successful to that space. For instance, the Vegas show might blow your mind with a technical extravaganza, while the New York show might feel like an ethereal cave you've been transported into, in order to summon the Blue Men to the world we live in. On top of that, every show is different every night, depending on whatever the audience energy is!

Kalen Allmandinger: The Complex Rock Tour was about writing all new material and building a show around that. It was a concert and we played in arenas and sheds and some theaters too, but it was more like a rock concert in structure and content. The current tour is more like the theatrical shows that BMG cut its teeth on. The Complex Rock Tour, being a concert, was more about the Blue Man communicating and connecting with the audience through music, and the current theatrical tour is a little more character driven in that the Blue Man uses means other than music to connect with the audience and to show them who he is.

BWW Nashville: What is the hardest thing about the production to get used to from past performing experiences?

Patrick Newton: The subtlety and specificity of the character. In BMG, the character doesn't speak, so you have to be very clear with every movement you make, in order to tell the story.

Kalen Allmandinger: Like most people, I didn't have much experience catching things in my mouth before I got this job, so I had to work on that.

BWW Nashville: Hilarious. So what is the camaraderie like between the individual, different tour groups under the Blue Man Umbrella?

Kalen Allmandinger: There are so many talented people in these shows. It's a lot of fun being able to work in different casts and with all the diverse and considerable talent. It offers an opportunity to learn new perspectives and techniques relating to performing this character-that can be a real breath of fresh air.

Patrick Newton: It's great! I have an incredible network of friends around the world, thanks to BMG. Some are more acquaintances, and some are my best friends, but all of us share a cool fraternal bond.

BWW Nashville: Lastly, before going to the show for the first time in my case and once again for my wife, what should Nashville expect to be different this time around than any other Blue Man Group performance before?

Kalen Allmandinger: In all of the Blue Man shoes, the audience is directly engaged and sometimes even asked to participate. The content of the show varies from production to production and the size of the theater has a lot to do with the overall feel. This show (in Nashville) is a little more intimate than The Complex Rock Tour was.

Patrick Newton: Well, without giving too much away, there's a lot of new material in this tour-definitely a lot different from The Complex Rock Tour-but hopefully she'll still see a few of her favorite pieces. Also, I wasn't on The Complex Tour, so she hasn't seen me before!

BWW Nashville: We look forward to it and the show! Thank you both again for your time, and here's to the best in everything in your lives for the New Year to you both!

Blue Man Group plays at Tennessee Performing Arts Center January 6-11. You can purchase tickets on their website or by calling the box office at 615-782-4060.